“We came with Amy and Woodrow Watson to visit Arnie’s grave,” Danni was explaining.
“We’re here to visit my mom,” Sharon said. “I lost her about a year ago, to cancer. This cemetery is so pretty. We figured we’d bring her some flowers then grab something to eat that wasn’t prepared in a Bourbon Street bar,” she explained then rolled her eyes. “We live in a city with some of the finest restaurants in the world, but we never seem to get a chance to eat at any of them. We wanted to do something different.”
“Like visit a cemetery,” Gus said. “Wait, sorry, didn’t mean that, Sharon. I know how much you still miss your mom.”
“I never mind a trip to one of our cemeteries,” Eric said. “They’re so beautiful.”
“You have a family plot anywhere in the city?” Quinn asked him.
Eric nodded. “We do, actually. One day I’ll get to rest in the old family pile of stones way over there in the back.”
“Hopefully not too soon,” Amy said.
Quinn turned in surprise to see that she, Woodrow and Tyler had joined them.
“Mrs. Watson, Mr. Watson,” Gus said. “It’s good to see you. We’re all so sorry. We heard about what happened to your house.”
“Material things, my boy,” Woodrow said. “Material things mean nothing.”
“And a son means everything,” Jessica said, walking over to the Watsons. “Everything in the world. I’m so sorry about Arnie.”
“Thank you, child,” Amy said. “And once we’re back home, don’t you young people be strangers, you hear?” she said.
Jessica flushed and nodded; she seemed uncomfortable, almost as if she felt she had been too familiar.
“Arnie will always be with us,” Sharon said gently. “Any of us who knew him. And we can all still listen to his music, since he played on so many recordings.”
Quinn realized that Sharon seemed to be there with Gus. Not just as a friend, but with Gus. Were Eric and Jessica a couple, too? He’d never seen Jessica appear to be particularly close with Eric, but the four of them were there together.
Amy smiled. “Yes, we have his music in the computer, and we’re grateful for that,” she said. She looked at Quinn. “I’m feeling a little tired right now. Can we go?”
“Of course, of course,” Danni assured her. “See you soon,” she said to the others.
They left the cemetery. Danni, her arm around Amy, walked just ahead of Quinn. He heard Amy tell her, “That girl gives me the willies.”
“Really? Which girl? Jessica?” Danni asked.
“No, not Jessica. That other girl, that Sharon. I don’t know what it is—she just makes me shiver. Jessica, now, she’s a sweet thing. Don’t know what she’s doing with Eric Lyons, though. That no-account... He’s not going nowhere but a bar all his life. Well, that’s just me, and I’m sorry, don’t mean any disrespect. But they should want more, you know? Like a real life.”
“Well, it’s an honest living,” Danni told her.
“I know, but they can do better. Eric, he can really play. And Jessica is a little lark. All of them except for that Sharon. That girl...there’s something not right about her.”
“Well, we’ll keep an eye on her,” Danni promised.
She turned around and looked at Quinn. He nodded then turned himself to look at the group they had just left.
Gus and Sharon, Eric and Jessica.
And I’d been thinking Blake Templeton, he thought.
And maybe he hadn’t been wrong. As Danni had said, they would keep an eye on Sharon. He would mention her to Larue, as well.
They would keep an eye on the others, too.
Everyone at La Porte Rouge.
*
When they returned to the house, Jenny and Brad were at the kitchen table, and Wolf was on guard and not sure whom to go crazy over first.
It was almost closing time for the store, so Danni excused herself to head into the shop area and check on Bo Ray. He told her all was well, and that Natasha and Father Ryan had been in. He grinned and told her that he knew they’d only been by to make sure he was okay.
When Danni returned to the kitchen, she discovered Jenny pointing out people in the picture to Quinn, while Brad looked on. Everyone else was gone.
“Danni has this mortified look on her face,” Jenny said. “It’s pretty funny.”
“Anyone else have a picture like this?” Quinn asked.
“My dad took it and had a bunch printed, so yeah. It also appeared in the newspaper,” Danni said.
“Do you think it will help?” Jenny asked.
“Yes, thank you, I think it will,” Quinn said. He looked at her.
Danni straightened the scrapbook so that Quinn could see more easily and said, “Here are your victims, the three who were killed, Holton and Barrett, and there’s Arnie. And here are Jeff and Jenny and Brad. And there’s Steve. And Tyler.”
“Who else do we know in this picture?” Quinn asked.