A Thin Dark Line

should know enough to hire out that kind of job. You'll be the obvious suspect.'

He had the nerve to appear amused. 'You think I'm the devil now, don'tcha, Toinette?'

Annie broke for the door, grabbed for the keys with one hand, and knocked them to the floor. With the other hand, she grabbed the knob, twisted, pulled. The door didn't budge. Then Fourcade was on her, trapping her, hands planted against the door on either side of her head.

'Running out on me, 'Toinette?'

She could feel his breath on the back of her neck, laced with the scent of whiskey.

'That's not very hospitable, chere,' he murmured.

She was trembling. And he was enjoying it, the son of a bitch. She willed herself to control the shaking, forced herself to turn and face him.

He stood as close as a lover. 'We have so much to talk about. For instance, who sent you to Laveau's that night?'

Nick watched her face like a hawk. Her reaction was spontaneous-surprise or shock, a touch of confusion.

'What'd you think, 'Toinette? That I was too drunk to figure it out?'

'Figure what out? I don't know what you're talking about.'

His mouth twisted in derision. 'I'm in this department six months, you never say boo to me. All of a sudden you show up at Laveau's in a pretty skirt, batting your eyelashes. You want in on the Bichon case-'

'I did want in.'

'Then there you are on that street. Just happen to be passing by-'

'I was-'

'The hell you were!' he roared, enjoying the way she flinched. He wanted her frightened of him. She had reason to be frightened of him. 'You followed me!'

'I did not!'

'Who sent you?'

'No one!'

'You been talking to Kudrow. Did he set it up? I can't believe Renard would go for it. What if I came at him with a gun or a knife? He'd be stupid to take the chance just to ruin me. And he's not stupid.'

'No one-'

'On the other hand, maybe that was Kudrow's justice, heh? He has to know Renard is guilty. So Kudrow gets him off to save his own rep. Works it so I kill Renard. Renard is dead and I'm caged up with the red hats in Angola, twenty-five to life.'

He's insane, she thought. She'd seen what he was capable of. She cut a glance at the duffel bag sitting on the bench. Two feet away. The zipper was open. If she was fast… If she was lucky…

'I don't have a clue what you're talking about,' she said, keeping her mouth in motion to buy time. 'Kudrow's trying to jam me up with the department so I don't have anyone to turn to but his side. I wouldn't work for him if he paid in gold bullion.'

Fourcade didn't seem to hear her.

'Would he chance all that?' he mused to himself. 'That's the question. 'Course, he'd only have to pay off the blackmail 'til he's dead, and that won't be long…'

With all the power she could muster, Annie brought her right knee up into his groin, then dropped to the floor as Fourcade staggered back, doubled over, swearing.

'Fils de putain! Merde! Fuck! Fuck!'

Oh please oh please oh please. She plunged her hand into the duffel bag and groped for the Sig. Her fingertips grazed the holster.

'Lookin' for this?'

The Sig appeared before her eyes in the palm of Fourcade's hand, one finger hooked through the trigger guard. He had dropped to his knees behind her and now pulled her head back by a handful of hair and shoved his body into hers, pinning her against the bench.

'You fight dirty, 'Toinette,' he murmured. 'I like that in a woman.'

'Fuck you, Fourcade!'

'Mmm…'he purred, pressing against her, pressing his rough cheek against hers. 'Don't give me ideas, 'tite belle.'

Slowly, he rose, his hand still tangled in her hair, drawing her up with him.

'You, you're not much of a hostess, 'Toinette,' he said, directing her toward the kitchen where the light was bright and cheery. 'You haven't even offered me a chair.'

'Sorry, I flunked home ec.'

'I'm sure you have other talents. A flair for decorating, I see.'

He took in the small kitchen with amazement. Someone had painted a dancing alligator on the door of the ancient refrigerator. Canisters in the likeness of stair-step doughboys lined one counter. The wall clock was a plastic black cat whose eyes and tail twitched back and forth with the passing seconds.

One chair was pulled out at the chrome-legged table. He sat her down. Snatching up the pen she had left on the tabletop, he backed up to the counter.

Annie stared at him. Some of the wildness had gone out of his eyes, though his gaze was no less intense. He stood with his arms crossed in front of him, her gun dangling from his big hand as if it were a toy.

'Now, where were we before you tried to kick my balls up to my back teeth?'

'Oh… somewhere between delusional and psychotic.'

'Was it Kudrow? He buy you and Stokes?'

'Stokes?'

'What? You thought you were getting all the pie? Stokes got me into that bar. Why go there? Nobody ever goes there. To be away from the grunts, he tells me. And Bowen amp; Briggs, that just happens to be right across the alley. How fucking handy. Then along comes little 'Toinette to keep an eye on me while ol' Chaz goes his merry way.'

'Why would I let Kudrow buy me?' she asked. A futile attempt at reason, she supposed. 'Yours isn't the only career taking a beating here, you know. I'll be mopping out jail cells before this is over. Kudrow doesn't have enough money to make up for that.'

Nick tipped his head to one side and considered. He hadn't eaten all day, but had fed on anger and frustration and suspicion, and washed it all down with a few belts of whiskey. And now something black and rotten surfaced in the brew and slipped out of his mouth in a whisper.

'Duval Marcotte.'

Son of a bitch. The pieces fit with oily ease. The similarity of the cases would appeal to Marcotte's sense of irony. And he sure as hell knew how to buy cops. The face of the New Orleans reporter at the courthouse came back to him. Shit. He should have seen it coming.

He pounced at Annie, making her bolt back in the chair. 'What'd he give you? What'd he promise you?'

'Duval Marcotte?' she said, incredulous. 'Are you out of your mind? Oh, Christ, look who I'm asking!'

He leaned down into her face, wagging the nose of the Sig like a finger. 'He'll take your soul, chere, or worse. You think I'm the devil? He's the devil!'

'Duval Marcotte is the devil,' Annie repeated. 'Duval Marcotte, the real estate magnate from New Orleans? The philanthropist?'

'That son of a bitch,' he muttered, pacing along the counter. 'I shoulda killed him when I had the chance.'

'I don't know Duval Marcotte, other than to see him on the news. Nobody bought me. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Believe me, I regret it.'

'I don't believe in coincidence.'

'Well, I'm sorry, but I don't have any other explanation!' she shouted. 'So shoot me or leave me the hell alone!'

Turning possibilities over in his mind, Nick reached back and scratched behind his ear with the nose of the gun.

'Jeez! Will you be careful with that thing!' she yelled. 'If you don't shoot me, I'd rather not be left to scrape