Keegan led her to the event coordinator’s office and closed the door behind them, then sat in the guest chair while Sept took the desk chair. The number Sept dialed rang twice before Damien answered. “Don’t think of hanging up on me or I will seriously kick your ass when I catch up with you,” Sept said.

  “Tell me why my family is following me and I might be willing to listen to anything you have to say. Because I doubt Gustave and Jacques came up with that one all on their own.”

  “Dad wants to talk to you about getting you back to work, and you’ve vanished. What’s up with that? I go by your place and you’re not there, you don’t call any of us, and you run away from Gustave and Jacques. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re trying to hide something or you feel guilty about something.”

  “You know what I’ve been fighting, but I’m not stupid, Sept. You don’t send out two guys to tail someone unless you’ve got something else in mind besides offering them their job back. Don’t lie. Tell me why they were riding me the other night.”

  “Did it ever occur to you that you’re part of a family? That when you lost, you didn’t lose alone? No, you shut yourself away in that house that’s falling in on itself and to hell with the rest of us.” Sept knew she was taking a chance talking to him like this, but she had very few options, and guilt and anger were her best bets. “I don’t give a shit what you think, but Gustave and Jacques were looking for you because Dad asked them to.”

  Damien didn’t respond to Sept’s tirade, and Sept could hear only the wind blowing wherever Damien was. She knew most would try to keep him talking, but she needed the time for him to bite on the bait she’d thrown out.

  “Did it ever occur to you that I didn’t reach out to any of you because I thought you blamed me for what happened? Hell, I blame me for what happened.”

  “That’s a lot to carry alone, brother,” Sept said, and meant it. “I can’t make you believe me but none of us blame you, and I’m glad you called Mama, because she believes that more than anyone. It’s time to rejoin the people who love you, and you’ve got to know that we aren’t waiting to condemn you.”

  “I can really go back to work?”

  Sept locked eyes with Keegan and hoped she wouldn’t read anything into what she had to do. To be successful as a cop, you had to know when to bend the truth to the point that you heard the creak that warned you it was about to snap, but that’s as far as you could take it. In the rest of her life, Sept had no room for lies and the problems that stemmed from them.

  “I told Dad I saw you and what you said about being ready to come back. He thought that was a great idea since the force is so shorthanded right now, and we’ve been looking for you ever since.”

  “You all having dinner at the house this afternoon?”

  Sept took a deep breath. She could start reeling him in now. “Around four, like always. Why don’t you come a little earlier, and we’ll get business out of the way before Mama puts out the food.”

  “I’ll be there,” Damien said, and sounded the happiest Sept had heard him in months.

  “It’s a clichéd saying,” Keegan said when Sept hung up and closed her eyes to try to ease the pain in her heart. “But it’ll be okay. If you’re right, a lot of things in your life will stay the same.”

  “What’s that?” Sept asked, and her body came to life when Keegan put her arms around her.

  “Damien will still be your family, and despite his faults you’ll still love him.” Keegan ran her hand up Sept’s chest. “He’ll be all those good things you remember about him, and because you did the right thing, a lot of people won’t have to share what you felt when you lost Noel and Sophie.” Keegan moved her hands higher and massaged Sept’s neck. “Doing the right thing has its rewards and its downsides, my love, and whatever those are, we’ll get through them together.”

  Sept could smell Keegan’s perfume and feel the heat of her body, and she couldn’t hold back from kissing her any more than she could manipulate time. And when their lips met, Sept pressed Keegan up against the desk. It was crazy, but she wanted her right then.

  “Baby, please,” Keegan said when Sept pushed her farther up on the desk so she could reach the hem of her skirt.

  “I’m sorry.” Sept stopped halfway up Keegan’s thigh.

  “Nothing to apologize for, if it’s something we both want,” Keegan whispered in her ear as she reached for Sept’s hand.

  “Are you ready? I feel bad enough that I’ve taken this much time from your family meal.” Sept started to straighten up, but Keegan grabbed her by the wrist to keep her hand in place.

