“I know.” He was a wall of protection that refused to budge as he stared down the shaken hotel owner. “I’m guessing that whoever caused your husband to return from the grave took him down. Maybe ... maybe he got out of hand or something. I don’t know. There’s no way Charlie did this.”
“But she was right there,” Emeline protested.
“That doesn’t mean she did this.” Jack refused to back down. “She was trying to help you. Don’t attack her for it.”
Millie winked at me. She looked much more relaxed than I felt now that things had gone her way with Jack. “Charlie is an innocent victim who risked herself to help you. Don’t make her regret her decision.”
THIBODEAUX WAS A RAGING MESS when he arrived. Jack, who had been sitting next to me and whispering in low tones, immediately hopped to his feet and placed himself between me and the furious detective.
“Don’t even think about it,” Jack warned when Thibodeaux attempted to push him aside in an effort to get to me. “She’s been through enough.”
“She’s been through enough?” Thibodeaux’s eyebrows looked as if they were going to take on a life of their own and crawl off his forehead. “She doing this.”
“She is not. I don’t understand why you’re so fixated on her.”
“Because she’s turning my city into a laughingstock,” Thibodeaux exploded. “She’s the only common denominator in all of this. She supposedly opened her door to a zombie. She found an empty crypt at St. Louis Cemetery. You can deny it all you want, but I know she was there for the theft at Lafayette Cemetery. It’s her and I’m taking her in.”
I felt sick to my stomach at the outburst. “You’re going to arrest me?”
“No, he’s not.” Jack’s expression told me he was readying himself to start throwing punches. I appreciated the gesture, but all that would accomplish would be a night in jail for both of us.
“Jack, don’t.” I got to my feet and shook my head. “You can’t stop this. If he’s going to take me into custody he’ll do it no matter what you say. Don’t risk your job over me. It’s not worth it.” I lifted my wrists to the seething detective. “I’ll go with you. Just ... don’t arrest Jack. He’s upset.”
Thibodeaux stared at me for a long beat and I could tell he was debating what to do. He hadn’t expected me to volunteer myself for incarceration.
“Don’t take her,” Jack snapped. “She didn’t do anything. How can you possibly blame her for this? She was nowhere near the city when it started. She’s been with me the whole time. She didn’t do this.” His voice cracked at the end and I thought he might cry. I didn’t see tears, but he appeared on the verge.
Thankfully, Chris picked that moment to interrupt us. “There is a body on the floor over there that has obviously been dead for some time,” he noted. “My understanding is that it’s Mrs. Landry’s husband, who died a year ago. How is it that you think Charlie somehow managed to find his body and get it here when she was taking a nap? Check the hallway security camera footage. She and Jack went upstairs together hours ago.”
“She’s the common denominator,” Thibodeaux insisted. “She’s the one thing that ties this all together.”
“Except she doesn’t,” Hannah argued. “If you want to make the argument that Charlie is at the center of this then you have to say that we all are. We came to this town together. We’ve stuck mostly together. Why is it you’re so interested in Charlie alone?”
“Because ... because ... .” He either couldn’t – or wouldn’t – answer. I found that curious.
“I swear I didn’t raise the zombie,” I offered. “I wouldn’t even know how to start. We’ve been trying to solve this. If you need to take someone in, though, make it me. Don’t take Jack. He’s a hero.”
“Don’t take either of them,” Chris argued. “You know it won’t end well if you do. You’re familiar with my uncle. The first call I place will be to him. He’ll have lawyers descending on your precinct so fast you’ll barely get Charlie processed. You can’t hold her and we both know it. If you do, you’ll end up tarnishing your own image.”
Thibodeaux looked away from Chris and focused on Jack. There seemed to be a silent challenge flowing between them.
“I won’t let you just take her.” Jack was firm. “She didn’t do anything but try to help. Why are you so hell-bent on punishing her for nothing?”
Thibodeaux heaved out a sigh. “Whatever,” he said finally. “There’s no reason to be so dramatic. I’m not taking her in. But I am watching her.”
“How great for you,” Jack muttered, moving closer to me. “You won’t find anything. She’s not responsible for this.” He ran his hand over my hair as I waited for my pulse to return to normal. “Focus on the dead people, not the people trying to solve this. You’re looking in the wrong direction.”
“I’m not, but I obviously need more proof. I’m going to get it.”
“No, you’re not. She’s not guilty.”
“I guess we’ll have to wait to see who’s right.”
“I guess so.”
JACK LEFT THE HOTEL LONG enough to pick up dinner before dragging me upstairs. He refused to eat with the others, even though Laura made a series of pouty passive-aggressive remarks aimed at trying to force his hand. He didn’t engage, and by the time we reached my room with burgers and fries, exhaustion had etched its way across his handsome features.
“I’m sorry for all this,” I offered as I changed into a comfortable pair of shorts and a T-shirt. “I didn’t mean to do this to you.”
His expression didn’t change. “What did you do to me?”
“I ... put you in a bad position. You almost got yourself arrested.”
“Charlie, I would get myself arrested ten times over to protect you. That’s my job.”
