Bayou Heat

by Georgia Tribell

  He couldn’t help but wonder how she navigated the night so smoothly. She never stumbled or bumped into any hidden items, it was as if she had some unnatural night vision.

  Eris knelt down beside what appeared to be a large tomb as he closed the distance between them. He watched her perfectly still form and wondered if maybe she’d stopped because she hurt herself. “Eris, you okay?”

  “I found something. It looks to be material from a party dress.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “Look at me. Just look at me! Thanks to you, this outfit is totally ruined, even my favorite pair of heels.” Carmen grabbed a towel and began to dry her hair. Her brother always interfered in her life.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You should be. I’m tired of you butting in where you don’t belong. You have no right to do that!”

  “I worry about you and it’s my job to keep you safe.”

  Carmen wrapped the towel around her hair turban-style before looking up. “I suppose…but you have to learn when to back off.”

  “So do you.”

  Carmen looked into the mirror. “At least the earrings survived.”

  The phone started to ring as she removed the jewelry and crossed to the jewelry armoire in her bedroom.

  “I have to answer that.”

  Reverently, she placed the earrings in the box as the phone continued to ring. She hated the phone because it always took him away—and without him she was nothing.

  “Carmen.”

  “Go. Go answer the damn thing.”

  * * * * *

  Rob draped another blanket across Eris’ lap. “Nate’s here. I’m having him drive you home. It looks like a long night for me. Are you okay with that?”

  When she finally turned to him, her expression was void of all emotion.

  “Hey, are you okay?”

  Eris blinked a couple of times. “I’m fine, just cold and totally exhausted. I want to go home.”

  “Give me five minutes and you’ll be on your way.” Rob closed the vehicle’s door and turned to Nate, dropping the keys in the man’s hand. “I need you to keep a close eye on her, make sure she warms up and gets some rest. Watch her, she’s devious and not above sneaking out when your back is turned.”

  “She’ll be safe with me.” Nate palmed the keys and looked him in the eyes. “You aren’t questioning my skills, are you?”

  “Physically, she’s most likely safer with you than me, it’s her emotional state I’m worried about. She doesn’t know when to back off.”

  Rob caught a flash of white teeth in the darkness. “Don’t worry for a second, I’ll provide her with whatever support she needs.”

  Rob ground his teeth as he watched the pair drive away. He was amazed at how much it bothered him to see her leave with another man. It bothered him even more how much he wanted to be the one tending to her. He’d stopped taking care of others after his mother died and had no desire to start that again. Personal attachments weren’t a part of his agenda, he reminded himself as he turned to join LD.

  Even though the street was closed to the public, Rob was forced to weave his way between patrol cars, personal vehicles and large trucks that carried huge spotlights, which were just now starting to light up the area. Soon it would be brighter than high noon.

  LD noticed his approach and detached himself from the group, meeting him halfway. “Is Eris okay?”

  Rob rubbed a hand across his face. God, suddenly he was beyond exhausted himself. “I sent her home with Nate. I’m sure after a warm bath, dry clothes and some sleep, she’ll be fine.”

  Rob could tell LD wasn’t convinced all was well, but he didn’t say a word as he turned and greeted Detective Olson.

  * * * * *

  Eris watched Nate from her corner of the couch as she sipped the cocoa he’d made for her. She’d emptied her hot water tank and still felt chilled to the bone. Nate had protectively wrapped her in a blanket then warmed the drink, and now he appeared totally lost in sketching a picture. Barefoot, shirt hanging loose, hair ruffled and glasses perched on the end of his nose, he gave the appearance of being the typical absent-minded artist. She had the feeling it was all appearance.

  The silence stretched out, not uncomfortably but tense because there was a question that needed to be asked. “Why’d you do it?”

  Nate continued with his work. “Do what?”

  “Taunt Rob by implying you’d take care of all of my needs.”

  This time he did stop drawing and smiled. “Oh…that.”

