Dream

Chapter 32

Lucy pulled up into the drive of the massive house in the Garden District. Her little beat up car had never looked as out of place as it did now. There were lights on in the house giving it the appearance of warmth, but she had her doubts that that's what she would find.

The slamming of her car door sound abnormally loud in the evening quiet, and giving a little shiver at the chill in the air, she headed towards the front steps of the house, but before she could get to the top the door opened and Eden flew out of it and threw herself into Lucy's arms.

Lucy couldn't help but smile, it was a very warm welcome, and any awkwardness there would have been was lost in Eden's chatter as she took her hand and led her into the house.

It was all marble and glass with a large chandelier in the open foyer and only a center table to greet visitors.

"Thank you for coming," Zelda greeted, talking over for her small daughter as she led the way into a formal living area that looked like something off the cover of a magazine. "Eden, sweetie, go play upstairs for a little while, I need to talk to Lucy for a few minutes."

Eden started to protest, and Zelda gave her a stern look. "We talked about this Eden. Lucy will come and see you before she leaves.

Lucy watched Eden leave the room with a dramatic pout then sitting on a small sofa when Zelda motioned that she should.

"Would you like something to drink or eat?" Zelda asked as an afterthought.

Lucy shook her head, only wanting to get to the point of why she was there.

Zelda gave a shaky sigh and sat across from her. "Zeb found the shooter."

Lucy jerked at the news, she hadn't known that he had shared that bit of information with Zelda so it was not what she expected to hear. "When? How?"

"Summer's boyfriend."

"He was the shooter?" Lucy asked, it took her by surprise, but it made sense, especially after the vision she saw. "Is Summer alright?"

Zelda nodded. "Thanks to you. Zebadiah had someone keeping an eye on her when her boyfriend lost his mind...but let me start at the beginning."

Zelda closed her eyes and organized her thoughts, looking for the best place to begin.

"After the storm Zebadiah went to Texas to take care of some business there. He needed Summer's help and he arranged for her to join him, but when she didn't make her flight he was concerned. It's not like Summer to just not do something. He had a bodyguard watching Summer and, after a little digging, he discovered that it had been a few days since anyone had heard from him.

"Zebadiah was irate that something that important had slipped through the cracks, but with the hurricane..." she shrugged. "Summer had gotten away thanks to the bodyguard's quick action, and she hid out in a hotel for a few days before she got the nerve to call me. Unfortunately, Gianna was with me when she called, and she overheard the call."

"What happened to the bodyguard?" Lucy asked, afraid to hear the answer, expecting the worst.

"He was hit over the head and stuffed in the trunk of his car. He spent over twenty-four hours in the trunk." Zelda stood up and started pacing, and Lucy guessed that the next part was the bad part.

"I went to pick up Summer from the hotel where she was hiding out after calling Zebadiah to let him know that she had called. He had a few of his security team go with me and Gianna insisted on going as well. When I arrived Summer was beside herself, she was convinced that the bodyguard was dead and it as all her fault. She proceeded to tell me and Gianna about how her boyfriend had lost his mind when he had heard that she was going to meet Zebadiah in Texas. He had threatened to kill Zebadiah and Summer, and admitted to already attempting too shoot him once but missing. He said he had followed her to Zebadiah's house in Belfort and had seen them together after the gala. Summer denied it, but he didn't believe her."