Leopard's Prey (Leopard People 5)

He examined the wall approximately three feet from the bottom. Intrigued, she squatted low and peered at the dirt, trying to see what he was looking for.

"No one else can find exactly what I need for each project. I actually scheduled a visit to the gallery here because I need some of the colors I can get from this little cache. I can get the banded agate, but here . . ." He broke off, using the brush like an archeology tool, exposing the rock beneath. "Here I can find various hues you don't find very many other places."

"I had no idea," Bijou admitted, finding the entire idea of elegant, sophisticated Arnaud Lefevre, in his thousand-dollar suit, mining for stone in a dangerous, mosquito-infested swamp fascinating. He was totally focused on the task of gently brushing away the dirt to find his hidden treasure. She'd seen him in the studio and he clearly hadn't even noticed anyone around him, time passing or anything else. He was the same way now, taking the same care with his hunt for the perfect color agate for his sculpture.

His patient brushing revealed a small vein of pale blue, almost purple and blue-green rocks. He continued brushing away the loose dirt so more colors were exposed.

Bijou gasped. "Those colors are beautiful."

"Even more so when I work with them," he said almost absently. He took the fork and meticulously began prying the pastel purple rock free. He was careful not to scrape it, digging around the edges to free the small stone.

"Do you already know what you're goin' to use it for?" Bijou asked. "Do you actually have a sculpture in mind?"

He nodded. "I draw what's in my head and then figure out which mediums I'm going to use and how best to get what's in my head to come to life."

"Arnaud." She waited until he turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. "You know you're a genius, don' you? No one in the world can do what you do."

He studied her face for a long time. "No one ever says the things to me that you do, Bijou, not and really mean them. I can see honesty in your eyes and hear it in your voice. You always have inspired me with your generosity of spirit. Sometimes when I read the tabloids, I find myself getting angry at the way they portray you, and it surprises me. I don't get angry, or feel much emotion unless I'm creating."

Bijou couldn't help but hear the sincerity in his voice. He wasn't making a declaration of love--he never did. She could tell he felt great affection for her, as she did him, but something just didn't quite gel between them, not in a romantic way.

"That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me, Arnaud. Thank you," she said. "And yes, the tabloids seem to really enjoy making up an entirely different life for me. There's one photographer who is the biggest pain in the neck. He loves to follow me around, take pictures when I'm unaware and then make up some ridiculous story behind the photograph." She sighed. "He's here in New Orleans and already dogging my every footstep."

Arnaud turned back to brushing away dirt from the stones. "Can't you file a harassment suit? There must be some way to get rid of him."

She shrugged. "Someone else would just take his place, and I guess it's a case of the devil you know. Bob Carson used to live with my father. He was about fourteen or fifteen when I was born. When he moved out of our home, he'd still come over every day to see Bodrie."

"So he was your friend and now he hounds you to make money off of you?" Arnaud asked, as he carefully began to pry the small stone free.

"I wouldn't say we were ever friends. By the time I was old enough to know who he was, he was takin' advantage of the women around Bodrie, usin' drugs and drinkin'. He traveled with Bodrie as his personal photographer and made a huge name for himself in the business. Of course he always made Bodrie look good."

Bob Carson had taken her to the hotel the night Remy found her, bringing his friends and drugs and alcohol. She was still embarrassed to be around him. Remy hadn't recognized that young man he'd beat to a bloody pulp that night--or if he had he hadn't said anything to her when Bob had photographed him kissing her.

Arnaud glanced at her over his shoulder as if reading her mind. "He makes you uneasy." He dropped a purplish stone into his bag.

She hadn't meant to reveal so much. "All paparazzi make me uneasy," she hedged.

He laughed softly. "The thing is, Bijou, you can't lie worth a damn. It's one of the many reasons why you can't stand the business you're in. You tell the truth, and when you don't, you're embarrassed. I'm your friend. You can tell me he makes you uneasy and it isn't going to end up in the tabloids. I keep your confidences and your secrets. I always have."

"I know. I'm sorry, Arnaud. I think I'm so used to being careful about what I say, that it's habit." She did feel ashamed. She didn't see Arnaud often, but when she did, he was always the same. Steady. Calm. Definitely someone who valued his friendship with her and asked for nothing in return. He didn't seem to care who her father was, or how much money she had. He never changed. "I'm grateful for our friendship."

"Me too."

Already the moment was over and he was looking at his precious stones, sinking another one inside his bag with almost loving care and turning his attention to his next choice.

