Sully hesitated. He knew the coroner’s office preferred closer DNA ties for tests, but he understood Henri’s concern. “I think we can make that work,” he said finally. “You might have to come in for an official swab. Let me talk to the folks in the lab and we’ll go from there.”
Henri was profoundly grateful. “Thank you.”
“If your DNA is a match we’re probably going to have to test it against your brother anyway,” Sully warned. “They’re going to want secondary confirmation.”
“I understand. If my DNA matches that’s more than just a theory, though. I know that if it really is Laura, he’s going to have to find out. I’m not an idiot.”
“I really am sorry about this, Henri,” Ofelia offered. She meant it. “When I heard the name of the missing girl, I didn’t know what to think. Your family has always been so adamant that she’s out there making a name for herself in California. It never occurred to me that something else might be going on.”
“That’s by design.” Henri’s smile was rueful. “My family likes to pretend everything is fine even when it isn’t. Your family may be loud, but at least they’re honest.”
“I’ve never thought about it that way,” Ofelia agreed. “You’re right, though.”
“Yes, he’s always right,” Marie drawled, inserting herself back into the conversation and focusing on Sully. “Now that that’s settled, let’s talk about you and my daughter, shall we? We have a whole meal to fill with conversation and dead girls don’t exactly whet the appetite.”
Sully exhaled heavily. He could think of a million other conversations he would rather have. It didn’t look as if he was going to get a say in the matter, though.
Eight
The only solid lead Henri could give them came in the form of a young woman who Laura used to hang with. Her name was Meghan Green, and she was once a street performer in Jackson Square. That’s all he had.
“It’s not as if there’s a list of performers working there,” Sully lamented as they sat on a bench around the corner from the restaurant. Marie and Henri were still inside and Ofelia was desperate to avoid a second run-in with her mother.
“That’s true, but I’m pretty sure I know which woman he’s talking about,” Ofelia offered. “She’s in her thirties now ... and goes by the name Maggie G.”
Sully frowned. “I know who you’re talking about. She’s been cited a few times because she likes to strip down to nothing but skin before painting herself.”
Ofelia grinned. “That would be her.”
“What makes you think she’s the same woman?”
“Just call it ... intuition.”
“And?”
“And I once heard one of the old-timers — a tarot card reader — refer to her as Meghan. Maggie got upset and said she no longer went by that name.”
“Oh, well ... that’s a good tip.” He grinned at her. “You could’ve just said that. You didn’t need to make it sound so mysterious.”
“If I don’t dress it up, how will I keep my magical charm?”
“I don’t think that’s going to be an issue for you.” On a whim, he reached over and brushed her hair away from her face. It was a tender move ... and it was also overstepping the mental boundaries he’d worked so hard to erect. “Sorry.” He offered up a rueful smile. “The wind is just blowing it.”
“It’s fine.” Ofelia averted her gaze. Their interactions were getting heavier and heavier. At first she convinced herself she didn’t want him to ask her out. Now she knew that wasn’t true. There was a pull there, and neither of them would be able to let it go if they didn’t investigate. Of course, now was the absolute worst time to look toward something personal. They had other things to deal with. “Maggie doesn’t have a set schedule at the Square.”
“Does anybody?”
“No, but most of them like to keep regular hours for their own sanity ... and it’s not an easy way to pay your bills. Maggie is down there a lot. We might be able to find her there now.”
“I take it that you want to try.”
She shrugged. “I know that when you invited me to help with the case you only meant the hex bags. Now that I know that Henri’s niece might be one of our victims ... well ... I kind of want to stick with it.”
“You can come with me.” The invitation rolled off his lips. “If another officer should happen upon us, though, let me do the talking.”
“Are you afraid I’ll say the wrong thing?”
He shook his head. “Only some of the people in the department know about the paranormal world. It seems ridiculous that anyone in this city could possibly be living in the dark but ... I need to be careful. If certain people were to find out what I am — and by extension what you are — it wouldn’t be good.”
Understanding dawned. “You have to protect yourself even with those you should be closest with.”
“I’m only close with a handful of people at the department. There’s mutual respect but ... I prefer to keep my socializing outside of my co-workers. It’s easier that way.”
“So ... you’re not part of a bowling league or anything?”
The question threw him for a loop. “A bowling league?”
She shrugged. “On television, cops are always bowling. I thought maybe it was a thing.”
He couldn’t swallow his smirk. “Oh, yeah? Well, on television, witches are always dancing naked under the full moon. Not everything you see on television is real.”
“Who says I don’t dance naked under the full moon?”
His mouth went dry at the prospect. “Um ... we should probably start making our way to the Square,” he said when he recovered his voice.
His reaction was enough to make Ofelia feel powerful, and a tad giddy. “Okay. I can tell you about my naked solstice celebrations while we’re walking.”
“Are you trying to kill me?”
“Not last time I checked.”
“Then stop talking about being naked. We have work to focus on.”
“Yes, sir.” She kicked her heels together as she stood and mock-saluted. “I’ll never talk about being naked again. You have my word.”
