Spirits Diamonds and a Drive-thru Daiquiri Stand Page 3

  Reagan gasped. Bo fumed silently.

  “Don’t worry,” I said to the two teenagers, my voice full of conviction. “We won’t let that happen even if we have to solve the case ourselves.”

  Jade nodded her agreement.

  We watched the first responders mill about the Victorian, and when they started securing the police tape, I said, “Let’s get out of here. We have work to do.”

  Bo held his hand out for Reagan. She stared at it for a moment but then let out a sigh and slipped her fingers through his. Together they moved down the sidewalk toward my red Beetle.

  Jade and I shared a knowing glance. Bo was a goner.

  Great. Just what I needed—two emotionally charged teenagers under my roof. Still, the fact they were safe was good enough for me. I’d just have to make sure Ida May keep an eye on them.

  I snorted out a laugh at the thought.

  “What?” Jade asked.

  “Nothing. Just grateful Ida May hangs around.” I winked at her. “If there’s any foolin’ around, I’ll be sure to hear about it.”

  Once we got back over to the French Quarter, it was clear Jade wasn’t going to be doing any work at all. When I pulled up in front of the house she shared with Kane, her eyes were closed and her head was lolling to the side. I woke her up and shooed her into her house. But not before she argued, insisting she was good to go.

  I wasn’t buying it. Whatever she’d done to break the spell to open the doors of the Victorian had obviously worn her out. Her pale skin and the dark circles under her eyes were proof enough.

  “I called Kane,” I said. “He’s on his way, and if you’re not here after I told him you were passed out in the car, there’ll be hell to pay.”

  She scowled. “Not fair, Rayne. Not fair at all.”

  I just grinned at her and gently shoved her out of the car. “Rest up, Calhoun. Let Kane take care of you. I’ll get Julius to get in touch with the council. They aren’t really big fans of yours anyway.”

  She let out an annoyed snort. “If it weren’t for me, they’d have a rogue dragon shifter on their hands.”

  “Or maybe the incident would’ve never happened,” I countered. Last month Jade had been coaching the principle stars of Witchin’ Hills—a soapy witch drama that had been filming in New Orleans—when one of them had inadvertently used her magic to unleash the soul of a dragon. In the end, the creature had almost killed Kane, drained Jade’s magic, and tried to burn down the west bank of the city.

  “Whatever. It wasn’t my fault.”

  I gave her a reassuring smile. “Of course not. But it’s easier to blame you than themselves for being so careless. That statue should’ve never been accessible.”

  She sucked in a breath. “You’re right. Okay, let me know what they say and if there’s anything I can do to help.”

  “Will do.” I leaned across the console and kissed her on the cheek. “Now go feed my niece a cupcake or two.”

  Jade’s smile widened. “Two, definitely two.”

  “Hello? Anyone home?” I called out as I strode into my second-story apartment.

  As soon as I’d pulled into my spot behind the building, Bo and Reagan hightailed it to the apartment. I’d taken a moment to check on the café. Since Holly had everything under control, I grabbed some cupcakes, deciding Jade shouldn’t be the only one who got to indulge in the sinful goodness.

  Placing them on the dining room table, I called, “Stella? You here, girl?”

  The tiny patter of dog nails clacking on the hardwood sounded from the other room, followed by the short yip of my small shih tzu as she ran out of Bo’s bedroom and jumped up onto my leg.

  “Hey, sweetheart,” I said, scooping up the white-and-gold dog. “Have you been keeping an eye on things?”

  That girl can’t stay here. Ida May appeared right beside me, her hands on her hips.

  I glanced at my resident ghost, noting her furrowed brow and grumpy scowl. “You mean Reagan?”

  Is that her name? I didn’t catch it. But as soon as they walked in the door, they climbed into bed. Together.

  I raised my eyebrows in surprise. As far as I knew, Reagan and Bo were just friends. Sure, I’d speculated Bo had feelings for her, but hadn’t he just taken some other girl out a few days ago? “What do you mean, they climbed into bed together? Are you saying my kid brother is having sex, knowing I was going to be home any minute?”

