THE RAILYARD

WHAT IT IS

Tasty LeBlanc was a dead man, the recipient of fifteen bullets from six FBI agents. He was near the CSX rail yards in New Orleans when the FBI moved in to thwart a drug deal between Tasty’s gang, the Chaps, and some serious dudes from Baton Rouge.

Strangely, this was not his first shoot out with law enforcement. Twenty- five years ago the Chaps went up against the New Orleans Police Department in the French quarter and Tasty barely escaped with his life. Fleeing in a hail of bullets after his Glock jammed, he made it to a bar on St. Peter street. He sat nervously at the bar watching a woman who would not take her eyes off him.

Melena Schulz testified at the trial that she and Tasty LeBlanc spent the entire evening together and the testimony created enough reasonable doubt that he walked away a free man. After the trial was over Melena disappeared, Tasty never laid eyes on her again.

Life goes on! When Tiny LeBlanc talked to his father a few days before the shootout, the elder LeBlanc reminded Tiny once again of their debt to Melena.

WHAT IT IS NOT

Sapphire and Cricket were well known and well liked. Over sixty friends, relatives and acquaintances descended upon their Wanapitei residence in an effort to find them. Ellie coordinated the teddy bears, Slim Clemons directed a small army of private investigators, Davey Doucet assigned duties to the volunteers and Cinder Willoughby oversaw the ever- enlarging search circle emanating from where their personal items were found.

As the hours and days ticked away, the searchers were becoming frustrated with the progress being made, but soon a small ray of hope would lift the spirits of all involved. On day four as nightfall engulfed Slim’s motorhome, Davey Doucet came across a cryptic note, finger written in the dust on the side of the motorhome.

This confusion that straddles the Universe, sinking deep into their consciousness, exposing you first. These parallel lines carry the hope of humankind, to the twisted wreckage that divides and binds.

Doucet rounded up Slim and Cinder, the trio got into the Hummer and headed for the railyard a few kilometers away. After a few hours of walking the tracks they came across Cricket’s knapsack containing a hand drawn map of Beaver County, Pennsylvania.