Shadows (Bayou Magic 1)

“Appreciate it,” I say with a smile, and we wait while Lewis makes the call, talks into the phone, and then nods.

“He’ll be up to get you in just a moment.”

“Thank you,” Brielle says, her smile forced as she walks to the other side of the small waiting area with me.

“What’s wrong?”

“Lots of shadows here,” she says with a sigh. “But they’re all shadows. Not apparitions. She has one looking over her shoulder.”

“Wow.”

Brielle nods. “This building is two hundred years old, so it’s not unusual for there to be lots of activity. It’s just not part of my usual routine, and—”

“You don’t like surprises,” I finish for her.

“Hello.”

We turn at the man’s voice. He’s tall with jet-black hair and tanned skin.

“Asher?”

His eyes narrow on Brielle. “Yes, I’m Lieutenant Asher Smith.”

“Lieutenant, I’m Cash Winslow. I’m with the FBI, but I’m here in an unofficial capacity. Also, I’m armed.”

I show Asher my badge and my gun, much to Brielle’s surprise.

“I didn’t know you carried a gun,” she hisses.

“Thanks for the heads-up,” Asher says. “I’ll ask you to leave your weapon with Lewis. We’ll give you a receipt for it and give it back when you leave.”

“Understood,” I reply. It’s standard procedure.

Once my gun is locked away and I have my receipt, Asher leads us back through the bullpen to his office. He shuts the door and gestures for us to sit.

“How can I help you?”

Brielle licks her lips and glances over at me. “I don’t know where to start.”

“Start at the beginning,” I urge her. “That’s always the best route.”

She nods, looks at Asher, and starts her story.

“I see the dead.”

Asher’s brows climb into his hairline, but he listens quietly as she walks him through all of the events, step by step, from the night I met her until now.

Before he can reply once she’s finished, there’s a knock on his door, and a woman pokes her head in. “The body found this morning has been identified. Tammy Holmes.”

“Thanks.”

The female officer nods and shuts the door behind her.

“I think we’re going to have to come back to this,” Asher says. “I have a full plate right now—”

“I know what happened to her,” Brielle says, her voice taking on a hint of desperation now.

Asher’s eyes narrow on Brielle. “Go on.”

“She was beaten severely. Her face was almost no longer recognizable.” Brielle shakes her head, then describes the way the victim was cut open, and all of the other atrocities done to her.

When she finishes, Asher sits back in his chair, staring across his desk silently.

“You don’t believe me,” Brielle whispers.

“This is New Orleans,” Asher says. “I’ve seen a lot of things in this town. But we haven’t released any of that information to the press.”

“I don’t need you to,” Brielle says, raising her chin.

“Okay, then tell me how you can help. Were you there? Did you see him do those things to her?”

“No, I see things after the fact. As I said, I see dead people. The girls came to me, but they haven’t told me how to find them yet, just that I have to find them. I already told you that.”

“Listen. I have a dozen missing girls, all with the same MO. We finally found one in the bayou this morning, which just confirms my worst suspicions. I need more to go on. The fact that they’re simply dead doesn’t help me. I need to know where, how, when.”

“I know,” Brielle whispers.

“What do you do for the FBI?” Asher asks me.

“I’m a profiler.”

He looks between Brielle and me, then slides his card over to me. “Keep me posted. In an official capacity, I’m not ashamed to admit that I could use you on this case, Cash.”

“I can ask to be assigned to it,” I offer.

“Let me request it, officially,” Asher says. “I’ll put that through this morning.”

“You’re going to let us help?” Brielle asks.

“Him,” Asher says, pointing to me. “Because he has a badge and the knowledge I need. But I want to know if and when you know more.”

“Okay.”

We stand to walk out of the office. Brielle walks out first, and Asher asks me to hang back.

“I also want you to keep an eye on her,” he says quietly. “For protection, and to make sure she’s not dicking with us.”

“She’s not,” I assure him. “And I know you’re bringing me on so you can keep an eye on us. This isn’t my first rodeo.”

“As long as we understand each other.”Chapter EightBrielle“At least he didn’t look at me like I’m crazy,” I mutter when we walk out of the police station, Cash tucking his gun back into its holster under his pant leg. “Why didn’t I know you’ve been carrying that?”

“You never asked me,” he says with a crooked grin. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and frowns down at it.