Bayou Justice Read Online Free

waved them both to the chairs. “Please, sit.” He moved to the chair across the table from them and sat.
    â€œNow, tell me what Mr. Trahan served you,” Mr. Williams said, steepling his fingers over the legal pad and pen sitting on the glossy table.
    Digging the paper out of her purse, CoCo’s hands trembled slightly. She set her jaw and slid the eviction notice across the table to him. “This is what he hand-delivered to us yesterday.” Why were her palms sweating? As casually as possible, she wiped her hands on her jeans.
    He scanned the paper and then lifted his pen over his legal pad. “Mrs. LeBlanc, is it possible that what Mr. Trahan states is true?” He tapped the pen against the paper. “Could your husband have signed over the deed to your property?”
    â€œBeau Trahan is a lying, two-bit scum. Marcel never signed over any property deed—not willingly. Beau did something underhanded—I just know it. Probably told my Marcel he was signing something totally different.” Grandmere’s eyes hardened around the edges.
    CoCo patted her grandmother’s hand. “Mr. Williams, I—”
    â€œPlease, call me Dwayne.”
    She smiled. “Dwayne, I’ve lived with my grandparents for thirteen years, and this business about signing over the deed has never been mentioned before.”
    â€œIt’s easy enough to check out. If this did happen, there’ll be a claim on file down at the courthouse. A matter of public record.”
    â€œSo, what do we do?” CoCo held her breath and waited for his reply.
    Dwayne sat straight in his chair. “I’ll be honest with you. The main reason I took this case was because it involved Beau Trahan. I’m investigating him in an unrelated issue.” He pressed his lips together for a moment, pausing before dropping the pen. “I’m inclined to believe Mrs. LeBlanc.”
    â€œThat Mr. Beau had my grandfather sign something he didn’t understand?”
    â€œYes.” He held up a hand. “I’m not accusing Mr. Trahan of anything—not yet—but I can see something like that happening.”
    â€œIsn’t that illegal?”
    â€œYes, it is. However, I’ll have to research it more fully. I’ll start by going to the courthouse and filing a motion against this eviction notice. At the very least, that should buy us an additional sixty to ninety days.”
    â€œAnd then what?” How could they prove Beau Trahan pulled such an underhanded scam on her grandfather?
    â€œWhat we discover will determine how we’ll proceed.”
    â€œMr. Williams,” Grandmere interrupted, “your words are all good, but what’s this gonna cost us?”
    He smiled, his white teeth flashing in contrast to his smooth, black skin. “If you’re interested in me representing you in this matter, how about a one-hundred-dollar retainer and a balance of nine-hundred dollars?”
    CoCo grabbed her purse. “That sounds fine. Should I pay that retainer now?” A thousand dollars to make this whole thing go away sounded a lot cheaper than the fee she’d imagined on the drive over. Thank You for Your provision, Lord.
    â€œYou can pay my secretary on your way out.” Dwayne smiled again. “I’ll need to get some more information from you before I can proceed.”

    Luc ran a caressing touch over his saxophone as he placed it back in its case. Playing the horn always brought him inner peace. Not as much as his daily prayer, but for midafternoon it held its own. Now that he’d finished the big consulting job he’d been working on for the past month, he had two weeks free. Felicia’s wheelchair bumped against the sitting-room doorframe. He swiveled to stare at her.
    â€œHe didn’t mean it.” She maneuvered her chair across the gleaming wood floor.
    â€œI think he did.” He straightened, lifting his sax