Page 55 of Provoke You

The minute she mentioned it, the entire message became clear to me. “These are just dates. What do they even mean?”

“Well, August 4, 1997. That’s when my real dad died.”

“And these others.”

“July 7, 2012. That’s when Grans passed away.”

She pressed her lips together. While her real dad didn’t mean much to her, her grandmother’s death had left a big hole in her life.

“Why is he just reminding me when my family died?”

“Not on the last one. That’s tomorrow’s date.” I put my arm around her to show her she wasn’t alone. Not anymore.

“Oh, that’s creepy. He’s either telling me I’m going to die tomorrow, or he wants to meet tomorrow. But where?”

What kind of guy was Ben to leave Ela such a message? Obviously, all this was about her family and the LeBlanc fortune, and the fact that Ben was afraid to make a move out in the open. This note was a reminder of that.

“What about these other earlier dates?” I pointed at the date at the top of the list. “They’re in chronological order.”

“Those dates don’t ring a bell. This is where I need your marine skills.”

I pulled out my phone and tapped on the internet app. “How’s this for marine skills?” I let her watch while I typed in the search bar. “September 16, 1864 LeBlanc.”

“Cute.” She slapped my shoulder. “Oh look. You have a bunch of hits. Sofia LeBlanc’s obituary?”

“Let’s try the next one.” I went down the list of dates. They all came back with articles on the death of a LeBlanc.

“Jesus, why didn’t I think of this. So simple.”

“What?” I really had no idea what any of this meant.

“I’m 99 percent sure that if we go to our family crypt at the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, we’ll find these dates imprinted on the front stone. I know for a fact, Dad’s and Grans’s are on that list.”

“That’s an easy lead to check.”

“It’s kind of cool your family has a crypt in the St. Louis Cemetery.” Her family would have to be very old and influential to have a place there. A place like that wasn’t something money could buy.

“My family came over before the Spanish took over. They helped build this city.” The pride in her eyes was something I liked the most about her the first time we met. Ela didn’t just want her hotel; she wanted this piece of her family history to remain with her.

“Okay.” She chugged the rest of her coffee. “Give me thirty minutes to get dressed, and we can head over there. Maybe that’s not the meeting place, and he just left another sudoku for us.” She gave me a quick peck on the cheek and darted upstairs. Seeing her this happy and full of hope again made me want to be the king of everything just so I could make her feel like this all the time. The old Ela was back.

“The cemetery, huh? Sounds crowded.” Chase leaned on the threshold that led to the back room. I wasn’t offended they’d been eavesdropping on our conversation. They were here to ensure Ela’s safety. That was part of the job.

“Agreed. I’m sure that’s why he picked that place. I just hope Ben isn’t like her dad, looking for ways to pull her strings. I mean, look at this note. It’s morbid.” Who used dead people to send a message? The guy wasn’t even from New Orleans. “Go on ahead. See what you see.”

“Got it.”

“Chase?”

“Yeah?”

“We good?”

“I wouldn’t be here if we weren't. She deserves better.” He disappeared through the hallway and left me wondering about all the better things Ela deserved, which probably didn’t include me.

Ela came down the stairs in a white linen dress and big hat. In short, a person who could be spotted a mile away. “Not that you don’t look amazing, but I was thinking we should blend in with the tourists.”

“Why?” She adjusted her top, making the “twins” pop out a little. How did I ever manage not to look before? “They all know me over there. For all they know, I’m just visiting Grans.”

---