That Old Devil Moon

by Anne Logan

  After a moment, Maddie spotted Alex standing on the fringe of the small group, talking with another man. Dressed in a navy, two-piece suit, light blue shirt and multicolored tie, he looked very different. All she’d seen him wear so far were jeans and a sports coat—clothes that seemed more fitting to his tough persona. The more formal clothes appeared oddly incongruous.

  Since she hadn’t heard from him since that first day, Maddie had wondered if he would show up for the service, but she hadn’t allowed herself to hope too much. Time and time again, she’d reminded herself that Alex was investigating her brother’s case, that his attentiveness had been nothing more than a simple courtesy—part of his job.

  But surely, doing his job didn’t include attending funerals, she thought. And in spite of everything she had told herself, the fact that he’d taken the time to come gave her a warm feeling.

  At the same moment that the elderly funeral director recognized her, Alex looked up and saw her, and Maddie knew that the sympathetic expression on his face wasn’t just her imagination and had nothing to do with his job. To her, the look said he was there for her if she needed him. But it was his eyes that held her captive, dark, brooding eyes that sent shivers of awareness spiraling through her.

  “Ms. Johnson, come this way, please.”

  As Maddie walked beside the funeral director, Alex watched her being escorted to the single row of chairs set up underneath a green canopy.

  He averted his gaze and tried to concentrate on the people attending the service. But he could still feel the shock waves of the jolt he’d gotten when he’d first seen Maddie approaching the grave site. Her dark red hair was loose and full, with highlights glinting in the sun— a stark contrast to the somber black skirt and jacket she was wearing. But it was the lost look in her blue eyes and the paleness of her face that had grabbed him in the gut.

  Alex had been a cop long enough to know the danger signals of getting too personally involved in a case. But somehow, he’d slipped up and let Maddie get under his skin. She was like an itch that just wouldn’t go away, no matter how many times he told himself it was dangerous to scratch. He’d tried to convince himself that it was Jack’s odd behavior and the discrepancies in the Johnson file that intrigued him. But deep down, he knew it was Maddie herself.

  A sudden movement to his left shook Alex out of his reverie, and he caught a glimpse of a tall, thin man before the man disappeared behind a nearby tomb. Earlier, when Alex had first arrived, he’d automatically, methodically scrutinized each person there. He’d noticed the man then, but hadn’t paid much attention to him. Since the man was dressed completely in black, Alex had assumed that he was yet another of Michael’s friends, there to pay his last respects.

  Alex narrowed his eyes. If the man was there for the funeral, why had he left before the service even began? Alex wondered. His first instinct was to go after the man and question him. There had been something about the expression on his face…something that didn’t quite fit…

  Suddenly, Alex realized what he was doing and he gave himself a mental shake. Since when had he become so paranoid that anyone who behaved differently was immediately a subject of suspicion? The man was probably just one of the many sightseers who toured the graveyard. And common sense said that the strange expression on his face was probably nothing more than embarrassment at having accidentally stumbled onto a service in progress.

  Turning his attention back to Maddie, Alex took a deep breath then released it slowly. It was a good thing that he was scheduled for some time off, he thought. He sure as hell needed it.

  MADDIE SAT beneath the green canopy and stared at the ornate oak coffin with its brass handles. There were empty chairs on either side of her, placed there for close relatives of the deceased. But of course, she was the only family Michael had.

  The short service passed in a blur, and she caught snatches of the funeral director’s message as he talked about life and death and the Resurrection.

  Neither she nor Michael had been what could be termed as religious. In their own way, they had both believed in God and in heaven and hell and Maddie figured if there truly was a heaven, then surely her brother was there.

  Before she realized what was happening, the funeral director was offering up a final prayer to end the service. Maddie had thought she had no more tears to shed, but with the final “amen,” her eyes filled and her vision blurred. Staring down at her hands clenched tightly in her lap, she swallowed hard in an attempt to ease the ache in the back of her throat. But no matter how many times she blinked, tears began to slide down her cheeks.

