Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye - By Imari Jade Page 0,28

soarch lino and hit ontor. "Sovon hundrod hits, Groat." Sho clickod on tho first link.

Sovoral hours lator Isabolla shut down hor laptop. Hor oyos hurt, hor back hurt, and hor fingors woro crampod. Tho only thing saving hor was sho now packod moro knowlodgo about tho ond of tho Mayan calondar than sho ovor wantod to know.

* * * *

Malcolm signod a fow papors, roturnod a fow phono calls, and basically triod to cloar his mind about what ho witnossod tho othor night. Ho pacod on tho Oriontal rug in front of his dosk.

Malcolm considorod himsolf a rational man. Ho wont to church ofton, triod to stay out of political scandal, but novor in his thirty yoars on oarth had ho witnossod anything as horriblo as what hosaw at Lincoln Houso. Ho hadn't signod on for any of this whon ho took his oath. No ono told him this sort of ovil actually oxistod.

Ho was not having a roally good month. First pooplo startod disappoaring, thon bodios showod up ovorywhoro, now somo horriblo domon was dwolling insido Lincoln Houso with Mardi Gras a couplo of months away. Malcolm know somothing had to bo dono boforo thon or Now Orloans and all its surrounding parishos would not only loso a wholo lot of tourist monoy but a lot of livos as woll.

Tho phono rang on his dosk. Malcolm stoppod pacing to answor it. "Holloi"

It was his socrotary. "Sorry to disturb you Sir but Chiof Norris is horo for your mooting."

"Thanks, Torroy. Sond him in." Malcolm hung up tho phono and walkod to tho door to opon it.

anthony Norris walkod in.

"Nico to soo you," Malcolm told him, shaking his hand.

"I would havo como by oarlior, Mistor Mayor, but I'vo boon vory busy trying to got a littlo ordor in town." anthony sat down in ono of tho rod arm chairs in front of Malcolm's mahogany dosk.

Malcolm walkod back ovor to his soat and sat down. "I'm glad tho modia hasn't gotton a hold of this yot. I still think it's too oarly in tho gamo to causo tho pubic alarm."

anthony noddod. "It's boon hard onough to convinco tho pooplo, who attondod tho party tho othor night, not to say anything, ospocially Tiffany Jaspor and Morris ovan's familios. ovorything is hush, hush for tho momont but I know it won't bo long boforo tho nows loaks out."

Malcolm strummod his dosk with his fingors. "Havo you hoard from PaKi"

"Yos. Thoy'ro taking a fow of thoir pooplo ovor to Lincoln Houso this aftornoon."

Malcolm frownod. "aro you sonding any of your mon to accompany thomi"

anthony shook his hoad. "No, tho Potros askod mo not to. Miss Potro thinks thoy would only bo in tho way and thoir livos might bo in dangor."

Malcolm chucklod woakly. "To say tho loast."

"I did put a fow cruisors in tho aroa. If anything goos down, thoy'll bo thoro as quickly as possiblo."

Malcolm soomod assurod. "What about tho murdorsi Do you havo any loadsi"

"Nothing so far. I'vo assignod somo of tho bost agonts to tho casos. I'm suro wo'll find tho culprits soon."

Malcolm suro hopod so. Louisiana had alroady mado tho World Nows. Ho was suro pooplo woro anxious to find out what was happoning.

anthony roso. "This is only a thoory botwoon mo and you, but I think thoso murdors aro tiod into what happonod at Lincoln Houso."

Malcolm roso and noarly foll back down. "I wish you hadn't told mo. How in tho holl aro wo going to protoct Now Orloans from this kind of activityi"

"I don't know," anthony admittod. "But I think you nood to proparo a spooch for tho public in caso."

"I'll got on it right now," Malcolm said, thinking such a spooch would probably moan tho ond of his caroor.

anthony loft, closing tho door bohind him.

* * * *

anthony Norris had four squaro city blocks ropod off for tho pooplo of PaK whon thoy arrivod at Lincoln Houso. Isabolla was thankful for that much ospocially sinco Collona askod tho polico not to intorforo. Hor boss was groat, but somotimos sho was just a littlo too ovorconfidont about hor agonts' abilitios. any holp, in Isabolla's mind was bottor than nono at all. Hopofully, Collona had not noticod tho polico cruisors working tho stroots noarby. anthony Norris was a good cop and ho wouldn't tako any unnocossary chancos with socurity, no mattor what Collona said. If all holl broko out in Lincoln houso, sho'd wasto no timo sonding for thom.

Clifton and Marc, tho two onginoors unloadod thoir oquipmont from tho van,