Answering the Call

by Ali Vali

  “Hey, Sept,” Wilson Delacour said after he opened the door and waved them in. “Been a while since you’ve come by for a visit.”

  “Sorry, Wilson. I don’t have an excuse for my bad manners.” She followed him to Brandi’s office as he walked to a chair and put his hands on the back to encourage her to sit.

  “You want a drink? You look like you could use one.” Wilson moved toward the phone. “Bad news?” he asked before picking it up.

  “We’re still on duty, so no to the drink, and a maybe yes on the news. Let me ask you first so you can help me with Brandi if I’m right.”

  Wilson nodded and sighed. “Life is making me older than I have to be, I swear. What’s wrong?”

  “We caught a case tonight, and the only thing in her purse was a card with a name and the number to FIOG,” she said, and the news made Wilson fall into Brandi’s office chair.

  “Can’t be Erica, since you know her, so who was it?” He tensed as if preparing for a blow.

  “Lee,” she said, and Wilson closed his eyes and lowered his head. “Pretty blonde who appeared to be in her early twenties.”

  “Lee Cenac, and she’s related to Brandi. Supposedly she was Brandi’s third cousin, but you know her history with her family. I don’t think I’m talking behind her back, since Brandi loves you,” he said, and she nodded. “She didn’t want the kid to be in this life, but her mama got her in it first, and you can’t force anyone into choosing a path they don’t want.”

  “I’m sorry, Wilson, but I have to tell her.”

  “Yeah. Let me go get her.” He stood and smoothed his vest. “She’s out back.”

  “We’ll go if you want,” she said.

  “No. Sit and relax. We’ll be right back.”

  “Man, this is going to be rough, especially if Lee was related to her,” Nathan said, and she cocked her head back and blew out the deep breath she’d taken.

  She’d recognized the scrap of paper and the partial initials on it, but she still hoped she’d been wrong, since lately she only showed up on Brandi’s door with bad news. Her friend was going to eventually stop letting her in. “It’s not her fault, since no one is here out of obligation. If this is the life you choose, Brandi gives you a safe place to work from.”

  “It can’t be that safe, sugar, if you’re here at this hour,” Brandi said, and her voice brought both her and Nathan to their feet.

  “Did Wilson tell you?” she asked as Brandi took a step toward her.

  “One of you just spit it out.” Brandi reached for her hand, so she raised it palm up.

  “We found Lee Cenac tonight,” she said, and Brandi’s eyes instantly filled with tears. “I’m so sorry.” She put her arms around Brandi when she fell against her.

  “What the hell happened?” Wilson asked, placing his hand on Brandi’s back.

  “She was killed in the same place Erica was attacked last year. That’s all I can really tell you right now, so let’s sit down.” She walked Brandi to the sofa against the wall. “Who was her date tonight?”

  “She and Erica were both meeting their dates at the JW on Canal. Oh, God.” Brandi sat up, appearing panicked. “Sept, we need to find Erica. She mentioned she and Lee were having drinks together after they were done. If she’s there all alone, she could be in danger.”

  “I’ll go,” Nathan said.

  “Stay put, and get all the information of how Lee started her evening.” Sept cared deeply for Brandi, but Erica had been a lost soul who’d been turned out by an abusive boyfriend when they’d met. Sept had taken her off the streets and brought her to Brandi, knowing her old friend would eventually make it possible for her to leave the business if that was what Erica really wanted. From the day they’d met until now, Sept had felt somewhat responsible for Erica and what happened to her.

  Nathan looked nervous as she stood to go. “Are you sure?”

  She took him into the hall and knocked her knuckles against his forehead. “Right now, Brandi is a woman in pain, so be gentle with the questions, and be a good friend.”

  “Okay,” he said, glancing back at the office.

  Sept took off and sped to the downtown hotel, flashing her badge at the valet to keep Keegan’s car close. Erica was sitting in the bar peering at her watch as some older guy tried to talk to her. She seemed too polite to tell him he had no chance, probably even with the large fee tucked between his teeth.

