“Come on,” she said to Nathan. “Let’s drive and see if we spot him.” She forgot all her plans for the day as she drove toward the French Quarter and the last place her brothers had seen Damien. “Gustave,” she said into her phone.

  “Found something?”

  “More questions than answers.” She turned down the street that would lead them to Café Du Monde and parked closer to the docks than the café. “Listen, I need you to pick up his car and deliver it to Uncle George. Have him go through it, and tell him to call me if he finds anything.”

  “Already on it. I had it towed an hour ago, and George and Alex are examining it right now. Dad reassigned Jacques and me for now, and we’re out looking for Damien.”

  “What’d you tell George?” Sept shut her door and headed toward the docks.

  “I didn’t have to, he recognized it. All he said was they’d take care of it and call when he was done. Where are you?”

  “At the docks.” Sept stopped at the edge and peered toward the benches where she’d brought Keegan. Everyone in her family knew she loved the spot, and Damien was part of her family.

  “We covered that already.”

  “I’m not here expecting to find him. I want to check something out.” She walked slowly along the slope of the levee.

  “What are you doing down there?” Nathan asked as he followed her from the top.

  “Looking for evidence. When we found Frieda’s body I didn’t have a chance to get back here.” She came back up and joined him until they reached the bench, then carefully climbed down over the rocks until she was close to the water. “Sit on the bench and let’s try something,” she called up to Nathan. She took her time until she found a place with flat rocks.

  “Are you sure you don’t need help?”

  “If you sit you’ll be helping enough.” She crouched, praying something had been left behind, and in a crack in the rocks found the evidence that proved what she already knew. The gold button resembled the ones on the pockets of the NOPD regulation uniform. “If you’re looking over the water, can you see me?” she asked Nathan as she sat down and stretched her legs out.

  “Not really, and if it was night, you’d be invisible unless you made noise.”

  Damien had put on his uniform and lain here as she told the story she was sure he didn’t want to hear again to a woman who, unlike his, was alive to hear it. “Is that what made you mad enough to kill two innocent people? No matter what, this has to stop, Damien.”

  *

  “I thought today would never end,” Novice said as he lay back in the abandoned backyard and enjoyed the stars as they started to appear.

  “You did well in carrying out my instructions,” Teacher said, the voice again authoritative and distinctly male. “You managed to make it through the day in the disguise everyone recognizes while you listened to what I had to say.”

  “Of course I did, I’m not an idiot.” Novice pulled his hair in aggravation. “It was hard not to laugh out loud at Sept and the others as they chase their tails. They’re no match for me, and I’ll prove it tomorrow night.”

  “Are you sure you’re ready?”

  “I plan to take another step toward my goal, which means Chango will have to wait, but it’ll show Sept how close I can come to her without her finding me.” The slight breeze picked up the hair that had fallen on his forehead and Novice combed it back.

  “You’re playing a dangerous game. If you get caught, who do you think will protect you?”

  “You were a stupid bitch when you were alive, which makes me wonder why I’m trying so hard to talk to you.” He screamed so loud his head hurt. “Sound like my father all you want, but we both know I own you. So shut the fuck up and stop threatening me.”

  “If you don’t want to hear me, then you won’t,” Teacher said with finality, and disappeared in a way that Novice knew he was gone.

  “I said don’t threaten me,” Novice yelled, and laughed, but heard only silence. “Come back, you know how I get. I can’t help it if I get mad, but it’s your fault anyway.”

  The creaking of the child’s swing set, its loose parts blown by the wind, was the only response. Novice closed his mouth and his mind to Teacher’s voice, but he didn’t have to try hard, because it was gone.

  “Shut up if you want, but after tomorrow when the gods finally notice how faithful I am, you’ll beg me to come back. I’ll give them and the hunter something they won’t soon forget.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  “You accused my granddaughter of murder and now put her in danger?” Della asked Sept as they had dinner that night in the kitchen at Blanchard’s. “I don’t know about your family, but in ours that’s not how we define progress.”