  “Ms. Johnson? Are you okay?”

  When Maddie raised her head, all she could do was nod at the kindly funeral director. With a gentle pat on her shoulder, he stepped aside, and another elderly gentleman stepped up.

  “Hello, dear. I’m Sid Thomas. I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am about Michael. He was a fine young fellow and a good neighbor. If you need anything—anything at all—or if I can help you in any way, I live in the apartment below your brother’s.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered, touched by the sincerity in the old gentleman’s faded blue eyes.

  With an awkward pat on her shoulder, he stepped away, only to be replaced by yet another person.

  And so it went, and Maddie lost count of the number of people who introduced themselves to her. Without fail, each had kind words to say about her brother. And Maddie felt ashamed for her earlier thoughts that some might be here because of the publicity surrounding her brother’s death.

  When the group finally thinned out, the only people left besides Alex Batiste, the funeral director and his assistant were a man and an older woman. The man approached her first, and for reasons that Maddie didn’t completely understand, she felt the need to stand, to be on an equal level while talking to the slicklooking, swarthy man.

  “Maddie, we finally get to meet,” he said. “I’m just sorry it’s under these circumstances.”

  Maddie wasn’t sure that she liked the familiar tone of the man’s voice. He talked as if they were old friends. And the way he kept looking at her made her feel uneasy. There was something about his eyes that made a lie of his solicitous manner.

  “But how unchivalrous of me,” he continued. “I know you, but it’s obvious that you don’t know me. I’m afraid I have the advantage here since Michael spoke of you so often. I’m Bernie, Bernie KellerMichael’s partner.”

  How could her brother have gotten mixed up with such a sleazy man was Maddie’s first thought? But fast on the heels of that was guilt then shame. Normally, she didn’t make such snap judgments about people.

  “Michael spoke of you often,” she said quickly and as graciously as she could. Maddie couldn’t honestly remember her brother mentioning Bernie Keller more than a couple of times. “I appreciate your coming, Mr. Keller,” she added.

  He shook his head slowly. “Maddie, Maddie, of course I would come. And please, no more of this Mr. Keller business. Call me Bernie.” He patted her on the arm, and it took a supreme effort for Maddie to stop herself from cringing. “Now, I’m sure we’ll be talking again real soon,” he continued, “but just let me know if I can do anything for you in the meantime.”

  “Thank you,” Maddie whispered. Bernie gave a final nod and moved on, hurrying toward the path leading out of the graveyard. Maddie felt nothing but relief when she saw him disappear around a tomb.

  But she didn’t have long to dwell on her reaction to her brother’s partner.

  “That man is something else.”

  Startled, Maddie turned and found herself face-toface with the gray-haired woman who had been standing with Bernie Keller earlier. She was shaking her head, and her lips were stretched into a tight line of disapproval. “Never you mind him,” she continued in her soft New Orleans drawl. ‘”I’ve worked for that man for the past five years, but only because he pays well. I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him.”

  Even though Maddie
found the woman’s forthrightness disconcerting, she was glad to know that her instincts about Bernie Keller hadn’t been completely wrong.

  “My name is Josephine Carter,” the woman said. “And as you probably guessed, since I work for Bernie, I worked for your brother, too.” Her eyes seemed to catch fire. “Don’t you go believing what the papers or the cops say—” Josephine cast her eyes downward, and it was as if she had suddenly lost all of her spunk. “Michael was such a nice young man. So polite and thoughtful.” She shook her head slowly. “Such a shame…such a crying shame.” Then she lifted her chin and looked Maddie straight in the eyes. “I—I already knew that he had died that day.”

  Maddie frowned, wondering what the woman was referring to.

  “I—I want to apologize for hanging up on you, but I didn’t think it was my place to give you that kind of news over the telephone.”

  Realization suddenly dawned on Maddie. “You’re the one I spoke to when I called Crescent Antiques.”

