The Dead Heat of Summer: A Krewe of Hunters Novella

by Heather Graham

  “You watch Garfield?” She smiled.

  “Two-year-old little cousin,” he reminded her with a grin.

  “Ah.”

  The food came quickly, and it was wonderful. They both tried to be polite and wound up trying to put helpings of each dish on each other’s plates at the same time, touching, apologizing, and then spilling food. But they finally got it together.

  Casey was especially enjoying the crawfish etouffee when she looked up.

  Someone was coming in the front door—someone who slipped in as a man was exiting.

  Someone who wasn’t alive.

  “Ryder, I see her. She’s just coming in. Do you see her?” Casey whispered.

  He did. He almost stood, but apparently controlled himself quickly enough. He watched as Lena came up, gave Casey a quick smile, and leaned across the table to envelop Ryder in her arms.

  Then she sat across from him.

  Chapter 5

  Ryder felt a wave of emotion rush through him. He’d wanted to see Lena, even in death—her spirit rather than the angelic and still form of her body. He initially hadn’t thought her spirit had remained.

  And mature adult or not, he’d not been able to fight the feeling of hurt and anger that had swept through him when he realized that her spirit had remained, but she’d chosen to go to someone else.

  She had known he saw the dead. She’d been the one to help him not feel crazy when they were kids. She hadn’t seen what he had, but she’d sensed things. And she had believed in him.

  Now, she looked at him across the table.

  “First, Casey, thank you,” Lena said. “Ryder, I’m sorry.”

  “Why didn’t you come to me?” Ryder whispered. “I was there in the house...right after. I was at the autopsy. The funeral. I stayed...”

  “Ryder, I’m sorry,” Lena said again. “But...well, frankly, it’s not easy becoming a ghost. Maybe we don’t want to accept it. Perhaps we just don’t want to believe we’re dead. Or maybe it’s like a new birth, and we need to figure out how to exist in the world. It took me a while to...to understand that I could move and try to speak with people. At first...it was like sleep—a deep, deep sleep. Then I was in the cemetery and so afraid and alone...and, well, I finally made a few friends. Um, dead ones. And they helped me. By then...you were gone. And then I saw Casey. I’d met her at her store, and I knew she was kind and honest and...I’m afraid I sent her to the hospital from fright. But then I tried again, and I heard you were back, Ryder.”

  “I’m here, and we’re working hard on this,” Ryder assured her. “Casey has filled me in. Lena, I won’t let it go. I will not let anything happen to Stephanie or Annette, I promise. But can you tell me anything about your attacker at all? Casey said you’re sure it was a man. Do you know how he got in?”

  “I have no idea. I keep the door locked. Gail keeps the door locked. Ryder, I was so scared, but not for myself. If anything had happened to Annette...”

  As she broke off, he noted Casey was furtively looking around, possibly wondering how Ryder was conversing so easily without worrying about looking at Lena.

  Experience. He toyed with his food and glanced her way now and then.

  He knew she likely realized it looked as if he were just talking to Casey.

  “I will not let anything happen to Annette,” Ryder said firmly. “I swear it—on my life.”

  Lena smiled at him. “I believe you. You’re my Superman, cousin. ‘Truth, justice, and the American way,’” she quoted. “And I know you, Ryder. You’d be in this if it had been me or someone else—it’s what you do. And I’m grateful for you.”

  “Well, let’s see where we get,” he said. “I need help from you. I need to find whoever did this to you.”

  “And Anthony,” Lena added bitterly. “I never believed he just stretched too far to look at something and fell off a twenty-story building. And he definitely wasn’t the type to commit suicide. But then again, neither was I—though we know what happened there. Ryder, you’re my only hope,” she said softly. “I mean,” she added quickly, looking at Casey, “Casey, you were wonderful. I know you went to Stephanie. You must have since Ryder is here with you. And I’ve tried. I love my sister so much. I think she might have sensed something when I tried to speak with her, but she just doesn’t...she doesn’t see...the dead.”