  No. They weren’t having sex. Not yet anyway. But I wasn’t going to stick around and wait for clothes to start coming off. Jeez, I’m not a perv.

  I actually chuckled at that then shrugged. It wasn’t surprising. A man had been killed less than twenty feet from Reagan’s apartment, and it was possible they were the main suspects. They were bound to want to crawl under the covers and hide away from the world.

  This isn’t a brothel! What’s the matter with you? She shook her head, making her dark curls tangle around her face.

  I tilted my head to the side and studied her, confused. As always, she was wearing her lacy sleeveless nightgown that fell a few inches short of the knee and her black thigh-high stockings with high-heeled Mary Janes. It was the lady-of-the-night outfit she’d died in a century ago. “I’m surprised you’re so worked up about this. Surely during your time working in Storyville, you saw plenty of young men seeking the pleasures of a young woman.”

  Ida May tsked at my mention of her work in the New Orleans red-light district. Times were different then. And none of those young men were your little brother. Last I looked, this is a respectable household.

  I snorted. No one had ever called me respectable before. I’d paid my way through college by working at a strip club. And Julius had been a bootlegger during the prohibition. Neither of us was innocent.

  You know what I mean. I’m no prude. Obviously. She smoothed her lacy gown. But this is your house. Besides, isn’t he dating someone else?

  I scratched behind Stella’s ears and shrugged. “Not sure. He did go out on a date last week.”

  You need to give him boundaries, Pyper, Ida May said, sounding more like an uptight society woman than a former prostitute.

  Just what exactly was going on in his room? Frowning, I moved silently through the living room and stopped at Bo’s bedroom door. It had been left open a crack, and I knocked once. Without waiting for an answer, I pushed the door open. It creaked softly, and I poked my head in.

  Bo lifted his head and glanced over his shoulder at me. Both the teenagers were fully clothed, lying on top of the covers. Reagan was facing the window with Bo curled up behind her, his arm wrapped around her torso.

  “Hey,” I said softly. “Are you two doing okay?”

  He nodded, glanced once at Reagan then back at me, and mouthed, Sleeping.

  I raised my hand and formed an okay symbol with my thumb and forefinger. Then I retreated and closed the door behind me. I’d been correct. Absolutely nothing was going on other than Bo comforting his friend.

  Ida May floated in front of me, a disapproving frown on her face.

  “Let it go, Ida May. Those kids were traumatized today. They aren’t doing anything other than being there for each other.”

  She shook her head. Yeah. And later, when the shock wears off, what exactly do you think they’ll be doing then?

  “Scouring my cupboards for food?” Since the day Bo had moved in, I hadn’t been able to keep the pantry stocked for more than forty-eight hours.

  You’re so naïve. I swear, he’s—

  Stella started barking incessantly, and a second later, the door opened as Julius strode in. He was wearing dark jeans and a fitted white button-down shirt. The top three buttons were open, revealing his tanned, muscular chest. Damn, he was gorgeous.

  The shih tzu wiggled right out of my hands and ran up to him, her body shaking in excitement.

  Julius crouched down to pet Stella, who rolled over on her back, giving him full access to her belly. “Hey there, Stella girl.”

  My God, Ida May said in disgust as she eyed Stella. Have some self-respect, would ya? Ida May’s eyes locked on mine. This place is worse than a whorehouse.

  I opened my mouth to reply, but Ida May just gave me a disapproving look and disappeared into thin air. Good. I didn’t have the energy to deal with her new prudish personality. Not that I wanted or approved of Bo using his bedroom to seduce his girlfriends, but today was a different matter. Whatever Ida May thought, those kids just needed to hold on to each other. They’d both been through a lot. Not just today, but in their young lives. More than most people had to deal with at their age. And I sure as heck wasn’t going to do anything to make it harder.

  Julius stood and walked over to me. “Rough day dress shopping?”

