“We’ve already told you everything we know,” Sylvie reminded her. “Can you figure out anything from that?”
Claudia’s big brown eyes gave her a thorough sweep from head to toe. It wasn’t really an insulting examination… almost clinical… like it was part of her job. “Possibly,” she concluded, then glanced at the Happy Meal container, where the paper was rattling noisily. It was clear to everyone what was going on… again. With a grin, Claudia asked, “Did you really invent a love potion?”
Sylvie shrugged.
“And Luc swallowed it by accident?”
Sylvie shrugged again.
Claudia’s eyes shifted to Luc and lingered in a questioning fashion. “Are you feeling as… uh, feisty as ol’ Samson is?”
It was his turn to shrug. And blush.
“Wow!” Claudia threw back her head and laughed. “You two are a piece of work.”
What? What does she mean by “you two”? Is her investigative mind seeing something neither of us do? Hey, I’m an investigator of sorts, too. I don’t see a thing. Definitely not.
“Can you help us?” Luc grumbled.
“Well, I agree with you, Luc, the break-in was probably done to find her chemical formulas. The gunshot was to frighten Sylvie, not to kill her.”
“That’s a relief,” Sylvie said sarcastically.
Claudia just raised an eyebrow and continued. “I can’t rule out the possibility that you weren’t followed here, Luc, and that the gunshot wasn’t intended for you… as a threat, mind you. The person firing into this unit was using a sophisticated weapon. If he, or she, had wanted, they probably could have hit either of you.”
She and Luc both nodded.
“With regard to you, Sylvie, the suspects thus far, as I see it, are industrial espionage agents, who often move in quickly when they hear of promising new products; parties at Terrebonne Pharmaceuticals, who want to ensure they hold all rights to a potential financial windfall; your aunts, who’d like a piece of the action; voodoo fanatics, upset over your possible use of their dark secrets; and the media, snooping for a hot story. How does that list sound to you?”
“It seems unbelievable, but I guess I would have to include all of them, even though I refuse to believe that my aunts or anyone at Terrebonne would harm me.”
“Honey, anything is possible when money is involved.” The P.I. then directed her attention to Luc. “You are a different matter, my friend. Hell, you’ve pissed off half the state at one time or another. It could be Cypress Oil. Your father. Some corrupt EPA or law enforcement official. Just about anyone. Even an old lover.” That last she offered with a grin.
Luc fake-jabbed her on the upper arm with a fist and laughed. “Darlin’, ‘old’ would be the operative word here. I’ve seen so little action lately that there’s rust on my zipper.”
Sylvie doubted that very much. And so did Claudia. Sylvie could tell by her raised eyebrows and husky chuckle. It was more likely Luc had a speed control on his zipper. Both women made a deliberate effort not to look down.
“This is my private number,” Claudia said then, giving them a Houma cell phone number. “Memorize it, and call me if you get into any further trouble. In the meantime, I would suggest that both of you go into hiding for at least a few days till I do some preliminary investigative work. No need to provide a target till we know what we’re dealing with here.”
Just before Claudia left, she looked directly at Luc and said, “Call me.” There was no doubt in Sylvie’s mind that she had plans for his zipper.
Not that Sylvie cared.
Much.
“Where are you going?” Sylvie asked a short time later as Luc gathered his jacket and looped it by one finger over his shoulder. He was preparing to leave.
“I don’t know. A few days in hiding, as Claudia suggested, seem in order for me to regroup. Somewhere beyond the range of these deranged lowlifes.” He started to walk toward the front door.
Sylvie hesitated for a moment before calling after him. “Take me with you.”
Little alarm bells went off all over Luc’s body at the suggestion. “No way! Uh-uh!” He turned to glare at her, hoping she would see just how impossible her suggestion was.