  Ryder almost forgot himself, reaching out across the table to touch Lena’s hand. But he winced and then drummed his fingers and glanced Casey’s way again. She gave him a forced smile as if she were learning the art of conversing with the dead in public.

  “Stephanie has put her trust in me. She’s still at such a loss. You were her only sister.”

  “Maybe you can convince her I’m...okay. I mean, I’m here, but I will be able to find peace. They’ve been telling me—my dead friends—there comes a time when we all go, and there is goodness and something after. A light. They claim they’ve seen loved ones come for other loved ones. I mean, I haven’t, but...I’ll be with Anthony. I must be able to tell him Annette is going to be fine. Ryder... How could anyone want money so much they’d kill like this? Elijah would never have handed control of the company to Anthony if he’d known it was a curse. Elijah was a good man, such a dear man. He believed in business, but he was also fair. And he made things people desperately needed easily available to them. But...is that it, Ryder? This was all over money?”

  “Money and power,” Ryder said. “Or so I believe. But I need to know more. And I think we’re dealing with someone who is a true psychopath. Someone organized, capable of appearing perfectly normal—even in relationships—but lacking any true feelings or emotion.”

  “Someone who could kill without blinking and make sure they did it right,” Lena said dryly.

  “And it had to be someone close to you, the house, the family, or the corporation. That’s why I need your help. And any little detail will help.”

  Lena glanced at Casey before answering and said softly, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I dragged you into this. I’m just so frightened now for my sister and my baby.”

  “I’m all right,” Casey said. And, looking at her, Ryder thought she was. Yes, she had been panicked and in denial. That might indicate that she was a normal person. How else did one react to suddenly realizing there was, in an already strange world, another world around her?

  And she might be in casual clothing, but he hadn’t lied to her. She was a beautiful, young woman, her best feature being her eyes. Their color was so blue it hinged on violet, and the depths of them always seemed to speak volumes.

  Admittedly, he’d first thought her a quack, using her looks to help lure those who might believe she had a friend line to the beyond.

  And now...

  “Seriously,” Casey added softly. “I want to help.”

  Lena smiled and said, “Thank you,” softly to Casey and then turned back to Ryder. “I think he was about six feet tall. And I believe he was wearing contact lenses, making sure I couldn’t recognize him if things went south. I don’t know. He was in black—sweats, I believe. All-encompassing black. His hood covered his hair. I think he even had a voice box. It was all raspy as if it were coming through something. And he had wires around his face and neck under the sweatsuit top. I could still see them. I don’t know how he got in. Gail was out—it was her afternoon off. Stephanie was coming over, but not for an hour or so. All I could do was bargain.”

  “You saved Annette’s life,” Ryder assured her.

  They all fell silent. Felice came back to their table, pointing at their dishes.

  “What’s the matter? Suddenly you don’t like the food?” she asked.

  “Oh, no, the food is delicious,” Casey assured her.

  “Delicious as always,” Ryder said.

  Felice was frowning. “I don’t know why you like this table. It’s cold here! There must be something wrong with the air-conditioner. We must get that fixed. Would you like to move?”

  “No, this is my table,
and I love it, Felice,” Ryder said. “You know that.”

  Felice smiled suddenly. “Look at the two of you. So close and...whispery. I guess you don’t feel the cold. Ah, young love. You two can cuddle for warmth.”

  She left, and Lena laughed.

  “You two do make an adorable couple.”

  “We’re not a couple,” Ryder and Casey said in unison.

  “Well, okay, but you’re both beautiful people, so...you would make a beautiful couple. Hey, trust me. Don’t mess around. Life is short. I learned that saying to be the absolute truth.”

  “Oh, Lena,” Ryder murmured.

  Lena frowned and spoke in a panic. “I’m going to fade!”

  “What?” Casey asked. “Fade?”

  Lena shook her head. “It takes...well, learning. I’m learning to be a good ghost with a lot of help. But still...thank you both. We’ll talk tomorrow. Oh! Ryder, you have Annette and Stephanie. And now, you can’t let anything happen to Casey.”

