Heart of the Devil

by Ali Vali

  “Good, but try to make it back by five. If you’ve got time, run by Emerald’s tonight and go over the books.”

  He stopped chewing and put his fork down. “Is there a problem?”

  “It’s more like a preventative measure. I put Blue in charge since he was next up, but I don’t completely trust him. We need to make regular rounds before he gets the idea he can skim without losing some vital part.” She reached the last page and smiled at Muriel’s assessment.

  “You got it.” Her explanation gave him the go-ahead to finish eating. “Where are you going today?”

  “To see Uncle Jarvis and Muriel. Then I might stop by Tulane and check out the sights.”

  “Ha,” Billy said, barely keeping his eggs in his mouth. “Lou told me what homework you have in mind. Who is she?”

  “Our new server at the Erin Go Braugh, and I’m not studying. I’m curious.” She finished her coffee and kissed him on the top of the head on her way out.

  She entered the large study lined with books and antique bookends, and Merrick waited in Jarvis’s den. Her first glance of her uncle always took her by surprise since he resembled her father so much. Being with Jarvis would be in a way like watching her father grow old.

  “Cain.” Jarvis stood and hugged her close. “Welcome.”

  “Thanks, Uncle Jarvis.” She kissed his cheek before he let go. “And thanks for making some time for me.” She sat in one of the old leather chairs that had come from her grandparents’ place.

  “I always have time for you, and I’ve been anxious to know how you’re going forward.”

  “I’ve had my head in the mud for the last year, and there’s no excuse for it. You and our friends have done an excellent job keeping the peace.” She leaned closer to him and took his hand. “If you’re anxious about what your spot is going to be—don’t worry. I meant what I said. You’ll keep doing exactly what you did for Da.”

  “You know Dalton, Siobhan, and I were as close as siblings could be, but not seeing him every day makes me want to smash someone’s head in for stealing him from us so soon.”

  “We’ll get to that, and we’ll do it in a way that’ll earn us the gratitude of the rest of the families.”

  “What do you need me to do first?”

  “Work our people and find two different but important things.”

  “Was one of those things Emma Verde?” Muriel asked when she came in. “You’ve had some strange requests, but this one was odd.”

  “So you didn’t find anything suspicious down on the farm?” She laughed.

  “That’s why I wrote she’s more likely to milk you than spy on you. Why are you checking out college students?”

  “Whenever someone throws herself in my path, I’m naturally suspicious. She’s our newest employee.”

  “Uh-huh,” Muriel said, shaking her head. “I found some new real estate for my new firm, so I’ll give you a tour once I’m fully staffed.”

  “I’ll look forward to it.” The way Muriel smiled at her made her want to laugh. “Get going, and I’ll finish up with Uncle Jarvis.”

  She gave Jarvis her wish list, and they discussed the way to get it done. The meeting was over, but Jarvis held his finger up to keep her a couple more minutes.

  “I found something I thought you might like,” he said, opening the top drawer of his desk. “Da took us all to a fair by the lake when I was eight. Dalton was ten and all worked up to win some prizes at the game section, and had Siobhan excited for a teddy bear.”

  “He did give new meaning to the word competitive.”

  “There’s an understatement.” He laughed as he gripped something in his hand. “I saw this, and he used almost all his money when he realized how much I wanted it. He had just enough for that teddy bear but nothing for himself.”

  She held her hand out when he gave it to her. The cherry-tomato-sized piece of amber had what appeared to be a bumblebee at its center. It was easy to see how it would’ve fascinated a young boy.

  “It’s probably dumb, but I really wanted that thing, and he won it for me. He told me our bond was like that bumblebee in there. It was set and solid, and nothing could ever change it.”

  “That’s how I want us to be, so thank you. Are you sure you want to part with it? It’s pretty cool.”

  “I still love it, but he was so proud to get it. It’ll be a good reminder that no matter what it takes, do whatever you need to do to win.”

  “That’s easy when I have you and the rest of the family behind me. Da might be gone, but our sting is still lethal.”

  * * *

  “Go ahead and break into groups. The assignment is due next week, so take the rest of the time to split up the work,” the professor said as the members of the large class picked their partners.

  Bea was already sitting next to Emma, so they took the opportunity to talk since they’d already done most of the work. Emma was still smiling from her experience the night before.

  “Okay. I’ve been dying to ask,” Bea said, poking Emma with the eraser side of her pencil. “What’s got you smiling so much today?”

  “I had the best time after work last night.” She told Bea what had happened with the drunk guy and how Cain had handled it. “She had a chat with the jerk, then had him tossed out. It was the end of my shift, so we went out and had dinner.”

  “Girl, did you forget everything I said?”

  “The person I’ve met isn’t at all like what you’re describing. I’m sure she’s no Girl Scout, but she’s been nothing but nice to me.”

  “Promise me you’ll at least be careful.”

  “I’ll be fine. Heck. I had more trouble with the guy who thought it was okay to grope me.” She put the sections of the paper Bea had done in the correct order and placed it back in the folder to review later.

  “I’ve never met her, so is she as good-looking as they say?”

