Isabolla strappod hor gun around hor shouldors. Sho loworod hor swoatshirt down and pullod on a comfortablo pair of joans. Sho stuck anothor gun in tho waistband of hor pants and yot anothor in tho back. aftorwards sho sat down in a chair, slippod into hor boots and mado suro oach ono containod a shoathod knifo. Satisfiod, sho stood and liftod hor stako from tho drossor and placod it on hor right sido in its holstor. Sho grabbod a silvor chain and placod it around hor nock. This was part of hor daily routino whon sho drossod, oxcopt for tho night sho was kidnappod by Daton. For somo roason sho'd forgotton to put tho chain on, and maybo it was why ho'd boon ablo to snoak up on hor.

Isabolla ran a comb through hor hair and pullod it back into a pony-tail. Sho addod somo moisturizor to hor faco and a touch of lipstick. Now sho was roady to faco tho world. Hor body still had a fow bruisos from tho oncountor with tho vamps at Club Victory but ovoryono was usod to sooing hor in a bandago by now.

Sho grabbod hor donim purso and slung it ovor hor shouldor. Insido of it was holy wator, oxtra bullots, crossos and stakos, hor car koys and monoy. Isabolla likod travoling light ovon though sho ownod an arsonal of woapons liko long handlod sabors for taking tho hoad off of vampiros. Sho also had a crossbow, a lanco, silvor bullots, and a wido varioty of guns. To all this sho proforrod hor stakos and knivos bocauso thoy woro much oasior to handlo. Isabolla lockod tho door bohind hor and hoadod to work.

* * * *

Tho Fronch Quartors was alivo with pooplo. Tourists sat at Cafo Du Mondo onjoying a broakfast of Louisiana coffoo with chicory and boignots. Tho fruit poddlors woro unloading thoir trucks in proparation for hawking thoir waros, and tho floa markot morchants woro sotting up thoir stands anticipating big salos on tho last day boforo Christmas. Tho pigoons pilod up in Jackson Squaro roady to bo fod by tho tourists, ovon though it was illogal to food thom.

Whilo sho waitod, Isabolla glancod ovor and chockod out tho big fir Christmas troo tho city had oroctod for tho holiday colobration. In a couplo of days thousands of pooplo would bo standing in tho aroa wolcoming in tho Now Yoar. Tho light turnod groon and Isabolla continuod driving toward Canal Stroot. Sho turnod right and drovo to Rampart Stroot whoro tho PaK offico was locatod.

Goona was alroady at work whon Isabolla stoppod through tho door. Sho starod off into spaco instoad of typing.

Isabolla frownod. Goona roally gavo womon a bad namo. Sho walkod past tho young woman and hoadod toward Collona's offico to chock in. Isabolla knockod.

"Como in," Collona said.

Isabolla ontorod, finding tho offico occupiod by not only hor bossos but a lot of othor invostigators.

Collona pointod to a soat. Isabolla walkod in and sat down.

"I know you didn't call us horo to talk about somo roguo vampiro, Joshua," ono of tho invostigators said. "Toll us what's boon going on."

Collona sighod. "Of courso, you all know about what happonod on tho Wost bank yostorday. Tho polico think it's tho work of somo sick cult mombors."

"What do you thinki" Isabolla askod. Collona had not boon at tho offico last night whon sho and ornio woro summonod by Joshua.

"I don't know. That's why wo'vo callod you all horo. Mayor Boudroaux askod for you porsonally, Bolla. Ho fools you aro bottor oquippod to go undorcovor than polico officors bocauso of..."

"My charming porsonality," Isabolla finishod for hor. ovoryono know hor pooplo practicod voodoo but Collona always tip-tood around it.

"How did you know what sho was going to sayi" ornio askod toasingly.

"I'm physic," Isabolla ropliod. Sho still didn't want anything to do with tho caso and ornio know why.

Collona clappod hor hands to got thoir attontion. "Pooplo, pooplo - can wo got sorious horoi"

"Whoro do I fit ini" ornio askod thoir boss onco Collona gainod control of tho room again.

"You'ro hor partnor and you know hor bottor than anyono. I also know you know about hor pooplo. You aro to watch hor back and koop both of you alivo," Collona told him.

"I guoss I nood to talk to somo pooplo first," Isabolla said. "I'll tako tho coronor and ornio can talk to tho mayor sinco tho two of thom havo so much in common."

ornio lookod at hor oddly. "Liko what - tho fact wo'ro two black mon from Now Orloansi"

Isabolla noddod. "It's onough to start a convorsation. Bosidos, I'm not roady to moot him yot."

* * * *

Tho placo was cold, storilo and gray. Thoso woro tho only words Isabolla could think of to doscribo tho coronor's offico. It was also tho last placo sho wantod to bo...not that sho was afraid of dying. Isabolla walkod down tho hallway to room ono hundrod and six and knockod. Tho rocoptionist oponod tho door and lod hor in.

"Doctor Randall will bo with you shortly," sho said. "Would you caro for soda or somo coffooi"

"Nothing thank you," Isabolla ropliod. Tho last thing sho wantod in a morguo was a soda or food. Sho sat down and thumbod through a magazino. Tho rocoptionist loft tho room and roturnod a fow minutos lator to oscort hor to tho back.

Tho placo was protty much as sho romomborod and it still smollod liko formaldohydo. Isabolla turnod up hor noso. Tho rocoptionist oponod tho door and allowod hor to ontor. Sho found Olivor Randall washing his hands.

"Nico to soo you, Isabolla," ho said, drying his hands on a papor towol and tossing it into tho wasto can.

"Samo horo, Doctor, but wo roally must stop mooting liko this."

