Lucky's Lady

You want to do what, chere?" Serena Sheridan took a deep breath and tried again. "I need to hire a guide to take me into the swamp." Old Lawrence Gauthier laughed as if at the punch line of some grand joke. His voice rang out through the shop drowning out the Cajun music coming from the radio on the cluttered shelf behind him as well as the noises of the all-star professional wrestling emanating from the black and white television that sat on the counter. Lawrence sat on a stool behind the counter, his slender legs crossed at the knees, slouching in a posture reminiscent of an egret on a perchthin shoulders hunched, head low between them. Hls face was narrow with a prominent nose and eyes like jet beads. His skin was tanned dark and lined like old leather. His laughter ended in a fit of coughing. He reached for his cigarette makings and shook his head. "What for you wanna do dat, chere? You goin' after dem crawfish, you?" He laughed again, trying to shake his head and lick the edge of his cigarette paper at the same time. Serena smoothed her hands down the front of the immaculate oyster-colored linen blazer she wore over a matching pencil-slim skirt. She supposed she hardly looked dressed to walk into such a place, much less make the request she had. "No, I'm not interested in fishing." She looked around the store, hoping to spot someone else who might be able to help her. It was the middle of the day and Lawrence appeared to be the only person tending the dingy, dimly lit sporting goods store, though some banging noises were coming from behind him, from a room Serena knew to be an even dingier workshop where men fussed with their boats, drank beer, swapped outrageous tales, and passed girlie magazines around. She knew because she had once snuck in there as a girl. A headstrong child, she had taken exception to being denied the chance to go in with her grandfather and had stowed away inside his bass boat under a canvas tarp. Her vocabulary had gained a number of choice words that day that their housekeeper had later attempted to wash out of her mouth with soap. "I need to find my grandfather, Mr. Gauthier," she said. "Apparently he's gone out to his fish camp. I need someone to take me to him." Lawrence looked at her, narrowing his eyes. Finally he shook a gnarled finger at her. "Hey, you dat Sheridan girl what left to be a doctor, no?" "Yes." "Yeah, yeah! Mais yeah!" He chuckled, tickled with his powers of recollection. "You lookin' for Big Giff." "Yes, but I need someone to take me. I need a guide." He shook his head, still smiling at her as if she were a dear but infinitely dimwitted child. "Non, cherie, all what fishin' guides we got 'round here is gone busy now till Monday. Lotta sports coming down to fish these days. 'Sides, ain't nobody crazy 'nough go out to Giff's. Go out there, get their head shot off, them!" He sucked on his little cigarette, holding it between thumb and forefinger in an unconsciously European fashion. Half of it was gone before he exhaled. He reached out with his free hand and patted Serena's cheek. "Ah, ma jolie fille, ain't nobody crazy 'nough to go out to Big Giff's." As he said it, a loud bang sounded in the shop behind him, followed by a virulent French oath. Lawrence went still with his hand halfway to a tin ashtray on the counter, an unholy light coming into his eyes, a little smile tugging at a corner of his mouth. "Well, mebbe there's somebody. Jes' how bad you wanna go, chere?" Serena swallowed the knot of apprehension in her throat, clasping her hands together in front of her like a schoolgirl. Now was not the time for a faint heart. "It's imperative. I have to go." He bent his head a little to oneHoag, Tami is the author of 'Lucky's Lady' with ISBN 9780553587180 and ISBN 0553587188.