Millie nodded in understanding. “Then he came back?”
“He did. He kept trying to bite people.”
“I thought our idea of zombies trying to gnaw on human beings wasn’t real.” Millie looked perplexed as she rubbed her cheek. “If these things are trying to eat people ... half the city would be infected by now. We’ve all seen how that works in television and movies.”
“We have,” I agreed. I thought back to the way the man reacted. “I don’t know how to explain it. He wasn’t moving across the street in an effort to eat someone when we first saw him. The biting thing only happened after he was hit and on the pavement. Maybe the blow somehow jarred his brain, made him feral.”
“That’s a lovely thought.” Millie pursed her lips and turned her eyes to the open archway where Jack stood, phone pressed to his ear. “He seems okay despite the fact that he wanted to rip Thibodeaux’s head off his shoulders. I thought he might be more freaked out because his core assumption about zombies not being real was threatened.”
I followed her gaze. “The first thing he asked me when he stepped into the hallway last night was if I’d been bit.”
Millie chuckled. “So much for not believing.”
“I think it was instinct.”
“Charlie, I know you’re worried that he’s going to fall apart when you tell him the truth, or even walk away, but I’m here to tell you that won’t happen. He’s Jack. He’ll listen and stand by you. That’s what he does.”
“I hope so, but this is not the time to tell him. It has to wait until this is behind us.”
“It definitely has to wait,” Millie agreed.
Jack was apparently finished with his call because he lowered his phone and picked his way back to us. He was considerably happier when he slid into the chair next to me. “Are you done feeding your face?”
I shot him a dirty look. “You suggested we get three entrees and split them,” I reminded him.
“Yes, that was adorable,” Millie intoned, her expression reflecting amusement as she watched us. “I thought Laura’s head was going to implode from watching you share food. The fact that Jack actually dunked a slice of toast in an egg yolk before handing it to you, Charlie, was particularly adorable.”
I shifted in my seat, uncomfortable. “I didn’t even realize you were watching that.”
“You guys have obviously been having a lot of meals together. I think it’s cute. Hannah and Chris are in the same honeymoon stage, but they’re nowhere near as snarky as the two of you so it’s a different phenomenon to observe. There are times with Chris and Hannah that I actually think they might turn into spun sugar. You two are far more likely to turn into Sour Patch Kids.”
Jack didn’t appear bothered by the comparison. “You say the sweetest things, Millie.”
“Yeah, well, I should probably get going.” She groaned as she used the table as leverage to stand. “It’s hell getting old, kids. Enjoy your youth. I’ll talk to Chris and calm him down. By the time you see him next he’ll be back to normal.”
“Tell him Jack was the one who wanted to keep him from the zombie,” I suggested, refusing to back down when Jack scorched me with a look. “What? He won’t fire you. I need this job.”
“He won’t fire you either.” Jack waved to Millie as she made her escape but kept his eyes focused on me. “How do you feel about visiting another cemetery?”
The question caught me off guard. “I don’t know. Which cemetery did you have in mind?”
“St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.”
“And why are we going to that cemetery?”
“My friend Leon heard whispers about strange activity at that one last night. I thought we should check it out with him — you did say you wanted to meet him. And that will give Chris time to cool down.”
I liked the suggestion. “I definitely want to meet him.”
“Good. I think you’ll like him.”
“Do you think he’ll like me?” That was the thing I was most worried about, after all. If he was important to Jack it would be better if he became a fan of mine.
Jack smirked. “I think he’ll fall all over you and try to embarrass me, because that’s how he is. You’ll be fine.” He squeezed my hand. “As for Chris ... you know not to take what he said to heart, right? He’s just upset.”
“You’re the third person to tell me that. I still feel bad.”
“Well, don’t. We’ll work everything out.”
I hoped that was true. “I’m excited to see your friend,” I offered, deftly changing the subject. “Will he have embarrassing stories to tell about your days in the military?”
“Not if he knows what’s good for him.”