  “Mom, I’m sure Sept didn’t want anything to happen to Keegan,” Melinda said. She put her hand over Sept’s as she spoke. “And that’s a lovely dog you both have now, dear,” she told Sept.

  “Thank you.” Sept smiled and continued eating.

  “You two got a dog together? What’s next, monogrammed towels?” Della asked, but nodded to the waiter when he refilled her wineglass. “We’ll discuss the domestic stuff in a bit, but right now I want to discuss how Keegan’s in danger from some nut.”

  As Sept took another bite of steak, she didn’t say anything, but she studied the four women. When she’d showed up after Keegan’s call, the rest of the family was already waiting at the chef’s table in the kitchen, including someone she hadn’t previously met, Melinda Blanchard’s girlfriend, Carla St. John.

  “Sept hasn’t done anything wrong, Gran, and I’m not in danger since I’m sure she’ll catch whoever this is,” Keegan said, her hands on Sept’s shoulders.

  Since Sept’s arrival, Keegan hadn’t moved very far away from her and hadn’t said much. “Thanks for the confidence,” Sept said.

  “Keegan, didn’t you have something to show Sept in your office? You mentioned it earlier,” Jacqueline said, her finger tapping her wineglass in a way that seemed to annoy Della.

  Sept pushed away from the table even though she hadn’t touched half her plate. After the door shut, she closed all the blinds so the eyes trained on the room couldn’t see what was going on. “Your version of ‘guess who’s coming to dinner’ boggles the mind, sweetheart.”

  “It’s not like I planned this,” Keegan said, her arms wrapped tight around herself. “It’s their version of a job performance review.”

  “Then you certainly don’t need me here,” Sept said.

  “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Obviously Della would rather see you with a dentist or someone with the right name,” Sept said, realizing that with each word out of her mouth she sounded increasingly childish.

  “Funny, I thought I made my own decisions about who was in my life, and I was even more under the impression it was you.” Keegan moved forward, since clearly Sept wasn’t going to. “Are you mad I didn’t tell you about Carla?”

  “I’m curious why you wouldn’t.”

  “Carla’s a new addition to my mother’s life, and I don’t think of her as someone to trot out in the family receiving line.” Keegan stopped and leaned into her without dropping her arms.

  “You did say that was a story for another time.” Sept put her hands on Keegan’s hips. “In case you missed it, this is another time.”

  “My two moms raised us. Melinda was our birth mother and Sybil Calhoun was her partner. They were way ahead of their time. We lost my mom Sybil six years ago to lung cancer, and Melinda has just started dating again.” Keegan rested her ear on Sept’s chest. “I’m having such a hard time seeing her with someone else that I feel like I’m ten, so I’m sorry I didn’t mention her before now.”

  “Della doesn’t have a girlfriend, does she?”

  Keegan laughed so quickly she snorted. “She’s as heterosexual as Jacqueline, and once you spend more time with Jacqueline you’ll see how man-crazy she is. And to clear something up, Della doesn’t dislike you because you’re not a dentist. She doesn’t trust you yet because you’re dating her granddaughter—there’s a difference.”

  “She thinks I want to take advantage of you?”

  “I certainly hope so.” Keegan finally looked up. “I thoroughly enjoy it when you do. That’s why I asked you over. I missed you today.”

  Keegan’s gaze made Sept want to make some profound declaration, but it was too soon for that. No one dropped to one knee and said I love you so soon without the other person thinking they flew some major freak flag.

  “Is there…” She didn’t know how to finish the question.

  “What are you thinking so hard about? Remember that life is sometimes like cooking fish—simple is best.”

  “Is there some way to tell you how much I care about you without scaring you off?”

  “I think you just did,” Keegan said, and stood on her toes and kissed her. “Think you can face the rest of dinner now?”

  “Sure. It’ll give me good practice for Sunday brunch, since I’m sure I’ll be the headliner again. Unless Jacqueline decides to bring one of those tattoo artists from the Quarter as her date.”