  “I’m ready, but not to go downstairs right this second. It’s not nice to make someone this wet, then leave her hanging.” Keegan guided Sept’s hand down and let go when they reached her underwear. “But if you don’t want to be rude, I’ll make a bet with you.”

  “What?” Sept said, and cut off half the word when she pushed the silk aside and felt how ready Keegan was.

  Keegan reached for the fly of Sept’s pants and had it open before Sept could come up with any excuses as to why they shouldn’t be doing this in the Blanchards’ flagship restaurant. “If I put my hand in here and you’re not wet, we’ll go back downstairs no matter how turned on I am, and how much I want you,” Keegan said.

  Sept was already wet, but if by some miracle she hadn’t been, she would’ve been soaked after Keegan finished talking. “I want you so much.”

  “Part of my job is to give you what you want when I can,” Keegan said, and spread her legs open wider, “and right now I can.” As she spoke, Sept buried two of her fingers deep inside her, and Keegan ended her declarations with a moan.

  They both fell silent after that as Keegan hooked her legs behind Sept’s, and Sept leaned into her when her pants fell to her ankles. Sept’s mind went blank as she gave herself permission to enjoy the moment. Keegan reached the pinnacle of her orgasm first, but Sept didn’t stop moving her hand as she felt her own coming on.

  “God,” Sept said, her throat dry from all the heavy breathing.

  “And you doubted you’d have fun at brunch,” Keegan said as she held Sept and rested her head on Sept’s shoulder.

  “You must not have explained the menu well enough.” Sept kissed the top of Keegan’s head and straightened up. “Thanks for that.”

  “It was a mutual pleasure, baby, and you looked as tight as a fricasseed chicken skin. What’s coming might be hard on you, but I want you to remember that I’m here and I will be, no matter what.”

  “I love you,” Sept said, and kissed her before bending down to put her pants back on. “How about we finish brunch, then head to my parents’ earlier than usual?”

  “Damien’s coming?”

  “That’s what he said, and I want to be ready.” Sept helped Keegan down and followed her to the bathroom upstairs. “With my dad and brothers all there, we won’t need to call for backup.”

  “Can we tell Jacqueline a little of what’s going on, just in case?”

  “If you want, I can take you both home,” Sept offered. “Actually, I think that’s best, since I don’t want you caught in the crossfire if there’s any.”

  “Jacqueline and I know how to duck better than anyone you know, so forget about trying to ditch us.”

  “Everything okay?” Della asked when Sept helped Keegan back to her seat.

  “When this case is over, Mrs. Blanchard, I promise I’ll hand you my cell phone when we arrive,” Sept said as an apology.

  As a waiter put down fresh plates, Della said, “Let me tell you something. While you were gone, Jacqueline sang your praises, and I can see how Keegan feels about you by that sappy look on her face. That kind of devotion doesn’t come around very often, and I’ve been privileged to see it only a few times. As long as it’s work dragging you away from our table, you do it well, and when you return, you call me Della.”

  “The level of devotion is mutual, ma’am, and I have every intention of doing right by Keegan and your family.”

  “While you’re being so noble, you might want the waiter to bring you some club soda before that lipstick stain sets on your collar,” Della said, and slapped hands with Jacqueline.

  “You would pick now to limit my consumption of vodka,” Sept said to a scarlet Keegan, which only made the three others laugh harder.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Their brunch lasted another hour, then they drove to Lakeview and Jacqueline met the rest of the Savoie clan. Work was forgotten as the boys spread out in different blocks surrounding the house to watch for Damien. After hours there was no sign of him, and when Sept dialed the number she’d reached him at before, the phone just rang.

  After nightfall even Camille momentarily doubted Damien, but she was the first to remind them that they didn’t have any evidence. Sept tried to believe that as she drove to work the next morning and joined Nathan in their command center.

