solidly pitch-black out here, where the insects now reigned and rang with noise, that little of the land could be seen.
Raveneaux played home to a large stable of racehorses, some first-class winners, but most of the old man's money and wealth had been achieved through a clever mix of sugarcane and politics. In daylight the lush black earth and green fields seemed a far removed world from that of New Orleans' teeming French Quarter; even at night it seemed a world without malice or hatred, envy or greed, bitterness or remorse, deceit or wounds either healed or weeping. So Captain Landry, sitting in the driver's seat beside Alex, looked as skeptical as Jessica, whose frown he had caught in his rearview.
Beside Jessica in the backseat, Kim kept her own silent counsel.
Jessica thought about the road which had led them here. Raveneaux was the one clue left Alex Sincebaugh by the murdering Michael Emanuel “E” Dominique, quite likely the same E as in Kim's uncanny vision after Thommie Whiley's death. Alex had admitted, with some conviction, to having been impressed by Dr. Desinor's near-magical abilities; he'd even admitted a possible connection between her mysterious E and the murdering Dominique, who'd readily used the middle name of Emanuel. Alex had admitted that Dr. Desinor had miraculously unveiled the killer to some degree; unfortunately it hadn't been enough to save Ben, perhaps in large measure due to Alex's own stubborn blindness. What was it about hindsight and 20/20 vision? And what had Kierkegaard said? Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.
As they drove on, Carl Landry told Alex how he'd had to break the news of Ben's death to Ben's wife, Fiona. Alex fought to control himself. Ben's family, his children, were like Alex's own.
“ Anyway, Fiona told me some disturbing news about Ben, Alex,” Landry said by way of preparation. “You may's well hear it now and from me.”
“ What're you talking about, Captain?”
Jessica and Kim, sitting behind them, were also curious.
“ Fiona told me that deYampert was upset and worried… that he had… well, taken some money…”
“ That's bullshit. Ben wasn't on anyone's take!”
“ Said that Ben had been paid off to keep quiet about the case involving Victor Surette, and…”
“ What?”
“ And to doctor some items in the reports.”
“ Christ, that's… that's crazy. Captain, just crazy. Nobody approached me to doctor any damned records, and…”
“ Said he was most upset not about the money so much as having lied to you, Alex, to steer you away from any serious investigation into Surette's past. And obviously it was working, up until your nightmares began and you began to put two and two together.”
“ Money? Who, Carl? Who offered him money to stomp all over the case?” Alex was still disbelieving, but at the same time his mind raced over moments when Ben had wanted to go in another direction, as when they'd gone looking for Gilreath, and later when they'd returned to Surette's apartment.
“ You gotta understand,” Landry said. “He never felt Surette was connected-you know, to the string of murders- least not at first. He was like me, hell… like everyone else…”
“ Who offered deYampert the bribe?”
“ She didn't want to tell me, but I made her.”
“ Who?”
“ It came through Dr. Wardlaw, Frank Wardlaw.”
“ That son of a bitch. I knew it… knew all along that he was covering something. Christ, can't believe Ben'd turn over like that. And why?”
“ Ben was hurting financially. Made him an easy target. Anyway, Ben rationalized it all out for himself and was living with it just fine, but for the lies he told you. According to Fiona, Ben just thought he and Frank were protecting someone high up from any public embarrassment-about Surette, I mean.”
“ One of Surette's regulars in high office, you mean?”
“ Actually, no… not exactly.”
“ What then?”
Kim Desinor and Jessica Coran listened intently as the drama of truth unfolded.
“ Seems Victor Surette was related to someone high up, and they-the family-didn't want it dragged out, you know, public embarrassment, ridicule, all that.”
“ Christ, so the guy was a transsexual, AC/DC… big deal. My God, only in the South today would anyone bat an eye,” moaned Alex. “All right, did Ben ever tell Fiona who it might be?”
“ I had to shake it out of her, but yeah, he did. It goes very high up.”
Alex released his white-knuckled grip on the dash.
“ Fiona asked that I take the money, all of it, back,” Landry went on. “Said it was set up in a trust fund for their boys, but that it only got Ben killed. Something about how God punishes the wicked.”
“ You reckon Ben earned every cent?”
“ I do, and it'll stay with their boys.”
“ So who was making payoffs to Wardlaw and Ben?”
“ She didn't know just how high up it went, but the payoffs to him and Wardlaw came from Richard Stephens.”
“ Stephens? Commissioner Stephens?”
“ Wardlaw threatened once to expose him in Ben's presence, but the P.C. was being pushed from someone above too. I suspect the Raveneaux estate.”
“ Jesus, then this thing has come full circle,” said Jessica from the rear seat.
Alex allowed this news to sink in before he asked another question. “So what're your plans for our pal Frank Wardlaw, Captain?”
“ He's out. Went down to see Frank at the lab. He honestly thought he'd be protected.”
“ Protected by the P.C.?”
“ He claimed Stephens and Lew Meade set up the whole deal; said they said it was for the good of the city to keep such filth from staining the Raveneaux name. He truly thought he'd still have a job when this was over.”
“ Damned fool,” muttered Jessica, “tampering with evidence, the chain of evidence and the integrity of that evidence in a murder investigation. Damned fool.”
Landry continued. “I gave him a choice to either step down or face charges.”
“ Either way now he's ruined,” Jessica suggested. “I mean, when we expose the bastards behind the cover- up of Surette's link with the Queen of Hearts killings and the subsequent body-snatching, none of the old boys who'd put him up to it will be standing with him.”
Kim nodded. “They're likely all scrambling at the moment to save their own butts.”
“ Name of the ancient game,” added Alex dryly, concealing the wellspring of emotions surrounding Ben's involvement as best he could.
“ But are you sure Meade and Stephens were involved in this sordid body-snatching effort?” asked Kim. “I mean, the P.C. and the head of the New Orleans branch of the FBI? Literally robbing us of evidence and planting a false confirmation of our suspicions?”
“ You know anyone else who enjoys playing God behind the scenes more than Meade?” Alex asked.
“ That's one hell of an accusation, Alex,” Jessica cautioned, not wanting to believe the New Orleans FBI Bureau Chief had manipulated evidence.
“ If it wasn't them, who else, Dr. Coran?” asked Alex. “Who else in this city wields such authority and omnipotence?”
Carl Landry put up his large right hand for silence. He then said, “I asked myself that same question, Alex. I also asked myself who could buy a cop like Ben, an M.E. like Wardlaw, a way around the investigation, and why?”
“ So, how did you make Wardlaw come up with Stephens and Meade?” asked Alex.
“ I put the fear of death into Wardlaw,” Landry began. “He was in his office when I burst in knocking files and pencils and cups over and shouting threats. Wardlaw lunged for the phone, but I'm afraid I sent it flying through a pane of glass.”
“ God, wish I coulda been there,” Alex interjected.
