Page 2 of Kidnapped in Dark Waters
It wasn’t long before she pulled up in front of the swamp’s main entrance. She parked in the area where most of the people who lived in the swamp parked their cars and then she got out and headed into the thick tangle of greenery.
She half ran along the narrow path that would take her to the shanty where she’d grown up. Until a week ago, Angelique had lived there, but when Angelique had moved out, Dominique had moved in. The shanty was far bigger than the one where Dominique had been living and it filled her with the comfort of feeling as if she was home.
The shanty was one of the largest in the swamp, with three bedrooms, a bathroom, a living room and kitchen area. It was high on stilts above the water that half surrounded it. Tupelos and bald cypress trees rose up majestically around it.
Her mother had slept in one of the bedrooms, with all three girls in another. The third bedroom was where the ‘voodoo queen’ met her clients.
Once there, Dominique went into her bedroom and quickly changed out of the red blouse she’d had on and into the pink T-shirt that had Dark Waters Café printed across the front. Thank goodness she could wear her jeans to work.
Her bedroom was done up in the colors of a sunset. Her spread was in shades of deep pinks and oranges and matching curtains hung at the single window in the room. She loved this room, which had once been the bedroom she’d shared with her sisters. She’d always felt safe in here.
She pulled her long, dark hair into a high ponytail, sprayed on a spritz of her favorite perfume and then she was ready to go once again.
However, before she left, she walked to the door of her mother’s bedroom…the room where her mother’s body had been found by Angelique. Mystique had been in bed and her throat had been slashed.
Dominique opened the door of the room as a deep grief clutched at her heart. The bed was bare, but many of her mother’s items were still there. At some point they all needed to be packed up or given away.
Her mother would never be there again to spray on her favorite perfume or read one of the books in the bookcase near the bed. She would never be there again to pull Dominique into a hug or share conversations about anything and everything. With a heavy sigh, Dominique left the room and headed for the front door.
It was time for her to get to work. Once again, she hurried down the narrow paths that would take her back to her car. Minutes later as she drove back into town, she shoved thoughts of her mother’s murder away and instead focused on the workday to come.
Since it was Saturday, the café would be packed. But she didn’t mind. She loved being a waitress and had a bunch of regular diners who always sat in her section. She made good money in tips and couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
She found a parking space in the lot at the back of the café and then went in through the back door. The people working in the kitchen all greeted her as she walked through to the small break room.
“Hey girl,” Sunny Herbert, one of Dominique’s good friends and coworker, greeted her. “Ready for another day in the trenches?”
“Always.” Dominique placed her purse in one of the small lockers in the room and then pocketed the little key.
“I went into your sister’s new store this morning. It’s awesome. I bought a tea that’s made from plants from the swamp and is supposed to help with cramps.”
“Angelique is really into the plant and flower cures from the swamp,” Dominique replied. “She’s studied all about them. Andnow we’d better get out on the floor or Annie will have our heads.”
Annie Fulbright was the owner of the café. She was in her mid-sixties and was a fair—but tough—boss. She had high standards and expected her staff to meet those standards.
The café was very attractive, with three of the walls painted by a local artist. The first wall was of pink bougainvillea flowers and the second was of majestic tupelo and bald cypress trees rising out of sunlit dark waters. Finally, the last wall was of the colorful storefronts that lined Main Street.
Within minutes, Dominique was busy taking orders and delivering food. She grinned as she greeted a man seated alone at one of the two-top tables. “Hey Burt, how are you feeling today?” Burt Stanfield was one of her regulars. The fortysomething man worked for the city in the maintenance department, and he was a widower. His wife had passed away two years before due to an advanced case of breast cancer.
“Fine as a fiddle, what about you?” he replied with a big smile.
“I’m doing just fine. So, what can I get for you today, Burt?” she asked.
“I’d like some coffee and the number three special. And even though it’s a bit early, give me a slice of sweet potato pie. I’ve had a hankering for pie since the moment I woke up this morning.”
“Then I’ll make sure you get the biggest piece there is,” Dominique replied. “You know I always take care of you, Burt.”
“That’s why I’m so crazy about you, doll,” he replied with another one of his big smiles.
Dominique laughed. “I’ll be right back with your coffee.” She wished all her customers were as pleasant as Burt.
The next regular she waited on was Austin Colbert. Austin was in his thirties and was the town librarian. He always came in with a book and would read while he ate.
“Austin, how are you doing today?” she greeted him.
“Good now that I’ve seen your beautiful, smiling face,” he replied.
“My goodness, Austin. You’ll turn a girl’s head with your shameless flirting,” she replied with a laugh. “So, you want the usual?” The usual was a cheeseburger, fries and a diet cola.