  After waving Keegan off when she offered to bring her a fresh plate, Sept pulled her chair back in and picked up her fork. As it approached her mouth, her phone rang and she came close to laughing at the sour expression on Della’s face. “Sorry about this but I’m on duty,” Sept said, standing up and moving away from the table before she answered it. “Savoie.”

  “I’m at the lab and wanted you to know that the note we found in Frieda Hearn’s body came back completely clean,” Nathan said.

  “Nothing on the paper or the printer?” Sept walked to the back door but stayed inside.

  “I had them check everything, and they said in both cases it’s the most common type used. They can probably tell you what kind of printer it came from, but there’s like a gazillion out there.”

  “I’ll give this guy credit. He sure is stingy with evidence. Even if it is Damien, we’ll never prove it unless we actually catch him in the act.”

  “I know you’re having dinner, so I checked with Gustave and Jacques. They’re taking a few hours off, then they’ll get back to it, but they haven’t had any luck.”

  “How about the unit at his house?” Sept laughed when Keegan took her plate and dumped the contents in the trash and threw another steak on the grill.

  “They just changed shifts, but nothing so far. Your dad put the word out quietly with a few guys he trusts that he needs to talk to Damien.”

  “Thanks, Nathan. I’ll pick you up in the morning so we can do some of the canvassing ourselves.” She hung up and dialed her father’s number. After it went to voicemail, she said, “Hey, Dad, if it is Damien and you have him delivered to the house, make me the first call after you receive word. I know how you and Mom feel about him, but you’ve seen the crime scenes. He’s got a problem, and I don’t want that to hurt you or Mama.”

  “You don’t have to go, do you?” Keegan asked.

  “I’m not that lucky,” Sept said before slapping her gently on the butt and giving her a quick kiss. “Sorry again for the interruption,” she told Keegan’s family when she sat again.

  “Actually, it’s nice to see someone who takes her job so seriously,” Della said in an abrupt about-face. “It makes me feel better about paying my taxes.”

  “Keegan gave you a hard time while I was on the phone, didn’t she?” Sept said with a laugh.

  “That should tell you how much she likes you,” Della answered with a laugh too. “Even though you look like someone who can take care of herself, she did give us a stern talking-to. You should know that my granddaughter seldom gets so bent out of shape about anything but bad food. Hopefully you’ll live up to all her concern.”

  “Don’t worry, Mrs. Blanchard and Ms. Blanchard.” Sept turned to Melinda. “Keegan is in good hands.”

  “Make sure if we’re talking about your hands and Keegan that you behave,” Della added in a way that made Sept start to think she was making headway with her.

  The rest of dinner was more relaxed and Sept excused herself after dessert to see about Mike. She’d left him in the garden with a few toys and a bowl of water. The area was fenced and he was sitting close to the bench under one of the oak trees when she stepped out. He’d evidently lost the ability to play, or forgotten that side of himself when he became a work dog, so she tried to spend a few minutes a day trying to get him to relax by throwing him a ball.

  He sat up and trotted over with the rubber cat Keegan had bought him and dropped it at Sept’s feet. “Did Keegan feed you, boy?”

  “He had dinner before you got here,” Keegan said from behind her.

  “At this rate he’s not going to want to leave your side.”

  “If I keep feeding you, do you think you’ll feel the same way?” Keegan brought her out another cup of coffee and put her arm around Sept’s waist.

  “Even if you didn’t. How much longer are you going to be?”

  “We’re busy tonight, so at least another three hours. Think you can be done with whatever you have to do by then?”

  “I want to take another drive through Lakeview and see if I spot Damien. I need to find him before this gets out and some trigger-happy idiot takes care of it for us before he gets his fair shake. He deserves that.” The need to go was pulling at her, but not as strongly as the need to stay. “I’ll be an hour at most, if you promise not to go home without me.”

  “You’ve got no worries there. I’ll wait however long it takes for you to get back, since I’ve been looking forward to going home with you tonight. Go ahead, and I’ll say your good-byes for you. Take Mike along for company.”