  A deep flush stole over the older woman’s face, and she nodded. “Like I said, I just had to apologize. That night, I couldn’t get to sleep for wondering if I’d done the right thing or whether I should just have come right out and told you.”

  “Please don’t worry about it.” Maddie squeezed Josephine’s arm. “Of course it would have been awkward for you.”

  Looking relieved, Josephine turned, then abruptly faced Maddie again. “Oh, dear, I almost forgot.” She unsnapped her purse and rummaged through it for several seconds. “I know it’s here…somewhere…Ahha, here we go.” She pulled out an envelope and pressed it into Maddie’s hands. “It’s a key of some sort,” she explained. “I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it after—afterward.” She snapped her purse closed. “Your brother gave it to me the night before he died and asked me to keep it for him until he could get to the bank the next day. He said he was going to rent a safe-deposit box. But then he never…” Her voice trailed away. After a moment, she shrugged. “I figure it belongs to you now.”

  Maddie stared at the plain white envelope, but before she could question Josephine, the woman hurried away.

  “Excuse me, Ms. Johnson?” The funeral director cleared his throat. “If you’d like to come back in a couple of hours, we should have everything in place by then.”

  With his words, the finality of the situation drove everything else from Maddie’s mind. Her bottom lip quivered, and a sudden panicky feeling engulfed her. “No, not yet! I—I mean—please,” she whispered. “I need a few more minutes.”

  The man nodded. “Take all the time you want, miss.”

  Without another thought of Josephine Carter or the key, Maddie slipped the envelope inside her jacket pocket. On shaky legs, she stepped over to stand beside her brother’s coffin.

  “Oh, Michael,” she whispered. Reaching out, she placed the pink rose on the coffin, and her hand lingered, her fingers caressing the metal casket. “I don’t want to say goodbye…not this way…”

  Maddie swallowed back her grief, and without consciously realizing what she was doing, she began to hum an old lullaby, one she had made up to sing to her brother when he was a little boy. At that moment, time and place held no meaning for her as she began to sing the lyrics that went with the melody. “It’s time to sleep, time for bed, time to lay down your weary head. Sweet dreams await throughout the night, until the dark turns into light.”

  Her voice vibrated with feeling, and when the last word of the song faded, she continued to stand there, trying to gather the strength to turn and walk away.

  “This shouldn’t have happened,” she murmured. Repeating the words silently, over and over, the bitter anger that had taken root when she’d first heard about her brother, the anger that she’d tried to suppress, began to grow. “I promise—I swear I’ll find out who’s responsible for this…I’ll clear your name.” I swear I will…I promise…

  “Maddie?”

  Maddie recognized Alex’s voice, but she wasn’t ready to face him.

  “It’s time to go,” he said softly. He placed his hand at her waist, and it was as if his touch infused her with the strength she needed.

  Raising her chin, Maddie looked at him. His hand was warm against her back, and again, the same physical awareness she’d felt before, threatened to overwhelm her. Her insides quivered with a longing that distressed her. How could she respond like this in the midst of her grief?

  “I’m sorry to intrude,” he said quietly, “but I need to talk to you. There’s a coffeehouse not far from here. Why don’t we go there?”

  The last thing Maddie wanted was to make conversation with anyone, including Alex.

  But what if he’s discovered something, some new piece of evidence about Michael’s death?

  Before she had a chance to answer, he continued. “We’ll take my car.” Applying gentle pressure, Alex nudged her toward the path she had taken earlier. “Afterward, I’ll either bring you back here or drive you to your brother’s apartment…whichever you prefer.”

  HIDDEN BEHIND a tomb, a man dressed in black stepped farther back into the shadows as Alex and Maddie walked past him. His eyes narrowed and he smiled in satisfaction.

  So far, everywhere he’d searched had been a dead end, and the success of his mission was crucial to the Dark Rite’s survival. The Grand Disciple himself had given him the assignment, and just thinking about what could happen to him if he didn’t succeed made him break into a cold sweat.

