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“Well, there’s a storage facility there, and it was just rented a week ago. I’d say that’s our next stop.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Cam and Luke took the smaller boat over to Bayou Trail. No need to drive an extra thirty minutes when the boat would drop them right at their doorstep. The difference between the old places when they first found them and now was astounding.
Smoke billowed in perfect curls from the chimneys, fires burning brightly inside the homes. Their front doors were a rustic wood with glass on the upper halves. They’d all been painted a light gray with black trim, but the front porches made each one unique. Some had swings, others just lawn chairs. There were flowers and potted plants, outdoor rugs, and painted wood floors.
“Damn, Grant really does great work,” said Luke.
“He does,” nodded Cam. “There’s Mr. Ray.”
They waved as the old man walked down his porch steps. With Joshua back in school, Ray had a lot of time on his hands and was enjoying his new home. He knew that Joshua would choose to leave after the next school year, heading off to college, but for now, he was grateful for this time.
“Mornin’,” he said as they walked toward him. “How are you boys?”
“We’re well, Mr. Ray. Just checking in to see if you’re doing alright.” A few of the other neighbors came over, shaking Luke and Cam’s hands. They spoke casually for a few minutes, then Luke asked the men his questions.
“We think we might have an idea of who the man is that was helping Tolbert,” he said. “Have any of you ever seen a man on a police motorcycle come through here?”
“He’d be about six-feet tall, tattoos, bald. He goes by the name Lou Rawlins, but that could be an alias.”
“I don’t know him personally, but a man on a motorcycle drove up to the gate two nights ago,” said Ray’s neighbor, Buster. “He was hollering at me to open the gate, but I told him I couldn’t do that. Said it was controlled by security. Fool reached out and touched it.” He laughed, shaking his head.
“I bet that made him happy,” smirked Cam.
“Madder’n a hornets’ nest,” said Buster. “Told him only residents could get in. He said he was lookin’ for a kid that stole from him. We all told him there weren’t no kids livin’ here.”
“Did he buy that?” asked Luke.
“He drove away, but that don’t mean he bought it.”
“If he comes around again, we need you to alert our team, just like we told you. They can see everything on the cameras, but if they don’t know there’s a problem, they just assume someone got turned around.”
“Searching the tapes now,” said Pigsty in his ear.
“We’d do ‘bout anythin’ y’all want. Your grandpappy is a good man. Got all new fishin’ boats and fixed up the old ones like they are new. Chére, there’s gonna be a lot of fish hauled in when we finally get out there,” smiled Buster.
“Grandpa is the best man I know,” smiled Luke. “We appreciate that you all chose to stay and stick it out with us. If that man comes back, remember to call us. Now that he knows the fences are electrified, he won’t be able to get in that way, but he might try to come through the bayou.”
“Isn’t that your land?” asked Ray.
“Yes, sir. It definitely is, but desperate men do stupid things.” Ray smiled at the two men.
“Seems I’ve heard that somewhere before.”
“Do y’all have your decorations up? Trees? Lights?” asked Luke.
“Don’t you worry none about us,” smiled Buster. “Your granny, Miss Irene, she came by three days ago with a load of decorations that thirty houses couldn’t use. Had them big boys of hers, Alec and Tailor, put all the trees up. Best Christmas of my life, Luke. No lie.”
“Mr. Buster, that makes me very happy.”
“Luke, Cam, what are y’all doing here?” asked Jake. He was walking toward the two men, rolling a wagon behind him with Sven at his side.
“Just checking up, Jake. What are you doing?”
“Well, we thought you can’t have a Christmas dinner without all the fixin’s, so Mama Irene sent us over with three turkeys and three hams, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, green beans, brussels sprouts, two pumpkin pies, two apple, and some sorta cake that smells delicious. She said for y’all to keep it cold, and it would be good for Christmas day.”
“Hot damn,” smiled Ray. “Best Christmas ever.”
