Where The Devil Won't Go: A Lucas Peyroux Novel by E.J. Findorff Page B

it. I can’t even be sure I
didn’t start it all. I always got a little touchy-feely when I drank, but I’ve
never blacked out before. It’s really just my word against theirs and everyone
at the party says I was dancing with Tray.” Her eyes waited as if searching for
something poignant from me.
    “At this point, it would be a tough case
to win, but at least you would have a moral victory.”
    “Moral victory? Get real. I’d get labeled
a liar and have to live under the stares and accusations of these hypocritical
Catholics who judge me despite living under God’s rule of ‘thou shall not judge’.”
    “Those kinds of people are ignorant.”
    “Thanks, but they’re my people.”
    I got up, indicating I’ve stayed long
enough. “Anyway, I’ll help you if you ever want to go forward with that.”
    “Maybe one day. You still feel guilty
about shooting me?”
    I sucked in a breath, choosing not to
answer. “Your mother is pretty stubborn about Haley.”
    “Yeah, things were weird between them
even before Haley left. She doesn’t believe that my father used to beat her.
Did she invite you to stay for the boil?”
    “Yeah, she did.”
    “Manners and appearances are very
important to her. Even out here.” Cozy broke down again and buried her face in
her hands. “I’m sorry.”
    “I was hoping you could give me a recent
picture of her.”
    She regained composure and opened her
dresser where a picture presented itself. She handed it to me with a slight
smile.
    “Can I get one of Ash, too?” I pointed to
one.
    “Sure. Why?”
    “We’re going to question him and want to
scan it for the file.”
    “You’re lying, Detective Lucas.” She
wiped under her nose.
    “I think you can just call me Lucas.” I
leaned against the door frame .
    “Lucas.” She almost smiled. “I know Ash has
nothing to do with this.”
    “We have to check so we can say so in
court.” I slipped the pictures into the folder.
    “What’s going to happen to her body?”
    “If it turns out to be Haley and she
isn’t claimed, she’ll be cremated and put in storage.”
    “I’ll talk to momma about bringing her
back here. Was she wearing an alligator pendant when you found her?”
    “No. No jewelry or clothes.” A
half-second too late, I cringed at my mistake.
    “No clothes? She was naked? So, where was
her phone?”
    She was quick. I swallowed hard and felt
the room become pressurized, or maybe it was my head. “You don’t want to know.”
    “Oh. Oh, my God.” A fresh stream of tears
cascaded down her cheeks. “That’s sadistic.”
    “We think she may have done it herself,
so she could be identified. That would make her very smart.”
    “That’s her, pretty smart.”
    “We kept that fact from the press because
it helps us weed out the crackpots who claim they have information.”
      “Can I follow you to her apartment? I can collect her
things.” Cozy stood with renewed vigor.
    “Sure. It’s near the station. I can drive
your car and Tara can follow us.”
    “Okay, but it’s a piece of crap Civic
from the stone age.”
    “That’s fine. What about your mother?”
    “She wouldn’t want to come.”
    “No, I mean will she let you go?”
    She looked to the side as if she could
see through the wall. “She won’t want me to go, but she knows she can’t stop
me. Wait for me outside.”
    Cozy was seventeen and didn’t need her
mother’s permission, so I waited on the porch as she instructed. Ashton
Bergeron, who I remembered meeting for a brief second from the hospital, could
wait to be questioned. Bringing Cozy to Haley’s apartment seemed like a much
better idea at this point.

 
    Chapter 9
    My partner extended a fair amount of trust
in letting me handle Cozy, but maybe that was the plan to get me over the hump.
Tara also understood that Cozy was more likely to open up to me than anyone
else. We drove out of the bayou and into Kenner as if changing a channel. The
unremarkable city turned seamlessly