  “Hey, beautiful,” she said from a few feet away, and Erica’s head whipped up, an expression of relief on her face.

  “Hey.” Erica hopped down from the barstool and hugged her. “I’m so glad to see you.”

  “Excuse me,” the wannabe Romeo said. “The lady and I were talking, so get lost.”

  “Let me see some ID.” Sept held her badge a few inches from his face and snapped her fingers. “I said, let’s see some ID.”

  The guy fumbled for his wallet, and his apparent nervousness made Erica smile. “Here,” he said practically throwing his license at Sept.

  “Nebraska, huh,” she said, holding it next to his face and taking out her phone. “This is what your options are here, Mr. Archer. You can either go up to your room and stop bothering the ladies, or I’m going to call Mrs. Archer and have a frank conversation about your habits when you’re out of town. What’s it going to be?” She held the license up and wasn’t surprised when he snatched it back and ran out.

  “That was mean but entertaining as shit,” Erica said. “I’m so glad to see you. Do you have time to wait with me? I’m meeting someone for a drink.”

  “I’m so sorry, honey, but Lee’s not going to make it.” The explanation made Erica hysterical, so Sept ordered a shot of whiskey, and the bartender waved off her money. “Let me take you home.”

  “How did she die?” Erica asked, never moving away from her as they made their way to the car.

  Sept told her as much as she could on the way back and, when they walked in, found Nathan holding Brandi. The crying started again when Brandi and Erica saw each other. Erica hadn’t been with Brandi that long, but they’d built a solid friendship that both really cherished.

  “I’ve got everything we need for our end,” Nathan said. “The fucker paid in cash.”

  “She was dropped off at the JW?” she asked, and both Brandi and Nathan nodded. “Okay. We need to head back over there and see what we find.”

  “Do you think this bastard forced her to leave?” Brandi asked, now holding Erica.

  “That’s what I need to find out but, Erica,” she said, kneeling between Brandi and Erica, “remember what I said. I think this is more about the location than the girl, but I want you to be extra careful. If something happens to you, I’m going to be pissed if it’s because you’re taking unnecessary chances.”

  “I won’t, I promise.” Erica wiped her face and smeared her makeup even more than it already was.

  “Brandi, call me no matter what.”

  “I will. Thank you.”

  “I’ll come by again, and we’ll talk about precautions you can take so I don’t have to show up on your door for something like this again.”

  Brandi squeezed her hand and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. “You’re a good friend, but don’t get into trouble over us.”

  “I’ll quit this job the day that giving someone comfort is rated as bad as murder. I’ll be back.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “I’m exhausted,” Nathan said as he and Sept left the hotel.

  “If I drink any more coffee I’m going to have a permanent twitch,” Sept said, stopping around the corner from the main car entrance, which was actually a block back from Canal. It was the door Lee had walked out of to meet her date. “The front-desk guy said someone called in with the message, and Lee didn’t question the directions. The video shows her coming this way.”

  “Trying to avoid being seen, I guess,” Nathan said.

  “True, and it’s going to be our job to prove him wrong. There’s got to be a camera aroun
d here somewhere, especially with all these banks and office buildings. We just have to find the one with the best angle.”

  “You want the uniforms to canvas to see if we get lucky?” Nathan asked as he yawned. She couldn’t blame him, since they were about thirty minutes from sunrise. It had been a long night.

  “Good idea,” she said, getting back into the car. “Follow me home so I can leave Keegan’s car.”

  “No chance she’ll be cooking breakfast by now, huh?”

  “At four forty-five in the morning? No chance, buddy,” she said, laughing.

  She actually wished Keegan was up, but she wasn’t going to be an asshole and wake her. Her phone rang, and almost as if she’d conjured her up, it was Keegan. “Where are you, Seven?”

  “I’m on my way home actually, but only to leave your car. Why aren’t you asleep?” She sped up, needing to see Keegan before she had to keep working.

  “I missed you, and I was worried about you. Was your entire night horrible?”