  “Isn’t it always?” I said, unable to help my grin when I recalled Jade in the Fabergé-egg dress. “Kat made Jade wear a fake pregnancy bump, and in the process, she managed to rip the ass out of one of the dresses.”

  “Sounds precarious.” He leaned in and brushed a kiss over my lips, his sexy green eyes boring into mine.

  My response was instantaneous as I threaded my fingers into his shoulder-length dark hair. He pulled me into him, and what had started as a simple hello quickly turned heated, his arms tightening around me as he deepened the kiss and walked me backward into our bedroom.

  By the time he finally let me go, I was breathless and slightly dazed.

  “I’ve been waiting to do that all day.” He gently tucked a lock of my purple hair behind my ear. Desire danced in his eyes as he asked, “Is Bo home?”

  That was fiancé speak for “are we alone?” His words snapped me back to reality.

  “Yes, he’s in his room with Reagan.”

  Julius raised one eyebrow. “Really? You let a seventeen-year-old ta
ke a girl into his bedroom and close the door?”

  “It’s not what you’re thinking.” I sat on the edge of our bed and grabbed my notebook from the nightstand. “Did you not get my text?”

  “No. I was on the road.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and tapped the face. After reading my message, all the desire and amusement that had been swimming in his gaze fled. “Hell, Pyper. Are you guys okay?”

  I nodded. “I am, and Bo appears to be. But Reagan is really shaken up. Bo’s keeping an eye on her while she sleeps.”

  “That’s good. What did the council say?”

  “Nothing. The NOPD didn’t call them.” I clutched the pen and started to draw the symbol that had been on the door.

  “Dammit.” He blew out a breath and started pacing. “This isn’t the first time they’ve completely cut us out of an investigation. Ever since they swore in the new police chief, they’ve been ignoring anything with a paranormal nature.”

  “Why?”

  Julius shrugged. “Skimming resources maybe? They have to pay the council when they bring us in. It’s the only reasonable explanation.”

  Unless someone on the force was in on the crime. The thought made my stomach roll and I put it out of my mind. “But you’re going to make sure it gets investigated… right?”

  He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to him. “Of course. Now give me a rundown of what happened.”

  I quickly went through the events of the day then showed him the drawing of the glowing symbol. “This is our only real clue.”

  Julius took the paper from me and started to pace as he studied it. Suddenly he stopped and stared at me with recognition dawning in his dark green eyes. “I’ve seen this before. I thought I had, but it took me a moment to recall where.” His lips turned up into a pleased smile. “A hundred years of memories are a lot to sort through.”

  I sat cross-legged on the bed and tilted my head to the side, waiting. “Well, don’t leave me in suspense.”

  “Back in the early twenties, there was a rash of unsolved crimes. Each of them was marked with this symbol. It was always left on the door of the victim and it glowed with magic.”

  “Just like this one,” I said.

  “Right. What’s interesting is that each target was a male.”

  “Always murdered?”

  He pressed his lips together and shook his head. “I’m not sure. If I’m remembering correctly, no they weren’t. There was at least one murder, an arson, and a few missing persons.”

  “Whoa. If that happened a hundred years ago, then this sounds like it may be a copycat.”

  “Could be.” Julius tapped a button on his phone and spent the next few minutes relaying the information to his boss at the council. When he clicked off, he shoved his phone into his back pocket and said, “They’re going to see if they can get anything out of the NOPD. They’re not hopeful, but at the very least they’ll recover the report. I’ve been tasked with researching the archives at the council to see if anything matches up.”

  I let out a relieved sigh. Just knowing someone from the council was working on the case lifted a weight off my shoulders. I leaned back against the headboard, suddenly exhausted after the day’s events. “Good. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, love.” He walked over and kissed me lightly on the top of my head. “I’m going to grab something to eat. Want anything?”

  I shook my head. “Not just yet. I think I’m going to get a shower.”

  His gaze swept over me, and I knew he was contemplating joining me. Or at the very least helping me get out of my clothes. But then his stomach growled and we both laughed.

