Mostly Murder by Linda Ladd Page B

didn’t falter. He was a nice-looking man, and he had been good to her once upon a time. “Sure thing, no problem. The TV folks are callin’ you a super detective, that true? Wanna come over and join us at the NOPD? We sure could use you.”
    â€œI’m hardly that. I just got involved in a couple of newsworthy crimes.”
    â€œWell, Luc and Clyde and the rest of us are sure glad you’re back.”
    But there was one person that Claire was interested in. “What about Gabe? I haven’t run into him yet. He still live around here?”
    â€œAh, Gabe. No, no, he went bad from what I hear. Got himself into drugs and spent some time in prison. You know, just went down the wrong path.”
    Zee was just standing there, looking from one to the other, obviously surprised about their past relationship.
    â€œZee, Rene’s a friend of the family I lived with down here for a while.”
    Rene nodded. “Yeah, Bobby LeFevres was his name, and a better officer you’d never find.”
    â€œYeah?” said Zee. “Didn’t know that.”
    â€œBobby and I both rode patrol here in the city. Down in Lower Ninth, mostly.”
    â€œLuc says they both died a long time ago,” Claire said. “I was sorry to hear it. He and Kristen were really good to me back then.”
    â€œYeah, I still miss them. He was a good friend and a good cop.”
    Okay, enough of his sentimental drive down memory lane. Claire was eager to get inside and find something that could help them. On the other hand, they were in Rene’s jurisdiction and had to play his game, no matter how chatty he wanted to be.
    â€œBobby and Kristen were just sick when Family Services wouldn’t let you stay with them. They tried to get you back legally, but it didn’t go down that way.”
    Claire began to get annoyed. She didn’t want to have this conversation and had told him as much. Most of her childhood years had not been pleasant, and a lot of it was fuzzy now, anyway. The LeFevreses had been the bright spot. They’d treated her like a daughter. It had broken her heart when she had been forced to leave them, especially their son, Gabriel. “Okay, Rene, enough about me. Let’s go in. It’s gonna be dark soon.”
    â€œOkay, good enough. Guess what? I already found the key. Right over there on a hook behind the first step.”
    â€œThen let’s do it.”
    Rene Bourdain took the lead. Zee gave Claire a questioning glance as they followed him up the inside steps. Few people knew about the things she’d suffered during the years when she’d endured so many foster families, not even Black, and that’s the way she wanted to keep it. Her own personal little childhood hell, but it was long over.
    The steps were neatly repaired and covered with a fresh coat of gray paint. Claire took in everything outside, searching for signs of struggle or forced entry, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Rene opened the screen door and tried the handle. The steel front door was painted indigo blue and was locked up tight. He glanced back at Claire. “I can’t believe it’s really you, Annie. After all this time. God sure does work in mysterious ways.”
    Feeling like she was lost in an episode of Lost , Claire strove to keep things professional. “Think we ought to knock first, Bourdain? Just in case somebody’s home?”
    â€œOh, c’mon now, chère . It’s Rene to you, always.” Grinning, he tapped on the door with one knuckle, and they all waited. No answer. No sound of running feet going out the back door, either, or of a shotgun being ratcheted. All good signs, under the circumstances. They waited some more. Rene smiled at her until she felt distinctly uncomfortable.
    Jeez, what was with this guy? He was looking her over like a blue-ribbon steer, for God’s sake. She stayed in serious-as-sin business mode and hoped he would