Father Ryan walked over. “Come on, darlin’, let’s get those plates moving.”
Amy laughed, took the plates from Danni and started handing them out. Danni smiled at Father Ryan. “I didn’t know you were friends with the Baptists.”
“And why not? We’re not so different.” He shrugged. “One of my best friends is a voodoo priestess, why not a Baptist? And if that throws you for a loop, I’ll bring over Rabbi Abramson next time I come.”
Despite the fact that she was so tired she felt as if she had a hangover, and despite the fear gripping the city, Danni found the evening strangely pleasant. They talked about sports and movies and art as they ate pizza, and drank water and beer and soda.
Then it was time for the musicians to head off to their respective venues. Quinn, Brad and Jenny headed out first in Quinn’s car. Then Danni got up to leave with Billie, Tyler, Natasha and Father Ryan, and, as they headed to the door, she realized that Pastor Cooke was joining them, too.
Tyler, walking by Danni’s side, said jokingly as they left the house, “What’s this world coming to? We’re heading to work accompanied by a voodoo priestess, a priest and a pastor. Everyone at La Porte Rouge is going to be afraid to sin!”
Soft laughter followed his words.
Billie was in the lead, his head bowed in deep thought. Behind them, Natasha, Pastor Cooke and Father Ryan were involved in conversation. And Danni realized that Tyler had been waiting for his chance to talk to her.
“How was Kevin Hart?” he asked her.
“He’s overcome so much. He’s an amazing guy,” she said.
“I’d like to meet the man face-to-face one day. I feel close to him, you know? We shared a best friend.”
“We invited him to visit sometime, when he’s ready, of course. So maybe you’ll get your chance.”
“You know someone like him, and you just want to help them, you know?” Tyler said. “But I guess what’s most important at the moment is, was he able to help at all?”
“Yes and no,” Danni said. “He didn’t know anyone who didn’t get along with Arnie. But there is one thing. Did you know anything about Arnie being interested in a woman? Someone he might have been falling in love with?”
Tyler looked surprised and shook his head. “Arnie liked to flirt, but he was never obnoxious about it. He was a good-looking guy in great shape. A lot of women gave him that look, you know? But if there was someone...he didn’t tell me. Damn. Why didn’t he tell me?”
“He didn’t tell Kevin who it was. He just told him that there was someone. It sounded like he had a massive crush on someone and didn’t think she felt the same way about him, so he hadn’t said anything to her.”
“He could have told me anything,” Tyler said.
“Did he sneak off a lot? Hide what he was doing?”
Tyler laughed at that. “We were friends—I wasn’t his keeper. He was living at his parents’ house, but he was a grown man. You’d have to ask the Watsons whether he came home every night or not.”
“Thanks,” Danni told him. “I will ask them.”
They’d reached La Porte Rouge. A small, sluggish crowd was in. Monday nights didn’t tend to be wild, but since the city had begun its laborious comeback after the summer of storms, every night meant that someone was in the city, barhopping along Bourbon. The hawkers on the street had to work harder on Monday nights, but there were usually enough people to keep them busy, just with more breaks between spiels.
Shamus, Gus and Blake were setting up when they arrived. Before they could even say hello, Shamus greeted them with, “Did you hear what happened to Arnie’s house last night? It was all over the news. Place totally trashed. Man, someone had a vengeance bone out for him or someone in his family.”
Tyler nodded. “Yeah, I know. I’ve been with Arnie’s folks most of the day.”
“They doing okay?” Blake asked.
“Yeah, as much as anyone could after everything they’ve been through,” Tyler said.
“Must be another maniac in the city,” Shamus said. “I mean, whoever it was couldn’t have gone there to kill Arnie, ’cause Arnie’s already dead. This is getting bad, really bad.”
“Worse and worse,” Blake said.
“But at least his folks are all right. They are, aren’t they?” Shamus asked anxiously.
“Yeah, yeah, they were out staying with friends. Didn’t know a thing about it until the police told them,” Tyler said.
Danni watched the band members as they spoke, and she wondered if she should be worried for them or because of them.
Kevin had said that Blake had taken the sax from Arnie to show him how something should be played but they hadn’t fought, because Arnie didn’t fight.