Bijou shook her head. Arnaud was trying, but clearly she wasn't really there. He was totally absorbed in what he was doing. She watched quietly for a few minutes, admiring his dedication and somewhat fascinated by his complete concentration. He was wholly focused on what he was doing, prying two more rocks free and dropping them carefully in the bag hanging from his tool belt. She had the feeling if an alligator did get curious and rushed at them from the water he wouldn't notice.

Without warning a shiver went down her spine. That strange wave beneath her skin rose like an itch that couldn't be scratched. More, something wild and feral deep inside unfurled, leapt and pushed against her in alarm. She turned toward the water, half expecting a huge alligator to be attacking. Only then was she aware of the silence. The bayous and swamps were never really silent. As a rule, insects droned incessantly and they had suddenly ceased making any noise above their heads.

Glancing down at her vibrating rope attached to her harness, she touched it lightly, feeling the sudden tension. Instinctively she stepped around Arnaud, her body shielding his, her head down, hands gripping a root overhead. Both ropes slithered down, dropping over the top of them along with a landslide of debris and rock. Small rocks hit her shoulders and back. She dropped one hand onto Arnaud's shoulder. The ropes slid off the narrow ledge and dropped into the muddy waters, the weight jerking at both of them. She kept herself braced, trying to stay as small as possible while protecting Arnaud.

The mini landslide subsided and silence reigned once more. Bijou remained still, a little worried that whoever had cut their lines and thrown them over the edge was still above them, prepared to knock more dirt on them. Or worse, had a gun and was going to shoot them. Arnaud stirred and tilted his head to look up at her a bit quizzically. Trust Arnaud to remain calm.

She pointed above them and laid a finger over her lips, counting in her head while she listened for movement. A few minutes later a trickle of dirt rained down as if someone stood on the edge looking over. Her mouth went dry, her heart pounding. Was the killer above them? He couldn't get down to them if he was.

Arnaud wrapped his hand around her ankle and that small gesture of camaraderie steadied her. They were safe. They might be trapped on the small ledge, but whoever was above them couldn't get to them, even if they couldn't get back up. Eventually someone would come along and see the cars and think they might be in trouble.

Another avalanche of rocks and stones came down. She heard muttering, but couldn't identify whether it was a man or a woman above them. A branch snapped. Silence. The SUV started up. Her heart jerked hard. It was definitely Arnaud's vehicle. Her fingers dug deep into his shoulder. She knew what was coming. Hurriedly she bent down and placed her mouth close against his ear.

"Stand up and flatten yourself against the bank. He's goin' to push the car over the edge down onto us."

Ar

naud didn't hesitate. As she stepped back to give him room to stand, he was up instantly with that same unemotional, calm expression. Both pressed themselves tightly against the bank as the motor roared, bursting the silence like a bomb. Arnaud reached out and put his hand over Bijou's as they both made themselves as small and as thin as possible.

The earth above them shook. Rocks and debris rained down. A tree crashed into the water, the root structure tearing a hole in the bank. The SUV leapt from the cliff above them to drop front end first straight down into the bayou. The back tires missed them by a breath, seeming to skim down their backs, although neither was actually touched.

Bijou closed her eyes and tried not to shake. Arnaud didn't so much as tremble, his nerves like steel. She hadn't expected that of him. He was so creative, and she associated creativity with emotion--maybe because she was so emotional. Most of her problems over the years in the business she was in had been due to being too emotional. She couldn't handle the fame. She never liked being in the spotlight, and yet she'd been born into the glare of one and had pursued a career that kept her there.

Footsteps overhead kept them still. Bijou pressed her lips together tightly and waited, sending up a prayer that whoever was above them didn't have a gun. There was still her car, and she'd left the keys in the ignition, just as Arnaud had. Whoever the madman was, he swore again and spit into the water as the SUV tilted and slowly began to sink beneath the murky water. He kicked more dirt down onto them, although clearly he couldn't see them.

Silence descended. A few minutes later the insects began to buzz, filling the silence with normalcy. Bijou stirred, but Arnaud tightened his fingers around her hand warning her to wait a few more moments. The insects grew louder. He relaxed and allowed himself to push away from the wall, casually dusting off his suit. The gesture made Bijou smile, stealing some of the tension from her. No matter what, Arnaud was aware of his appearance.

"Do you think he's gone?" she whispered.

"I don't hear him starting up your car, but stay as close to the bank as you can," Arnaud cautioned.

She found it took a minute to make her body move away from the protection of the embankment. She looked up. "It's a long climb back up there and it looks unstable."

"We'll be fine," Arnaud assured. He looked at her for a long time, a puzzled look on his face. "Why did you do that?" Arnaud asked, his voice expressionless.

Bijou frowned at him. "Do what?"

"Protect me. When you first knew he was there, you covered my body with yours."