  Sept drove to the neighborhood, hoping to catch a glimpse of Damien in the shadows. She knew he must be running after Gustave and Jacques had followed him the night before. The thought that desperate men only got more that way when they felt cornered made her expand her search and send a prayer up to Noel that she would find him before anything else happened.

  It was past eleven when she got back to the restaurant and Keegan. Diners were still in the downstairs area, and the kitchen was in high gear when she walked in, so she sat at the now-empty chef’s table and watched as Keegan walked from station to station making sure everything was up to standard. In the commotion surrounding her, Sept let her mind wander, not letting herself get bogged down on any one thing.

  Once Keegan had finished and turned her way, Sept pondered the rest of the evening and how she wanted it to go. If how she felt about Keegan wasn’t clear to her before, this was the biggest clue of all. Before now, no matter what was happening in her life, the case never stopped for her. She’d work until she dropped, and after a few hours of sleep she’d start again. The case was still in the fringes of her mind, and she knew every day brought her closer to the answers she sought, but at that moment feeling Keegan pressed against her until the sun rose again was the most important thing to her. It’s what made the days worthwhile.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  “See you guys tomorrow.” Roxie Stevens waved to her partner and the two others they worked with and got into her car. After the storm their assignments had changed somewhat. Electricity might not have returned to large swatches of the city, but prostitution had.

  Vice was slowly getting back to what they did best after being reassigned to things like search and rescue and patrolling the more desolate areas when the looting started to increase and make the news. Now they were back on the street trying to nab those who turned to sex to make an extra buck or forget their problems. Saturday night in the French Quarter was beginning to liven up with the holidays, and Roxie was glad she’d started that diet she’d promised she’d stick to after Thanksgiving—spandex was the most unforgiving fabric she’d ever had the pleasure of wearing.

  She stopped at the A&P grocery store in the French Quarter and shook her head when the older gentleman who usually checked her out gave her a wolf whistle as she headed for the door. He obviously liked her undercover clothes, and she was glad he didn’t ask her for a date. It was almost midnight, but she craved a bowl of Cheerios before bed and her work schedule had left her pantry empty. “Bowl of cereal and getting these damn shoes off sounds better than winning the lottery,” she said to herself as she parked as close to her apartment on Royal Street as she could get.

  Roxie grabbed her two bags and purse and juggled them to go to the other side to grab the last two bags. If she could avoid making two trips up and down the stairs, her aching feet would appreciate it. Novice seized on that moment of nonattention as he brushed off the sleeve of his uniform. The shoes were the only thing not regulation. He’d spent nights filing down the soles to get rid of any distinctive tread.

  “Hey, is it quiet tonight?” Roxie asked when she spotted him under the streetlight. She was coming around to the other side of the car for the rest of her things. “Or is something going on I don’t know about?”

  “You know how it is,” Novice said, and shrugged. “Can I help you with that?”

  The bag with the milk and eggs was the only one left. “You don’t mind? It’s been a hell of a night and I’m ready to sit down.”

  “No trouble.” He took three of the bags from her and waited for her to show him the way. His skin prickled as they passed Sept’s apartment building. He’d spotted Roxie the previous night and followed her home. Once he’d seen where she lived, he’d decided where his next altar would be.

  Her garish shoes clicked on the pavement in a steady beat as she moved to the next building, but Novice didn’t take another step. If she was ready to get off her feet, he was ready to accommodate her. “Can I ask you something?” Novice said, in an attempt to make Roxie turn around.

  “What’s—” The rest of what she had to say was replaced by her loud moan as her body twisted violently when the leads of Novice’s Taser gun connected with her chest. The jar of pickles she’d picked up shattered when she dropped the bag, but all Novice did was cock his head to the side as he waited for her to pass out from the electric current. “No one can tell me I’m not blessed by the gods,” he said as he put her grocery bags right inside the door that led to the stairs. He placed his hands under her arms and dragged her up the stairs, then picked the lock.