LEON TURNED OUT TO BE THE gregarious sort. He had a booming voice and he made me laugh within minutes of meeting him. He was waiting for us at the gate. He had a woman with him, which confused me until he explained you couldn’t enter the cemetery without a guide. The young woman, who had long braids and fierce eyes, looked to be of Haitian descent ... and I didn’t just suss that out by looking at her. When we clasped hands in greeting I got a gander at her extracurricular activities, and there was a lot of dancing and ritual chanting involved. It was intriguing.
“This is Cassandra,” Leon said by way of introduction. “She can get us into the cemetery to look around.”
“I thought all the cemeteries were open to tourists,” Jack countered. “I see shows where people are allowed to tour them all the time.”
“Yes, but to make sure the companies make money on that — and the tomb desecration is kept to a minimum — guides are now required in some cemeteries. It’s simply the way of the world. Cassandra doesn’t mind if we look around.”
“I really don’t,” Cassandra said dully. “I care about my payment. I’m going to school and I need the money.”
“You’ll get your money when we’re done with our tour,” Leon shot back, annoyance evident. “I’m not giving it to you now, because I know you. You’ll take it and run, and then we’ll get in trouble for being here without a babysitter.”
“Whatever.” Cassandra rolled her eyes. “Just do your thing and stop talking to me.”
I found their interaction strange. “Are you guys related?”
“Give the young lady a cigar,” Leon teased, shaking his head. “She’s my niece. How did you figure that out?”
“Yeah, how did you figure that out?” Jack asked.
I shrugged. “Only family could get that exasperated with one another. I saw it growing up. Not with my birth parents or endless relatives, mind you, but with the Rhodes … I saw a lot of it.”
Jack worked his jaw and I thought he was going to say something. He must’ve changed his mind, because instead he flashed a smile. “Let’s look around,” he said.
“What are we looking for?” I was genuinely curious.
“Supposedly there was noise in here last night,” Leon explained.
“Do you think it was zombies?” It was an honest question … that made Leon snicker.
“I don’t believe in zombies.”
“You might change your mind once I tell you about our night,” Jack said, his eyes flicking to me. “Go ahead and look around. Try not to wander too far. I don’t want to go looking for you.”
“I’ll see if I can take care of myself for a whole hour in the middle of the day,” I drawled as I set off. “It will probably be a terrible hardship.”
“I like her,” Leon said to my back. “She’s cute and feisty.”
“She has her moments,” Jack agreed.
MOST PEOPLE WOULD’VE BEEN uncomfortable in a cemetery. That was not my experience. I’d been drawn to them since I was a child. The house I lived in with the Rhodes was near a cemetery, and I always walked through it on my way home from school. There was something calming about the headstones and mausoleums. Of course, that cemetery was much different from the one I prowled through today.
At some point, and I wasn’t even sure how it happene
d, I found myself moving toward a specific tomb. Once there, I stood directly in front of it, staring for a really long time. Someone had scrawled graffiti across the walls, and yet I didn’t read it. I just stared at the relatively nondescript tomb for a long time. So long, in fact, that I lost track of time.
“Do you know what this is?”
I jolted at Leon’s voice, turning quickly to find him watching me with curious eyes. “Um ... what?”
He gestured toward the tomb. “Do you know what it is?”
“It’s a tomb,” I answered perfunctorily.
“It’s Marie Laveau’s tomb. Do you know who she is?”
I couldn’t hide my surprise. “I know who she is.” Reverence pinged through me as I turned back to the tomb. “I didn’t realize she was entombed in the city. That’s ... neat.”
“It’s definitely neat,” he agreed, grinning. He seemed amused. “You’re kind of neat, too.”
His intense gaze caused me to shift from one foot to the other. “What do you mean? I’m just a normal woman.”
“No, you’re definitely something other than normal. You’re ... different.”
“Different good or different bad?”
“Good. I’m a hundred percent convinced of that.”
