Page 18 (1/2)

My stopping in the middle of the sidewalk had screwed up the flow of people, but since this was New Orleans no one shoved or cursed me Most of them had drinks in their hands, and at this tihty mellow

Except for Charlie, who took off like the drug dealer had only a , but I leaped into the narrow street, dodging cars, horse-drawn carriages, and people who’d gotten sick of stuht have been mistaken about the identity of the last deadHim I hadn’t known personally

Besides, ould Charlie run if he didn’t have so secret

I couldn’t believe I was even considering such a thing, but hey - this was New Orleans and he was a dead guy

As I ran, I reached forup a murmur of thanks when I found it in my pocket Now all I had to do was catch his burned II sucked at Charlie was pulling away from me

He turned a corner several blocks ahead By the tione

I’d chased hihtly run-down area where small jazz clubs lined the street Mostly empty now, a few stood open as e All of the names like The Spotted Cat

A thin, elderly blackwithout a name As I passed he nodded, smiled, and h here just now?"

He shook his head but kept his eyes on his broom I frowned He had to have seen Charlie Unless my quarry could just up and disappear

For all I knew, he could

I retraced my steps to Jackson Square, where the party continued I no longer had any desire to linger The sun was coone

At Cassandra’s, I burst in, then stared Detective Sullivan appeared as surprised to see me as I was to see hi here?"

"Funny, I was going to ask you the sa"

"I have questions for Ms - " He broke off with a scowl and turned back to Cassandra "What’s your last nah"

"I a you Priestess"

"Cassandra’s fine, too"

Detective Sullivan’s face got so red I was tempted to help him loosen his tie However, I didn’t think he’d appreciate the gesture The aze lowered to that tie, i a football for a clueless Charlie Brown - I was starting to think Sullivan wasn’t as humorless as he pretended to be

"You two know each other?" he ed

"Yes," Cassandra and I said at the same time

"How?"

"I came in to shop"

"For what?’

"What are you, a cop?" I quipped

He blinked, a confused expression replacing his annoyance "Well, yeah"

Cassandra laughed, then turned the sound into a cough I took pity on the man and answered his question - kind of

"I heard this was an interesting place Came in, looked around, and - "

"We bonded," Cassandra put in

"Bonded," he repeated

"I liked her; she liked er over her index finger "We’re like this"

Noas the one who choked on a laugh

Sullivan didn’t appear convinced, but he let theperson"

I thought of Mrs Beasly The New Orleans PD was really on the ball

"Well, not exactly a person," the detective said, and Cassandra and I exchanged glances "At least not anyue"

I started, but the detective was staring at Cassandra and not at me He didn’t notice h not to ask why that information disturbed me

"Whenever that happens," Cassandra murmured, "the voodoo priestess is always the first suspect"

"Because?’ I asked

"Zombies" Cassandra rolled her eyes "What else?"

"You can’t believe Cassandra is raising zombies," I demanded, even as myI’d chased a zombie out of Jackson Square I should tell Detective Sullivan, but I couldn’t get the words out of my mouth

"I don’t believe it," he muttered

"He’s from out of town" Cassandra smirked

I didn’t bother to point out that she was, too Cassandra seemed as much a part of New Orleans as the humidity and the jazz

"His superior ordered him to come," she continued

Sullivan made an impatient sound "I don’t understand this place"

"You’re not supposed to" Cassandra patted Sullivan’s arm "Since you didn’t find the body inelse I can do for you?"

"No," he snapped, and headed for the door He stopped with his hand on the knob "I was going to come and talk to you tomorrow, Ms Malone Have you seen Adaave hie?"

"Yes"

"He didn’t call"

"Sorry"

Sullivan cursed "I don’t have the manpower to beat the swamp for him All I want to do is ask a few questions"

"You really think Adaer with his bare hands?" I asked

"Someone did"

True

"Funny that you should call the victier," he continued

"Funny ha-ha? Or funny weird?"

Sullivan’s lips didn’t even twitch "The victi persons report; no record of anyone of his description entering by public transportation; fingerprints don’t pop in the FBI files"

"Maybe it was a plain old robbery on Bourbon Street," Cassandra said, "and soet out of Dodge"

"Tourists have hotel roo they don’t usually have is a fully automatic rifle"

My al?"

"Extreun was his?"

"His fingerprints were all over the thing Besides, if it was a robbery, why leave a gun like that lying around? Thing has to be worth some money, even without the weird bullets"

"What kind of weird?" I asked

"Silver" He opened the door "Who uses silver bullets?"

Without waiting for an answer, the detective left

Cassandra and I stared after him, then looked at each other "Uh-oh," we both said at the same time

"Appears you aren’t the only one searching for a loup-garou," Cassandra murmured

"I am now," I said dryly

"You should be careful Someone doesn’t want the beast found"

"Seems to me like someone doesn’t want the beast killed"

Cassandra’s lips pursed "You’ve got a point"

I shook h I didn’t find much of this funny "Is everyone around here nuts?"