  “It’s weird,” she said, taking a deep breath. “I never have noticed anything like looks, but those blue eyes can make me forget everything and everyone.” She laughed when a thought popped into her head. “What do you think my mother would think about that?”

  “I’m sure there aren’t enough rosary beads in the world to cleanse your soul, buddy. You might want to keep your new exploits to yourself.”

  “That won’t be a problem. If you want, I’ll read this and give you a chance to review the whole thing tomorrow.” They started packing their stuff and followed their classmates out.

  “I’m pretty positive you’ve made an impression on the person you most want to notice you,” Bea whispered even though they were in a crowd.

  “What are you talking about?”

  Bea discreetly pointed to one of the benches, and the sight made Emma want to run off. “Makes me think she either really likes you, or she’s really a caring boss.”

  “I’ll call you later, okay?” She shouldered her bag and waved.

  “Have fun, and I’d be doing the exact same thing now that I’ve seen her this close.”

  “She certainly has woken up things in me I didn’t even know existed.” She turned and faced Bea and bit her bottom lip. “And thanks for getting this assignment done early.”

  “What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t do everything I could to get you laid?”

  “Not exactly my plans,” she said, her ears getting hot as she waved again. “But it’ll be fun to find out if she’s even interested in me.” Cain smiled at her, and she walked faster. “That might not be hard to guess.”

  * * *

  Cain thought about the years she’d spent on Tulane’s campus. Her grades were good enough to have gone anywhere in the country, but she’d stayed and lived at home. Tulane had taught her the mechanics of business from books written by professors who thought they had all the answers. She stayed home, though, for the other half of her education that she could never learn from any book.

  Her father had been the best professor she’d ever had, and he’d given her
all the lessons she’d need to crush anyone standing in her way. Overall, she’d enjoyed her time on campus, but this was the first time she’d ever sat on one of the benches in the common area waiting for a girl.

  People poured out of the building, signaling the end of class, so she hoped Muriel had gotten the right schedule. She smiled when she saw Emma walking toward her with a leather satchel strapped to her back. For someone who tried never to question herself, she suddenly wondered if this was a good idea. She didn’t want to scare Emma off.

  “Are you here because you heard I have leftover Chinese food?” Emma asked, standing close enough their knees were pressed together.

  “I’m here to invite you to lunch, but only if I’m not keeping you from anything.” She reached up and took Emma’s hand. “But if my being here makes you uncomfortable, then be honest. We can keep it to ale followed by a snack.”

  “This lunch you mentioned, is it a date?” Emma pressed closer to her, which made her think Muriel’s check of Emma was correct. No agent, no matter how badly they wanted the collar, wanted to get a reputation of sleeping with the people they were charged to bring down. Unless she was way off, this was blatant flirting.

  “Yes. In my opinion, it’s a date.”

  “Then I’ll be happy to go,” Emma said, tugging on her hand to get her up.

  “Not until I check your bra for a wire,” she said, trying not to smile.

  “Think again, Ms. Casey. I’m not sure what your norm is, but country girls from Wisconsin don’t show their bras until they have plenty of dates on the ledger.”

  “You should know I can be rather persuasive, and I love a challenge. Something tells me this might be one.” She stood and took Emma’s bag.

  They walked to the car with Emma’s hand wrapped around her bicep, and Cain tried to ignore the lingering stares they were getting. Emma slowed when they reached the car and seemed to notice Merrick.

  “Emma, this is Merrick. She works for me.”

  “Hello,” Emma said slowly, her eyes zeroing in on Merrick’s weapons under the light jacket. “Your family members aren’t the only interesting people in your life, are they?”

  “Hayseed, I have to say you’re taking all this pretty well.” She placed Emma’s bag in the back and then opened the door for her.

  “Well, not really, but I have your full attention, so we’ll forget for now why you need an armed group of people all the time.” Emma sat sideways again so they could face each other. “But why are you, who could obviously have anyone, interested in me?”

  “I met with my uncle this morning and told him I’ve had my head in the mud for a year now.” The coming talk probably wasn’t a good idea, but Emma made her believe in new beginnings. She was beautiful and untouched by anything in Cain’s life, so it was time to let the pretty girl go before that changed.

  “Don’t you mean your head in the sand?”

  “We don’t have a lot of sand in New Orleans, but we do have plenty of mud.” She stared at the hand Emma had taken and turned over so she could run her fingers along her palm.

  “Why did you do that?”

  “My father was killed a year ago, and the suddenness of it put me in a fog. Something happened, though, and it woke me up.” She closed her hand, trapping Emma’s fingers.

  “I’m glad,” Emma said smiling at her. “What was it?”

  “A beer bath.” She winked at Emma. “You shocked me into thinking again, so a lunch date to thank you is the least I can do.”

  “After lunch you’re hitting the road?”

  They stopped at one of Cain’s favorite restaurants in one of the worst neighborhoods in the city. The abandoned, boarded-up buildings and burnt cars on the street had come long after the Uglesich family had opened their place. The founder had been a friend of both her da and her grandfather and loved it when her mum came for lunch.

