The Devil's Daughter Complete Box Set, page 104
part #1 of The Devil's Daughter Series
She took a seat while Riley remained at the door like a henchman expecting an unwanted intruder. “I don’t know what she’s up to. My task is freeing the drug addicts from Marjory Laroque’s basement.”
“Have you been talking to Polly?”
Doodlebug clenched her fist under the desk where the man wouldn’t be able to see. She’d really hoped to avoid talking about the group of busybodies. “Why?”
“I thought she was coordinating the efforts on this side of the divide.” The man pulled some rolled-up blueprints from the bottom drawer of his desk. “I already sent this information to hell. Supposedly, Bart made the same move to rescue the totems that hold the stoners’ souls.”
“Good to know we had the same thought. It would have been nice if they’d told me.” Though the interdimensional meeting with Sere as a dragon had still been going on when Doodlebug left, if there was an important new development, they should have told her. She reached over and unrolled the pages, which ended up covering the desk. “What is all of this crap?”
“The Laroque mansion.” He pulled out an extendable metal pointer and aimed it at the drawing like a doctor looking at an x-ray. “This is where Bart was going to make his attack. The Laroques make a big deal of security out front, but they prefer their privacy when it comes to the backyard gardens.”
“I’m familiar with the layout.”
He looked up from his explanation. “I’m sorry. Of course you are. I forgot you played a gig there in hell. The door down to the cellar is right off the back entrance.”
“I remember seeing it. So that’s where the zombies are being held. Anything else you can tell me?”
He pulled a small black book from the same drawer. “Marjory relies on her brother’s connections with the police force for securing the grounds. After my online financial manipulations last time, she started paying those off-duty cops in cash. You’re going to need another way of calling off the dogs.”
Doodlebug got up. Time was slipping away. “I’ll figure something out.”
Fisher leaned back in his leather executive chair. “I can see it’s pointless to tell you to talk with the others. You remind me of Sere the first time I met her. Bart’s on his way from hell. He’ll take over once he gets here. He’ll probably need all the help you can provide.”
“Bart’s coming?” Riley had managed to keep her tits out of the conversation, but her excited reaction to the former Navy SEAL’s arrival told Doodlebug more about their past relationship than she really wanted to know.
Riley had been right about the Jeep. It stood out like a high school kid’s jalopy among the BMWs and Mercedes that lined the street in the Garden District. Had it been in hell, Doodlebug would have known what to do. Life, however, was a constant confusion for her. She leaned over the gearshift. “What do we do now?”
Riley sat hunched over the steering wheel like she was stalking an ex-lover. “If this were up north, I’d simply get out and wiggle my ass. That never fails to call out any hidden security guard, but then, gender roles are a lot simpler up there.”
Doodlebug stared at the woman in the dark. “So we need a diversion?”
Riley tapped the gun in the rack over their heads. “Darlin’, I sling drinks for a living. If there’s a problem, I pull out my tits or my shotgun. Either one usually gets the attention of the combatants. Down here, if you’re relying on me for answers, we’re all in serious trouble.” Between the beer, the blaster, and the breasts, Riley was a walking distraction all on her own but, unfortunately, not the type that would call out a covert guard.
The police car that rolled up behind them let out half of a siren blast but didn’t flash its lights. Doodlebug hadn’t heard or seen the bastard approach.
“Fuck.” Riley kept her hands on the steering wheel.
The cop got out of his cruiser, checked his weapon, and approached the Jeep. “License and registration.”
“We’re not moving, officer. You can’t ask for paperwork if we’re just sitting in the car.” Riley’s downcast look and clenched jaw perfectly matched her tone of controlled defiance.
“Can I ask what you two are doing here?” The guy held his thumbs under the gleaming belt buckle like some pervert.
“Is it a crime to sit in a car?” Doodlebug said. Since their secrecy was blown, she didn’t see any point in being hospitable.
“Are you Dooly Buell?” The dude moved his hand to his sidearm.