  “Yeah, that. It wasn’t very nice and you know it, especially since you know perfectly well there’s nothing between us.”

  “You’re wrong, darlin’, there is something between us. It might only be friendship but there is something, so I wasn’t lying about taking care of you.”

  Eris rolled her eyes. “All I’m saying is you didn’t have to make him think you meant it in a romantic way.”

  Nate pulled off his glasses and studied her for several long seconds. “Oh hell. Tell me you aren’t starting to fall for that pretty boy. God, women flock to him like bees to honey and I promise you he’s had his fair share of them.”

  “I’m not dumb, Nate, I’ve seen how women look at him when we’re out and I never took him for a saint.”

  “But you’re falling for him anyway?”

  Eris didn’t answer because her only answer would have upset Nate even more.

  “He’s going to break your heart. I can call LD and tell him you’re requesting I take over your protection. LD’s a good guy, he’ll understand.”

  Eris placed her cup on the coffee table then stood. “Thanks for the offer, but I like things the way they are. I’m tired, good night.”

  She closed her bedroom door behind her before crawling into bed and pulling the covers to her chin. There was a very good chance Nate was right, she’d end up with a broken heart when all was said and done. If she was smart, she’d take Nate up on his offer, but no one ever accused her of being levelheaded.

  Not to mention, her goal here was to find Orbit’s killer and she was positive that to do that, she needed Rob. She’d allowed herself to get distracted and off course since he had entered the picture. Starting tomorrow, Rob was going to see exactly how focused and forceful this loon could be.

  * * * * *

  Eris flipped through the stack of mail as she sipped her coffee. Bills went into one shoebox, important-looking papers into another while credit card applications and other junk mail went through the shredder. It’d been two weeks since she last went through the mail at Orbit’s home office. The task was as depressing as the last time she’d done it. Today she came prepared with comfort food in the form of café au lait and beignets.

  Nate wasn’t thrilled about leaving the apartment, but she hadn’t given him any real choice. It was either they make the trip to Orbit’s place or listen to her complain for the rest of the day. Voices drifted to her from the other room as she finished banding all the important papers together before dropping them into her tote bag.

  She pulled the last powdered-sugar confection out of its brown bag as she moved over to Orbit’s desk. The few times she’d been here since Orbit’s death, she’d grabbed what she needed and run out of the room. Orbit’s aura was so strong here it nearly crushed Eris every time she entered the room.

  Time had helped heal Eris to an extent, so today she was able to block out most of Orbit’s spirit. What did leak through her barriers scraped along her nerve endings like fingernails down a chalkboard, making her jittery. Or maybe it was the six beignets and two extra-large coffees she’d consumed this morning, Eris considered as she sucked the white powder off her forefinger.

  The reason for her restless feeling really didn’t matter at the moment anyway and it was the last thing she needed to be worrying about. For now she needed to focus on the desk in front of her and the evidence it could contain. She started Orbit’s laptop as she settled into the chair, determined to uncover some s
crap of information that could help them.

  * * * * *

  Rob stood in the doorway to the study of Orbit’s house and had to admit he was pleasantly surprised. There wasn’t a tarot card or gazing ball in sight. In fact, the room was decorated in a style that was comfortable yet efficient. The appeal of the room was totally overshadowed by the woman seated at the desk. He figured that more than twelve hours away from her would have diminished the impact she had on him. He almost laughed out loud at the absurdity of that.

  She turned her face away from him and he knew she was wiping away tears. In the last couple of days he’d come to realize that she knew exactly where he was at all times. She seemed to be able to zero in on his location just as he could peg her moods with one glance and not a word spoken between them. Right now she was hurting and that was twisting him inside out.

  The mantle clock chimed one as he stepped into the room. “Lunch is here. Why don’t you take a break?” He placed the food on the coffee table and began to unpack the brown paper bag.

  Eris didn’t say a word as she moved to sit next to him. He handed her a quarter of the muffuletta sandwich. Rob picked up a piece and settled back to eat. He wasn’t very hungry, but Eris needed to eat and he knew she wouldn’t if he left her alone.

