Angel in Training (The Louisiangel Series, Book One)

by C. L. Coffey

  “But he was thrown out of Bee’s,” I objected.

  “And he probably went into half the bars on Bourbon Street. We don’t have any evidence that places any of the other victims at that bar,” he pointed out.

  “What about me?” I asked him in frustration. “I was heading there before I died.”

  “Angel, I’m only just starting to accept the whole angel thing. How on earth do you propose to explain it to a precinct full of officers who don’t exactly like the idea of you being there as a psychic?” he asked me in exasperation.

  I snorted. “Maybe you shouldn’t have introduced me as a psychic then.”

  “Look,” Joshua said, halting me in any rant I may have been about to start. “I spoke to the bar’s employees this morning. The bouncers remember throwing them out, and a couple of girls remember serving them, but that’s it. The CCTV has been requested and a uniform is collecting it shortly.”

  I pulled a face and stared out the window. The sulk that I had intended to not-so maturely go into was put on hold as I watched the public, or the lack thereof. The roads were busy – mainly with people heading in one direction – out of town. The streets were nearly deserted. Shops, bar, restaurants... most were closed with large portions of them boarded up. “Did I miss something last night?” I asked, turning back to Joshua, my frustration forgotten about.

  “Tabitha changed direction,” Joshua frowned. “She’s now heading straight for us. We’re expecting landfall tonight.”

  “I get Katrina scared the hell out of a lot of people, but Tabitha’s only a category three,” I said, watching the panicked actions around us. “At this rate, New Orleans will be a ghost town before sunset.”

  “She got upgraded to a five and it looks like she’s going to stay that way.”

  I gave Joshua a sharp look. A category five was the strongest category a hurricane could fall into. “Then why are we heading to the precinct. Surely the prudent thing would be to get out?” I asked. “You’ve been working for the last eighteen hours – doesn’t that count for a day off?”

  “I’ve actually got the next three days off.”

  “Then why are we still heading back to the precinct?” I demanded.

  “I swapped shifts with Leon,” Joshua told me as we grew closer to the precinct.

  “Why?” I again demanded.

  “Leon has a family,” Joshua explained in exasperation. “I don’t. I took his shifts so he could get them to safety.”

  My mouth fell open as I glared at the detective. “You don’t think that considering you’re the one with the guardian angel, that maybe you should be protecting yourself?”

  Joshua let out a frustrated grunt and pulled the car over to the side of the road under the noisy objections of several horns. “You think my life is more important than someone else’s?” he asked, incredulously. “Leon has a kid, Angel. His wife is in a wheelchair. If he doesn’t get them out now, he won’t.”

  “Then why doesn’t he just go?” I asked. “Why don’t you just go? Why have either of you got to work?”

  “You mean aside from the fact it’s my job?” he asked me. “Or that I swore an oath to serve and protect my city? Or that I don’t want the same things happening in this city as they did during Katrina? Or perhaps it’s because we lost two people after Katrina – not because they died in the storm, or they broke the law, but because they got their families out and because the storm stopped them from getting back, they were accused of abandoning their post?”

  “Oh,” I mouthed silently. It’s official. I’m an ass. A thoughtless ass.

  “Yeah, ‘oh’,” he snapped. “Now, if you want me to turn the car around so you can get the hell out of Dodge, tell me now?” I stared ahead, up at the deceptively clear blue skies and shook my head.

  Silently, Joshua pulled the car back into the flow of traffic and continued driving to the precinct. We pulled up in the parking lot and I made to unclip my belt, but Joshua shook his head. “Just wait here a moment,” he muttered. Not wanting to upset him again, I nodded and watched as he got out, hurrying into the building.

  He was gone for nearly an hour. I had opened the door to let a bit of a breeze in at some point, and had kicked my shoes off to prop my feet up on the dashboard. When he eventually reappeared, he was frowning. I sat upright as he slid into the driver’s seat. “What?” I asked, eyeing his expression suspiciously.

