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Gerard and his team stacked the heavy metal panels onto the trailer one by one. When they were done, they followed the tractor and trailer to the front of the barn.
Lucas brushed dust from his shirt and jeans. “I’m glad we didn’t change clothes after finishing up at the boat factory.”
“Same,” Beaux said.
Gerard stood beside his new boss, Remy Montagne. “Did Shelby give you an idea of who the foot might belong to?”
Remy shook his head. “Haven’t heard a thing. I’m not sure she knows I’m here. I just walked into the Crawdad Hole when you called to say you needed our help.” His lips twisted. “Who knew a dead goose would lead to a foot in a pigpen.” Remy frowned. “Speak of the devil.”
A lone figure dressed in a uniform tromped across the field toward them.
Gerard recognized Deputy Shelby Taylor, making her way around the watermelon patch.
Remy hurried forward to greet his fiancée with a kiss. “Hey, babe, how are you holding up?”
She leaned into him for a moment. “I’ll be glad when I get past the first trimester. I’m always so tired.”
“The doctor said your body is adjusting to your pregnancy.” Remy tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
“I know,” she sighed. “But the nausea...and the smell from the pigpen.” She covered her mouth with her hand. “It was all I could do not to lose my lunch.”
“You’re due to get off in…” Remy glanced down at his watch, “thirty-five minutes.”
She nodded. “I can last that long.”
Bernie climbed down from the tractor and joined Remy, Shelby and Gerard. “Did they find anything else near the pigpen?”
Shelby shook her head. “No, but Sheriff Bergeron said last night’s shift on the bayou was looking for illegal fishing and ’gator hunters and ran across a couple of guys carrying guns near the shore not far from here. When the deputy called out for them to raise their hands, they shot at the deputy.”
“Did the deputy get hurt?” Bernie asked.
Shelby frowned. “No. He landed his boat and chased after the men on foot.”
“Did he catch them?” Remy asked.
“No.” Shelby sighed. “They got away in a vehicle. The deputy didn’t get close enough to get the plate number. On his way back to his boat, he found another car half-sunk in the bayou. He ran the plates and discovered they had been stolen in New Orleans earlier that evening. They’ve dusted the car for prints. We’re still waiting to hear if they found a match.”
“Might be the foot’s owner,” Gerard said. “The guys who got away could’ve put him in the pigpen.”
“That’s what we’re thinking,” Deputy Taylor said. “We’ll know more if we get a hit on the prints. The crime team said you can set up the temporary pen now. They need to get into the pen to continue their search.”
Bernie’s gaze met Gerard’s.
His pulse quickened, and heat flooded his groin. Not good. He couldn’t get hot and bothered by this woman. She was his client.
“Ready?” Bernie asked.
Boy, was he. Gerard tamped down his reaction to her and nodded. “We’ll follow you out there.”
She turned and hurried to the tractor, climbed into the seat and shifted into gear. The tractor lurched forward, jerking the trailer along with it.
Remy frowned down at his fiancée. “Are you coming?”
She covered her nose and mouth, shaking her head. “No way. I barely kept my stomach down the first time. I’m heading back to the station to work on my report and see if they’ve come up with a match on the fingerprints.” She leaned up on her toes and brushed her lips across his. “I’ll see you later.”
“You call that a kiss?” Remy caught her around her waist and captured her mouth in a crushing kiss before turning her loose. “Better?”
Shelby swayed. “Much. As long as Sheriff Bergeron didn’t witness that. He read me the riot act about public displays of affection in uniform.” Shelby looked past Remy. “Good thing he’s otherwise occupied with the crime scene investigators.” She shot Remy a stern glance. “Don’t do that again unless you want to get me fired.”