  The last was barely a whisper. Casey’s name sounded almost like a soft hiss.

  Suddenly, Lena was gone.

  Casey stared at Ryder. “Ghosts fade?”

  “I can explain what I think I know,” he told her. “I know many spirits, but...I’ve never been a ghost, and it seems the experience can be different from...ghost to ghost. From what I understand, it’s not easy for them at first to...materialize, I guess. She’ll need to rest, to gain strength again. Old ghosts can stay for longer periods of time. Some can even push buttons and sometimes move things. It’s like anything—we learn to crawl, walk, and then run.”

  “You’re so easy with all of this,” she whispered.

  “You think it’s hard as an adult? Try being a kid telling someone their grandfather had given him warnings when that grandfather had been dead and interred for two years.” He shrugged and smiled at her. “It takes time,” he said softly.

  “You mean...I may see other ghosts now?”

  “When they choose to be seen.”

  “Oh.” She groaned.

  “It gets better. For tonight, I guess we should finish dinner. Then I’ll get you back home.”

  “Take your time. I have a feeling I’ll be up all night.”

  She would be up all night—listening. Afraid.

  Ryder noticed the tension creeping into her face and body. “Maybe you shouldn’t stay at your place.”

  “I could go to Lauren’s house,” she mused. Then she shook her head vehemently. “No. She lives with her grandmother, and I wouldn’t put either of them in danger. Even though I’m not sure I’m in danger, I’m not brave enough to find out. I will lock all the doors, I’ll—”

  “No. We’ll go by your place, you can get a few things, and we’ll go to the Marceau house.”

  “What?”

  It seemed the logical answer, especially since Ryder had no other solution. And while he doubted that Lena’s killer would break into a house and risk capture, he’d somehow gotten into the Marceau house before.

  “Look,” Ryder said earnestly, “I promised to look after Stephanie and Annette. But now I’m worried about you, too. And you have the common sense to accept the fact you might be in danger. So, if we are all in one place, it will be much easier on me.”

  She seemed to weigh her options. “I still need to go to work in the morning.”

  “I’ll get you there. But you can’t be alone. And tomorrow, I’ll get some help.”

  “You have friends with the NOPD?”

  “I do. But I’m not calling them.”

  “Then—?”

  He grinned and shrugged. “I have people.”

  She frowned at that, curious—and seemingly unconvinced. “I can’t just go and stay at the Marceau house. I mean, I’m not invited—”

  “You’re invited. I’m inviting you.”

  “I don’t think Stephanie liked me.”

  “Stephanie is still hurt. She’s grieving, and you freaked her out. She’ll want you there. She can’t know the truth the way we do, doesn’t quite understand, but she always knew that...”

  “That?”

  “Sometimes, it runs in families. We had a mutual great-grandparent who... Well, if it is something in the DNA, she was the one who passed it down. Stephanie knows there are people who sense things. She knows that I do. I didn’t know much about you when I left the Marceau house after you did—”

  “You were the relative—her side of the family—watching the baby when I was there.”

  “I was.”

  “I can’t—”

  “You must.”

  She sat back, shaking her head and biting her lip. Then she bowed her head slightly.

  “Please,” he said.

  Her head still lowered, she nodded. She looked up and noted, “You still have crawfish on your plate.”

  “I’ll take care of that,” he told her. “You’re leaving lasagna,” he added.

  “I’ll take care of that,” she said.

  He smiled, and they finished their food.

  He paid the tab, and they both assured Felice that the food had been beyond wonderful. And that they’d be back. He was afraid during the drive, and even as he waited for Casey to pack up a few things, that she would protest again.

  But she didn’t. She was silent during the trip to the Marceau house, and he didn’t try to make idle conversation. At the mansion, he used the remote to open the gates and parked in the drive at the side of the house.

  Stephanie was on the steps, chatting with Arnold Benson, one of the old friends Ryder had hired to watch the house. Little two-year-old Annette was in her arms. Stephanie was frowning, but the baby called out, “Hi!” and stretched out her arms.

