Bayou Heat (9 page)

“You don’t need eyesight to do this?” Rob questioned as he
watched Eris reach a point where the path crossed itself. It took her a couple
of seconds to determine which way to go, but she did continue to follow the
original line.

Okay, maybe there was more to this than he thought.

“My eyes keep me from running into things or stepping off a
curb into traffic, but they aren’t needed to follow an aura trail.”

Rob continued to watch in amazed silence as Eris followed
the hidden trail around the room.

“Close enough.” Tammie held out a hand to keep Eris from
running over her. “That was amazing! You walked where I had gone exactly.”

“It wasn’t that hard, considering your path was fresh and
strong. Time weakens trails and they become diffused, like wispy trails of
fog.”

“Does everyone leave a trail?” Tammie questioned as the two
women walked across the room.

“Yes, everyone.”

“What about vampires?”

Rob stifled a groan.

“Yes, but their signatures are different, as you can
imagine, and it takes a special talent to pick up the spirit of the undead.”

“Really? Could you tell me what it’s like or better yet,
hook me up with a vampire chaser?”

“I—”

“Enough.” Rob placed a hand behind Eris’ back and started
guiding her toward the mystery spot by the elevator. “You can discuss your
vampire theories later, Tammie. We have things to do.”

“I take it you’re a nonbeliever?” Tammie asked.

“You got that right,” he answered over his shoulder as he
crossed the room. Stopping by the elevator, he studied the area in front of
them. “Let’s see if I’ve got this now. Each person has an aura and it trails
behind us wherever we go.”

“Yes.”

“But not here.” He pointed to the vacant space. “Here we have
a flash of an evil aura but no trail.”

“Exactly. It’s as if the person appeared then disappeared in
the blink of an eye.”

“How old is it?”

“I don’t know. This monster’s aura is strong, extremely
strong, so it weakens slower. I’d guess anything from a day to a week.”

Rob walked over to Tammie’s desk and retrieved a pen. He
retuned to the location and started to draw a circle around the area in
question.

“Hey, that’s a permanent marker!” Tammie yelled at him. “LD
isn’t going to like you drawing on his new carpet.”

Rob put the cap back on the pen as he stood. “Remind LD that
the carpet is half mine and I drew on my half, then track down Josh and have
him call me ASAP.”

The elevator doors opened and Rob held them while they
entered. Eris moved as far from him as she could in the enclosed space. She was
the most independent, self-reliant person he knew. Even knowing this didn’t
stop him from wanting to pull her into his arms and tell her everything would
turn out okay.

He didn’t though, because his instincts were telling him
this case wasn’t going to work out as smoothly and easily as they’d hoped.

* * * * *

“Hello?” Eris’ voice was chipper as she answered the phone
before flopping down on her couch.

Rob rubbed his neck as he turned away from the computer and
studied her. In the last few hours since supper, the phone rang more often than
his did in an entire month. He watched as she added another name to the list
beside the phone and held it up to him. Every time the phone rang, he made her
do this so he would know who was on the other end of the line.

“Jason” was printed on the page that was filled with names
and doodles. Not recognizing the name, he arched an eyebrow at her.

She covered the phone and mouthed “friend” before returning
to the conversation.

Turning back to the computer screen, he typed in another
search and waited. He’d been at this all evening, only breaking to eat the
wonderful meal Eris prepared. During the time she was working on the meal, the
smells and noises had been distracting but he’d managed to block them out.

The woman was a different story.

No matter how hard he focused, she always intruded on his
subconscious. She flitted in and out of his thoughts like a hummingbird at a
feeder. One second she was there, the next—gone. It was driving him crazy.

He reminded himself numerous times they were safe here.
After all, their killer wasn’t the type to break down a door and come in with
guns blazing. No, this lunatic sought his victims in public areas and then
managed to separate the prey from others. Eris was in the most danger when they
were in public, where that could easily occur. Logically he knew this, but he
seemed to be doing a lot of illogical things since meeting Eris. Like placing
his gun beside him on the computer desk. He’d done this in an attempt to
convince his brain to concentrate on the task at hand and not her.

Boy, that idea failed miserably.

It bothered him deeply that he couldn’t get her out of his
mind. Not once during all his years of doing investigative work had he not been
able to dig into his work and forget the world around him. Growing up, homework
and studies were a means of escaping his life. During college, sitting in the
library, studying, allowed him to forget that he didn’t come from the same
background as the other students. His ability to focus so completely on the
work at hand and dig out information others couldn’t find had gotten him
recognized and promoted quickly while working for the FBI. It was his edge, it
was what allowed him to survive and he was afraid he was losing it.

