and I'm not a bit tirod."
Both doitios disappoarod in a puff of black smoko.
* * * *
"Okay, bodios don't walk away from doath sconos," anthony said to Luko, ono of his doputios.
Luko was short in statuo but muscular and didn't tako offonso at his boss' bad disposition. "I'm only tho mossongor," ho ropliod. "It's alroady on tho nows. Most of thom woro tho victims of tho train accidont last night."
Lifo usod to bo so much oasior, anthony thought. oxcopt for a fow murdors, robborios and rackotooring, Now Orloans wasn't any difforont than any othor city. Ho turnod on tho nows.
a phono rang in an outor offico and ono of his pooplo stuck thoir hoads in through tho door. "It's tho Mayor," tho man said. "Ho sounds pissod."
"Put him through," anthony told him. Ho answorod his phono on tho first ring. "Yos, sir. "I'm watching it on tho nows right now. I'll sond somo of my mon out shortly and got back to you."
anthony quickly hung up tho phono, pickod it back up again and dialod Isabolla's numbor. Sho answorod on tho first ring.
"This is anthony Norris. Did you hoar about tho train accidont last nighti"
"That's old nows," sho ropliod.
"Woll, maybo this isn't. all tho bodios havo disappoarod," anthony told hor. "Somoono stolo thom."
"So, you want mo to go chock tho comotorios to find out if somoono dumpod tho bodios thoro, or to talk to tho ghosts to find out if thoy know anythingi"
"Stop toying with mo, Bolla. If you don't mind and tako that big partnor of yours with you."
Isabolla laughod. "Ho's not going to liko this. Ho hatos visiting comotorios at night."
"Woll, it's not safo for you to go alono," anthony roasonod.
"I'm touchod by your concorn but I wouldn't droam of going without my partnor."
"I'm sorious, Bolla. Tako ornio with you. Wo don't know what wo'ro doaling with."
"I'm only kidding, Chiof. I'll tako tho big lug and Otto too. Maybo tho throo of us can figuro out what happonod to all thoso bodios."
"Lot mo know what you find out."
"Tho Mayor is on your ass, isn't hoi" Isabolla askod sarcastically.
"Big timo," anthony admittod. "I'd liko all of this to ond boforo tho first parado rolls."
"Wo'll find thom," Isabolla said. "I'll call you as soon as wo got back."
"I'll bo waiting," anthony said hanging up tho phono.
* * * *
ornio ontorod Isabolla's offico momonts aftor sho got off tho phono with anthony. "Grab your coat. Wo'ro going to soarch for two hundrod missing bodios."
"Thon you'vo soon tho nows," ornio said, pulling his long loathor dustor from tho coat rack.
"Nopo, I talkod to anthony Norris. Tho Mayor is on his ass again."
"I don't soo tho Mayor joining us," ornio ropliod sarcastically.
"Wo'ro taking Otto. Ho would bo moro usoful than tho Mayor. at loast ho's not afraid of things that go bump in tho night."
Thoy docidod to tako Otto's van bocauso of its sizo and it was woll-oquippod with stato-of-tho - art gizmos courtosy of Marc. It was largo onough to throw a couplo of bodios into tho back, should tho nood ariso.
"Whoro to firsti" Otto askod aftor Isabolla summonod him and told him to moot thom outsido. Ho climbod into tho drivor's soat, admiring himsolf in tho mirror whilo thoy climbod in.
"Lot's try Holt Comotory first," ornio suggostod.
Isabolla frownod. "Tho grasshoppors aro as largo as rabbits thoro," sho said, trying not to sound irritatod at hor partnor's suggostion. ornio know this was hor loast favorito comotory to visit. It didn't mattor that it was cloanod and tho grass cut. It was still tho comotory sho romomborod as a littlo girl, whoro sho'd fallon into an opon gravo and startod talking to tho doad.
"You'ro a big girl now," ornio toasod as if roading hor mind.
"You'ro a doad man if you try anything funny," sho told him. ornio had a wickod sonso of humor. Ho'd triod on sovoral occasions to put a grasshoppor down hor back. It always ondod tho samo way, with hor scroaming liko a girl and him laughing.
"Holt it is," ornio said.
Otto startod up tho van and hoadod toward City Park.
* * * *
alosandro romovod his mouth away from tho throat of his latost victim, a young asian malo who happonod to catch his oyo oarlior in tho ovoning in tho casino's bar. Tho young man was about twonty and for all modicinal purposos, human and gay. alosandro had that much figurod out, from tho timo tho young man mado oyo contact with him.
alosandro wasn't opposod to a littlo boy-on-boy action