“Yes.”
“So, what do we do?” Cheyenne asked, looking frustrated.
He smiled, pausing and turning to take her by the shouldersto pull her to him. He lifted her chin. “We figure it out. We need to regroup. I’mgoing to call Jackson and tell him another young woman is missing, and time isof the essence. Maybe Adam has a few more rabbits he can pull out of his hat.While we’re waiting, we have a few more persons of interest to meet. And wetook a long, long flight, got here at the crack of dawn, and have been goingever since. I’m going to suggest dinner with your cousin and Eric, and thenprocedure. We need to organize what we do and do not know and make a plan formoving forward.”
“Procedure, of course,” she said, smiling at him.
He remembered how they had met—or re-met—not so long ago.She had lost Janine when she was young, and he knew now that Janine’s funeralhad been Cheyenne’s introduction to those who remained. While he’d barely seenCheyenne at the time, her cries for her cousin had led to the murderer’s captureand to Cheyenne becoming an FBI agent.
Years later, a killer had started up again in a copycatmanner. And while their initial meeting had been rocky, she’d been determinedto come to him so they could work together.
Cheyenne knew how to work a case.
But, once again, she was very close to this one. Anothercousin was involved.
“French Riviera, I think,” he said. “Or maybe Costa delSol.”
“Pardon?”
“When this is solved.”
“Andre, we have to work this,” she whispered. “We don’t havemuch time. I mean, this needs to be solved, and we aren’t British, we’reAmerican. And even in the Krewe, we will be expected to return to work—”
“Means we’d better move quickly, right? And, remember, weare human. Meaning we require meals and sleep. Especially if we want our mindsto function.”
She nodded. “So, back to the house?”
“Back to the house. And put some calls in to Jackson to seewhat magic Adam can work. And get Angela researching a few of our persons of interest.”
Cheyenne smiled and caught Andre’s hand. He looked at her.They were always professional on the job.
She laughed. “Hey, we’re not official anything here,remember? We’re a couple on vacation visiting a relative.”
“True.” He caught her hand and pulled her against him.Lifting her chin, he kissed her lips. He took a moment to revel in the feel andscent of her.
To his surprise, she pulled away, frowning.
“What?”
She looked around quickly.
They stood on Swain’s Lane. A few people moved around them, likelyheading home from a day at work. Most either gave them little head nods orsmiled at the lovers enjoying one another.
“I felt…I don’t know. Like someone was watching us.”
“People are watching us. We’re in a public place.”
“Yes, but…uh, sorry.”
He stood very still for a minute.
“Monte,” he said.
“What?”
“He did follow us into the other side of the cemetery.”
“Perhaps his cousin ordered him to spy on us. You don’tthink—?”
“That he could be a suspect?” Andre asked. “I think anyonecould be a suspect. And I think there was something odd about Monte.”
“He was nice and knowledgeable,” Cheyenne offered. “Andcurious. Though he did seem to be watching us. But he’d know about us fromInspector Adair.”
“Yes.”
“So?”
“I don’t know. Just…something.”
“We’ll put him on our list of people to find out moreabout.”
Andre caught her hand again. “Right. So, let’s get back,shall we?”
* * * *
Emily had decided that she was going to welcome her family witha large pot of gumbo, cornbread, and boudin—tastes of home.
Cheyenne hugged her cousin and asked Eric how he felt abouttheir homestyle meal.
“Love it when she cooks. She’s a marvel. She’s taught me allabout spices,” Eric said.
“He’s quite a cook himself,” Emily said affectionately.
Eric stood a bit taller. “Which I shall demonstrate tomorrownight.”
After they returned from the cemetery, things were verycasual. Still, Cheyenne noted that Andre had been doing some texting—back tothe States. It would still be day there, and she knew that while they were hereunofficially, Angela and Jackson would do whatever they could to help themalong from home.
They went about the hustle of getting the meal on the table,and after they all sat down to eat, Cheyenne and Andre told the couple abouttheir day—omitting the part about Lady Elizabeth Miller.
“I’ve seen pictures on the tellyof the most recent woman who went missing,” Eric said. “They’re saying she waslast seen on Swain’s Lane. That she left the high-rise to go out with friends,was seen walking back to her family’s place, and didn’t show up for work thismorning. I hate to be pessimistic, but…”
“He’s got her,” Emily said, her tone sad. “She’ll appearsomewhere soon enough—her body will, at least. And then the police will be backafter us. Why in God’s name do they think we’re such ghouls?”
“Because they’re grasping at straws,” Andre told her. “Anytimesomeone is murdered, police have to look at the spouse or partner first, thenthe extended family and friends list. Random killings are the hardest to solve.And if this is part of a cult or just an individual with a mental illness, asociopath or psychopath, finding him or her becomes very difficult. WithSheila, they think they at least have motive. Eric, for your part, you mighthave been afraid of something she could tell Emily, ruining your relationship.Emily, they may believe that you wanted to get rid of the woman who hadopportunity to seize Eric back from you.”
“But…that’s not true at all!” Emily protested.
“No. Though, as I said, they’re grasping. We went to seeFather Faith today. He is an interesting character, however…I admit, I didn’tget a killer vibe. Although, at the moment, that isn’t something I can dependon. We’re looking to meet the other persons of interest,” Andre assured her.
“Who?” Emily asked anxiously.
“Clark Brighton, Mark Bower, Benjamin Turner. Do any ofthose names mean anything to you?” Cheyenne asked.
“Of course,” Emily said.
“Benjamin Turner has garnered an audience for himself—and anumber of sponsors—on his Internet channel,” Eric said.
“He does bits on local history, the Tower of London, Whitechapel,”Emily added. "And he did a Halloween piece one year about HighgateCemetery. Many Internet