Never during his ten years with the FBI, nor after starting
this venture with LD, had he been so distracted, so unfocused, so damn
confused.

Behind him, Eris laughed and the tendons in Rob’s neck
tightened. He reminded himself that this phone call was no different than all
the others she’d taken this evening. Many of those calls were from men.

She giggled and lowered her voice, making it impossible for
him to hear the conversation.

Of course, all the men who’d called earlier were related to the
woman in some form or fashion.

For the next ten minutes, as Eris chatted and laughed with
Jason, Rob attempted again to focus on the information in front of him. When
she finally ended the call, he blinked and realized he had no idea what he was
reading. With a muttered curse, he returned to the beginning of the article and
started again.

The phone rang not two seconds later and he wondered if this
was going to keep going on all night.

He heard her pick up the phone. “Couldn’t go two seconds
without talking to me again, Jason?”

Rob turned his attention back to his work and attempted to
ignore the fact Eris was intently listening to whatever Jason was saying.

“Okay, bye.”

The tone of Eris’ voice caused him to turn. “Anything
wrong?”

“No,” she said, distractedly. “Nothing is wrong, I’m really
tired. I think I’ll turn in for the night. See you in the morning.”

Seven.

Rob silently counted the rings and wondered why Eris hadn’t
picked up. She normally picked up by the second ring.

“Eris, answer the phone,” Rob called out as it continued to
ring.

Eight.

Rob fisted his hands and wished she’d pick up the damn
thing. At this rate, he was never going to get any research done.

Nine.

He crossed the room and snatched up the phone. “Hello?”

“Man, my sister must really be getting on your nerves.”

Rob relaxed at the sound of Zane’s voice. “That’s a huge
understatement.”

“Tell me about it. Listen, I need to speak to her if you
don’t mind?”

“She’s gone to bed and I’m guessing she’s already asleep
since she didn’t pick up.”

“Knowing her, she’s got her nose stuck in one of those Robin
T. Popp romance novels she reads and is ignoring the rest of us. Would you
check for me? I really need to speak with her.”

Rob crossed the room with the portable phone. “No problem,
but if she bites my head off for this, you owe me.”

Rob knocked on the door as Zane continued to talk. When
there was no answer, he turned the knob and walked in.

“Hey, Zane, Eris is going to have to call you back later.”

“Have her call my cell within the hour if she can.”

“I’ll let her know.”
Just as soon as I find her
,
Rob thought as he disconnected the call.

The room was small, cluttered and there wasn’t a place for
her to hide. Going to the open window, he stuck his head out and looked across
an empty balcony. Damn. He was going to have to find her and then he was going
to have to kill her.

He went back to the living room and used the door to the
balcony. He walked to the bedroom window and stood there surveying the area.
There were only two entrances, the window and the door back to where he’d been.
He knew she didn’t go out that way. So how had she gotten away?

Walking the length of the balcony, he checked the brick wall
for possible finger and toe holds. The brick was too old and crumbly for her to
have scaled the building to the roof or to the street below.

Starting by the balcony door, he checked over the edge for a
possible route down. He was sure of one thing, she hadn’t flown off. His
progress was slow in the dark as he checked the railing from top to bottom
every couple of feet to ensure that he didn’t miss anything. It was difficult
for him not to rush the search because every cell in his body screamed for him
to hurry.

He looked down and was extremely glad he had taken the time
with the search because now he knew how she’d gotten off the balcony. Where the
porch and building came together by her window, there was a knotted climbing
rope attached to the railing. He’d missed it in the darkness when he first came
out onto the balcony and he would have missed it now had he not been running
his hands over every inch. He pulled the rope up and coiled it on the balcony
into a neat pile, next to a flowerpot that conveniently hid it. Looking up and
down the dark, empty street, he wondered where the hell she was.

Back in the living room, he placed the phone back in its
cradle before starting to gather the items he needed. His cell phone went into
his pocket as he grabbed his duffle bag and placed it on the couch. Opening the
bag, he removed his backup gun. After a quick check, he strapped it on. Then he
retrieved his primary weapon from beside the computer and slipped it into his
holster. As he did this, he couldn’t help but contemplate how large the French
Quarter was and how difficult it was going to be for him to find Eris.