  Coming to the funeral had been a stroke of genius, he decided, pushing the other unpleasant thought out of his mind. Now all he had to do was follow the woman and wait for his opportunity, wait until he could catch her alone

  The man rubbed his hands together in anticipation. Patience, he reminded himself. With the right kind of persuasion, the woman would tell him what he needed to know.

  And what if she doesn’t know anything? a voice inside his head asked.

  Stepping out from his hiding place, the man immediately dismissed the possibility. Of course she would know. Who else would her brother have told?

  But what if she doesn’t? the voice insisted.

  “If she doesn’t, then she’s expendable,” he whispered as he hurried down the path that the woman and man had taken.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  THE HAUNTING MELODY and poignant words of the song Maddie had sung lingered in Alex’s mind long after they left the graveyard. It had touched his soul as nothing else had done in years.

  Maddie was withdrawn and quiet during the short drive to Jay’s Coffeehouse. And Alex understood her silence. He wasn’t eager for conversation, either. Not yet. He kept recalling what Jack had said about Michael’s case, and he dreaded telling Maddie that the case was officially closed. But more than that, he dreaded telling her that there was nothing he could do about it. Contrary to what she had assumed and what he had led her to believe, he had never been on the case in the first place.

  Jay’s Coffeehouse was an unpretentious place that served simple but good food and strong coffee. There was a time in his life when Alex would have scoffed at a café like Jay’s, a dark time when his whole world had been turned upside down and bars were the only establishments he visited.

  He would forever be grateful to his father and to his friend, Jack, who never gave up on him. A couple of months after his divorce and the custody hearing, when Alex had sunk to an all-time low, his father had come to him and told him he was ashamed of him. His father’s disapproval, along with Jack’s unwavering support, had finally brought him to his senses. With the help of the two men, Alex had sobered up and thrown himself, mind, body and soul, into his work.

  Inside Jay’s, the smells that greeted him were familiar. The aroma of yeasty bread baking and freshly brewed coffee permeated the air.

  After Alex had seated Maddie at a corner table, he walked to the counter and placed an order for two cups of café au lait. The equal blend of strong chicory coffee and warm milk always seemed to soothe him when he had a lot
on his mind. And right now, he figured he needed all the help he could get.

  Maddie accepted the steaming cup from Alex and took a sip. Almost immediately she felt revived by the hot liquid. “Thank you, Alex.” She smiled tremulously. “I really needed this.”

  “It’s real comfort food,” Alex responded. “My mother used to make it for me when I was a little boy. There’s a place near the French Market you should try, Café du Monde.”

  “Is that the place where they serve those little square doughnuts with powdered sugar?”

  Alex nodded. “They’re call beignets,” he said. He paused, still uneasy with the news he had to give her and wondering how to approach the subject. No time like the present, he finally decided. “Ah, Maddie, I—”

  “Do you know much about Bernie Keller?” Alex was taken aback by the abrupt question, but relieved that his confession could be delayed a little longer. Searching his memory, he tried to recall the few facts he knew about Keller. “Is there anything in particular you want to know?”

  Maddie shrugged. “No, not really. Michael didn’t talk about him much, and after meeting him, I guess I’m just curious.”

  “Well, I don’t really know much about him, either. He’s a respected businessman. No crooked dealings or complaints that I’m aware of. But other than being a staunch proponent of Ross Shaw—the mayor candidate he gave the fund-raiser for, there’s not a lot I can tell you about him…except that I don’t imagine Shaw would be mixed up with the man if Keller wasn’t on the up-and-up. Ross Shaw is about as squeaky-clean as they come.”

  Maddie frowned. “Funny that Michael didn’t say much about him…” Her voice trailed away. “But then my brother and I didn’t see much of each other this past year,” she whispered. “He was always so busy, and I was busy, and we—”