  “It was bad, but we might get somewhere after this. And if you were wondering, I missed you too. All this crap I see needs to be balanced by something, and I’m glad that’s you, baby. Don’t get scared, but I’m here, and I’ll bring your keys in.”

  “Don’t you dare run off before I get downstairs.”

  “I’m not alone, sweet pea.” She unlocked the door and heard Keegan and Mike coming down the stairs.

  “Is it going to embarrass you if Nathan sees me kissing you?” Keegan asked as she put her arms around her. “Do you have time for me to feed you?”

  “Yes. We’ll make time,” Nathan said, coming in and kissing Keegan’s cheek. “See,” he told Sept. “You just have to throw your wishes out into the universe, partner.”

  She put her hand on the center of his face, pushed him away, and asked Keegan, “Are you sure you’re not too tired?”

  “Babe, I wasn’t the one running around all night.” Keegan pulled her head down and kissed her. “Go start the coffee like I taught you.” Keegan moved her hands and slapped her on the ass.

  Keegan made omelets and talked to them while they ate. The food was good, but Sept knew it would make her tired, so she had another cup of coffee. “The girl tonight was one of Brandi’s girls,” she said, and Keegan reached for her hand.

  “Do you think that was on purpose?” Keegan asked.

  “I do, and he took her to where Erica escaped from. This girl was new to town and wasn’t so lucky. To compound our bad night, two teenagers got killed in the front yard of the same house.” The thing the kid said before he died popped into her head. Why say “she devil”?

  “Was Brandi okay?” Keegan asked.

  “She and Erica were pretty shaken up. We might have seen all this before, but the scenes are different.”

  “The other crime will be hard to duplicate since it was in a place of business, if I remember that right. Maybe this is the end of it.” Keegan held up her fork to feed her a piece of omelet. “What happened to the kids?”

  “I think they were there to boost the car, and the killer didn’t want witnesses. The car was stolen, and the guy was most probably going to abandon it anyway, so I’m not sure why they had to die.”

  “That’s so sad,” Keegan said.

  “Why do you think the guy was going to leave the car?” Nathan asked, grabbing another piece of toast.

  “Patrol didn’t find anyone on foot, and the car was already stolen. Why take any more chances to get caught in a car that had Lee Cenac’s DNA in it?” She ate another bite that Keegan fed her. “There had to be another car. And if you think about it, he parked it in a neighborhood where there aren’t any witnesses or video cameras for blocks. Those two kids were looking for trouble, but grand theft auto isn’t punishable by death.”

  Her cell phone rang, and she thought about not answering it, but now wasn’t the time to start rebelling. “Savoie.”

  “Sept, it’s John. The dogs found something. How in the hell did you know?”

  “Lucky guess. I’ve got two missing guys I want to talk to, and that dump spot is on the way to our crime scene.” She took another sip of coffee. “We’ll be there in thirty minutes.”

  “What now?” Keegan asked.

  “They found something else. Sorry, sweetheart. I’ll call you later, and I should be home tonight.”

  “Are you sure you can go that long without sleeping?” Keegan rubbed the side of her neck, and Nathan took his plate to the sink.

  “I need to see what this is, get the team going, and try to take off early.” She cocked her head toward the stairs. “Nathan, give me a minute.”

  “Thanks, Keegan, and I’ll see you later,” he said.

  “You’ll be okay, really?” Keegan asked as she went up a step to even out their heights somewhat.

  “I’ll be fine, and I need you to make sure of your surroundings. The number-one thing I worry about is how much this guy knows. It’s like he’s got Perlis’s playbook and is using it for his own game. If he knows exactly where Erica escaped from, he knows about us, and if something happened to you, I’d be lost.”

  Keegan combed her hair back gently with her fingers and kissed her. “Just find your way home, and I’ll be here waiting for you. Like you told me about consistency, you need to believe in me. I’m not going anywhere, baby, and you need to start trusting that fact.”

  “I love you so much,” she said, and Keegan kissed her eyelids before she moved down to her lips. “Thank you for the pep talk.”