“It’s not your job to get arrested. That’s going above and beyond in the boyfriend department.”
The chuckle he let loose was weak and dry. “I would have myself arrested for you because I’m your boyfriend. I can’t deny it. But that’s not what I was doing tonight. I was acting as chief of security.”
I hadn’t even considered that, and I felt like an idiot. “I bet it wouldn’t look good to the shareholders if I was arrested.”
“Chris has been arrested three times. Millie has been arrested six. There will come a time when you probably get arrested because that’s the nature of this group. I will not, however, sit back and let that guy terrorize you for no good reason. I can’t. I won’t.”
I blew out a sigh. “I still don’t know what happened.” That wasn’t a lie. Everything that occurred in the lobby was a blur. “I don’t know how any of it came to be. I just ... it was freaky.”
“I know.” He pulled me in for a hug, pressing a kiss against my neck as he swayed back and forth. “You had to be terrified.
“Chris is trying to figure out a way to get Hannah into the autopsy,” he continued. “There’s nothing else we can do tonight. The door is locked and we’re safe in here. We even have greasy comfort food. How about we turn on something completely innocuous on the television and try to relax?”
That was an intriguing offer. “Can we watch Friends?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Why do you want to watch Friends?”
“It’s like comfort food, completely mindless.”
“Friends it is.” He grabbed the bag of food and directed me toward the bed. “Get comfortable. We’re not leaving again until tomorrow morning. We have hours of food, Friends and ... frolicking ... in front of us.” He grinned at his own alliteration. “That was pretty good, huh?”
It was easier to return the smile than I anticipated. “Very good.”
We settled on the bed together, the covers wrapped around us and our legs touching as I found the channel I sought. “I don’t understand how he could’ve possibly been raised from the grave,” I admitted, my voice low. “He wasn’t like the others. He was half rotted away.”
“I don’t understand either. I
definitely don’t understand how the furniture ended up on top of him.”
I swallowed the ball of guilt lodged in my throat. “Are you willing to admit it’s zombies?”
Instead of being angry, he laughed. “That’s what you’re really worried about?”
“I just want us to be on the same side.”
“I’m on your side, Charlie.” He pressed his kiss to my cheek. “I still hate the word, but I can’t see any other way to explain things. We’re definitely dealing with zombies.”
I perked up. “Finally we have something we agree on.”
He grinned. “That’s something to celebrate, huh?”
“Definitely.”
Twenty-Two
Things turned romantic. It was inevitable. I was glad for the distraction. Jack seemingly was, too. We were both so exhausted we passed out before midnight.
I hoped my sleep would be easy. I was not that lucky.
I woke in an odd dreamscape, one I didn’t recognize. I was in a house. It looked a lot like the hoodoo museum, at least what that house probably looked like fifty years before. Tam sat in a chair by the fire in a room I didn’t recognize. I didn’t get a chance to search the entire museum before Millie had insisted we leave, so I figured I was probably projecting.
Of course, there was always the possibility that I wasn’t ... and that was even more terrifying than zombies.
“What am I doing here?” I asked the quiet woman as she flipped through a magazine. The cover read “Loas for Dummies” and she seemed disinterested in my presence.
“I don’t know. What do you think you’re doing here?”
“I think my mind is a twisted place to visit right now,” I replied without hesitation. “Are the zombies here? I don’t know if I want to spend the entire night running from them.”
“The zombies can’t get you here.” She closed the magazine and slowly got to her feet. “Come with me.”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to do that either, but I didn’t see where I had much choice. She led me through the house, to the room with the masks that I’d visited earlier in the day. It looked markedly different. There was furniture, old and in poor shape, spread about. Candles burned in every corner, giving the room a homey feel despite the pervading chill air.
“What are you showing me?”
“Look.” Tam gestured toward the window. I hesitantly joined her, frowning when I realized what she wanted me to see. There, on the front lawn of the house, a hundred zombies weaved back and forth. They were waiting for ... something. I had no idea what, but my inner warning alarm told me they were waiting for me.
“Are there really that many zombies on the loose?” I asked when I’d found my voice. “That doesn’t seem right.”
“It doesn’t,” she agreed. “They’re growing in number every day. Why do you think that is?”
“I don’t know.” That was the truth. “I thought that was why my mind conjured you in this dream. I’m looking for answers, right? I must think you have them.”
“You have them,” she countered. “You simply have to open yourself to the possibility of learning. If you do that, you’ll figure things out.”
“That sounds easier said than done.”
She let the drape she’d pulled back drop into place. “You have a visitor.”
The change in her demeanor threw me. For the first time since I’d met her the previous day, she looked frightened. The shift came out of nowhere. “I don’t understand.”
“He’s here.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
“Who is here?”
“I believe she’s talking about me,” a folksy voice said from behind us, causing me to jolt.
Even though inherently I knew it was a dream — really, what else could it be? — I was ready to do battle with whatever enemy awaited. Instead, sitting on the couch, I found the man in the hoodie. He looked different, his skin tone more robust, but his eyes were filled with keen interest.
