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I couldn’t live with myself if that happened.
“I had them check the cargo hold of your plane, but she’s just not there.” Lisette presses a paper cup into my hands, and I sip at it and focus on the icy water gliding down my throat.
“They have double-checked and triple-checked, but we think your Grand-Mère’s casket was offloaded by mistake during the layover in Dallas.”
“You guys left my grandmother in Texas?”
Being Grand-Mère’s assistant for years, I’ve dealt with shipping the deceased. I have everything I need: a transit approval, a death certificate, an official letter from a funeral home. I even have two copies of each, just to be safe.
I have never heard of a body getting lost in transit.
“We have the ground crew in Dallas on it now. If that’s what happened, we’ll get her on the next cargo plane from Dallas, and the two of you will be reunited within two hours.”
I stare down at the pages of documents clutched in my hands. It’s like Grand-Mère always said: you can’t plan for other people’s incompetence.
Thinking of her pierces me with a sharp stab of grief and nostalgia. It’s been less than two weeks since she passed, and sometimes I forget she’s no longer around. I can’t just pick up the phone and ask her what to do.
I have to figure this out for myself.
“I suppose Grand-Mère just wanted to go on one last adventure before she’s laid to rest.”
The tension eases off Lisette’s face, and she offers me a sympathetic smile. I think it’s more relief that I’m letting her off the hook than anything else. “That’s a wonderful way to look at it.”
If she knew my grandmother, she would know that I’m not just saying that to make her feel better. Claudette Dumont was a free spirit–in life, and apparently death too.
Somehow, I think this is her way of punishing me for doing the exact opposite of what I promised her—to never come back to New Orleans.
Really, it’s her own fault for thinking I would be okay with letting her soul wander, stuck between here and the other side.
I hope you’re enjoying one last hurrah, Grand-Mère.
“Here.” I dig into my purse for my wallet. “Can I give you one of my business cards? The number on there is my cell. Will you call me or make a note for the next person on shift to call me if anything changes?”
“Of course, cher. I’ll take care of it personally.”
“That’s kind of you, thanks.”
I draw a steadying breath and piece together my next steps. The ritual to lay her to rest isn’t until tomorrow. I’ll contact the funeral home in town and explain what happened. They can recall their driver, who’s probably raving mad at waiting this long, and maybe send him back in a few hours when the Dallas flight arrives.
I’m sure they won’t be happy, but that’s business. I would do it for one of my clients.
“Thank you for all your help, Lisette,” I say before turning on my heel and making a beeline for the exit before my magic detonates like a bomb and blacks out the entire airport.
I step through the sliding doors and into the damp embrace of the humid New Orleans afternoon, so heavy it feels like it’s weighing me down. It doesn’t help that I’m dressed for the weather in Leeds, not Louisiana.
Back home, we’re lucky if the temperature reaches twenty degrees Celsius before June.
Shrugging out of my sweater, I make eye contact with one of the cabbies lined up along the curb just outside the airport, and we share a nod. He snuffs the cigarette out into the sole of his boot before tossing the butt to the asphalt and coming my way to take my suitcase from me.
Sliding into the back seat of the car, I’m hit in the face with a cool blast of air, and I send thanks to whatever life-saving genius invented air conditioning. It’s truly a blessing.
“Where ya headed this beauty of a day, ma’am?” The man slides into the driver’s seat, glancing at me in the rearview mirror before putting the car in drive and getting us moving.
Ma’am? Seriously? I’m twenty-nine years old.
“It’s Josie,” I correct before giving him the address of my hotel.
I’m seriously hoping my room has a deep soaker tub so I can soothe my body and mind with a hot bath. I wonder if there are any shops nearby where I could grab lavender, or maybe lemon balm?
