Mystery on the Bayou

                                                                                        Chapter 12

                                                                                 Hide in Plain Sight

     "What's going on Frank?"  Jessie asked him, her forehead wrinkled.  Frank pushed his cell roughly back into his pocket and said, with a scowl on his face, "Well....Carl Masters has disappeared."   "What?" nearly everyone said.  "But on the bright side, two of his thugs are fessing up to every crime they know, that Carl Masters ever did."

     "What are you gonna do about Carl Masters disappearance?" Grace asked nervously, "And what did you mean when you said, "Hide them all?" she finished, as her daughter ran to her and gave her a hug while tears welled up in Grace's eyes.  "Now calm down all of you," the sheriff said in a soothing voice.

     "I'll give you the short version of what I found out and what I surmised.  My two deputies, Clark and Mike went straight to Carl Master's gambling house to arrest Carl and his goons, Bud    Patrone and Dale Green.  Bud and Dale are in our jail as we speak.  They were the only two people there when my deputies arrived.  Carl and the gamblers had taken off.  Anyway, Bud and Dale told him that Carl had someone watching the shack.  So he saw everything and everyone," he looked at them all, "that happened, and were there, before and up to Grant being arrested."

     "Which means.... the spy saw all of you, except you Grace, and also Doogie and Floyd at the cabin.  Which means, all of you could be in danger."  "What about Doogie and Floyd?" Essie asked anxiously, "Are...." "Mike is picking them up and bringing them here," Frank interrupted her, "as soon as he and Clark put Bud and Dale in lock up, and gives instructions to the two men that Clark and he deputized today."

     "Essie smiled and nodded at him, then she sighed in relief and said, "Okay."  "Who's protecting Grant at the hotel if Mike and Clark are taking the two suspects to jail?"  Jessie asked Frank.  "They deputized another one of our citizens.  Someone who we have used before, to keep an eye on him," the sheriff answered.

     "If all of you can hold on to anymore questions you may have until a bit later, we have some plans to make.  Grace," the sheriff addressed her, "Is there any chance you have vacation time coming to you?"  "I do," Grace said, and then went on, "I may need you to talk with my boss Bert so I can take that time now however, because I'm not due to have a vacation until June."

     "I will do that," the sheriff said with no hesitation, as he pulled his cell from his pants pocket.  "What's the number?"  Grace quickly rattled it off and Frank placed the call.  He talked for a few minutes telling Grace's boss the need for the time off.  When he hung up the sheriff told Grace she had her vacation time.

     "He told me that I'd better take really good care of you or I would have to answer to him," the sheriff told her.  Grace smiled and said, "He's a really good guy; the best boss I've ever had."  Ron smiled at her and gave her shoulders a squeeze.  "Okay.  So Jessie," the sheriff started, "you  need to pack.  Grace, Esther and you too Ron.  There are laundry facilities in the hotel, so let that be your guide as to the amount of clothes you pack," Frank ended.

     "So I assume we're all going to the Breaux Bridge Hotel?" Ron asked.  "Yes," Frank answered, "I think it will be a lot less trouble if all of you are in one place.  Plus, it's better for all of you emotionally to have each other to talk to.  So...." Suddenly the door opened and in walked pencil thin Doogie Strum in his hip boots and long gray hair pulled back in a pony tail and Floyd Bloom, a much younger man, his red hair sticking out in all directions and his blue squinty eyes checking out everyone in the room.  Deputy Mike Snow and Clark Cruise followed them in.