“Who are you?” My frustration bubbled up. “I don’t understand why you’re here. I don’t understand any of this.”
“You will, my child.” He patted the open spot on the couch next to him. “Sit. We have some things to discuss.”
That sounded unlikely. “I can’t sit next to you. You’ve been following me all day. You tried to separate me from my group.”
“I did,” he agreed readily, his grin only widening. “I wanted to talk to you earlier. That wasn’t possible when you were surrounded by your friends. I kept trying, but you refused to move too far away. Even when you gave chase you thought better of it and returned to the hotel. It was as if you understood that you shouldn’t be separated even as you yearned to follow. I find you ... interesting.”
“I’m glad for you.” I made a face. “Who are you?”
“I go by many names.”
“Which one would I know you by?”
“Perhaps the name Papa Legba rings a bell.”
I thought I might fall over. “No way!”
“Yes, way.” His eyes twinkled. “Please sit, Charlie. We’re not yet pressed for time, but there’s a lot to go over.”
For some reason the idea that I was sitting with a famous loa — perhaps the most well-regarded and famous loa ever — eased some of my fear. I sat next to him, making sure not to touch him, and waved off the tea he offered.
“No offense, but I’m not drinking anything you offer me.”
“That’s probably smart.” He sipped his own tea. “What do you know about me?”
“You’re a crossroads demon,” I answered automatically. “You’re the counterpart to a couple of saints and famous religious figures, including Lazarus. You’re supposed to be kindly, and if someone grows too pompous you teach them a lesson.”
“That’s a good start.” He smiled. “It’s probably good that ‘pompous’ is the one word that can never be used to describe you.”
“No, but Laura is in our group and she’s all kinds of pompous. Can’t you teach her a lesson and get her off my back for a bit?”
“Who do you think convinced Jack and Millie to report her to Human Resources?”
My mouth dropped open. “No way!”
“I’ve been watching you for a long time, Charlie,” he offered. “You’re of great interest to me. The power you wield, the goodness of your heart, it all makes for an interesting convergence.”
“Do you know what I am?” The question escaped before I could think better of it. It was self-serving, but I couldn’t stop myself.
“You’re more than one thing, my dear. As am I. I understand your confusion and your yearning for answers. Those answers are coming. You need to focus on the here and now.”
Something occurred to me. “Did you send Harley to visit?”
“The coin called to Harley. I told her to let you keep it. Most people who possess the coin want to make a trade. You’re too smart to make a trade, yet you’re still important to us. That’s why you should keep the coin. If you ever need us when this is over, the coin will allow us to always find you.”
That sounded far too easy. “So, what? Are you saying you’re my magical loa godfather?”
He barked out a laugh, his amusement obvious. “That’s an interesting way of looking at things. I think I like it.”
“Well ... I’m not sure how I feel about it.”
“You have a lot going on.” Papa Legba sipped his tea again. “In the interests of saving time, I’m going to expand your knowledge base regarding me. I am a gatekeeper of sorts. St. Peter is the gatekeeper to Heaven. I am the gatekeeper to … other places.”
“Some people believe you’re the same as St. Peter,” I noted. “Although ... I’ve always heard you looked like a kindly old man.”
“I can look however I wish,” he explained. “Right now, when activity is high in the French Quarter, I need to be able to fade into the background. This disguise allows me to do that.”
“You’re pale enough that you look like a zombie.”
“I thought that would entice you.”
“You thought I would chase a zombie?” I snickered. “That doesn’t make me sound very smart, does it?”
“You’re sharper than you give yourself credit for. Harley told me of meeting with you. She seems to like you a great deal. I’ve handed your case over to her.”
“I’m not going to make a deal for my soul.” The declaration came out shriller than I intended. “I won’t do that.”
“I don’t intend for you to do it. We don’t want your soul. You’re going to need it for a long time.”
“I ... well ... that’s good.” I worked my jaw and narrowed my eyes. “Why would you seek me out this way?”
“You’re important for a great many reasons,” Papa Legba replied. “You’re important to what’s happening now and you’re important to events that won’t happen for years. You, Charlie, are very special.”
He said it in such a matter-of-fact way that there could be no arguing with the sentiment. I kind of wanted to push him on it, though. I recognized now wasn’t the time. The zombies were more important.
“What’s happening out there?” I gestured toward the window Tam had showed me several minutes before. “Who would want to raise the dead this way?”
“That is the question, isn’t it?” He set his tea on the table and held out his hand. “We need to take a walk. There are some things I need to show you.”
I eyed his extended hand with trepidation. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“I won’t hurt you, Charlie.” He sounded sincere. “Search your heart. What does it tell you?”
“That I should trust you.”
“So, trust me. It’s important that I show you how this world looks from the other side.”
I had no idea what that meant, but I’d already decided to give in. “Okay, but if you try to steal my soul Jack will cross three worlds to get it back.”
Papa Legba chuckled as he wrapped his fingers around mine. “Oh, Jack. We’ve been watching him, too. For different reasons, of course. He also has a magical soul. He’s your protector in this world. I’m almost convinced he will be your protector in the next.”
The Undead Uproar Page 21
