good guy, but your life has really changed since you met him, and I worry about the risks that you run going out and taking pictures of criminals.”
“But you know that I’m being trained, and I have the whole team around me. I’m never alone doing the work. And most of what we do is behind the scenes.”
I nod. “I know that. But still, my first day there? Remember? There was that big . . . incident or whatever. Do you even know what it was all about?”
May nods, getting serious all of a sudden. “We have an idea.”
I raise my eyebrows at her. “Is it top-secret, need-to-know stuff, or am I allowed to hear about it?”
She doesn’t answer me right away, which only makes me more curious. I up the ante by handing her another muffin and then settle down deeper into my chair. This promises to be really good, if the expression on my sister’s face is any indication.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
My sister looks a little uncomfortable. “I’m not really sure, actually,” she says. “You’re not technically an employee of the Bourbon Street Boys, or at least not as far as I know. Did they officially offer you a job yet?”
“No. Lucky hinted around that there could be a job for me, but I don’t get the impression that he’s the one who would do the offering.”
May shakes her head. “No, it would officially come from Thibault or Ozzie. But I know there’s a job opening. I guess you just need to let them know you’re interested. Everybody has kind of gotten the impression that you’re on the fence about it, and nobody wants to push you.”
I nod. “That’s a fair assessment. I am on the fence about it. I can see all the benefits, and I really do need a job right now, but there’s still that element of risk there . . . So, I’ve decided to think about it a little bit longer.” I pause for a few seconds and then try to act casual. “So, you know where that big dent in the door came from? Who did it?”
May nods. “I guess I can tell you that much. You’ve signed an NDA and you were kind of involved.” She sighs. “We think we know. We had surveillance set up around the building, and we caught some images on tape. Ozzie and Thibault are looking into it right now . . . along with Toni.”
The way she mentions Toni’s involvement makes me pay extra attention. “Does it have something to do with her? Toni, I mean?”
“I think so. Ozzie’s not positive, but based on some of the things that we’ve seen, and some of the things that Toni has said, I think it has something to do with her past. With her ex.”
“Ooh, gossip. Tell me.” I have to believe that anything having to do with Toni’s ex will be an interesting story. In fact, I can’t imagine anything about Toni’s life being boring. I’d bet even her daily routines would make mine look positively stodgy in comparison. She probably brushes her teeth while twirling nunchucks and puts on mascara while throwing Chinese stars into targets across the room. I wait anxiously for May to spill the beans.
Normally, my sister would jump all over the opportunity to gossip with me about interesting people, but she’s chewing her lip, acting like she’s not sure that she wants to.
“What’s up? What are you thinking? ’Fess up, sister, or I will be forced to withhold muffins.” I snatch one up and hold it by my shoulder.
“Ozzie has told me some things about Toni’s past, but I’m pretty sure it’s not something he’d want me to discuss.”
Of all the things that May has said or done since she met Ozzie, this one makes the biggest impression on me. She has never kept a secret from me in our entire lives as far as I know. Until now. It makes me both sad and happy.
May throws a big muffin crumb at me. “Why are you looking at me like that? You look like I just slapped you across the face or something.”
I pick the crumb off my shirt and throw it back at her. “No, I’m just thinking how much it sucks when your baby sister grows up and leaves the nest.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet,” she says in a mocking tone, right before going totally serious. “What the hell are you talking about?”
I unwrap the muffin slowly as I respond to her