  It was tough to let Keegan go, but they had to leave. Her hunch had been right, and the dogs had found a body in that dump. Her killer was an efficient worker who seemed to like to take chances since he’d driven around town with a body in the trunk of a stolen car. Hell, if he thrived on danger, the body could’ve been in the back seat.

  “Who do you think it is?” Nathan asked as he drove faster than normal through the quiet streets.

  “It’s got to be either Bonnie’s boyfriend or Crazy Nick. They don’t strike me as master criminals who can elude police this long, and this would explain their absence.”

  The patrol officers guided them to the entrance to the park they needed to use, and Sept was thankful the sky was lighting up. Her shoes would probably be toast after this, but she wanted to avoid jamming something sharp into her feet so she walked carefully through the piles of debris. The cluster of police stood behind the perimeter the forensic guys had set up, but she didn’t find an altar this time. This was your basic dump-and-run.

  “Do you know who it is?” she asked Jennifer, since George wasn’t in sight.

  “Roger Breaux.” Jennifer handed over his wallet. “He’s got the same address as Bonnie Matherne and a picture of them together.”

  “Anything out of the ordinary?” The wallet had a hundred in small bills and a picture of a little girl.

  “I’m not an investigator, but it seems like someone drove in here because they could turn around and just dump him and not be seen over these piles.” Jennifer moved as the guy with her took a series of pictures. “We’re almost done, but I’ll stick around just in case the dogs find anything else.”

  “Thanks, and put our numbers in your phone. Text me your contact information,” she said, handing over her and Nathan’s cards. “Be careful out here. God knows what’s mixed in all this shit, and you don’t want some raging infection.”

  “Will do. Thanks. Maybe I’ll see you at the lab later.”

  “Yeah. After we head to the precinct and regroup. If you find anything else, make me your first call.” Jennifer nodded, and Sept hesitated when she saw the coroner. “How did he die? Can you tell?”

  “Shot in the back of the head. At least I think it’s a bullet wound. That’s the only injury I see.” Jennifer walked her around the body to point to the blood-soaked collar. “I didn’t want to move him until we collected everything, so he might have some more of those.”

  “This bastard is trying to bury us in work, but too
much of a vice always brings you down. That holds true in everything in life except when it comes to our SOs.”

  “What’s your philosophy there?” Jennifer asked, smiling.

  “Too much of Keegan Blanchard is never going to be a bad thing, but if you don’t believe that about Chloe, I’ll make sure to mention it to her,” she said and winked.

  “Please don’t since she’ll give me shit for weeks. How’d you know about me and Chloe?”

  “She’s an old friend, but I haven’t seen her in a few years. Behave, since she’s one of the good ones.” Sept pocketed her notebook and waved to Nathan. “Let’s see if I can do something about the rotten ones messing up our nights, and we can get back to our better halves.”

  “Amen to that, sister.”

  * * *

  Hunter parked four blocks from the condo and walked leisurely back. The night had been long but not hard. Both Roger and Nick weren’t a problem any longer, and the altar in the park had turned out beautifully.

  “The only thing to worry about is the kid who lived.” The day was cold and clammy, but the frosty temperature was good and helped Hunter keep a cool head. “Maybe that was a mistake,” Hunter said but shook off the nagging worry as the silence of the lobby meant no more talking out loud.

  The place was dark and even quieter, so the first order of business was to tidy up the kill bag and see what had to be replaced. This task was important and needed total concentration, so adding weak emotions here would lead to mistakes later. Hunter was methodical in taking everything out and placing it on the table in order. When the gun came out, it caught on the paper with Lee’s contact information.

  “Fuck,” Hunter whispered as the torn corner came into view. It had to have come out and dropped when the two car thieves had to be dealt with. “Did I touch it?”

  All that planning had been for nothing, which meant no more deviations from the plan. “Think.” Hunter stripped and headed for the shower. For now the cleanup was the thing to concentrate on, so the clothes went onto the plastic sheet already on the bathroom floor. Nothing had ever been left to chance because the plan was sacrosanct. No deviations at any time had been the motto to freedom, and it all came down to that—freedom.