She said the words loud enough that two male tourists passing by slowed their pace and gave her the long once-over. In the manner of territorial cats — or feral dogs — Sully showed his teeth.
“I didn’t say you couldn’t talk about being naked,” he said in a low voice when the men hurriedly resumed their trek. “You just can’t do it right now. I can only focus on one thing at the time.”
“So ... you’re not a good multitasker?”
“That depends on the tasks.”
“Good to know.”
MAGGIE G WAS INDEED IN HER USUAL spot, hanging at the corner by Decatur and St. Anne. She was dressed in a revealing two-piece bikini that left little to the imagination and she was painted silver.
“I see she’s a human statue today,” Sully noted as the duo studied their target. “Do you think that means she’ll be reluctant to talk?”
Ofelia pulled a twenty out of her small purse. “No. She’ll talk.”
Sully nodded. “Well, let’s see what we can get out of her.”
Like all performance artists, Maggie was serious about her work. She steadfastly ignored Sully and Ofelia when they first approached, even though it was obvious they were there for a specific reason.
“We have some questions,” Sully started, cocking his head to the side as he got a better look at Maggie’s costume. “Are those feathers?”
Maggie didn’t reply.
“They’re feathers,” Ofelia confirmed for him.
“What exactly does she have them anchored to?” He didn’t want to stare too closely at Maggie’s hindquarters — especially in front of Ofelia — but he was legitimately curious.
“I think it’s best if we don’t know the answer to that.” Ofelia flashed a smile for Maggie’s benefit and waved the twenty. “I know you’re working, but we have questions.”
Maggie broke character for the first time. “I’m not squealing on nobody.”
“Since when have I ever asked you to squeal?” Ofelia challenged.
“Um ... all the time. You like to poke your nose into business that don’t concern you almost every week. I’m guessing that’s what you’re doing today.”
“Not really.” Ofelia forced herself to remain calm. She wasn’t a fan of Maggie’s attitude, but she understood what was bothering the woman. “We’re here about Laura Charles.”
Maggie’s frame was locked in a specific pose, but Sully didn’t miss the quick flinch. “What about her?”
“We understand you were friends back in the day,” Sully supplied. “We have reason to believe we might have found her ... although we’re still waiting for confirmation.”
That was enough for Maggie to completely break form. “You found her ... alive?”
Sully shook his head, pity taking over. The momentary look of hope on Maggie’s face was enough to remind him that she wasn’t brittle by choice. When you spent as much time on the street as she did, you had to develop a hard exterior. She was simply trying to survive. “No.”
“Oh.” Maggie’s voice was small and she took a moment to look over the crowd before exhaling heavily. “I always figured she didn’t make it.”
“We’re going to run DNA from her uncle before contacting her father,” Sully volunteered. “We have more than one set of remains to compare it to, so it might take a bit of time. Either way, we’re looking into the disappearance of multiple young women from the months before Katrina hit. My understanding is that you were a prominent figure even back then. We’re hoping to get your insight into the matter.”
Maggie licked her lips and then nodded. “Okay, but I don’t want to do it here.” She glanced around, pursing her lips. “There’s a bench over by PJ’s Coffee. You can buy me a drink and we’ll talk there.”
Sully nodded without complaint. “Ten minutes?”
She glanced down at the garish paint covering her body. “Better make it twenty.”
“Then we’ll see you in twenty.”
SULLY BOUGHT COFFEE FOR ALL THREE of them and stood so the women could be comfortable sitting. Out of her makeup, Maggie was a striking woman who didn’t look a day over twenty-five. Her forehead was creased with unhappiness when she joined them, but she’d wisely dressed in a pair of cutoffs and a T-shirt so as not to draw too much attention.
“What is it you want to know?” she asked as she sipped her coffee. “I honestly don’t know what happened to Laura. She was here one day and gone the next.”
“We know that she had grand plans to run away to California,” Sully started. “Do you know how she planned to accomplish that?”
“She was going to hitch a ride with truckers. No joke. She saw it on an old movie once and thought it was a great idea. I told her it was a mistake because perverts drive trucks — something I also know from movies — but she wouldn’t listen.”
“You said you figured she never made it out of here,” Ofelia noted. “How come? Her father has convinced himself that she’s out there somewhere. You seem more ... dour ... on the subject.”
“I loved Laura. She was full of life and a lot of fun to party with. She wasn’t an organized person, though, and she was all talk. She was never going to leave New Orleans no matter how big a star she thought she could be.
“You know how you can always tell the folks who are destined for bigger things?” Maggie continued. “Well, Laura wasn’t one of those people. This was as big as it was going to get for her. I always dreaded the day when she figured that out because I knew she was going to lose some of that light when it happened.”
“Do you remember when the last time you saw her was?” Sully queried.
“Like the actual day? No. It was during the week, though. I’d just finished up a set singing on the river walk when she showed up. She was angry at her father and said she was going to leave within the next two weeks. She was always saying that, though, so I didn’t think anything of it.”
“When did you notice she was missing?”
