Chapter 8 – Searching in an Empty Grave
After his meeting with Helene Plessis there was no further reason for him to remain in New Orleans, but something made him linger on in the city. Finally he decided to see if he could locate any of the Dupree clan that remained. Bess had told him of an uncle of hers that still lived there, Hanford's younger brother Theodore.
Theodore Dupree proved almost as difficult to find as Helene Plessis. Twice he located a Theodore Dupree who turned out to be someone other than Hanford's brother. The third time he found a man with the same name who was mulatto, and the fourth was only twelve years old. In desperation he located one last Dupree, and at long last struck pay dirt. Bart was amused to discover the younger Dupree was a Faro dealer at The Gilded Lily, in the heart of the New Orleans gambling district. He arranged to talk with Theodore when his 'shift' at the Faro table was over.
They met in the saloon, and after some momentary awkwardness they settled in to discuss Hanford Dupree. Theodore ordered whiskey, Bart drank coffee. Bart explained that he was working for Bess, trying to locate someone, and she'd told him of her uncle.
"Bessie's a fine girl," Theodore pronounced as he started on his second drink. "Much more like her mother than Hanford."
"Hanford was how much older than you?"
"Ten years. I was the unexpected child," Theodore declared. "Our parents weren't quite sure what to do with me, so I spent a good deal of my time tagging along with my brother."
Bart had to chuckle. "I did the same thing, but there's not quite two years difference between me and mine. How'd you get along with yours?"
Teddy, as he preferred to be called, shook his head. "Most of the time we were fine. But when Hanford got into one of his moods – Lord forbid you were in his way. He could cut you down with a word or a look quicker than most men could shoot a pistol."
"How old were you when he married Helene Mazant?"
"Oh, you know about the marriage? Even after all these years most people think they were only engaged."
Bart nodded. "I spoke with Helene. She was most . . . informative."
"So you know all about the ugliness that preceded the birth of their son?"
"Only from her point of view."
"I'm sure that what she told you was the truth. Helene is nothing if not honest. Besides, I have no problem believing anything she would have to say about my brother. He treated her abominably. Thank God her father intervened in the marriage."
"Any idea why he was so callous?"
"Ah, yes. Gabriela. He'd fallen in love with her and was intent on getting out of his marriage to Helene, even with a child on the way."
"Why didn't he just leave her?"
"But you see, he couldn't. He'd only married Helene because her father was wealthy, and if Hanford simply deserted her his plan wouldn't work."
"What plan?" Bart asked curiously.
Teddy ordered his third whiskey. "His plan to blackmail Rene Mazant out of enough money to marry Gabriela and leave the state. Rene was against the marriage to begin with, and Hanford knew if he could threaten the Mazant name with a big enough scandal, Helene's father would pay him to quietly disappear. He browbeat the poor girl and accused her of all sorts of heinous things; when that didn't work he began to physically abuse her. Finally when she was with child she'd had enough of his despicable behavior and informed her father. Hanford didn't squeeze as much money out of Rene as he was hoping for, but it was enough for him to flee to Texas with his new bride."
Nothing that Bart had heard from either Helene or Theodore sounded anything like the way Bess had portrayed her father – as a loving husband and father. "And you're sure of all this?" Bart doggedly asked.
"Quite sure," Teddy replied. "Hanford was supposed to obtain a Bill of Divorcement, but I'm positive he never did. He simply married Gabriela and whisked her off as far as Rene's money would take him."
"Have you ever told Bess any of it?" the gambler asked the Faro dealer.
"My heavens, no!" Teddy exclaimed. "He honestly loved Gabriela, and he never exhibited any of the behavior towards her that he employed against Helene. And he adored Bess. It was only after Dalton appeared on the scene in Texas that Hanford began to display some of his old peculiarities."
"I'd call them a lot more than peculiarities," Bart decreed.
"You would – polite society would not."
"Do you believe that Dalton could have murdered his father in what appears to be cold-blood?"
Teddy nodded. "If he abused Dalton anywhere near as much as Helene – no doubt. But whatever end Hanford suffered, and whoever's hands he suffered it at, he more than deserved for the things he'd done when he was younger, and the abuse heaped on his son. I've always wondered if the man Bess saw riding away was Dalton Dupree – or if there was any man at all."
There was profound disbelief in Bart's voice. "Are you proposin' that Bess might have killed her father herself?"
"Anything's possible," Teddy answered. "Even that."
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Bart spent one more night with Genevieve, taking her on a carriage ride all around the city and then back to Chez Georges for a late supper. He explained that his reasons for being in New Orleans had all been disposed of and he had another stop in Louisiana to make before returning to Texas. She was unhappy to see him go but understood his departure, and they parted with reluctance. The following morning he dropped by Minnie Lavolier's home to say good-bye and spent the better part of the morning hours drinking coffee, telling stories, and laughing. It was a welcome respite from the dark intensity of his visits with Helene and Theodore.
He checked out of the Chez Georges and caught the afternoon stage for Lake Charles. The stage drove all night, stopping twice at way stations along the route. He slept most uncomfortably in the coach, since he was the only passenger on this particular trip. By ten o'clock the next morning they'd arrived in Lake Charles, and Bart was more than happy to leave the stage and check into the Charles Arms Hotel. He ate a late breakfast and returned to the hotel room for a quick nap, which turned out to be much longer than he'd anticipated. The late nights with Genevieve had finally caught up with him and he slept soundly until almost seven in the evening. Since it was too late to begin his search for the elusive Mr. Dupree, or the gun slinger George Henry, whichever of them could be located, he found a saloon next to the hotel and decided to play poker.
It appeared that the fickle Lady known as Luck was once more enamored of him, and he played well enough to almost double the money he'd won in New Orleans. By three in the morning he was ready to call it a night and returned to his room, intending to rise early enough to begin his next search – for the man Bess Dupree believed had killed her father.
Once again he dreamt about the entire extended Dupree clan, but this dream ended when he determined that Dalton may have done a lot of ugly and illegal things in his life – but committing patricide was not one of them. When he woke that morning he was left with the inevitable question – if Dalton hadn't committed the murder, just who had?