  Wordlessly, he handed me his iPhone over. It was open in the phone’s photo album at a picture of the whiteboard we had painstakingly put together the day before. “I don’t get it?” I muttered, peering at the picture.

  He leaned over and flicked the picture over to the previous one. “Someone’s been in there.”

  I peered at the pictures, flicking back and forth between the two.

  Joshua sighed and then punched the side of the steering wheel, making me jump. “Sorry,” he muttered as I scrambled to get the phone that had slipped from my hands.

  “The board looks the same to me,” I told him, handing the phone back.

  “It’s not the board,” Joshua said. He pointed to the table. “Someone has been through the files.”

  “Maybe they wanted to help?” I suggested.

  Joshua shook his head. “I went in to add the latest victim information and thought it looked different, but I couldn’t work out what. When I checked through the Richmond case file, I discovered a witness statement.”

  “Well, maybe someone found some of the missing information and returned it for you?” I again offered.

  “The statement was from Dale Richmond. It said his sister had run away from home and that he found a letter to his parents that said she had gone to Tennessee.”

  “His father was under the impression that she was going to Bible study, so why would Dale tell me that she was going out partying?” I frowned. “Why wouldn’t he just tell me that she had run away?”

  “And then I checked the Johnston case,” Joshua nodded. “There was a statement from a friend who was adamant Preston had gotten caught up with a gang. His murder was retribution for his gang initiation.”

  “Could that be true?” I asked, knowing I was clutching at straws. Something in me told me if that was the case, Mama Laveau would have told me so.

  Joshua punched at the steering wheel again. “Someone in there is trying to lead us away from the case. If it wasn’t for you, they would have succeeded.”

  I blinked in surprise. “Me?”

  Joshua looked over at me, through his fringe, and nodded. “You connected the dots. I would never have seen how the cases were related.”

  I was embarrassed. I glanced back down at the phone, unable to meet his gaze. “Do we need to talk to your lieutenant?” I asked him.

  From the corner of my eye, I could see Joshua shake his head. “Not yet. I don’t want internal affairs breathing down everyone’s neck when I could still be wrong.”

  “But you don’t think you are,” I told him firmly, looking back at him.

  He sighed and then punched the steering wheel, twice in quick succession. “Angel, I don’t think any of them could do it. I don’t want to think any of them could do it.” He sighed again. “I’m also the new kid, the detective in training, the rookie. I have to be completely certain before I talk to anyone about this.”

  “Well what do you want to do? How can we fix this?” I asked him, quietly noting the frustration etched clearly on his face.

  He raked his hands through his hair. “Asmodeus has given me a couple of hours off,” he told me, starting the engine.

  We pulled back out of the parking lot and he fell silent, opting to turn the radio on instead. I had suspected that he was going to drop me off at the convent so he could get a couple of hours sleep. I had even considered that he was going to consult with Leon. But he took me down some back routes I didn’t recognize to avoid the traffic.

  “Where are we going?” I asked eventually.

  “I need to convince Maggie to leave to
wn. She has a sister in El Dorado she can stay with.” At my confused look, he rolled his eyes. “El Dorado, Arkansas. I want her to get out before the storm hits.”

  I nodded. “I can wait in the car, that’s not a problem.”

  “No,” Joshua said, sharply, causing me to flinch. He shook his head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. It’s just, I was hoping you would talk to her. She didn’t leave for Betsy, she didn’t leave for Katrina, but I’ll be damned if she stays for Tabitha.”

  “What good would I be?” I asked in surprise.

  “I don’t know,” he admitted, turning across the traffic. “But I know she won’t listen to me, and I saw how you were with Mrs. Montgomery.”

  “I didn’t know what I was doing!” I yelped, my voice becoming an annoying higher pitch.

  “I only want you to try,” Joshua pleaded.

  I bit my lip and stared out the window. The further into the suburbs we got, the more it was apparent that we weren’t the only ones with the idea of getting out of the city. Every occupied house we drove past either had someone boarding it up or packing their cars up. “Okay, I’ll try,” I muttered. When I glanced back at him, I knew I had said the right thing – he looked relieved. The problem was, I wasn’t sure I would be able to deliver.

