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“Gambling,” he whispered. “I never intended for it to happen. It was all so innocent and silly. I took a trip with the seniors of the parish for a fun day of food and to one of the gambling boats. I didn’t have much money, maybe a hundred dollars. But I hit it big on the slots first. Tripled my money. I thought, that was easy. This is much easier than anyone ever told me. If I could continue the trend, I’d have thousands.” The men all shook their heads, rolling their eyes at the man.
“Then I went to the tables and won more than three thousand. I made sure no one else knew. I was so excited. Exhilarated. I needed to do it again, but I didn’t want any of the parishioners to see me. So, I started going elsewhere. I would take short trips up to Biloxi or over to Shreveport. Then they became longer trips.”
“Your mission trips,” frowned Eric. “You gambled in Asia on your mission trips.” The older man nodded, looking down at his clasped hands.
“I never meant for it to get so bad. I was in the Philippines and visited this small casino on one of the islands. Before I knew it, I owed the house more than a hundred thousand dollars. I was able to cover it from the parish funds, and that caught their eyes.
“I knew it. I knew it the moment they saw me write that check, but it was eating at me that I could win it back. I was so arrogant that I let it get to me and just kept gambling. The casino was owned by the Chinese, not the Filipinos.
“All these years as a priest. All these years never once going against my vows, thinking of women, wanting more for myself. I never once did it. Then, in a split second, I threw it all away. I wanted to keep going, and they knew it. They knew I wanted more.”
“What did they want?” asked Luke.
“They wanted me to tell them where certain antiquities could be found. Lost treasures off our coast, jewelry stores, anything of value. I wasn’t the only one. There were others that I met in the casinos as well. Businessmen, housewives, trashmen. It didn’t matter. They found the weak ones and exploited us all.”
“You allowed them to exploit you, Father,” said Luke. “What did you tell them about us?”
“Nothing! Nothing, I swear by all that’s holy. Nothing. I would never break that confidence. Never. I never spoke about your family or Belle Fleur.”
“How did they know about Marcel Robicheaux’s antiques?” asked Hex. “None of us knew about it. He and we thought they were destroyed.” Father Blanchard gave him a funny look, then just nodded.
“Irene told me stories about all the treasures that were rescued over the centuries. The things that were bought by your family or sold. I only knew about Marcel’s story recently.”
“How did you know where they were? How did you know who possessed them, and who the fuck did you tell?” yelled Cam.
“He knew from me,” said Irene, walking through the door.
“Grandma!”
“You forget that I’m on the parish council, Luke Robicheaux. I’m one of two people who knows what the books look like. He’s the other. I think Father Blanchard made a mistake in thinkin’ I was gettin’ old and senile.”
“You knew?” frowned the priest.
“I knew you were pumpin’ me for information. You were thinkin’ you was playin’ to an old woman’s need for companionship. Pfft! I got three hundred people around me all day, every day. I don’t need your kinda companionship, Father.”
“Grandma, please get to the point,” said Luke. “How did you know where Marcel’s sword and chest were? Did he tell you?” Father Blanchard stared at Luke, crossing himself.
“No. Loretta did.”
“Loretta told you where they were. How did she know?” asked Cam.
“Well, now. She’d been stealin’ ‘em.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Back at the compound, Father Blanchard assured the team that his last and final official duty was to marry Sage and Mike. It was time he retired. For his help and information, the team wasn’t going to tell the diocese, but he would need to leave the priesthood and find a way to make it right.
“I’m sorry we won’t have a honeymoon right away,” said Mike, kissing his new bride.
“I don’t need a honeymoon, Mike. I just wanted to be your wife. I never expected any of this. I met you only a few days ago, and here I am as Mrs. Michael Redhawk. It’s almost too much to believe.”
“We’ll get our time alone; I promise you that. But we’ve got to figure out what the hell was happening with your granny.”
“I know. I’m so disappointed in her. She was stealing all of this,” frowned Sage.
“She was stealin’ it from the thieves,” said Irene, taking a seat across from the young couple. The tent was being used for their reception with more food than even three hundred people could eat.
“What do you mean? How was my aging granny stealing from anyone? She could hardly move toward the end of her life. She was suffering from arthritis and other issues.”
