he say she is?” The panic in Brie’s voice is only going to make this kid clam up. Particularly when she follows it up with a string of “Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God!”
“Justin …” I force calm into my voice. “We want to help your momma. She might be in trouble. Did he say where she is?”
He shakes his head.
“Justin, please!” Brie’s frantic plea jerks the car, and I snap around to see her steering back into the right lane. “Don’t keep any secrets, you hear me? You cannot lie about this.”
“He didn’t telled me, Tante Brie. I pwomise.”
“Do you recognize his voice?” I continue with my gentle probing. “Maybe someone Momma brought home?”
“Momma never bwings anyone home.”
“It’s true,” Brie confirms. “She don’t bring them around me anymore. Not after the last one.” Eyes skating toward the backseat, she seems to imply it was Justin’s dad who set that precedence. “She usually meets up somewhere.”
“So, he doesn’t sound like friend of Tante Brie, or Momma?”
“Nope. He sounds scawey.”
I twist back to Brie. “Was Marcelle seeing someone?”
“Marcelle’s seeing lots of someones.”
“Anyone that gave you the creeps?”
Brows winged up, she snorts. “All of ‘em.”
“But anyone in particular?”
“No.” Gaze shifting from the road to me, she shakes her head. “She’s been so secretive, I wouldn’ even know where to begin.”
“This definitely isn’t another bender, Brie. That little bone bracelet we found? Pretty sure that’s some kind of cult symbol. I think it’s time to get the sheriff involved.”
“Sheriff doesn’ take these things seriously, unless they’re reported on the north end of the island.”
“Well, from all the Missing Persons flyers I’ve seen, it sounds like you might have a kidnapping problem. Maybe the good ol’ sheriff needs his ass canned.”
“This is Louisiana. Only authority above the sheriff is the governor.”
“Whether he believes you, or not, you have to report this. What happened tonight isn’t coincidence. Someone knows where Marcelle is.”
People pack the sidewalk at either side of the street, walking to and from the carnival that stands off in the distance, its red lights glowing against the night sky. A ferris wheel spins a lazy circle above a sprawling crowd, the spindles reminding me of a pendulum clock’s second hand winding down the minutes. To what? I don’t know, but my heartbeat thrums a constant pulse of fear, just the same.
Black tents have been set up in a clearing that butts up to what I’m guessing is the state park, and as I peer down an alleyway, lit by soft outdoor lights, I see that a few scattered tents stretch the festivities out into the middle of downtown, as well.
If not for the rattling of my bones right now, I’d find it all magnificent. With the nineteenth century architecture of downtown, it feels as if I’ve stepped into the regency era, but with a gothic charm. Darkly enchanting, like something out of an Edgar Allan Poe story. The gorgeous, black Victorian gowns, festooned in feathers and lace, with black parasol accessories. Men wearing top hats and dark ruffled cravats, with black capes and silver canes, reminding me of Papa Legba with their faces painted a ghostly white. How they can stand it in this heat is a complete mystery to me, but I’ve always wondered how Thierry could stand dressing in a suit every day, too.
The dark jubilance ignites something inside of me, and for the first time, introversion aside, I almost feel a part of this mysterious little island.
Weaving through the traffic, Brie parks the car off to the side, alongside a curb, where a man stands handing out masks to each passerby. Animal skull masks. Some bear the shape of birds, like the plague masks, others are only half masks of a wolf’s maw. And some are goat, with long curling horns that stick up over the top.
My heart hammers inside my chest, and I breathe in through my nose to keep from drawing Brie’s attention to the shit-storm brewing inside of me.
I wish I had my pills. They always seemed to dull the sharp edges of reality, making it a little more palatable.
“We’ll just wait here and keep an eye out for Luc’s truck.” Brie looks around, leaning into the steering wheel as she peers through the passenger window.
A scream from the backseat tears my attention away from the crowd, and both Brie and I twist to find Justin curled up on the seat. At the window stands an older kid, judging by his height and what youthful features can