She didn’t know how to answer. To say no, though technically the truth, would require some alternate relationship like twin sister, which would be a lie. To say yes, though mostly accurate, would still be a lie. A snarky response seemed the best course of action.
“What’s it to you?”
“She hasn’t done anything wrong.” Riley kept her hands on the wheel, but from her half glance over her shoulder, Doodlebug knew she wanted to reach for the shotgun.
“Are you her mother?” the guy asked.
Riley gripped the wheel so hard her knuckles turned white. “Do I look like her mother?”
He took a half step back from the passenger-side door and unlatched his holster. “I’m going to have to ask you both to come with me.”
Lights were coming on in mansion windows. People were beginning to peek through the shades. No one’s cause would be furthered by the two of them getting into a full-on battle in the street with a cop. Riley put her hand on Doodlebug’s arm. “We’ll come peacefully.”
Doodlebug turned away from the cop-car window as they sped through the Garden District. “Why, for the love of God, did you let him load us into this cruiser?”
“We didn’t have a plan, and sitting out there was only going to call attention to us.” Riley gave Doodlebug a long glare that conveyed what she dared not say—that they still had resources and if they’d taken things any further, those rural hotheads might have come swooping in for an ill-considered rescue attempt. The woman had to protect the barflies, and with her and Doodlebug in police custody, all she could do was hope the gator hunters and random drunks had stuck to the backup plan—though leaving them at a bar awaiting orders didn’t seem like the best idea to Doodlebug.
She went back to staring out the window. “Unless things are radically different from what I remember, this isn’t the way to the police station.”
The cop turned into the parking lot of an abandoned building then continued on until the car was undercover and out of sight from the street. “Someone wants to have a talk with you. Just cool your jets.” He got out, left the door open, and walked to the garage entrance like he was about to stand guard.
A large man appeared, filling the door opening, and plopped down on the driver’s seat. “Just tell me this. What exactly was your plan? I mean, even if you had gotten past the security detail, broken into my sister’s home, and managed to get the dead walking, what were you going to do with them?”
Doodlebug wasn’t sure if she should be afraid or relieved. “You’re Gerald Laroque. Bart said I should find you if things turned ugly.”
The former chief of police’s face in the rearview mirror didn’t look happy to see her. “I’m only useful if no one knows I’m helping you people. Start talking, or I’ll have my friend out there haul you into the station just to keep you from causing real trouble.”
“Sere told me to watch out for Aloysius and stop his demons.”
The big man turned in the seat to face her. “You’ve seen my grandson?”
She’d made a promise to keep his location a secret. “He’s safe for now.”
“How did you find us?” Riley asked.
“Though my sister lives in the mansion, it belongs to both of us. That means I have complete control of its security. I’m not stupid, unlike some people. Both Sere and Bart told me to keep an eye out for you, so when I spotted you on the neighborhood police cams, I sent someone to fetch you. Now, tell me about my grandson. Where is he?”
“I promised I wouldn’t. He did tell me that if I saw you to say he didn’t turn evil.”
The big man’s nod was heavy with emotion. “Then let me tell you what I know, and if our stories mesh, maybe you’ll be a little more forthcoming with your information. Bart made it out of hell. The first thing he did was check in with his drinking biker buddies. They saw an overweight alligator hunter taking Sere out on his boat. Since we know Sere’s soul is in hell, and my sister has control of her body, I have to assume that Aloysius is somewhere out in the swamp, and she’s gone after him. How am I doing so far?”
“Fucking Cody!” Riley hit the car door.
Doodlebug was beginning to understand how manipulative humans could be. “To be fair, he didn’t impress me as the smartest gator hunter in the swamp.”
Riley took a calming breath. “True. And he’s gone up against the real Sere enough times and had his pride handed to him that he’s not likely to cross her again. Marjory wouldn’t have had to work very hard to convince him to do whatever Sere said.”
