Now or Never

By LaVerne Shaw

Tour director Blair Ducaine leads her tour group to their hotel in the French Quarter of New Orleans. All her people are of special interest to her, but one stands out. Major Cortland Marsh, recently retired from the military, is almost too handsome to be true.

New Orleans is filled with history and intrigue. All goes well until a series of strange happenings seem to plague the tour. First there is a theft, then there is an accident in the middle of the night. Finally, a grisly murder occurs.

Since Blair discovers the body, she becomes a person of interest. Can Cort be of help? Or will he be a distraction that Blair can easily do without?

Or will her heart allow her to recognize the difference?

Suddenly, Blair is being stalked.

Why?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514472309

LaVerne Shaw

A third generation New Mexican, La Verne has spent her life living in the southeastern comer of the state surrounded by Texas. She calls herself a New Texican. Writing mystery romance novels is a hobby along with water coloring and piecing quilts. She and her husband were married for 65 years, raised two sons and helped raise two granddaughters all now married. In retirement, she lives alone and spins her talessometimes late at night. She can be contacted at [e-mail] and would love to hear from YOU!

Book preview

Copyright © 2016 by LaVerne Shaw.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2016903745

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-5144-7232-3

                Softcover       978-1-5144-7231-6

                eBook            978-1-5144-7230-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 04/19/2016

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Epilogue

About the Author

CHAPTER 1

Blair Ducaine tucked a red gold curl behind her ear as she gripped her clip board and began to check off each tour guest as they boarded the bus. The group had flown out of Albuquerque mid-morning, gone down in Dallas, then boarded another flight to land in New Orleans mid-afternoon. This was Fun Tours Christmas Tour and everyone was in a festive mood.

First in line was Ollie Hughes; he was alone, taciturn, and he always got lost when they had a city tour planned. Blair had learned to find him at the nearest food distributor. Apparently he came for the food, she often thought, as he had been on four other tours she had led. His torso lapped over his leather belt as he waddled up the bus steps.

Next in line was a couple from Eastern New Mexico. They were ranchers. He was a wizened little man of few words; she was tall, barrel chested with dyed red hair. They were of Hispanic descent and spoke with a delightful accent - Pete and Vera Ramos.

Following them came Berta Goins who was a professor of anthology at the University of New Mexico. She was dressed in severe black and carried two scholarly books to be read as she traveled.

Four Albuquerque widows made up the next group. "We’re the A,B,C, D card players.

Alice, Betsy, Carol and Donna. Be sure to put us together for everything." Blair smiled and nodded in agreement.

Following them Blair found herself face to face with Ben Johnson. Well Hi, Ben.

He was a widower who had taken five tours with Fun Tours. He had confided that he was searching for a new wife and what better place to look than on one of these tours for a well-to-do widow?

Next came a family of four from Southeastern New Mexico. The Sims, two parents, two teenage youngsters who never lifted their eyes from their i Pads. Blair allowed herself a slight grin. Those kids would never see a thing on this trip. They were too busy contacting their friends left behind for the holidays.

Chatting incessantly, Maria Mendez declared this was her thirty-fourth tour with this company. She had been just everywhere and she longed to tell the others all about it. She swung her large black leather bag before her as she stepped aboard the bus.

Bored by her chatter but too polite to say so, Lionel and Martha Hodgekiss boarded next. They were professors at UNM as well, had no children and decided to take a Christmas Tour this year instead of staying home alone.

A tall elegantly dressed blonde came next. Her make-up was perfect and Blair wished for skin like hers – pearly white with no freckles. I’m Loretta Liles and I’m traveling alone this time.

Birthday twins, Molly Cardova and Polly O’Rielly, arrived in tandem. It’s our birthday and this year we are celebrating together. Our husbands are not that friendly so we are escaping for a time of our own. They entered the bus chattering a mile a minute.

Blair did a double take on the next couple to appear - Dan Brown and Thelma Thompson? Were they a couple – or merely roommates for the trip? He had little to say while she chatted easily as they waited in line. Well, Blair thought, time would tell in the eight days they would be traveling together.

Long dark hair in plaits, Greta Gibson from Santa Fe stepped up. She arrived laden with Indian jewelry and wearing a long gauzy dress. She had artist written all over her.

Last came a tall brunette with a mouth full of chewing gum. In a rather loud carrying voice she declared, I just divorced that scum bag of a husband so now I’m off to have a little fun. Let’s go!

Suzy Carter? Blair checked her name off the list.

That’s me all over! She disappeared into the bus with a wave for everyone.

Blair checked her list one more time. No - she had missed one! There was still one passenger to be located. She looked around to spy a tall man shoving a piece of luggage into the hands of the man loading the bowels of their bus; then he turned and made his way toward Blair. Her mouth fell open in spite of her determination to keep it closed. He was tall, broad shouldered, slim hipped, and if a man could be called beautiful he was. He reminded her of the Roman soldiers and their statues she had seen in Italy. He had ebony hair dusted at the temples with a touch of gray. His nose was straight, his jaw chiseled, his mouth firm and his eyes were aglow with enthusiasm.

‘Sorry! I’m about to be late! Major Cortland March. Blair was so surprised she could barely check his name off the list. He was too handsome to be true!

Then he turned to make his way to the door of the bus where Blair was standing guard. In his left hand he carried a cane - and he was limping. He was crippled!

Blair stepped into the bus and gave Dora a smile and a nod. Dora was their bus driver. She was six feet tall, black, and the single mother of three. She could put that bus on a dime any time she chose. They had worked together several times before and she was a favorite of Blair’s. Taking up the microphone Blair welcomed the tour participants and explained their procedures while in New Orleans. Buses were not allowed within the French Quarter, where they would be staying, so they would have a short walk to their hotel, the La Louisiane. The streets were a bit narrow for bus traffic but cabs were allowed so they would always have a means of transportation if they so desired.

Following their short walk, they would assemble in the courtyard of the hotel to receive their room keys and any additional information necessary. They were cautioned about watching where they stepped as the sidewalks were quite old and uneven - but that was part of the charm of the French Quarter.

Their hotel was old and made up of three floors of rooms