  “Go eat,” I said, pushing him toward the door. “We can devour each other later.”

  Pure hunger flashed through his eyes as he moved in close to me. And for a moment I contemplated pulling him into the bathroom with me. But Stella started barking from the other room, her high-pitched tone echoing through the apartment.

  “Damn,” I muttered, moving toward the door.

  “I’ll take care of her,” Julius said, gently nudging me toward the bathroom. “You deserve a break.” Then he kissed me quickly on the cheek and hurried out of the room.

  Stella instantly quieted. Smiling to myself as I imagined Julius cuddling the little dog, I stripped my clothes off and finally jumped into the shower.

  My tense muscles welcomed the hot water, and I stood there, luxuriating in the moment of peace… right up until a high-pitched scream sounded from the living room.

  Chapter Four

  “You’re a dick, Bo Bowman. I can’t believe my boyfriend would do this to me!” A young woman who couldn’t be a day older than sixteen stood in the threshold of Bo’s bedroom door, her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. “I deserve better than this.”

  Clutching my short satin robe around me, I glanced at Julius who was standing in the kitchen, staring wide-eyed at the girl.

  “Marilyn?” Bo’s surprised response filled from his room. “What are you doing here?”

  “What am I doing here? What are you doing here?” the blonde shot back, stuffing her hands into the back pockets of her cutoff jean shorts. “I thought we were supposed to meet downstairs for coffee. Seven p.m., remember? You said you’d take me to some club over on Frenchmen after.”

  Right, she must’ve been the girl Bo had taken out last week. I shuffled over to Julius and leaned in close to his ear. “What’s going on?”

  He shook his head. “She came to the door asking if Bo was here. I let her in and called for him, but before he could come out, she just barged in on him and his friend.”

  “Were they… um, doing anything?” I whispered.

  “I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

  Stella shot out of Bo’s room just before my brother appeared, running a hand through his mass of hair and trying to tame the bedhead he had going on. The dog paused, stared up at the girl, and then retreated, settling under the table where she could keep an eye on the stranger.

  A look of guilt flashed over Bo’s face. “I’m sorry, Marilyn. I guess I forgot.”

  “No kidding.” Marilyn’s expression matched her sarcastic tone. “You know, you could’ve just told me you got a better offer.” She waved a hand at his now-closed bedroom door. “I mean, I guess it’s just too much trouble to wait for a girl who isn’t ready to jump into bed right away.”

  Bo’s eyes clouded with irritation. “That’s not what was happening—”

  “Right, Bo. So I didn’t just see you lying in bed with that girl from school.” She glanced over at us. “Did you know she has a terrible reputation? I know you’re just his sister, but if you’re at all worried about him catching STIs, I’d seriously reconsider letting her share his bed.”

  “Marilyn!” Bo said, angry now. He stalked over to her, his shoulders and arms tense. “Those nasty rumors are beneath you.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Bo,” Reagan said softly from behind him. Her eyes were puffy and her voice hoarse as if she’d been crying, but her expression was resolute. “She’s already made up her mind about me. And honestly, I don’t give a shit what she thinks.”

  Bo glanced between the two, paused for a moment, and then stared at Marilyn, disapproval written all over his handsome face. “I think it’s time for you to go.”

  “But what about our date?” Marilyn asked as if she hadn’t just insulted both his character and Reagan’s.

  “It’s not happening.” He strode over to her, gently clutched her elbow, and started tugging her back toward the front door. Holding it open for her, he added, “Good night, Marilyn.”

  She gave him a pout and turned puppy dog eyes on him. “I’m sorry, Bo. I was just upset. I might have jumped to the wrong conclusion.”

  I stifled a groan. Goddess above, that girl had manipulative bitch down pat, didn’t she? I wanted to yell for Bo to slam the door in her face. To do it before this little scene went any further. But I held back, letting him handle it. He didn’t need my help anyway. The way he was gently yet firmly shutting her down was darn impressive for a seventeen-year-old.