“Is there some reason you haven’t gone over and introduced yourself?” Marlo smiled as she held a cigarette but didn’t light it. “I thought I trained you to be a better Southerner than that. Is she weird or doing something you find strange?”

  No, she just likes to watch me touch myself until I come hard enough to give me jelly legs because I sit in my bedroom window staring at her. I can’t help myself since she’s totally hot. She didn’t think that was what Marlo was after, so she kept her mental monologue to herself. “She’s just redoing the house and doing some of it herself from what I can tell. I haven’t wanted to interrupt.”

  Marlo glanced over the paperwork and nodded. “The anthology is well fleshed out, so thank you for all the extra time you put into that. Why don’t you go home early today and introduce yourself to the neighbor. I’m sure she’ll welcome the interruption.” Marlo seemed to have reached her breaking point on the cigarette and lit it. “If you find anything out, you’ll be a big hit at the Magnolia diner tomorrow when we go for lunch. It’s Abbott’s favorite place.” Abbott was one of their paranormal authors who resembled some kind of vampire-slash-ghoul if those people existed and survived on waffles.

  “What do you mean?” She made some notes for her admin and emailed them.

  “Tippy and I went for pancakes earlier this morning, and the scoop on your neighbor and her massive snake is that they’re possibly on the run from the law.” Marlo used her coffee cup as an ashtray. “Maybelle told us she needed one more meal with her to get the whole story. Until then pray she keeps her big snake in some sort of enclosure. You don’t want it coming over in search of a hug. Hugo and Truman would climb the walls and leave your ass to fend for yourself.”

  “She’s got a snake? Seriously?” That totally creeped her out. Did Butch lock it up somewhere when she touched herself? She didn’t think getting distracted to the point of oblivion while a giant killer roamed your house was a good idea. It could be dangerous. She didn’t have anything against snakes per se. They were just better on TV or in the movies she never watched because they creeped her out.

  “Just keep an eye on the dynamic cat duo, and tell George he might want to inventory the rabbits. I’m no python expert, but I think they love the bunnies.” Marlo tossed the butt in her cup and was holding the cigarette she’d put behind her ear. It was her emergency stash.

  “I love rabbits too, but those little suckers are always in my yard, eating everything in my herb garden.” She was positive George let them loose over the fence so he’d have an excuse to come over and bore her into a conversation coma.

  “Get going or we’ll never find out anything about…what’d you nickname her?”

  “Butch,” she said, making Marlo laugh. “Hey, she wears a leather tool belt that has nothing to do with sex”—she held her hand up—“before you comment.”

  “We’ll never find out about Butch and why she’s here if you don’t go over there and get some answers.” Marlo held her cigarette up like a conductor’s baton when she stood. “If you’re able to breach the front door, make sure to get a picture of the snake. Get that, and there might be free pancakes in our future.”

  “If that’s what it takes to get free food, I’ll gladly treat you. Let’s hope the zoom on my iPhone is enough because I’m not getting anywhere near it, should the opportunity arise.” She shouldered her bag and waved. “Thanks for the short day.”

  Hayley drove home with the windows down, enjoying the gorgeous afternoon. It was still cold, but the sky was blue, and the Quarter was full of tourists. At least these people had figured out this was a much better time to visit than August with its surface-of-the-sun-worthy temps. She wanted to blame going ten miles under the speed limit on the beautiful afternoon, but truthfully it was her attempt to delay the inevitable. She did want to meet Butch, so that wasn’t it. The snake and the holes in the walls gave her pause after hearing that Butch might be a fugitive.

  “She could either be getting ready to start hiding bodies the snake killed for her, or they’re for the cash she’s stolen in the string of bank robberies she’s committed.” Talking to herself when she was this crazy wasn’t helping.

  She stared at the Fuller house from the safety of her car, remembering the creepy house on Long Island when she was ten. In her defense, and in defense of her friends, the guy who owned the place practiced taxidermy as a hobby. Why he didn’t choose stamp collecting or golf was a good question no one ever had an answer to, and he used his hobby as a way to scare the hell out of all the kids in the neighborhood. He’d posed small animals in different ways and used them as lawn ornaments, which you couldn’t help but stare at as you walked by. The place always made her nauseous. Their little bared teeth also fueled the series of nightmares she’d had until she was thirteen.

  As for the Fuller house, there’d been some changes since she’d left for work. The lawn had been mowed, two of the gardens had been cleared, and there was a new porch. She couldn’t be sure, but she doubted Butch had tackled the yard by herself—she didn’t look the type. The porch, though, was probably her handiwork and a missed opportunity to see Butch in the tool belt. At the moment there was no Butch helping DJ and his guys rip off the hideous green shake that covered the side of the house.

  “Fantastic,” she whispered, still staring. If Butch had gotten this much done in less than a week, by the end of the month Hayley’s house would be the dump on the block. She opened her car door and stared at the ground, half expecting to see a coiled snake waiting to borrow a cup of sugar.

  “What do you think, little lady?” DJ’s booming voice came close to levitating her onto her porch where she’d die of the startled induced heart attack she’d eventually have. What was with the men in this town?