  “Emma, believe me, I’m doing you a favor by taking you out of my orbit before you’re really noticed.” She brushed Emma’s hair back and allowed her fingers to linger on her neck.

  “Maybe I don’t want to let go, so promise me you’ll think about it before you disappear on me.”

  “You make it hard to be good.”

  “That’s the first time in my life anyone has ever said that about me,” Emma said and laughed. “Now feed me.”

  The place wasn’t in any way fancy. Three guys behind the counter were shucking oysters, the menu was scrawled on a board next to them, and the walls were lined with wooden soft-drink crates. Every dish was named after someone in the family, but every table was packed with New Orleans elite.

  They ordered after Emma met everyone working, and they held hands while the owner Anthony cleaned off a table for them. “I’m sorry about your dad,” Emma said, leaning in so their heads were close together. “That’s a horrific thing to have happened to him and your family.”

  “Da was the rock that centered our family, so it’s been tough.”

  “I’ll be happy to help you however I can, but I don’t want you to dwell on it if you don’t want to.”

  “Thank you, and I appreciate you listening. In my line of work, you don’t want to advertise weakness.” The owner’s wife Gail brought their root beers and a basket of garlic bread. “That isn’t something I’ve ever admitted to anyone.”

  “We might not know each other well, but if you tell me something, it’s between us.”

  “I appreciate that as well.” She picked up a piece of bread and handed it over. “Are you working tonight?”

  “Considering how much I made in tips last night, I could take the week off, but I don’t want my boss to think I’m a slacker.” Emma closed her eyes when she took a bite of the toast. “You’re going to make me gain weight.”

  “I’m sure you’d look good no matter your weight, but save room for the trout dish you ordered. These guys are some of my favorite cooks in town.”

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure. What do you want to know?”

  “Do your other employees like following you around, or do you need constant companionship?”

  She laughed and thought about the friend Emma had mentioned. “Did you not believe anything Beatrice told you? She grew up around here, so she’s familiar with the main parts of what people think they know. The cops and the feds refuse to believe I’m only a barkeep.”

  “Bea and everyone else can believe whatever they want, but I’m going by what I see and how you treat me. So far, if you want me to believe you’re a horrible person, you’re not doing a very good job.” The food came out, so Cain took her jacket off and tucked her napkin in her collar.

  “Some people do think I’m a horrible person, so maybe stop seeing only what you want to see.”

  “Is it at all important to you what I want?” Emma lost her smile as she took a bite of her fish.

  She reached over and took Emma’s hand. “What do you want?”

  “Saying it out loud will make me sound stupid, so I’ll do whatever you want. If that’s only seeing me every so often, I guess I’ll have to accept that.”

  Emma ate her lunch like she’d be judged for leaving anything on her plate. She answered only yes or no to any question Cain asked, and after trying more than once to encourage her to talk, they finished in silence. Cain stood on the corner when Emma refused a ride back, preferring to take the streetcar.

  “Are you ready to go back to work?” Merrick asked.

  “You in a rush to spin your wheels?” She kept watching until Emma was on a trolley. “If I’m boring you, I can always take someone else.”

  “The girl saying no makes her extremely dull-witted, so try not to dwell on it and move on. Happens to everyone eventually.”

  “The girl thinks I said no, so keep your opinion to yourself. Let’s get back to the office.” She turned toward the car, but work was the last thing on her mind. “This round goes to you, hayseed.”

  Chapter Eight

  Callie “Cal” R
ichard had slept until eleven but had already showered and dressed, wanting to be ready when her crew arrived. She’d come a long way from the public-housing kid who’d been sent to sit outside most afternoons and nights when her mother turned tricks in their apartment to feed her crack habit.

  The teasing from other kids had made her and her twin brother Boone stick together from an early age, and they’d learned not to take shit from anyone. The weak became either suckers or slaves, or died trying to run, but the strong ruled the neighborhoods. They’d done everything possible to prove their strength and their cruelty to anyone who even thought of crossing them.

  She’d once read everyone was a product of their upbringing. If that was true, it wasn’t exactly her or Boone’s fault they’d become what society thought of as psychotic. That’s exactly what she was planning to give as an excuse if either of them got caught.

  Harold Allemande, one of her top crewmen, arrived first and offered to make coffee for her. They’d been out late the night before trying to take over Casey’s territory. So far only the fat little freak, Big Chief, had bought into what she wanted.

  “The guys said the first place we went has some guy sitting inside with the two old fuckers who own the store,” Harold said, pouring two mugs of coffee and taking extra time with hers to make it exactly to her liking.

  “That means the old guy called Casey. Could be good for us if that’s what it is.” She put on the cowboy boots she’d treated herself to after their last big job. The alligator-skin boots had set her back a couple of grand, but she needed something to make people remember her while she was kicking the shit out of them.

  “Cal, if that’s true, she’s going to expect something. We’ve done good because we’ve laid low. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  “Take a few guys with you, and go in like you’re there to shop. If the guy’s still there, put a bullet in his head and tell Mendel he’s next if I have to go back there to talk to him again. He makes me do that, and I’m going to start with his wife and make him watch, so that’ll be the last thing the old fucker sees before he dies too.”