  The new crime photos were up, and Sept felt strange as she stared at her apartment in each of the frames. Roxie had been autopsied and nothing foreign had been found, so that report was sitting on top of the conference table.

  “Anything new?” Nathan asked.

  “Same as what I told you last night, only Fritz and my father have reassigned the rest of my brothers for now, since they know where to look for him if he’s following any regular routine.”

  “Good morning,” Alex said from the doorway. He had a tray of coffee cups and a box of donuts. “How was the rest of your weekend?”

  “Not great, since some freak killed a girl on my bed and attacked my neighbor,” Sept said. “You look chipper, though. Did your wife come home?”

  “Still with her family, but I did talk to her briefly.” He put his stuff down, opened the box, and slid it closer to Nathan. “I was on my way to meet George at the lab to review the evidence we collected, but I thought I’d stop and see if you needed anything from us.”

  “Just the report when you’re done.” Sept shook her head when Nathan held the box up; she was still full from the breakfast Keegan had made her. “Tell George if we’re not here to call me, and we’ll swing by and pick it up.”

  “You joining the search for Damien?” Alex asked.

  “That’s covered, so we’re running down a few names in connection with this religion our guy is sacrificing all these girls to. I’ll check with you later and see what kind of progress you’re making.” Sept gave the pictures one last glance before she motioned to Nathan she was ready to go.

  “What names?” Alex picked up one of the donuts and split it in half before he took a bite. “That must have been hard, considering this isn’t your usual religion.”

  “To get the right answers you have to ask the right people the right questions, Alex,” Nathan answered for Sept. “We found the right woman and she gave us some leads, so we’ll see you later.”

  “Yeah. We met with Matilda Rodriguez yesterday, and she didn’t give us anything except some names,” Sept said before she followed Nathan out.

  “Lourdes called this morning and said her mother got a call from Matilda last night, and she’s willing to help us with these people,” Nathan said.

  “What’s that?” Alex asked, pointing to Sept’s open shirt collar. “I’ve never known you to wear jewelry.”

  “A gift from Matilda to help my mojo,” she said, then turned back to Nathan. “Let’s stop by Lourdes’s mother’s first.” Sept glanced over the list as they walked to the car.

  “Sept,” Alex called down the hallway. “One last thing. If you believe the killer isn’t really part of this religion, why waste your time talking to people who are?”

  “Covering my bases, so when Fritz threatens to fire me I can tell him we chased everything down.”

  “Thanks for the information. I was wondering how your end works.”

  “No problem.” Sept faced Nathan again and shrugged. “If he puts in that kind of time in the lab, we’ll have it made.”

  “I don’t know him that well.”

  “He’s a bit of an odd duck, but my uncle George says he’s thorough.”

  Lourdes was waiting for them outside with her partner Bruce. “Follow us to my mother’s.”

  In the car, Sept drove while Nathan flipped through crime photos again. “Did the guys finish canvassing the area around my place? Since it was the Quarter, someone should have seen something.”

  “One of your neighbors down the street said he heard the sirens, but they’re so commonplace now he didn’t bother to look out the window. And a couple of people were walking around, but they were a few blocks up, closer to the Royal Orleans Hotel. I had them ask specifically if they saw anyone wearing a police uniform, and the guys said all they saw were the units who responded to the scene. No one in an unmarked car.”

  “Great,” Sept said, and stopped behind Lourdes at the traffic light that separated the French Quarter from the Garden District. The day was starting to become overcast, and she took a few minutes to stare at the window displays at Canal Place shopping center, trying to think of something to get Keegan for Christmas. When her cell phone rang, she was so zoned out it startled her.

  “Savoie.”

  “I never took you for an idiot, warrior,” a voice said, muffled and distant-sounding.

  “I never took me for an idiot either, so we agree on something.” Sept pulled over and pointed to the pictures Nathan was looking at, then her phone. She put her hand over the mouthpiece and said, “Call Lourdes and tell her to hold up. It’s him.”

  “We have more in common than you think.”