  “Hey, DJ, it’s great. I thought you only did plumbing. Are there pipes in the wall you needed to get to?” She watched the guys on the ladders standing on the top step and it made her shiver. There was no way in hell she could do that. It wasn’t that she was afraid of heights, but she had a fear of falling from a high place. It’s why she was glad she was short.

  “We usually don’t, but your neighbor’s damn persuasive. She got most of these off herself, but I pulled the guys out of the house to get the top floor. It’s faster with the crew, and we got one of the bathrooms working, so she’s good for now. No rush on the ones upstairs.” DJ turned and faced the house, scrunching his forehead. “It’s weird, though.”

  “What?” Hopefully, whatever he said wasn’t worse than the snake. She still got goose bumps every time she thought about it.

  “The other side is a lot worse, but she insisted on starting here.” He glanced back at her and smiled, a blush coloring his ears. His face was always red from what she could tell, so his ears were the only way to know he was blushing. “Maybe she’s trying to impress you because of…well, you know.”

  She dropped her head until her chin hit her chest. Of course her sexuality was still a subject of conversation between George and his friends. Ever since she turned George’s brother down for a date and told him why, George had informed everyone who’d listen she was a lesbian. Why he felt compelled to do that wasn’t something she wanted to talk to him about since it wasn’t that important to her. People knowing she was gay wasn’t going to make her less gay.

  She was sure guys like DJ thought she was only using the I’m gay excuse to avoid having to deal with any of them. The thing was, even if she was straight, she’d still take a hard pass on George’s brother, Theodore. The guy still owned and wore a leisure suit, which she had to look up because she thought it was some sort of unfortunate uniform he was forced to wear. The baby blue suit along with his polyester shirt with palm trees on it, also baby blue, and puka shell choker were a specific look for sure. To add to all that sexiness, he mixed hair gel and bacon grease for the shine it gave his hair. She was sure Theodore’d be followed by every dog in town trying to lick his head like a lollipop.

  “Whatever her reason it certainly is going to turn out nice.” She shut her car door when she grabbed all her stuff, not wanting the conversation to slide into something uncomfortable. “It was great seeing you, DJ.”

  “Yeah, let me get back to it.” He tipped his hat and went to lean on something else while he watched his guys work.

  She didn’t care that Marlo wanted a picture of the snake—her conversation with DJ convinced her she needed more time to build up her courage. If Butch came back and strapped on the tool belt, maybe it would be the push she’d need, but short of that, she was staying inside. The perfect opportunity to replace Butch with the woman’s real name had passed her by when she’d run inside, which meant she could forget any type of law-enforcement job should the editing thing not work out. Wheedling the facts out of people was obviously not her strong suit.

  The kitchen window had become her new favorite place, and she saw she’d only missed the chance to meet Butch by a few minutes when her truck pulled in, laden with building stuff. DJ’s guys unloaded supplies from the back of the truck, and another truck followed Butch that said insulation on the side. She was jealous since she was convinced her house had none, which explained the draft in her kitchen. Butch climbed one of the ladders and helped the three young guys rip the last of the shake off.

  How could an ass look that good in jeans? She was focused on that when her phone rang. “Hello.”

  “Are you mad at me that I had to work?” Lucy was always too busy for formalities. “I thought you were coming by?”

  “I am, I’ve been busy.” She cringed when Butch leaned over too far for Hayley’s comfort.

  “When can I see you? You can tell me if you’ve had sex with the new neighbor.”

  She laughed and shook her head. “I’m not that slutty, and we haven’t met yet.”

  “Why the hell not?” No one did indignant better than Lucy. “How am I supposed to know if I’m going to steal her away from you if you can’t dish about anything? I swear, Hayley, it’s like you’re falling down on the best friend job.”

  “My best friend wouldn’t steal Butch away from me.”

  “Wait.” Lucy’s voice went up a hundred octaves. “Her name is Butch?”

  “No, I thought she needed a nickname, and she’s been busy with her tool belt strapped on. You’re not going to believe the way the house looks when you come over.” The siding was all off, and the spray insulation guys got to work. She wasn’t sure what connections Butch had, but the work was happening at a rapid pace. “I’m sure she doesn’t have time to get to know me.”

  “We’ll cover the tool belt in a minute, but everyone wants to get to know you, girlfriend. You’re gorgeous, and you have a body that makes other girls jealous, including me. I should be off Sunday, so buy wine and take out three glasses. We’re going over there and offering ourselves up as a harem.”

  “Yes, we should totally do that.” She laughed again and put the phone down when Lucy hung up. When it rang again almost right away, she was expecting the good-bye Lucy forgot. But it was her mother.

  “Well, what have you found out?” There was a reason her mother and Lucy loved each other.

  “Not a whole lot. I’ve been slammed since I got back, and my neighbor is doing major renovations. I didn’t think it was a good time to put her under a naked bulb and drip water on her head while I whipped her with a wet noodle.” She held her breath when Butch put her hands on her hips and stood with her legs slightly apart. Damn.

  “You haven’t talked to her at all? She hasn’t come over and tried to get into your house, has she?”