“I don’t know.” Maggie cocked her head, considering. “That’s not easy to answer. I mean ... we went days without seeing each other all the time. We never made firm plans to hang out. It always just sort of happened. This life is fluid.”
Ofelia nodded her head in understanding. “Other girls were going missing back then. Most of them were about your age. Do you remember being worried?”
Maggie’s expression turned rueful. “I was too young and dumb to be worried. We’d heard about missing girls, but when you’re that age you think you’re invincible. Most of the street performers had taken to doubling up when walking home during those weeks, but it didn’t always happen. Wait ... you think whatever happened to Laura has something to do with those missing girls?”
“It’s looking likely,” Sully confirmed. “I don’t suppose you knew any of the other missing girls, did you?”
“Um ... by sight maybe. I don’t have any names for you. In truth, when Katrina hit, almost everything else went out of my head. I stayed in the city, which turned out to be a mistake. It was rough. I couldn’t shower for weeks. I went days without eating. Survival took over for a bit and I didn’t think about Laura for a long time. When I finally did, I assumed she’d taken off for greener pastures.
“The thing is, as the years went by and I never heard from her — or even about her — that perception started to change,” she continued. “I don’t know when exactly it happened, but I came to the realization one day that she was dead. I didn’t know how it happened. I didn’t know exactly when it happened. I just figured she was never coming back ... and apparently I turned out to be right.”
SULLY AND OFELIA TALKED TO MAGGIE for another twenty minutes. She didn’t have much to offer other than a general feeling for what was happening on the streets at the time Laura went missing. It was good insight but hardly earth-shattering.
Once Maggie took off, Sully took her place on the bench. Before he could delve deeper into what they’d discovered, Angelique Fleury planted herself directly in front of them ... and she didn’t look happy.
“I hear a bunch of bodies were found in Krewe,” she announced.
Sully’s eyebrows winged up his forehead. “And how did you hear that? Wait ... who are you?” He was confused.
“This is Angelique,” Ofelia said by way of introduction. “She’s a siren ... and she works next door.”
“Ah.”
“Angelique, this is Detective Sully. You might want to be careful what you say.”
“Oh, well, pardon me.” Angelique plastered her hand over her heart and made an exaggerated face. “Lord knows I spend all my days worried about what I say to law enforcement.” She rolled her eyes in dramatic fashion. “Seriously, did you find bodies or not?”
Ofelia exchanged a weighted look with Sully, who offered up a small head nod, basically telling her that she could handle the situation however she wanted.
“The bodies weren’t found in Krewe,” Ofelia replied after a beat. “You know that old building next door, the abandoned one? That’s where they were.”
“Just sitting out?”
“No. We went up there because the daughter of the new owner was screaming. There was a fresh body up there. While trying to help with that situation, we discovered the older bodies.”
Sully watched the siren — he’d dealt with her kind a time or two before and always found it difficult — as she hopped from one foot to the other. At first he thought her agitation was due to the fact that she was uncomfortable around law enforcement. It didn’t take him long to realize that she was simply high-strung. She didn’t care who was watching. She simply couldn’t calm herself.
“Do you know who they are?” Angelique asked.
“Do you?” Sully challenged.
“If I knew who they were, why would I ask you?” Angelique snapped. “I don’t know who they are. It was a
round fifteen years ago when girls started going missing, though. It was right before Katrina.”
“We’re well aware,” Ofelia said, her eyes drifting to the left when a figure detached from the wall. She recognized the approaching man. He was homeless, although technically one of the lucky ones because he still had a sharp mind and regular people who gave him a helping hand whenever possible. She happened to know that Sully was one of those people.
“Hey, Bernie,” Sully called out when he saw the older man. “I didn’t know you were hanging down here this week. I thought you were Bourbon Street-ing it.”
“I go back and forth,” Bernie replied, giving Angelique a wide berth as he joined the small group. “I heard you were over here, though, and I wanted to talk to you.”
“Well, I’m talking first,” Angelique barked, her eyes flashing. “You’re going to have to get in line.”
Even though she considered Angelique a friend — a very loud and obnoxious friend, but a friend all the same — Ofelia pinned the animated woman with a quelling look. “Don’t be rude,” she admonished.
“Oh, well, excuse me for living,” Angelique complained. “I was talking, though.”
“Well, you can’t both talk at once.” Ofelia was firm. “You were saying something about the weeks leading up to Katrina. You said women were missing. What do you remember from that time?”
“I remember that people said there was a monster prowling the streets,” Angelique replied, not missing a beat. “What they didn’t realize is that it was a magical monster.”
Bernie slid his eyes to Angelique. “It was a dark shadow.”
Sully stirred. “What do you mean? Did you see it?”
“I saw it.” Bernie shifted his chin, grim. “It was evil. You could feel it moving from one area to the next, sucking all the joy out of everyone who happened to be there and then moving on.”
“An evil shadow?” Sully was confused. “What kind of shadow are we talking about?”
“I only saw it out of the corner of my eye once,” Bernie replied, shrugging. “I just know what I felt ... and it wasn’t good. That’s the reason I was looking for you, though. When I heard you were down here, I had to come.”
Witch Confidential Page 8