“Oh, well ... thanks. I guess.”
His grin only widened. “You’re also good for Jack. I haven’t seen him this happy in ... well ... forever.”
“You’ve known him a long time.”
“Ten years. We went through basic training together.”
“He obviously respects and likes you. That means I do, too.”
“Because whatever he says goes?” Leon’s dark eyes mischievously twinkled. “I don’t think that’s how you roll. You’re an independent thinker. You exude confidence ... and energy ... and a certain sweetness that I never would’ve thought would attract Jack. You seem perfect for him.”
The avalanche of compliments made my cheeks burn. “I like him a great deal.”
“He likes you a great deal, too.”
I smirked. “I know.”
He laughed at my simple response. “You’re a kick, girl. I can’t even tell you what a kick you are. You’re awesome.”
“I don’t feel awesome.” That was true. “I feel ... out of my depth.”
“Because people are talking about zombies? I don’t think fear of the unknown stymies you. In fact, I think you’re drawn to it ... the same way you were drawn to this tomb.”
“Oh, I wasn’t drawn to the tomb. I just ... happened upon it.”
“No, you cut through fifty other tombs and headed straight for this one. It’s as if you knew where you were going.”
“I ... .” Was that true? I couldn’t remember how I got to the tomb. “Um ... I was just meandering.”
Leon didn’t look convinced. “Well, you’re here now. What do you think?”
I turned back to the tomb and frowned. “I think it’s a shame that people wrote on the tomb. Why would they do that?”
“And now you know why people aren’t allowed in here on their own.” He winked at me and glanced over my shoulder, his smile widening when he realized Jack was coming to join us. “Your girlfriend is pretty funny. She found Marie Laveau’s tomb without even looking at a map. That’s pretty impressive.”
“Who is Marie Laveau?” Jack asked.
I shot him a look. “She was a voodoo queen. In fact, she’s the most famous voodoo queen. She’s revered in certain circles.”
“She is indeed,” Leon agreed.
“Oh, well, great.” Jack didn’t look impressed as he moved to my side. “Why have people written on her grave? That’s awful.”
“Why have people spray-painted Stonehenge?” Leon countered. “There are idiots everywhere.”
“I guess so.” Jack’s eyes were thoughtful as he stared at the tomb. “Marie Laveau would be a draw for anyone trying to pretend they were raising the dead, right?”
Leon cocked an eyebrow. “What are you asking?”
“If Marie Laveau’s tomb has been messed with.”
“No, this tomb is locked up tight,” Leon replied. “Trust me. They’re not going to risk some nutbag stealing her bones for a ritual or anything. That would cause people to freak out.”
“What about over there?” I asked, pointing toward a tomb that looked to be gaping open. It was only about fifty feet from where we were standing. “Is that supposed to look like that or has someone broken in?”
Leon furrowed his brow as he started in the direction of the tomb. “I haven’t been here in years, but I’m pretty sure that shouldn’t be like that. He stopped in front of the tomb, glanced around, and then poked his head inside. “Hmm.”
“What?” Jack asked, his hand automatically going to my back. “What is it?”
“It’s empty.”
“Meaning?”
Leon held his hands out and shrugged. “Meaning it’s empty. If there was a body in here, it’s gone now.”
I felt sick to my stomach. “Do you think it got up and walked away on its own, or do you think someone stole it?”
“I think we have no choice but to call the police,” Leon answered, digging in his pocket for his phone. “The cops aren’t going to be happy to hear about this.”
Eleven
Thibodeaux arrived twenty minutes after we placed the call. His expression was dark as he stomped over to us, never changing as Jack explained the situation. Once Jack was finished, the detective turned on his heel and stormed into the tomb. The curses he let loose once inside were enough to singe my cheeks as I remained rooted to my spot.
“Did you do this?” he demanded when he returned, his eyes aimed directly at me. I’d swear he was almost frothing at the mouth.
“What?” I looked around, confused. “Do what?”
