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Carly grinned. “You know how I like a list. Do you think we should have Lisa go ahead and file the missing person’s report or do you want a chance to speak with DA Litrell first?”
Tanner considered that. “She went missing for a reason, and I’m a little skeptical as to whether her husband, Jay, was looking after her best interests during their marriage. Yes, he’s dead now, but was he keeping her in line for someone before that?”
“Okay, so I guess that means you’ll want to speak with the DA first to fill him in. Probably a good idea before announcing it to the world that we’re doing an official search. Sometimes things get done around here with a simple phone call, even if it’s not quite right.” Carly shrugged a shoulder.
“I’m meeting him at noon, so there isn’t time to do much before I see him. I’ll ask his opinion on whether we should file the report, or at what point Lisa should do it.”
“Makes sense. I’ll help Lisa open her adoption records so she can be officially declared a family member of both Justine’s and Marie’s. She’s going to have to work with her mom to help her there. It’s going to depend on how helpful she chooses to be.”
“Lisa has her birth certificate and adoption records showing that she was born to Justine Chaffin. She could get Justine’s records with that documentation while we work on getting a copy of Justine’s missing person’s report that Marie filed here in Cypress Bayou. Now that Marie is missing, we should be able to file a report on Lisa’s behalf. Or have Lisa do it.”
Carly nodded. “I’ll go make some calls.”
The room lost its air and energy when Carly left. They did their best work when the two of them sat together and made plans. At least he did. Maybe she did too? Tanner enjoyed her presence. Even though his new endeavor was fraught with pitfalls and stress, because of Carly, it felt like an adventure. He doubted any of this effort would be half as pleasant without her.
*
Carly
Lisa had renteda short-term apartment in Cypress Bayou while she investigated Justine Chaffin’s mysterious disappearance so she could be available if we needed her at a moment’s notice. I was glad for that now since we were going in this new direction of filing paperwork that would require Lisa’s participation.
We agreed to meet at one of the picnic tables along the bayou on Front Street. Today was gorgeous and the weather begged humans to step outside and enjoy the low humidity and cloudless skies.
Lisa held a couple shopping bags from the soap store and one of my favorite boutiques in town. Clearly she’d been out already appreciating the nice weather. “Did you find anything fun?”
“That soap store is a new weakness of mine, I’ve got to say. And I adore the accessories at these little shops. I’m bored hanging around while nothing is happening, so I’m getting acquainted with all the merchants here. It’s probably not a good thing for my bank account.”
I nodded. “The soap store is my absolute favorite. I love the new cucumber avocado body butter. Last year, I was nuts about the coconut milk bath bombs. I could spend all day in there.”
“Yes, I just discovered the cucumber avocado line.” She patted the outside of her bag.
“I thought meeting out here would be a nice change. Tanner is having lunch with the district attorney now. We’re hoping he can guide us on the next move as far as finding Marie.”
“Can’t I file a missing person’s report since I can prove to a pretty good degree that I’m her granddaughter? I’m wondering why we didn’t try getting more information that day when we were in Leesfield.”
Lisa seemed a little frustrated that we weren’t farther along. “Yes, well, that was a strange day if you remember. Being threatened by drug dealers and all…but mostly, we needed to get the lay of the land there. Demanding information at that moment without all the proper credentials wasn’t the right time. When we do go back and insist they turn over their records, let’s be sure nobody has any advanced notice to hide anything.”
“Do you think they’re hiding something over there?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea, but if they are, we don’t want to take the chance they’ll have the opportunity to deny us.” I tried to sound reassuring. “Honestly, we have no idea what happened to Marie, but she got lost someplace in the system. Maybe on purpose, maybe not.”
“Yes. Even more reason to get some good advice from the DA Either we do it the good ol’ boy way, or we do it all by the book. He’ll tell us which might work better. And if we try it one way and that doesn’t work, then we’ll go in with warrants and such.”
Lisa nodded. “You see?That’swhy I hired attorneys instead of private investigators.”
We both laughed at that. Just as a text came in from Tanner.
Alan knows the DA in Rapides Parish. Says he’s going to be doing some quiet snooping into Marie’s whereabouts.
I showed Lisa the text.
“So, it’s gonna be the good ol’ boy route for now, huh?” Lisa shook her head and rolled her eyes. “I guess we little women need to sit tight and wait for the menfolk to handle things.”
Boy, did I get her frustration. “Looks that way for the moment, unfortunately. If I thought there was a better way, I’d go rogue and do it.” Lisa was right. This was a small town in Louisiana and the patriarchy here was still well in control of most politics in the state. It had been that way going on a couple hundred years and counting. “We have our uses and our power. Until men can give birth, we’re still in control.”
“Ha. Isn’t that the truth. But my mother gave birth and then gave me up, most likely because of a man. I’m on a mission to find out why and who my father really is. My adoptive mom, who will always be my mom, finally agreed to share the records.”
“Why now?” I was becoming more fascinated by this family story by the minute.
