Deja Voodoo (A Cajun Magic Novel) (Entangled Suspense) by Elle James Read Free Book Online

go. I’m appearing in court in a few minutes,” Ben said. “Let me know how dinner at the Boyette house goes.”
    “Yeah, if I survive. Somehow, I get the feeling I’m the main course to be served up.”
    “You don’t know how true that might be.”
    “Wait, what do you mean?”
    “Outta here.” The line went dead.
    Ed dropped his smartphone on the seat beside him as a speed limit sign flashed by. Hell, he’d been speeding. All he needed was to get hauled to jail for reckless driving and blow his cover. He eased his foot off the accelerator and reminded himself he was supposedly on vacation. A mile out of Bayou Miste, he noted a dingy, run-down shack of a barn with a sign perched precariously over the entrance. Raccoon Saloon . Since when did raccoons drink beer?
    It had a well-worn gravel parking lot with fresh trash scattered around the building. Probably the local watering hole. At least he’d find some entertainment there. If it was a popular gathering place, he might have a chance to study the people, maybe look for those who looked as if they didn’t belong.
    Hell, by the time he finished dinner with the Boyettes that evening, he’d probably be ready to toss back a beer or two.
    In Morgan City, he purchased hooks, a bag of plastic worms, and a cheap tackle box. Although he went for the least expensive of the accessories, he sprang for the nicer rod and reel. Hell, he’d never owned a fishing pole.
    He juggled his purchases as he clicked the button to release the locks on the Jeep.
    “Dat dere’s a nice pole ya got, mista.” A tall, burly man with dark curly hair and brown-black eyes climbed out of an old pickup. He wore a coverall with Littington Refineries embroidered on the front and a matching baseball cap rimmed with greasy fingerprints.
    “Thanks,” Ed said, lifting the hatch.
    The young man stuck out his massive paw. “Name’s Theo Ledet.”
    Ed shifted his fishing pole to his other hand with the tackle box, and clasped the man’s hand. “Ed Marceau.”
    Theo crushed his fingers in a bone-crunching grip. “Goin’ fishin’?”
    No, I’m going snipe hunting . “That’s right.” He pulled his fingers free and shook blood back into them. What did they feed these bayou bumpkins?
    “Hear dose largemouth bass be bitin’ in Bayou Black.” Theo leaned against his truck, as if settling in to chat for a while. “Where ya be takin’ out at?”
    Not exactly sure what the guy was asking, Ed answered with his canned response, “I’m vacationing in Bayou Miste.”
    “Dat so? Where you from?”
    “New Orleans,” he responded, also part of the lie, since he lived in Baton Rouge.
    “Bayou Black’s just a hop, skip, and a jump from Thibodeaux’s Marina.” Theo shoved his cap to the back of his head. “Tell ol’ Joe Theo said hey, will ya?”
    “Will do.” Ed shoved the tackle box into the rear of the Jeep. “Thanks for the tip.”
    “Who ya rentin’ from in Bayou Miste?”
    “Renting a cottage from Mrs. Boyette.” Not that it was any business of Theo’s.
    “Mighty fine woman.” Theo pushed his hat to the back of his head. “Dat be my gal’s mama.”
    “Really?” Ed glanced up. Best to know who to stay away from. Theo looked like he would be the winner of any barroom fight. Ed had no intention of poaching on the big lug’s territory. Again, not that he was interested in dating any of the bayou princesses. An image of a dark-haired beauty in a baby-blue nightie popped into his head. Well, it wouldn’t hurt to talk to one. Might help establish his cover better. “Which one is your gal—girl?”
    “Alex. She and I been goin’ out fo’ a couple months now.”
    “That’s nice.” He slid his pole into the back of his vehicle, leaning the end over the backseat, then he shut the hatch, hoping the man would get the hint and leave.
    “It’s dolla beer night at de Raccoon Saloon tomorra night, if ya got a hankrin’.”
    “Just might.” He edged toward the driver’s door.