  “You’re back in your head again,” Joshua muttered.

  I shrugged. “Just listening to the radio.”

  Joshua sent me a look of disbelief. “Country? Which you don’t like?”

  “Just listening out for a weather update,” I told him. “And I was thinking that I should make sure my aunt is alright.” The sound of the song coming to an end, and a guy talking over the top of it had me leaning towards the radio, turning the volume up.

  “Well, it looks like those winds we were praying for aren’t coming to alter the course of the hurricane. According to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center, the projected path is heading straight for New Orleans, and it has officially been upgraded to a Category Five storm.

  “The official word from the Mayor’s office is to get out and not to take any risks. All contra-flows will be operational within the hour. The emergency radio stations will be giving more detailed information, and anyone with any doubts or queries can call 211.”

  “Crap,” I mumbled, turning the radio back down.

  Joshua put his foot down. Not enough to be seriously speeding, but enough for me to feel the sudden burst of acceleration. Soon enough, we were pulling up outside Maggie’s house.

  Her little Toyota was still parked up under the car porch and there was no indication that she had been preparing for the storm. Joshua was out of the car and half way up the drive before I had even removed my seatbelt. I jumped out and quickly followed him into the house.

  Maggie was sitting in the front room, watching a sitcom, seemingly oblivious to the oncoming storm. She looked up at us in surprise, which quickly changed to a smile when she realized who it was.

  “Maggie, how many times have I told you, you need to keep your front door locked when you’re in the house?” Joshua chastised her.

  “Joshua? Angel? I wasn’t expecting you today,” Maggie told us, getting to her feet and ducking past us into the kitchen. “Let me get you a drink.”

  Joshua let out a sigh and followed her down the hallway. “Maggie, this isn’t a social visit. Haven’t you been watching the news?”

  “Of course I have,” Maggie told him, barely paying attention to the question as she moved around the kitchen, filling the kettle up and pulling chintz mugs from her cupboards. “Do you want coffee, or would you prefer a tea?” she asked, turning to look at me.

  “Neither, thanks,” I told her as I spared a glance at Joshua. “You know there’s a hurricane headed this way, don’t you?” I asked her slowly.

  “It’s a bit of rain and wind,” Maggie replied, brushing the question off with a wave of her hand. “I have some fresh beignets in here somewhere.”

  “It’s not just a bit of rain and wind,” Joshua told her, barely able to keep the growl from his voice.

  Maggie either didn’t notice or chose to ignore it as she rummaged through her cupboards, eventually locating the pastries she had been looking for. She turned, offering the tray to us.

  “It’s a hurricane, Maggie,” Joshua sighed, ignoring the offered food. “They’ve ordered an evacuation.”

  “They ordered an evacuation for Katrina and we were fine,” Maggie started.

  “Maggie!” Joshua snapped, the exasperation evident.

  “Joshua, why don’t you see if there’s something to board up the house,” I told him, my hand wrapping around his forearm. He glanced down at my fingers and, biting his lower lip, nodded, retreating from the room.

  “You two make a lovely couple,” Maggie told me, returning her attention to the kettle which had just clicked off. “You’re good for him.”

  “Joshua’s just a friend,” I told her.

  “He cares about you,” Maggie pointed out.

  “And yet it was you he drove across the city to see, to make sure you were leaving, and get you to safety in this storm,” I returned.

  Her hand hovered midair, clutching at the kettle, and then she set it down on the side to turn to face me. “Angel, my husband and I survived Betsy and Katrina in this house, and I will survive many more hurricanes to come. And if it’s my time to go, then I want to die in the same house my husband did.”

  I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “If that wasn’t so stupid, that would almost be sweet.”

  Maggie’s blue eyes narrowed. “Now, I know you lost your parents at a young age, but you should know not to disrespect your elders like that.”