Doodlebug honestly didn’t care what the fat oaf thought. “At this point, it doesn’t matter. We have to accept that Marjory has Aloysius. This is bad. When I talked to Aloysius, he was pretty sure his great-aunt wanted to possess his immortal body.”
Riley squeezed her eyes shut. “So while we were barhopping our way down to New Orleans and playing zombie stakeout, Marjory—in the form of Sere—conned her way out to the island and abducted the new immortal.”
Gerald started the police cruiser. “There’s only one place she’d take him. But we’re going to need some magic first.” Before putting the car in gear, he pulled out a cell phone, punched the screen, and put it to his ear. “We need to meet. I’m coming to you this time.” He gave the horn a light blast then turned to the policeman standing guard and yelled, “Get in.”
99
Chapter 14
“This is Kendell and Myles’s place.” Though Doodlebug had never been there personally, Dooly’s memories of the hot bath and warm couch after years of sleeping on the street were pretty specific.
“We have a long history.” Gerald parked the police car right up front in a tow-away zone as if marking the building as one involved in something nefarious. “One that I suspect all of us would rather forget.”
“What do you want me to do, boss?” the cop in the passenger seat asked.
“Drive Miss O’Leary back to her Jeep. I’m sure there are some people wondering what happened to her.” Gerald looked at the sexy bartender through the safety glass. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
Riley shook her head. “Based on my time with these people, you might want to start being a little more specific on that point.”
He stepped out of the car and opened the back door for Doodlebug. “Things were a lot simpler when Joe was around.”
She got out but didn’t respond. At this point in their acquaintance, if Chief Laroque heard that she was the one who pulled the trigger on Joe, he could too easily turn from an ally into an enemy. She followed him down the carriageway of the converted Creole townhouse, past the black motorcycle, and up the back stairs.
Two dogs were barking their fool heads off behind the door. Even from outside, Doodlebug knew one of them wasn’t of this world. The other had the spooky, hair-raising howl of a creature who’d seen too much. She reached for the missing katana sword that she’d given up in hell.
Myles opened the door, holding the small black hellhound like it was an annoying but harmless puppy, while Kendell held the larger animal that had participated in more than her fair share of mysteries. “Come in.” He checked behind them before closing the door.
Spotting Bart, Doodlebug had a momentary irrational desire to hug the big man. She fought back the confusing emotion. “Looks like you made it.”
“It’s good to be back.” Like every warrior she’d known, he didn’t unload the events like some whiny little bitch.
As Myles set his dog down, she really wished she had a weapon to defend herself. “What’s with the monsters?” She tried not to make the question come out as an accusation.
Kendell set her overweight dog down next to the black hellion. “These are Cheesecake and her pup Doughnut Hole. I’d guess they might seem a little strange to you. Doughnut Hole comes from your dimension. Both dogs have been gifted with long life from the loas of the dead for our help in dealing with Baron Malveaux. But I’m sure that’s not why you’re here.”
Chief Laroque remained close to the door. “Events are in motion that I can’t control. Thanks to Sere and her hell-based assistant here, my grandson hasn’t been destroyed. However, now that he’s immortal, my sister has her sights on him. We have a shared problem.”
Kendell led the way into the living room and took a seat on the couch. “You’re not telling us anything new or what you want us to do about the situation.”
Gerald picked up a chess set from the bookcase, dumped the contents on the coffee table, and lined up the opposing pieces. “Here’s how I see the problem. Each of these represents a body and their spirit—be it human, doppelgänger, or immortal.” He stood the rectangular box on its end. “And this is the vault. It can only handle one transfer of soul to body at a time.” He wrapped a rubber band around the two kings and another around the black knight and white queen. He then placed the two sets in the vault. “Marjory’s first act will be to leave Sere’s body and take over my immortal grandson.” He removed the rubber band from the queen and added it to the kings then took them out of the box. “That will leave Sere’s body in the vault.”
