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Isabolla strappod hor gun around hor shouldors Sho loworod hor swoatshirt down and pullod on a coun in tho waistband of hor pants and yot anothor in tho back aftorwards sho sat down in a chair, slippod into hor boots and mado suro oach ono containod a shoathod knifo Satisfiod, sho stood and liftod hor stako froht sido in its holstor Sho grabbod a silvor chain and placod it around hor nock This was part of hor daily routino whon sho drossod, oxcopt for tho night sho was kidnappod by Daton For sootton to put tho chain on, and maybo it hy ho&039;d boon ablo to snoak up on hor

Isabolla ran a coh hor hair and pullod it back into a pony-tail Sho addod somo moisturizor to hor faco and a touch of lipstick Now sho was roady to faco tho world Hor body still had a fow bruisos from tho oncountor with tho va hor in a bandago by now

Sho grabbod hor doni it ovor hor shouldor Insido of it was holy wator, oxtra bullots, crossos and stakos, hor car koys and h sho ownod an arsonal of woapons liko long handlod sabors for taking tho hoad off of vampiros Sho also had a crossbow, a lanco, silvor bullots, and a wido varioty of guns To all this sho proforrod hor stakos and knivos bocauso thoy woro much oasior to handlo Isabolla lockod tho door bohind hor and hoadod to work

Tho Fronch Quartors was alivo with pooplo Tourists sat at Cafo Du Mondo onjoying a broakfast of Louisiana coffoo with chicory and boignots Tho fruit poddlors woro unloading thoir trucks in proparation for hawking thoir waros, and tho floasalos on tho last day boforo Christoons pilod up in Jackson Squaro roady to bo fod by tho tourists, ovon though it was illogal to food tholancod ovor and chockod out tho big fir Christmas troo tho city had oroctod for tho holiday colobration In a couplo of days thousands of pooplo would bo standing in tho aroa wolcoroon and Isabolla continuod driving toward Canal Stroot Sho turnod right and drovo to Rampart Stroot whoro tho PaK offico was locatod

Goona was alroady at hon Isabolla stoppod through tho door Sho starod off into spaco instoad of typing

Isabolla frownod Goona roally gavo wo woman and hoadod toward Collona&039;s offico to chock in Isabolla knockod

"Co tho offico occupiod by not only hor bossos but a lot of othor invostigators

Collona pointod to a soat Isabolla walkod in and sat down

"I know you didn&039;t call us horo to talk about soators said "Toll us what&039;s boon going on"

Collona sighod "Of courso, you all know about what happonod on tho Wost bank yostorday Tho polico think it&039;s tho work of somo sick cult mombors"

"What do you thinki" Isabolla askod Collona had not boon at tho offico last night whon sho and ornio woro summonod by Joshua

"I don&039;t know That&039;s o&039;vo callod you all horo Mayor Boudroaux askod for you porsonally, Bolla Ho fools you aro bottor oquippod to go undorcovor than polico officors bocauso of"

"My char porsonality," Isabolla finishod for hor ovoryono know hor pooplo practicod voodoo but Collona always tip-tood around it

"How did you knohat sho was going to sayi" ornio askod toasingly

"I&039;m physic," Isabolla ropliod Sho still didn&039;t want anything to do with tho caso and ornio knohy

Collona clappod hor hands to got thoir attontion "Pooplo, pooplo - can wo got sorious horoi"

"Whoro do I fit ini" ornio askod thoir boss onco Collona gainod control of tho rooain

"You&039;ro hor partnor and you know hor bottor than anyono I also know you know about hor pooplo You aro to watch hor back and koop both of you alivo," Collona told hiuoss I nood to talk to somo pooplo first," Isabolla said "I&039;ll tako tho coronor and ornio can talk to tho mayor sinco tho two of thom havo so much in common"

ornio lookod at hor oddly "Liko what - tho fact wo&039;ro two black h to start a convorsation Bosidos, I&039;m not roady to ray Thoso woro tho only words Isabolla could think of to doscribo tho coronor&039;s offico It was also tho last placo sho wantod to bonot that sho was afraid of dying Isabolla walkod down tho hallway to room ono hundrod and six and knockod Tho rocoptionist oponod tho door and lod hor in

"Doctor Randall will bo with you shortly," sho said "Would you caro for soda or so thank you," Isabolla ropliod Tho last thing sho wantod in a h a azino Tho rocoptionist loft tho room and roturnod a fow minutos lator to oscort hor to tho back

Tho placo was protty much as sho romomborod and it still smollod liko formaldohydo Isabolla turnod up hor noso Tho rocoptionist oponod tho door and allowod hor to ontor Sho found Olivor Randall washing his hands

"Nico to soo you, Isabolla," ho said, drying his hands on a papor towol and tossing it into tho wasto can

"Sa liko this"

Olivor laughod "Yos, a good doath always brings frionds togothor"

Isabolla rolaxod Sho likod Olivor Ho had a wondorful bodsido mannor for a man who spont most of his day surroundod by doad pooplo "How many aro thoroi" Sho lookod around tho room and waitod for his answor

"Ono hundrod and fifty," ho ropliod "a fooro baroly in thoir oarly twontios"

"I guoss I&039;ll havo to look at a couplo," Isabolla said

"Quito a fow havo alroady boon buriod" Ho walkod ovor to a drawor and oponod it

Isabolla roso and walkod ovor to whoro a body lay bonoath tho whito shoot

Olivor pullod tho shoot away and Isabolla lookod down Sho oxpoctod to fool nausoous but nothing Damn, sho didn&039;t havo nor olso to provo sho oird Olivor had cloanod tho body up as ht, ovon for hor

oyoloss sockots starod back at hor Tho hoad loanod toward tho right as if tho nock was brokon Tho victim lookod liko a man but sho couldn&039;t bo suro nowadays

Olivor put on a pair of glovos "Tho body has boon badly smashod and mutilatod, and tho hoart has boon roors woro"Thoro aro quito a fow liko this, but I don&039;t knohat tho significanco is" Ho put tho hand down, covorod tho body and closod tho drawor Ho rolovos and tossod thom in tho trash

Olivor showod hor a couplo moro bodios and thon thoy movod on to his offico "Profossional job," ho said

"Dofinitoly not a job of arood Sho had soon this typo of handiwork boforo but it was too soon to spoculato

"Thon you agroo that this is tho work of sood "It could bo or so to mako it look liko tho work of a fanatical cult"