  “I’ll explain,” Ryder said briefly as he took Casey’s small case and walked to the door. He was ready to take Annette from Stephanie, certain that she was reaching for him.

  She wasn’t.

  Her outstretched arms were for Casey.

  “Um, sorry. Hi. May I?” Casey asked Stephanie.

  Stephanie didn’t answer. She let Annette go.

  The child was truly adorable. Like her mother had been, she was blonde. Little ringlets of a sunshine color framed her face. Her eyes were powder blue. Annette was, however, a typical two-year-old, wanting what she wanted.

  “She knows you. She likes you,” Stephanie said.

  “Lena had her in the shop a few times. I set her up with a little tea set, and we played This Little Piggy Went to Market and a few other games,” Casey explained. She held the baby and smiled as Annette giggled, said something in her baby language, and then showed Casey her nose.

  Arnold Benson cleared his throat. Ryder quickly apologized and introduced him.

  “An old friend. Arnold Benson was with the field office here for years. Arnie, Casey, Casey, Arnie.”

  Arnie smiled at Casey. Casey smiled back. Ryder figured she approved of his choice for a guard.

  Arnie had shaved his head and looked as if he were retired from the World Wrestling Federation rather than the FBI.

  “Nice to meet you,” Casey said.

  “Pleasure. So, is this lovely lady what really brought you back to NOLA?” Arnie asked Ryder.

  “Casey is a friend. And I’ve been honest with you, Arnie. You know what brought me back.”

  “Yeah,” Arnie said softly, glancing at Stephanie. “I just came out to do a grounds check. I have a little nook in the library where I can see more than a satellite can. Ryder, you did one hell of a job getting cameras installed in this place. I almost feel like a cheat, taking your money. I spend most of the day just watching the screens, and this lovely lady over here”—he paused to indicate Stephanie—“keeps me fed way better than I tend to feed myself.”

  “I’ve been in the nook and checked all the screens myself,” Ryder said. “It is a pretty good setup, if I do say so.”

  “It’s fine for you to say so. And also fine that you keep paying me,” Arnie said lightly.

  “Not a prob
lem,” Ryder assured him. “Let’s get on in, shall we?”

  “I’m just doing my walk-around,” Arnie said.

  “Thanks,” Ryder told him.

  “After that, you can find me in my nook.”

  They went into the house.

  Stephanie looked at Casey. “You have an overnight bag. Are you staying here?”

  “With your permission, of course. Ryder suggested it made sense.”

  Stephanie glanced at Ryder but then smiled at Casey. “You really did know my sister.”

  “I did know her, yes. Not well. But she came to the shop several times. I wouldn’t have lied to you.”

  “No one can lie to a two-year-old and get away with it,” Stephanie said lightly. “And, speaking of the two-year-old, it’s late. I’m going to get her to bed.” Stephanie hesitated and glanced at Casey. “If he brought you here...well, I know my cousin. He’s vetted you, and there’s a good reason you’re here, especially since I’m sure you have your own home.”

  Casey nodded.

  “Okay then, go on up the grand staircase. It’s a beautiful house, and I can’t tell you how much I hate it. The strangest thing is...neither Anthony nor Lena was into money or material things. And here I am. But whoever did this isn’t going to win.” She dropped her chin, eyes downcast. “I’m a coward, so I’d consider taking Annette and running, but I’m afraid we’d be hunted down. Annette and I must be here. Especially until...” Her voice trailed, and she turned to Ryder.

  “Put the baby to bed,” he told her. “We’ll talk after.”

  “I have her crib in my room,” Stephanie said. “Right next to my bed.”

  “Then we’ll talk in the morning,” Ryder said.

  Stephanie nodded and took Annette from Casey.

  “Make yourself at home, Casey. Please. The kitchen is wide open. Gail Reeves lives on the property, but she has the old carriage house out back.” Stephanie paused. “I don’t even let Gail in anymore until she calls and tells me she’s ready to come over. Anyway, sorry, I’m talking away. And this kid needs to go down for the night. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  She turned and started for the stairs, but then turned back and looked at Casey.