Bayou Sunset (Agents of HIS #4)

Chapter Twenty-Four

DAISY MAE WAS furious as Sheriff’s Deputy Alice Fournier refused to assist her in bringing Mario Xenos to justice, citing “legal search,” “probable cause,” and “warrant” as reasons. Daisy Mae didn’t care about those things.

Single-minded in her determination, Daisy Mae understood the urgency of the situation. They had to act quickly to search Mario’s boat and home. If they didn’t, they risked losing vital evidence needed to prove that he was responsible for planting the bomb that destroyed her boat.

“What be the matter?” Steve asked her from the driver’s side of her truck. She couldn’t fathom why she had agreed to let him drive her home. She was resolute that he wouldn’t be staying. He would simply have to journey back to where he belonged on foot.

She crossed her arms like a sullen child and looked out the side window. “Not a thing.”

“Come on, Rocket. Ya be pouting worse than when ya could no stay the night at my house when ya be six.”

Great. She found herself revisiting a profoundly embarrassing moment from her past. Perplexed by her parents’ refusal to let her spend the night at her friend’s house, she reflected on how, at that time, she lacked an understanding of the distinctions between boys and girls despite having two older brothers. All she knew was that she was determined to marry Steve and yearned to be by his side constantly.

“Alice. She be refusing to search Mario’s bateau for evidence.” There, she’d said it.

Steve turned into her tiny home’s driveway. “She be right. Besides, you not know if it be him or someone else.”

Grabbing the door handle, she turned to him. “I know it be him. Now, go home.”

Steve chuckled. “When ya gonna get it, Rocket? Where ya go, I go.”

“Ya, no, stay here, Steve.” He had to throw a wrench into her plans, but what a good night they could have if she wanted him to stay. She did not, though. Merde. How could she possibly sneak out and search Mario’s boat if he stayed? This dilemma plagued her, the excitement of an undercover search conflicting with her desire for him to spend the night between the sheets with her.

Ignoring her, he exited the truck and stepped toward her home, not the road back to town. Mais , he could stay the night. She’d have to find a way to search anyway. Just because he stayed the night didn’t mean she couldn’t sneak out. But how with his super-agent-hearing?

She stood there as she slammed her truck door, watching him turn and push the lock button on the key fob. After the reassuring beep, she stepped toward him and her welcoming home. After the break-in, she hurriedly straightened up the place, but it still looked unsuitable for visitors. Given the chance, she would have liked to clean the place thoroughly.

Daisy Mae unlocked her front door and stepped into her home. She stopped and couldn’t believe it. It had been tossed again. What the ever-loving-hell?

Steve stepped inside, drew his weapon, and pushed her behind him. Merde . When would he learn?

“Stay here, Rocket.”

She would do no such thing. Instead, she followed him from the living room to each of the two bedrooms, the kitchen, and the bathrooms—nothing but destruction.

“Why?” she wondered out loud.

Steve holstered his weapon and reached out, pulling her into his arms.

Daisy Mae tensed up initially but then gradually eased into the comforting embrace. Despite her efforts, she ultimately succumbed to an overwhelming flood of tears. Why would someone do this to her? She had always been kind to everyone. The thought of Mario crossed her mind. Well, almost everyone. But to toss her place twice? Who would go to such lengths? Were they acting out of pettiness or searching for something they hadn't found and hoped she had hidden after the first ransacking of her office?

Mario had been absent after she went to Duke’s with Alice. He could have done this. She stiffened and pulled from Steve’s embrace. “Mario, he do this.”

“How can ya be knowing dat?” Steve asked. “He be wit us most of the day cleaning up the dock.”

“Yeah, but he be missing when we go inside.” She strode toward the kitchen, ensuring no open food might spoil. She would start cleaning in this room.

Steve followed her. “Surely he go home to shower. We be grimy and sooty.”

Mais oui. She needed a shower. They both smelled like a fire, but her home had to be cleaned.

Touching her shoulder, Steve said. “Daisy Mae, ya shower first, and I’ll start to clean.”

Daisy Mae hesitated.

“Go on. I’ll start here. When ya be done, I’ll shower, and ya can clean.”

Seeing the wisdom in his words and her need for some deep thought that could only happen in the shower or a bath, she consented. “ Merci. ”

As she left Steve to deal with the mess, she went to the bedroom and found a fresh set of clothes. Stepping into the shower once it was hot and steamy, she stood still under the comforting spray, allowing the warm water to cascade over her, melting away the day’s stress. She reached for the soap bar, ready to wash away the remnants of a long day.

As she washed the soot from her face, she pondered her dilemma. She needed someone to be a friend to her and search Mario’s boat and home with her or for her. She couldn’t ask her friends since it was illegal, and she’d never ask them to do something that could put them in jail.

She stopped and rinsed her face. Would Alice put her in jail if she caught her snooping? Probably not, but Alice wasn’t the only deputy. Thank goodness they weren’t large enough for their own police department and depended upon the overstretched sheriff’s department for assistance. She could be in and out before anyone knew she’d been there.

But how was she to get past Steve?

The inky black color slowly faded as she lathered her hair with shampoo, revealing her tangled thoughts. At that moment, an idea struck her—a daring and potentially risky one if not executed perfectly. Nevertheless, it ignited a spark of excitement within her.

It was enough. She finished bathing until her skin gleamed, then exited the shower to moisturize and dress. She had a plan to implement to prove Mario was behind this mess and get it over with.

Steve would not be the wiser to her plans. Nor would he be able to stop her.