Finished with the guns, he pulled a long, deadly blade and
sheath from the bag and strapped them to the inside of his left ankle as he
thought about the crowds that filled the streets at night.

The last item he retrieved from the bag was his butterfly
knife and, as he slipped it into his front pocket, he concluded he was going to
have to call LD for help. He started for the door and reached for his cell
phone at the same time then made himself stop. It wasn’t in his nature to go
off half-cocked or without verifying all the information he could first before
going to the next step.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to take the time to
survey the room as he’d been trained to do and replay the events of the
evening. The only thing out of place was her last phone call from Jason. The
call had been extremely one-sided, and when she disconnected, she’d been in a
different frame of mind.

Picking up the phone, he checked to see if it stored
incoming numbers. It was a cheap, portable phone that didn’t even have a redial
button. On the off chance that he might catch a break, Rob dialed star
sixty-nine, hoping the option to call the last incoming number would work. It
didn’t.

Tomorrow he was getting the woman caller ID and making sure
those two who were supposed to be watching the place were no longer Titan
employees. If Eris could get by them then he figured anyone else could. He’d
have to find better replacements.

He put the phone back on its base and paused. The top sheet
of paper on the notepad, the one she’d written names on and doodled around the
edges, was gone. He hadn’t tossed the sheet and if memory served him right,
Eris’ hands were empty when she went to her room.

Grabbing the pad, he moved to the desk for better lighting
and tried to read what was imprinted on the top sheet. The letters were too
light for him to make out. Opening a drawer, he rummaged until he found what he
needed.

He ran the edge of the pencil over the top of the paper,
coloring over the imprint of her letters. As the words magically appeared, a
combination of fear and jealousy settled in his stomach.

* * * * *

Eris glanced around the crowded bar and sighed in
relief—she’d made it here in time. Taking a sip of her cola, she tensed as a
man slid onto the vacant barstool to her left. Was this the man who’d called
her?

Was this the person who’d claimed to have information about
Orbit’s death?

The man was tall with a chest of solid muscle and large,
work-hardened hands. Hands strong and large enough to kill helpless women.

This thought reminded Eris she was here alone, without
backup. She realized in that instant how much she liked having Rob at her side.
His levelheaded approach to situations like this was a reassurance she found
comforting.

Uneasiness filled her as she considered how stupid she was
for sneaking out without him. If she had taken a minute to think this through,
she would have realized Rob could have come up with a plan, which would have
given her some security and backup. She was equally certain his idea of protection
would have included her staying at the apartment while he made contact with the
caller. There was no way that was happening. Eris turned back to her drink as a
woman slipped onto the stool to her right.

“The place is really hopping tonight,” the woman stated
after ordering a drink.

“Yeah, it’s really packed.” Eris glanced around the room and
noted the empty barstool to her left. The man had disappeared, leaving her
feeling relieved and on edge at the same time.

“I really love your hair. It’s such a daring cut. I could
never pull that off.”

Eris sighed and turned her attention to the woman. She never
found being rude to strangers easy and it was obvious this woman felt the need
to chat. “My hair doesn’t have enough body to wear it as long as yours.”

The woman twirled a strand of dark auburn hair. “Thanks, but
it does get to be a bother at times.”

Eris took in the woman’s pristine appearance and figured she
spent a good deal of time on her looks. “Interesting necklace. Is it quartz?”

“No, it’s citrine. It clears one’s mental being. Helps a
person focus their thoughts.”

Eris half listened to the woman as she turned her attention
back to the room. “I’ve heard that.”

“You should give it a try sometime. It really helps get
those pesky voices out of one’s head.”

Glancing at her watch, Eris noted how many minutes had
ticked by and wondered how long it would be before Rob realized she was gone.
Guilt and a twinge of uneasiness settled in her stomach. “I could use a charm
like that right now.”

The woman laughed as she slid off her stool. “Don’t worry,
hon, I’m sure your man will show up soon.”

“It’s not what you think.”

“No.” She gave an elegant shrug. “Things usually aren’t as
they appear, are they?”

Eris watched as the woman walked away and knew she had to do
one of two things—return home empty-handed or open her feelings to the people
around her. In a crowd such as this, sensory overload was quite possible, but
what choice did she have? It was obvious the caller wasn’t going to show and
she hated to think about returning home with nothing to show for this outing.
If, by some miracle, the killer had been here recently, she could pick up on
that aura and maybe find the clue they needed to capture Orbit’s killer.

