Page 19 of One Last Regret

Besides, I might possibly learn something useful from the others here. I don’t know exactly what yet, but I’ve learned that when one uses one’s ears more than one’s mouth, one is likely to learn much.

So, I walk around the lobby, engage in small talk when it’s unavoidable, but mostly listen.

And I do learn much. First, I learn that Louis’s last name is Thibodeaux, and that not only does he had an online channel about music history, but he is also a professor of music history at Loyola University. When I meet with him, I can be assured that he knows his subject well. Perhaps he will be willing to share with me the true nature of the rivalry between Marcel Lacroix and Jacques Poitier.

I believe that’s enough for a good start and decide to leave for home. I’ll take advantage of my night off by making an appointment with Professor Thibodeaux.

As I walk toward the door, though, I overhear something that stops me in my tracks. The speakers are all musicians—a fact I’ve gathered from other overheard conversations. They’re talking about the relationship between the Lacroixs and the Durands, and what they have to say is shocking.

“What do you think Josephine will do now that Claude’s out of the way?” asks a tall, rail-thin young man.

“I think she’ll have to watch out for Audrey,” replies a plump woman with long curly hair.

“Oh yeah,” a second man, rugged and bearded and sporting earrings in each ear. “Audrey’s going to be out for blood.”

“What can she do, though?” the first man asks. “She has no idea how to run a music business.”

“And the Lacroixs do?” the second man challenges.

“Etienne can run the business.”

“Etienne wants to sell the business,” the woman replies. “Josephine can’t run it, but she’ll be damned if she lets a Durand get her hands on it. Audrey probably can’t run it, but she won’t forgive Josephine for outliving Claude. I think we’re looking at a vicious fight.”

“Yes, but how does it end?” the first man asks. “Who wins?”

“None of us, that’s for sure,” the other man says.

“I’m just glad I have other gigs,” the woman remarks. “Whoever wins, I can’t see the Melody open for longer than two more seasons.”

“You think it’ll make it that long?” the first man asks.

“Considering it’s Josephine Lacroix we’re talking about, I think it’ll have to be pried from her cold dead hands.”

“Well, that might be exactly what happens.”

They turn toward me, and I start walking. I smile and nod at them as though I’ve only just arrived and haven’t heard their conversation for the past several minutes.

My smile vanishes when I step into the parking lot. Audrey’s behavior around Josephine makes a lot more sense now. I still think Etienne is somewhat oblivious to the dynamic there, but I’m beginning to get a picture of a rivalry between the elder Lacroixs and the Durands. In a macabre sense, Claude’s death makes them “even.”

But if there was a rivalry between them, then why did Claude work for Josephine and Marcel?

I shake my head. There are still questions to be answered before I know for sure what the truth is. I only hope that Professor Thibodeaux can help shed some light on all of this.

CHAPTER NINE

Funerals are perhaps the darkest moments in the lives of those who lose a loved one. The day after the funeral, however, is like the sun rising from the darkness. It’s a reminder that life goes on in spite of grief, that joy can be found in the ashes of sadness, that the memory of the one we’ve lost is not an impediment to the memories we create after their loss.

This is true for the Lacroixs as well. They are not joyful, per se, but grief no longer settles over them like a blanket. The children eat well, and even Gabriel seems a little less dejected and dissociated. Etienne and Josephine are tense, no doubt in part because of the awkward interaction between them and Audrey at the funeral, but Josephine no long trembles like a leaf, and Etienne doesn’t seem quite so stoic.

When breakfast is finished, Etienne announces, "Children, your grandmother and I are going to take you on an outing. Mardi Gras is not for young children, but there's a celebration in Audubon Park that's more family-friendly. Mary, you're welcome to join us if you'd like."

I open my mouth to accept, but then I think about Professor Thibodeaux. I might not get a better chance to meet with him. "Thank you," I reply, "but I have some personal errands to attend to. If it's all right with you, I'll make it up to the children by preparing dinner and snacks, and we can watch a movie together tonight."

Etienne smiles gratefully, and I'm relieved to realize that he once more wanted this to be a family-only outing. "That sounds wonderful to me. What do you think, children?"

Gabriel nods. “That’s all right.”

“Can we make ice cream sundaes?” Amelia asks.

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