Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye - By Imari Jade Page 0,15

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