  “Orbit’s house is very nice.”

  Eris looked around the room as if it’d been awhile since she last noticed it. “She loved this place from the moment she first saw it. I remember telling her she was crazy to buy it, the place was a total disaster.”

  “I’m surprised a woman her age bought a fixer-upper.”

  Eris snorted as she reached for another quarter of sandwich. “More like a tear-downer, but she was determined to restore the place. It took her five years of blood, sweat and a king’s ransom, but she did it.”

  “She did a wonderful job. It’s the focal point of the neighborhood.”

  “Not only did the house turn out terrific, but she loved being on the edge of the French Quarter. It allowed her to walk to work most evenings, which she enjoyed doing.”

  They fell into a more comfortable silence as they both finished their meals. Rob noticed the tension leaving Eris as she relaxed against the couch. “I’m surprised the new owner would allow you free access to the house.”

  Eris gave a slight shrug of the shoulders as she started picking up the trash. “They don’t mind.”

  Rob sat up straighter. “You did get the owner’s permission to be here, didn’t you?”

  She looked at him with the saddest eyes he’d ever seen. “I didn’t have to.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m the owner.”

  He watched as Eris scanned the room and wrapped her arms around herself. “I take it Orbit didn’t have any family.”

  “Her husband was killed in Vietnam and she never remarried. They never managed to have any children. I just don’t know what to do with this place.”

  “Right now you don’t have to do a damn thing about the house. You’ll know what to do when the time is right.”

  “I hope so.” Eris took a shuddered breath. “I came here today to look for information that might help us. I’ve gone through the mail, there was nothing there of importance except bills. I was searching her website, checking the bulletin-board postings and e-mails, but they’re too personal. Would you mind taking care of that?”

  “No problem. Can I load software to the laptop so I can run some specialized searches?”

  “Do whatever you need. I’m going to search for Orbit’s day planner. It wasn’t on her when she was found, so I’m hoping it’s here.”

  Rob watched Eris walk from the room. Last night changed her. He wasn’t sure why or how, but it had. He didn’t need any special powers to know she was more determined than ever to finish this task, even if it meant asking him for help.

  * * * * *

  “Wasn’t there a receipt found for Mannies Truck and Tow Center in the college boy’s truck?”

  The sound of Eris’ voice pulled him away from the computer screen he’d been staring at. Long evening shadows danced outside the window. No wonder his back and neck were stiff, they’d been at this for hours. “Yes. The truck was taken from the truck stop that night while the kid was waiting on his supplier. Why?”

  “I finally found Orbit’s day planner and there was a receipt in there from Mannies.”

  “Lots of people in this area use Mannies or end up there at some point in their life.”

  Eris waved the small scrap of paper in the air as she crossed the room. “But it’s for an oil change.”

  “She had her oil changed, nothing out of the ordinary there.”

  “For Orbit it is. She used a mechanic over in Slidell, swore by the person and wouldn’t let anyone else touch her car.”

  “Maybe she changed her opinion of the man and his tools.”

  If it wasn’t for her slight pause and the bright pink flush that engulfed her face, Rob would have sworn she’d missed his underlying meaning.

  “Her mechanic was a woman and Orbit didn’t change her mind. I think we should check out Mannies.”

  Rob leaned back in his chair and watched as the warm evening sunlight danced off her face. Today her hair was neon pink and she wore a fitted t-shirt embossed with the words Drop the chocolate and no one gets hurt. There was a sliver of tanned skin showing between the bottom of her shirt and top of her jeans. All he had to do was walk down Bourbon Street and he’d see a lot more female flesh but none played havoc with his libido like this woman’s did. “I’m not sure a receipt for an oil change constitutes a wild goose chase.”

  “How about a receipt dated two days before her murder?”

  “Well, now that’s a detail we shouldn’t overlook.”

  Eris cocked one hip and smiled. “The facts are for you. Me? I’m running on pure instinct.”