  “This isn’t about my family, it’s about yours,” I shot back at her as I planted my hands on my hips. “Joshua might not be your son, but he loves you like his own mother. There’s a storm heading to this city, and the police are trying to prepare for it, yet he’s over here, trying to make sure you get to safety. You might not be worried, but he is, and he has enough to focus on without being worried if you’re dead or not. So stop being selfish, get a few bags together, and head up north to your family. Who, by the way, will be worried sick about you too.”

  Maggie clapped her hands together, rubbing her palms against each other and nodded. “Very well.”

  I blinked in surprise. I was not expecting that. Shouting, anger, a stubborn streak, and a resounding no – that was what I was sure was coming. I stood there, dumbly, as I watched her leave the room, the drinks forgotten about, and head to what I assumed was her bedroom.

  A short time later, I was helping her carry her suitcase out to the car. Joshua, who was busy hammering giant sheets of plywood against the windows, almost dropped the hammer as we emerged from the house. “You’re going?” he called over in disbelief.

  “Angel makes a good point. Rude and disrespectful, but a good argument,” Maggie said, sending me a pointed look. At Joshua’s questioning look, I shrugged a shoulder and then heaved the large case into the back of Maggie’s car. “Are you going to be long?” Maggie asked Joshua.

  Joshua shook his head. “You go. I’ll finish up here and make sure it’s secure. You get going, and drop me a text to let me know you got to El Dorado alright.”

  Maggie hurried over and wrapped her short arms around Joshua’s waist. “You take care, you hear me?” she ordered. With a final squeeze, she let go and hurried over to me. “And you, you watch him.”

  I nodded, slightly puzzled at what she meant by that. “I will,” I promised, holding the door open for her.

  “How the hell did you manage that?” Joshua asked me in amazement as we watched the car disappear up the street.

  “Apparently by being rude and disrespectful,” I muttered. At Joshua’s questioning look, I pulled a face. “I pointed out she was being stupid and selfish.” I glanced over at the few remaining plywood sheets and frowned. “You need a hand?”

  “They’re heavy,” Joshua told me, shaking his he
ad. “But the windows around back have shutters. You could make sure they’re bolted shut?”

  Instead of pointing out that I was stronger than I looked, I bit my tongue and made my way around the back of the house as he asked. It didn’t take long to make sure the shutters were secure and I returned to the front, slipping into the house to find the gas tap, quickly turning it off. By the time I was back outside, Joshua was working on the last window.

  “The gas is off,” I told him, as I joined his side.

  “Thanks,” he grunted as he hammered the nail in. “I’m about done too.” He finished off and instead of returning the ladder to the back of the car port, he took it into the house and left it lying down in the hallway. On his way out, he locked the door, rattling the handle a few times, and finally headed back to the car.

  “What now?” I asked him. “Do we need to go secure your place?”

  Joshua slowly turned his head, the all too familiar smirk back. “You know, if you want to see my place, you don’t need to use excuses like a hurricane.”

  I reached out and slapped his arm with the back of my hand. “Behave,” I told him, rolling my eyes. “I was just offering to help get it ready before you left.”

  Joshua shook his head, pulling a face. “I’m not leaving,” he told me, his tone informing me I had made a stupid suggestion.

  I knew he wasn’t going to before I said it. He would stay and protect his city. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t try. There was no sense in making my job in protecting him harder than it had to be. “I know,” I said.

  “What about you?” he asked, pulling away from Maggie’s house with a final glance in his mirror. “You need dropping off at the convent so you can gather your stuff together and get out. Or would you like me to run you to your aunt’s?” he asked.

  I caught him glancing at the clock on the dashboard, trying to be subtle. “You have to get back, don’t you?”

  “I do,” he admitted, looking conflicted. “But you convinced Maggie to get out. The least I can do is help you make sure your aunt is safe.”

  I appreciated that but I found myself shaking my head. “The convent is half way. Drop me off there and I will head up to see her myself. Don’t get into trouble over me.”