Bart rubbed his jaw while staring at the game pieces. “Sanguine had to open the hellmouth for Lefty to ferry me across. She’s standing on her island in hell with the other vault, waiting for Sere to return with the totems. To stop Marjory from crushing up the dragons—both doppelgänger spirits and human souls—in order to create her immortals, the mirrors have to be taken out of hell and returned to their living bodies.”
Myles set all of the pawns representing the dragons and demons to the side. “Since Sere’s body will still be inside the vault, she needs to transfer over first. That’s going to be a little complicated.”
“When isn’t it complicated with Sere?” Bart asked.
Doodlebug hated the complexity of the problem. “She can give Smoke his body back easily enough. All she has to do is step into the vault. Since the dragon spirit is in the totem, it should be an easy transfer.” She set the other side of the box back-to-back with the one Gerald had set up then put a knight in each one.
“This is where things get messy.” Myles set up the game board then took the white knight and put it on the edge. “Sere’s soul entered our game from the vault in life, but she escaped Marjory by jumping into the professor’s computer. From there, she was hooked to Jennifer so that the Cormorant would drag her across dimensions.” With each explanation he moved the piece farther onto the board. “Simply relying on Sere’s body—which is actually Jennifer’s mirror and not Sere’s original body—to call her soul from hell won’t be enough. Voodoo won’t do—we need the science as well to get her off the board.”
Bart pulled out his phone and tossed it onto the table. “That’s why I left Sere’s interdimensional phone with Sanguine. After Jennifer used it out in the swamp to connect to Sere in the computer, I brought it with me to hell. When our girl enters hell’s vault, she won’t be alone. Jennifer can call her from the professor’s equipment to establish their connection across dimensions—basically the reverse of how she ended up in hell in the first place.”
“Wait.” Doodlebug threw the game’s rule book on top. “We could be springing Marjory’s trap. Since Sere wouldn’t technically be immortal outside of her body, Baron Samedi could finally claim possession of her once she’s out of hell. We don’t dare try to put her together again without knowing she can set foot out of the vault into life and not into Guinee. We need to know which side the loa of the dead is on before we do anything.”
The dog at Myles’s feet started whimpering at the mention of the voodoo lords. “I’ll get my cane,” Myles said while patting the hell mutt’s head.
“Don’t call Baron Samedi just yet.” Gerald sat on the couch and looked over the mess on the coffee table. He took the black queen and hid it under a magazine. “The only reason I’m joining in this game of magic is to save my grandson, and to do that, we need to keep my sister out of him. How do we accomplish that if we don’t yet have her body? Since she’s the one making the first move, I need an answer before I’ll agree to all of these other shenanigans.”
Kendell sat with her elbows on her knees and her hands at her mouth. “I might have a solution. We need another voodoo totem.”
“Aren’t they all in hell, holding the stoners’ souls?” Doodlebug asked.
Kendell and Myles stared at each other for an uncomfortably long time. Doodlebug could practically see the conversation take place in their eyes. “She hasn’t been seen in decades,” Myles finally said. “Not since we deposited Baron Malveaux’s soul in the deep waters.”
Kendell kept her body tightly wound as she looked up at him. “And with good reason. She betrayed not only her voodoo lords but also the Laroque family.”
Doodlebug hated it when people left important information out of their story. “Who are you talking about?”
Kendell let out a deep sigh. “I only knew her as Madam de Galpion. She was a voodoo priestess living in the Quarter—a direct descendent of Marie Laveau. We never would have been able to trap Baron Malveaux without her. The baron stole the original eight totems from her shop. Before she went into hiding, she gave me her voodoo journals.”
Myles stared out the French doors at the balcony trimmed in an elegant wrought-iron railing. “We could try her old shop.”
Kendell scratched the head of her ever-present Lhasa apso. “I walk Cheesecake and Doughnut Hole past it every day. It’s nothing more than a tourist trap at this point. When she disappeared, I went through every hidden door and secret curio cabinet I could find. Unless she built an in-between portal, she’s not there.”