“Did you steal the body that was entombed in there?”
“Of course not.”
“You just assume I should believe you, but I don’t.” His hands landed on his hips. “You’ve been in the thick of this from the start. Where is the body that belongs in this tomb?”
“Don’t yell at her.” Jack smoothly slid in front of me, his eyes wild. He looked ready for a fight, which caught me off guard because he was usually calm and collected when dealing with law enforcement. “She hasn’t done anything. She was minding her own business when we discovered the open tomb.”
“And you expect me to just believe that?” Thibodeaux looked as if he was teetering on the edge of derangement he was so angry. “This is the second time in two days she’s been involved in something hinky.”
“I was involved with both those incidents, too,” Jack reminded him.
“Yeah, but she’s the one who ... .” He didn’t finish the sentence. Instead, he clenched his hands into fists at his sides, his cheeks flooding with color, and took a long moment to collect himself. In my mind he was counting to ten in his head. “Tell me what happened.”
Jack was calm when he launched into the story, but I could tell that he was prepared should Thibodeaux start yelling again. It was as if he was daring Thibodeaux to call him a liar. If that happened, I was terrified Jack would be hauled off to jail and I wouldn’t have the money to pay his bail. Then I would have to call Millie, she would make inappropriate jokes and things would be so much worse ... if that was even possible.
“We’ve only been here for an hour,” Jack volunteered as he wrapped up the tale. “There are cameras at the exits. I saw them when we were coming in. I’m sure you can access the feeds. All you’ll see is us wandering in. We very clearly didn’t have a body with us.”
“If there are cameras, can’t they just check and see who actually did steal the body?” I asked.
Leon offered me a pleasant smile. “Except there’s no way of knowing when the body was removed. It will take a lot of hours to go through the feed. I’m sure Detective Thibodeaux will be happy to do that, though, because he’s obviously a slave to the truth.”
If Thib
odeaux could shoot lasers from his eyes, Leon would be dead ... or at least on fire. “I’ll happily go through the video feed myself. Don’t you worry about that.”
“That’s good.” Leon didn’t back down as he regarded the detective with cool eyes. “Until then, unless you have other questions, we should be going.”
“You think I’m just going to let her walk away from this after what she’s done?” Thibodeaux jabbed his finger in my direction. “She’s stealing bodies.”
Jack made a move, as if he was going to jump Thibodeaux. Anticipating his friend was about to lose his cool, Leon stepped forward and put a hand on Jack’s arm. “You have no proof she was stealing bodies. Be reasonable, Henri, she weighs, like, a hundred thirty pounds. She’s not familiar with the area. There’s no way she managed to break into a tomb, drag a body through the cemetery and then come back and set up this entire show.”
Henri? I chewed my bottom lip as I watched Leon. He didn’t seem overly friendly with Thibodeaux, but calling him by his first name seemed to indicate they knew one another. I made a mental note to ask Leon about it when we were free and clear.
“She’s been present for two very odd occurrences,” Thibodeaux shot back. “She claims a dead man tried to get in her room last night.”
“Don’t say ‘claims’ like that,” Jack snapped. “She’s not a liar.”
“You should look at things from where I’m standing.”
“I don’t care where you’re standing. She’s not a liar.”
I was grateful for the fact that he felt the need to stand up for me, but I was also ready to escape. The longer Jack dug in his heels, the more likely we were to be held for questioning. I wasn’t an expert at law, but I knew enough to understand that Thibodeaux couldn’t hold us without taking us into custody. If he did that, things would spiral rapidly ... and I very much doubted that’s what he wanted.
“Jack.” I took a chance and leaned forward. “It’s okay. Detective Thibodeaux is just upset. There’s no reason to get worked up.”
“Oh, I can think of a reason to get worked up,” Jack snarled. He was a bristling mess. The fact that he was reacting this way because he was standing up for me was interesting ... and frustrating at the same time.
The Undead Uproar Page 10