  “We haven’t actually interacted at all. I do see her on occasion.” Like right now, and she was sexy as fuck.

  “What’s wrong with her?”

  Hayley took the phone away from her ear and stared at it. Her mother would make a great interrogator—she’d certainly missed her calling. Unlike Hayley, her mother would’ve grilled Butch for answers, known her whole life story, and would’ve met the snake by now. “There’s nothing wrong with her.”

  “Uh-huh, tell me what’s on your mind. When you only come up with what I like to call white noise, it means you’re holding something back. I think we need to come for a visit to reassure me.”

  “Mom, I already told Dad I’m really busy at work. I want you to come when I have time to take you two around.” She did not in any way need her mother grilling Butch. There was a chance Butch would retaliate with a big case of honesty. Do you have any idea what your daughter does in open windows, lady? It seems like an odd thing to do when you have no blinds.

  “Are you sure? We could be there by tomorrow. It’s New Orleans, honey, I’m sure we can find something to entertain us just as soon as I find out all there is to know about the mystery neighbor.”

  She could hear the eager anticipation she was sure the sheriffs of old felt when they were assembling the posse. “Mom, really, I want you to come when you and Dad can spend time with me. Trying to investigate my neighbor isn’t what I had in mind.” Once her mother found out about the large snake and possible sordid past, she’d make up Wanted posters and get the FBI involved. There was no way that’d do anything for neighbor relations.

  “Okay, but try to get an update, so I won’t worry.” Her mom’s goal in life was to find someone on the most-wanted list of fugitives. She’d die a happy woman if she could check that accomplishment off her bucket list. “Or we might surprise you.”

  The call ended abruptly after that, which meant her mom had already bought airline tickets and was waiting for her plane. “Fuck me.” She put the phone down and pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead. Butch was still standing in her yard, watching the crew spraying insulation. “Run,” she whispered. “Run while you still can.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “How in the hell are you getting all these supplies so fast?” DJ asked. It was the end of another long day, but Wyatt felt good. The porch was almost done, and they could start putting up the boards she’d had delivered that afternoon. She knew the area had a problem with Formosan termites, so she’d gone with the composite boards that’d last her lifetime anyway. “I grew up with Barney, and the bastard still makes me wait a week when I’ve got a job waiting.”

  Wyatt was writing DJ a check for the services he’d already done, as well as giving him a down payment on the rest, so he wouldn’t have to be out-of-pocket for supplies. “You should try my method for guys like Barney. It works every time.” She wrote the check from her business account and smiled.

  “Did you promise to date him or something?” DJ folded the check carefully, matching the edges before pocketing it. “You should know the randy bastard’s married and has a bunch of kids.”

  “No, that’s not it. I offered to rip his balls off if he delayed any shipment he had in stock.” Her smile widened when DJ’s legs came together, and he lowered his hand. “I read it in a book, and it’s pretty effective.”

  “Remind me never to get on your bad side.”

  DJ’s voice was slightly shaky, so she stopped teasing him. The reason Barney was willing to deliver so quickly was because she was willing to pay his exorbitant expedited fee.

  “And if you want, I’ll bring my nephews tomorrow. They’re good carpenters and have experience putting that stuff up.”

  “That would be great, thanks. Do you need anything for the bathroom upstairs?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “I can get an electrician here to rewire the smaller bedroom you’re taking in to make the main en suite larger.”

  “I trust you, DJ, so get someone good. See you in the morning.” She shook his hand and walked out with him. “You make a good contractor, so let me know if you and your crew want to help out until I’m done.”

  “We’d love to, and I’ll run anything that’s beyond our scope by you.”

  “Get going then. I have to replenish the drinks and some groceries.” She got the keys and her wallet. “Is there a bigger food store than the local market? It’s convenient but limited unless you’re really into jerky. I keep eating Slim Jims, and my mother says I’ll get rickets.”

  “There’s Magnolia Market, but you have to go out of the neighborhood a bit.”

  She sighed as she locked the door. “Does that mean Maybelle owns it?”

  “No, her brother Marty Monty does.”

  How DJ said that with a straight face amazed her as she listened to him give her directions. They talked a few more minutes, and she hoped Hayley would come out since her car was there, but no luck. Her hermit tendencies were most likely because she realized Wyatt had seen what she’d done, but she did reciprocate. Maybe getting Hayley interested in meeting her would take a sort of bribe, and she needed to get to the grocery to get started on that.

  Magnolia Market was about five miles from her house, and it appeared nice enough, but she was withholding judgment, considering she was dealing with Maybelle’s family. If pushiness was in their genes, she’d have to find some other place even if it was in another town. She stepped inside, and the people by the registers got really quiet as they all stared. It was so weird she glanced behind her to make sure Beelzebub hadn’t followed her in, wearing a funny hat.

  She grabbed a cart and noticed everyone followed her with their eyes, making her believe they might think she was the devil because they made an effort to take a step back as if not wanting to be anywhere near her. The waves she gave a couple of people weren’t returned, and they all had a piercing stare in common. There was only one logical explanation. Most of these people needed to be on medication and had all decided to collectively skip it.