chapter FOUR
Once home, I changed into a black satin nightgown, my breasts and ribs thankful to be out of the corset. The fancy nightgown was one of the few luxuries I allowed myself. I wanted nothing more than to collapse into a deep sleep, but my best friend Kevin burst through the back door, calling my name. Maybe I could pretend to already be asleep. No, he probably saw the light on in my bedroom. “I’m upstairs,” I called.
Kevin lived in the other half of the duplex, and had stuck by me through some less than stellar times. He was the only one who did, though I can’t figure out why. The duplex may as well have been one house since we both had keys to the other’s half.
He stomped up the stairs and sat down at the edge of the bed. “You okay? You’re not usually out this late. In fact, you don’t usually go out at all.”
“Peachy,” I said, while washing my face.
“What’s wrong? You sound annoyed.”
“I’m tired, Kevin.” I flopped down on the bed.
“Want me to leave?” He stood and started for the door.
“No, you can stay. I just, well, I guess I’ll just tell you. That’s the easiest way to explain my mood.” I told him about the new case and my night at the club, leaving nothing out, not even my fluttering heart.
He let out a long whistle when I stopped. “So, did you find anything about the girl?”
“That’s the problem. I didn’t, and I could barely even keep my mind on the reason I was there. I’m more professional than that. I don’t know what got into me tonight. Part of me wants nothing more than to lose myself in Vittorio’s eyes. The other part wants to run screaming to the other side of the planet. But I have to do this. The Chapel is the most likely place for Courtney to hang out, and the money is too good.”
“Good enough that you can buy a new car?”
I’d had my Toyota Corolla with torn seats and windows that wouldn’t roll down forever. “Not that good. And anyway, I like my beater. And I like helping you fix it for me when something breaks.” Kevin was a mechanic, and without him, I’d never be able to afford to keep my car running. PI work could be damned sporadic at times, making it hard to pay the bills.
“Maybe you can at least pay me to fix it for you now.”
“I do pay you. In beer, anyway. And food.”
“That I have to cook for you. You’d starve without me.” He playfully pushed me.
I pushed him back, almost making him fall off the bed. “There’s this newfangled thing called a restaurant. I’d be just fine without you, thank you very much.”
“You’d miss me if I wasn’t around.”
“You know I would.” I yawned.
“Why don’t you just ask around the club for her?”
“I don’t think anyone would answer me.”
“You could at least try.”
“I have a strange feeling about this case. If Courtney is there, but no one wants to talk to me, I’ll never find her. I don’t want to let her mother down.”
“Why would they lie to you?”
“I don’t know, but I intend to find out. Ms. Carmen’s comment about the coven put me on edge. I’ve done some research online, and can’t find anything about covens here in St. Louis. At least nothing that looks legit. If she’s right, they’re very secretive, and I can’t risk setting off alarms.”
“If you say so,” Kevin rolled his eyes.
“If I don’t find anything on my own in a few days, I’ll start asking around.”
“If you need anything, just say the word. Be careful.” He hugged me tightly, catching me off guard with the emotional display.