  Before she answered, she jotted down the number she’d briefly seen. “I doubt that, since I’m crazy about only a few things, and you’re plain crazy.”

  “I know all the things that make you sweat, warrior, starting with that little piece that’s heating up your bed at night. But wait, your bed is a bit bloody, isn’t it?”

  “What do you want? And why don’t you stop playing these games and talk to me like a man, instead of hiding behind the handkerchief covering the mouthpiece. Or can you only get a girl if you tie her up and cut her to pieces when she still tells you to go to hell?”

  The caller took a deep enough breath that Sept heard it even through the handkerchief. “You’ll pay for that.”

  “Give me a time and place, and I’ll be happy to meet you and talk. From what I’ve seen of your work, you definitely need someone to talk to.”

  “Shut up. You’re only trying to provoke me, and I’m smart enough not to fall for it.”

  “You’re right. How about I shut up and you tell me what you want.” Sept closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on the noises coming through the line. If it was Damien, he’d picked a more populated spot this time, since she could hear people and cars this time, instead of only wind.

  “I want a lot of things, including your respect.”

  “Tell me about it, and maybe I can help you before anyone else gets hurt.”

  “Warrior, I told you in my note that I’ll have to keep sacrificing until I get what I deserve.”

  She could hear his smugness, which stemmed from the perfect crime scenes he’d left, and since anger wouldn’t work, Sept decided on another tactic. “No matter what, you can’t bring her back. She’s gone, and the storm is to blame. You aren’t alone in your grief, but no one else is trying to change what they can’t.”

  “Like I said before, I didn’t take you for an idiot. But if that’s what you think, the gods have placed way too much faith in you.”

  “If I’m wrong, then explain it to me.” Sept finally detected a familiar sound.

  “Fine, and I want to work things out with only you.”

  “That’s not a problem, so let’s hear it.”

  “Sit in your office and wait for my call.” He fell silent long enough for Sept to think that he was done and simply had left the receiver off the hook. “Wait for me and I might return something that belongs to you. Decide to ignore me and I’ll be happy to build another altar and leave you another blood-soaked room with no trail to follow.”

  “Wait.” Sept yelled into the phone, but this time he had left it off the hook, and no amount of screaming would make him come back on the line. “Fuck,” she said as she slapped the blue light on the top of the car. “Get someone to my parents’ house and make sure my mother’s all right,” she told Nathan.

  “Lourdes, get back to the station and sit on my phone. If it rings and it’s some fucker with a muffled voice, tell him I’m checking on my family before I go back to the office, since I don’t trust him to take my dog out for a piss. Then tell Royce to cover the block where the steamboat’s docked. I could hear them tuning the organ in the background.”

  The siren cleared a path to Blanchard’s and Al stood up when she screeched to a stop in front. “Hey, Sept, what’s going on?” Al asked as she ran by him on her way to the kitchen.

  “Baby, what’s wrong?” Keegan asked when Sept slammed into the kitchen, making the door swing so hard into the wall it knocked off a few pots hanging nearby.

  “Where’s Jacqueline, your mother, and Della?”

  “Jacqueline had to leave for Houston this morning. I told you that. And my mom and Della should be at Gran’s home office.”

  “What’s the number?” Sept said, and yanked the phone off her belt.

  Keegan took it out of her hand and dialed for her. “I’m sure once you’ve finished taking a Blanchard inventory, you’ll tell me what’s going on.”

  “Della. Hi, it’s Sept. Is Melinda with you?” Sept’s relief made her so weak she collapsed against the wall. “No, ma’am. I’m sorry to bother you. I will ask you a favor, though. If anyone from the police department except my father Sebastian, my partner Nathan, or me contacts you about anything, do not go anywhere with anyone in a uniform. I don’t care what the emergency is or what their reasoning is. You check with me first, okay?”

  “I’ll be happy to do that, if you tell me why.”

  “Your family takes nothing on faith, do they?” Sept asked with a laugh.