Mostly Murder Read Free Page B

that no doubt had caused many a lady’s heart to flutter. Zee mumbled a mild curse and kept his eyes glued on the game while he answered. “Yeah, what’s up? C’mon, game just started, dude.”
    Claire and Nancy watched him grimace. Then he hung up and growled, “Patrol’s got a body. Down near where you’ve been staying, Claire.”
    Claire frowned at that news. She had been spending quite a few nights on a houseboat while Black was out of town, which happened to be something that Black didn’t know and that she didn’t want him to know. It was down on the bayou in Lafourche Parish where she’d lived for a while as a foster child with the LeFevres family. The LeFevres’ house had been partially destroyed by Katrina years ago, but their houseboat had been taken inland and saved. Since Claire had moved to New Orleans and reconnected with some of the remaining LeFevres brothers, they’d offered her the use of the boat when she was down in the parish. She’d jumped at the chance. It was one of the few pleasant memories in her horrific childhood so she cherished the place.
    Zee looked mightily perturbed. “We got big trouble. They found a dead girl down there, and they said the scene’s real creepy. They want you out there, too, Nancy.”
    â€œOkay, let’s get going,” Claire said, feeling the familiar surge of excitement and realizing that this was what she’d been waiting for. Despite her recent injuries and the dangers she’d faced in the past, homicide investigations happened to be her passion. She was already pumped up and raring to go.
    â€œWhere exactly is it?” Nancy asked Zee, grabbing another pizza slice and closing the box.
    Zee picked up the whole box to take with them, apparently not one to waste good food. He looked at Claire. “From the sound of it, Claire, it’s right there on the property where you’re stayin’ sometimes. In the ruins of that house just up from your boat. You sleep out there last night?”
    â€œYeah. I didn’t hear anything, and I sleep with the windows wide open. Nobody drove up to the house, or I definitely would’ve heard the car. You know how sound travels out there on the water.”
    â€œYou didn’t see anything this morning when you left, either?”
    Claire shook her head. “Nope, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. You sure it’s not some other place? There are several dilapidated houses along that part of the bayou. Maybe it’s one of them.”
    â€œHe said it’s the old LeFevres place.” Zee unlocked his top drawer, pulled it open, and retrieved his Beretta from its black leather belt holster.
    Claire never took off her weapons, not anymore, not after her last case. Even at night, she kept her weapons handy under her pillow. Being unarmed had not been healthy for her in the past. And that was the understatement of the year. Her trusty Glock nine-millimeter was snug in her shoulder holster, and the sweet little .38 snub nose that her best friend and ex-LAPD partner, Harve Lester, had once given her for Christmas, was strapped to her right ankle. She grabbed her lightweight black hoodie and looped the chain holding the silver Lafourche Parish Deputy Sheriff badge over her head.
    â€œI guess I better call Sheriff Friedewald. He needs to know a homicide’s gone down.”
    Nancy said, “Let’s take my Tahoe. I’ve got my equipment with me. Looks like I’m going to need it.”
    Claire said, “If it’s that bad, we need to hurry it up and get out there.”
    So hurry it up they did. Minutes later, they were in Nancy’s white Tahoe, headed out to the crime scene. Claire’s blood was singing. A murder wasn’t exactly what she’d expected on such a nice sun-spangled Sunday afternoon, but she was ready, her instincts telling her something wicked had come calling. And Claire always trusted