“How did he look?” Billie asked.
“I didn’t wake him up to look at his cheeks,” she said. “Don’t worry. I’ll be up by ten. You get your beauty rest.”
“I won’t be long,” Quinn assured Danni. “I don’t think. Where am I taking you?” he asked Tyler.
“Just over to Treme. I’m staying with Arnie’s folks—trying to keep an eye on them,” Tyler told him.
“Sounds good,” Quinn said, then turned to Danni and smiled. She was obviously tired. But she still looked stunning. “I’ll be right back,” he told her.
She grinned. “I’ll wait up,” she said huskily.
“You don’t mind?” Tyler asked. “I mean...leaving here?” he asked, looking at Danni.
“Wolf will let me know if anyone is around who shouldn’t be,” Danni told him. “Go on, both of you—leave!”
“I really will be right back,” Quinn said with a wink.
“Oh, Lord. I’m going up to bed,” Billie said. “Really, you two, get a room.”
Danni laughed as he headed up the stairs. “We intend to,” she promised him.
Billie just kept going, waving a hand in the air. Quinn told Tyler, “Let’s go. Danni, even with Wolf—”
“I’ll lock the door and not dream of opening it for anyone but you,” she assured him.
Quinn led Tyler back out to the courtyard and his car.
*
Danni meant to wait up; she really did. The night had been a strange kind of high, and when she first came in she felt as if she was wired and would be up all night.
But she headed up the stairs to change, and before she knew it, barely having kicked off her shoes, she crashed down on her bed.
Billie didn’t have to worry about what was going on in the house that night, she thought drily. She wasn’t going to make it another two minutes.
She had no idea how long she had been sleeping when her phone rang.
With Quinn out and everything that had been going on in the city, the sound of it put her into a raw panic, and she answered it immediately.
Caller ID told her that it was Jenny, but all she could hear was shallow, rushed breathing.
“Jenny?”
“Danni!”
“Yes, what’s wrong?”
“He—he was here.”
“Who was there? Where are you?”
“Home. Brad is driving the guys. I was all locked in and then...” Her voice dropped. “Then I heard the door.”
“I can barely hear you, Jenny. Are you okay?”
“He was at the door, Danni. He was at my door!”
“Who was it? Is he gone? You didn’t answer, right? You just pretended you weren’t there?”
“Yes,” Jenny said in a whisper. “I think he’s gone, but...Danni! He had no face. No, he had a face. He had a weird face. Like Jason from those slasher movies. No, not like that, not exactly. Jason’s face is a hockey mask. This was a face, but—”
“You saw him?”
“Of course I saw him. I looked through the peephole.”
“But he’s gone now, right? You didn’t answer the door and he’s gone?”
“Right. I’m just scared. I need Brad to get back.”
“You should call the police.”
“And tell them what? There was a man at my door but now he’s gone?”
“Call them. Tell them exactly what happened. They can see if there are prints on the door. They can look around the area for him. He could still be in the neighborhood and still wearing that mask.”
“I don’t want to hang up. I want you to keep talking to me. Brad will only be another ten minutes or so.”
“Jenny, you need to call the police.”
“Oh my God!” Jenny exclaimed suddenly.
“What?”
“He’s back!”
“If he’s knocking at the door just ignore him, hang up and call the police.”
“He’s trying to break it down, Danni! He’s slamming something against it.”
“Call the police! Hang up now. I’m on my way, but you need to dial 911 now.”
“Danni!”
Danni heard a tremendous crashing sound.
Then the line went dead in her hand.
*
When they reached the Watson home in Treme, lights were on. Quinn could see Woodrow Watson’s silhouette through the blinds.
“Someone waited up for you,” Quinn said. “Or just woke up, I guess.”
Tyler grimaced. “I feel like I have to be here for Arnie. And I’m pretty sure the Watsons feel like they have to watch over me for the same reason, for Arnie.”
“Nothing wrong with that, Tyler. Well, I’ve got to get back. I’ll see you tomorrow. Remember not to open your door to anyone you’re not one hundred percent sure of.”
“Oh, trust me. I won’t,” Tyler assured him.
It was an easy drive back at that time of the morning. Bourbon was open to traffic, the street cleaners were still out, and people who worked at the hotels and breakfast establishments were pretty much the only ones out, hurrying to work or leaning against walls on their smoke breaks.