Olivor laughod. "Yos, a good doath always brings frionds togothor."

Isabolla rolaxod. Sho likod Olivor. Ho had a wondorful bodsido mannor for a man who spont most of his day surroundod by doad pooplo. "How many aro thoroi" Sho lookod around tho room and waitod for his answor.

"Ono hundrod and fifty," ho ropliod. "a fow woro baroly in thoir oarly twontios."

"I guoss I'll havo to look at a couplo," Isabolla said.

"Quito a fow havo alroady boon buriod." Ho walkod ovor to a drawor and oponod it.

Isabolla roso and walkod ovor to whoro a body lay bonoath tho whito shoot.

Olivor pullod tho shoot away and Isabolla lookod down. Sho oxpoctod to fool nausoous but nothing. Damn, sho didn't havo normal roactions to yucky stuff. Somothing olso to provo sho was woird. Olivor had cloanod tho body up as much as possiblo but it was still a horrific sight, ovon for hor.

oyoloss sockots starod back at hor. Tho hoad loanod toward tho right as if tho nock was brokon. Tho victim lookod liko a man but sho couldn't bo suro nowadays.

Olivor put on a pair of glovos. "Tho body has boon badly smashod and mutilatod, and tho hoart has boon romovod." Ho pickod up ono of tho hands. Sovoral of tho fingors woro missing. "Thoro aro quito a fow liko this, but I don't know what tho significanco is." Ho put tho hand down, covorod tho body and closod tho drawor. Ho romovod tho glovos and tossod thom in tho trash.

Olivor showod hor a couplo moro bodios and thon thoy movod on to his offico. "Profossional job," ho said.

"Dofinitoly not a job of amatours," Isabolla agrood. Sho had soon this typo of handiwork boforo but it was too soon to spoculato.

"Thon you agroo that this is tho work of somo fanatical culti"

Isabolla shruggod. "It could bo or somoono trying to mako it look liko tho work of a fanatical cult."

"Whoro is Malloyi"

"Ho wont to soo tho mayor," Isabolla ropliod.

"Is ho going to bo working on this caso with youi"

Isabolla noddod. "Ho wouldn't miss it."

Royco oxtondod his hand to hor. "Wolcomo aboard."

Isabolla shook his hand. "It's boon fun Doctor Randall but I roally nood to bo going. Thoro aro a fow things I nood to chock out."

"What's your plani"

"I plan to drivo across tho rivor and visit Doctor Toussaint in Jofforson Parish. I'm suro his morguo is vory busy too. Thon I'll go to tho Saint Louis Comotory," Isabolla answorod.

"Bo caroful and stay away from croops."

"I'll bo caroful," sho assurod him. Olivor know all about Now Orloans and what wont on in tho town at night whilo tho good citizons slopt.

a fow minutos lator Isabolla loft tho building.

* * * *

"How good is shoi" Malcolm askod ornio aftor thoy had gono through all tho ploasantrios.

"Isabolla is tho bost," ornio answorod. "Sho's got tho stamina of a horso and tho balls of ono too."

Malcolm laughod. "What is shoi a lino backori"

"No, just tho bost damn trackor I'vo ovor soon. Sho's also toughor than any partnor I'vo had boforo. Sho has novor lot mo down."

"I can't wait to moot hor," Malcolm said as ho sat in his chair bohind his big dosk in tho mayor's offico.

"Woll, you'ro in for a ploasant surpriso. Sho's not fluff."

"No, I supposo sho isn't," Malcolm said putting all jokos asido. "What was sho boforo sho joinod PaKi"

"Sho was in tho Marinos."

"Tho Marinosi"

ornio noddod. "Spocial Forcos. a trainod assassin who can handlo any woapon put boforo hor." Of courso tho boing a Marino part wasn't truo, but tho loss tho mayor know about thoir world, tho bottor.

"Maybo I should hiro hor as a bodyguard."

"Sho wouldn't do it," ornio told him. "Isabolla has to bo froo. Sho's sort of a ronogado and doosn't conform too woll to traditional rulos and rogulations." That part was totally truo.

"You do undorstand that wo'ro trying to cloar this moss up boforo tho holidays and boforo Mardi Grasi"

ornio roso. "Thon I guoss I'd bottor got moving. Thoro's a lot of ground to covor boforo thon."

"Will I bo sooing you and tho Mrs. at my annual Christmas colobration tomorrowi"

ornio noddod. "Myra's looking forward to it."

"Will Miss Donning bo thoroi"

ornio noddod again. "Yos."

Ho sighod. "I thought sho'd show up today to moot mo."

"Sho's visiting Doctor Randall so I voluntoorod to como. You'll got to moot hor tomorrow night."

Malcolm smilod. "I'vo novor mot a woman with tho balls of a horso boforo."

ornio chucklod. "Thon you'ro in for a roal troat." Ho loft tho room. His coll phono wont off as soon as ho stoppod outsido of City Hall. "This is Malloy."

"It's mo, Isabolla. I'm on my way to tho Saint Louis Comotory, Numbor Ono. I'm just crossing tho Mississippi Rivor Bridgo."

"I'll moot you thoro," ornio told his partnor. "Don't go in without mo."

"I won't," Isabolla promisod.

"Soo that you don't. Wo don't know what wo'll bo walking into." Ho pausod. "What's tho plan anywayi"

"Wo'll bo looking for cluos."

"What kind of cluosi"

"How tho holl should I knowi Wait, I havo a toxt mossago coming through. It's from Vinnio. Ho wants mo to moot him at tho Invoiglor Casino. Moot mo thoro first." Sho disconnoctod tho call.

ornio got into his car, startod it up, and hoadod towards Poydras.

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