Concentrating, she reviewed the feelings she felt when
tracking a victim—the underlying anger, the confusion and the overpowering lust
for revenge were always present and belonged to the murderer. With that
combined essence strong in her mind, she opened herself to the people around
her. The onslaught of feelings hit her like a powerful wave.

Years of training took over and slowly, methodically, she
started sorting through the individual auras. It was like sorting through a
laundry basket, trying to find the mate to a sock. In this case though, the
laundry basket was the size of the bar and the match must pair up perfectly.
There was no settling for a mismatched pair.

She narrowed her search down to two auras, each containing
traces of what she was looking for, although neither matched exactly. They were
both hazy and fragile. Following the weaker of the two, she worked her way
through the crowd, coming to a stop at a table. Seated there was a group of old
men, the youngest looking close to seventy.

Eris turned away from the group, figuring none of them were physically
capable of killing in the style of the killer. Working her way back into the
crowd, she found the other trail and followed it for as long as she could
before it faded out.

She stopped and looked around, wondering if she’d lost her
mind. Auras didn’t fade away, not like this. Admittedly, it wasn’t the best
trace she’d ever followed, but it was there and now it wasn’t. She rubbed her
temple and felt the beginning of a headache taking root behind her eyes.

Maybe she was losing her ability, she thought, as she moved
toward the doors of the bar. First there was the morphing aura at Indulgence
then there was that single spot of evil at Rob’s office and now this. She
wouldn’t be the first person to lose their gift.

Eris looked around the club and realized how stupid she’d
been to think this would lead to anything. She glanced at her watch. It was
very late and an hour past the time she was to meet the caller. Time to head
home. With any luck she’d make it back through her window and into bed without
the warden learning of her escape. The man was way too serious for her
taste—but tasting him was something she wouldn’t mind doing.

She turned down a narrow alley and continued walking.
Several businesses used this area for deliveries and trash pickup. The smell
wasn’t the best but it was the quickest way home and right now, she wanted
nothing more than to crawl into bed. The problem was she didn’t want to crawl
into bed alone.

She wanted a tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed Viking to fall
into bed with her. She’d never lusted after someone like this. Not even Jeff,
her slimy ex-fiancé. She totally didn’t understand her attraction to Rob
because he was so un-Eris. He was uptight, fact-oriented and liked having days
planned in thirty-minute intervals.

Eris paused when she thought she heard her name being called
then looked behind her when she heard a rumbling sound. The street lamp was out
at the end of the alley, but the moonlight reflected off the windshield of a
large, dark truck. She stood perfectly still, watching it move toward her,
hoping the driver would spot her soon. She was only a quarter of the way
through the passage and knew she wouldn’t be able to outrun the vehicle.

Then suddenly the engine gunned and tires squealed as the
truck lunged toward her. Eris broke into a dead run, hoping to reach the
opposite end of the alley—alive.

“Help!” She wasn’t sure if anyone would hear her, but making
noise couldn’t hurt.

There were no doorways for her to duck into and piles of
trash impeded her escape. Heart pounding, Eris cursed the Fates as the clouds
opened up, soaking her and making the pavement slick under her feet.

Twenty yards in front of her she spotted a beat-up trashcan
and headed for it. Above the can hung an old, rusty fire escape ladder. The
sounds of the truck grew louder as they bounced off the brick walls of the
alley. Rain now pounded down on her as she raced toward the tin can.

Ten more yards.

If she reached the trashcan in time, maybe she could use it
to springboard the short distance to the ladder. The sound of metal against
concrete rang through the air as the truck kissed a wall behind her, spurring
her to move even faster.

Five yards.

With rain in her eyes, her left foot hit wet, loose gravel,
causing her to slide sideways. She cried out as pain shot up her leg, but
immediately blocked it out of her mind. Regaining her balance, she raced toward
the trashcan.

Three yards.

Eris swiped a hand over her eyes, attempting to remove the
mixture of sweat and rain that blurred her vision.

Two yards.

She could feel the heat of the engine on her back.

One yard.

On blind faith, Eris leaped toward the trashcan, pushing off
the ground with her left leg. Tears of pain blurred her vision but she blinked
furiously and kept her eyes on the ladder’s bottom rung. She landed on the lid
of the can and immediately pushed off with her right leg with all the force she
could muster.

As her body flew through the air, she prayed her aim was
true and her years of gymnastics would finally pay off because if they
didn’t—she was going to be roadkill.