  “You know it’s going to take evidence to convict the person.”

  Eris placed the receipt in his hand. “I know, but that would be Olson and Tarrington’s department, not mine.”

  Rob pulled an empty envelope from the desk drawer, labeled it “pertinent information” then slipped the piece of paper inside. After sealing the envelope, he placed it into his briefcase for safekeeping. He didn’t hold a lot of hope this lead would pan out, but he wasn’t about to mishandle evidence, no matter how insignificant he thought it might be.

  “What are you looking at?” Eris asked as she reached over his shoulder to scroll down the webpage he was browsing.

  “Here.” Rob stood so she could take his place at the computer. “From what I’ve found, Orbit started researching crystals and their powers a couple of weeks before she died. Was she into that type of thing?”

  “Not that I knew of, but what makes you think she was researching them?”

  “I’ve found over fifty different crystal-related sites she visited prior to her death and I haven’t even finished searching the history file on this computer. I don’t think she ever cleared it, which is good for us.”

  “There must be thousands of entries, how will we ever get through them?”

  “Don’t worry, I copied the file, sorted it by date and I’m working from the last entry backward.” Rob reached around her to take the mouse in hand and caught a whiff of the vanilla scent she wore. “I bookmarked the websites for you so you could look through them later.”

  “Thanks.” Eris started looking at the current site.

  He stepped back before he buried his face in the crook of her neck and devoured her here on the spot. He knew she wouldn’t appreciate it and would most likely kick his butt to the curb. “How about we head out to Mannies? I’ll pack up the laptop and you can look at the websites later back at your place.”

  Eris stopped what she was doing and turned to him, flashing a smile that let him know she wanted to do more than search websites later. “Sounds good to me.” Her voice was low and sultry as she stood. “I’ll go gather my stuff.”

  She move
d out of his way, but as she did, her body brushed against his. Fire exploded in his body with such intensity it shocked him. He watched her leave the room and wondered if he’d read her wrong all along. He was certain she now wanted him on the case. On a physical level he could have sworn she was done with him, she’d gotten her taste of him and that had been enough. After all, he’d figured after one night his lust would have been satisfied, and hers also.

  Rob gave a sharp, bitter laugh as he closed the computer and started packing it into its case. He’d been sorely wrong about that because he wanted her ten times more today than he had that night and he couldn’t help but wonder if the same hadn’t happened to her.

  * * * * *

  Eris rubbed the back of her neck as she studied the display of outdated paperback books. Mannies wasn’t one of those modern truck stops that consisted of hotel, chain restaurant, gift shop and clean restrooms. Nope, Mannies was a barren spot of land that had gas pumps, truck wash, an outdated diner-gift shop and dirty restrooms. Those facts didn’t seem to stop the trucks from rolling in though. For the last fifteen minutes a steady stream of them had been pulling in for gas and maintenance.

  She moved to the next display and studied the dusty knickknacks. She wished she knew why Orbit had visited this place. They’d already been here for over an hour and nothing was happening. This was crazy, she thought as she glanced toward Rob. He’d left her alone as soon as they walked through the doors and now was seated in a booth drinking a cup of coffee and eating a slice of pie. He glanced up as a tall blonde approached and flashed the woman a brilliant smile. The smile didn’t reach his eyes, Eris noticed with more relief than she cared to think about. She turned her back to them and opened her senses.

  Waves poured through her and slowly she sorted through them, looking for anything resembling the ones she was looking for. One aura kept brushing up against her senses like a cat rubbing against her leg. It wasn’t the one she was looking for, nothing like what she felt last night, but something about it intrigued her.

  Finding nothing else of interest, she grabbed hold of the irritating aura and tried to remember if she’d run into it elsewhere. She couldn’t decide if she’d encountered this one before but followed it anyway. She made her way across the gift shop and into the diner. The aura began to change as she crossed the room. At first it felt hurt, followed by anger before transforming to fury. The feelings were so fresh and strong they swamped her.