Page 14 of Cheater Slicks

Hand to Rollo’s back, she shoved him ahead of her. “Nothing yet, but I’ll keep trying.”

As a peaceful quiet settled around us, I noticed we were missing someone. “Where’s Badb?”

“Scouting the city.” Kierce hung back to give Pascal and me more space to enter the narrow chamber. The walkway was maybe three feet wide with marble slabs recessed into the walls another two feet to either side and across the back. “She’ll meet up with us outside.”

Pedro stood from where he had been sitting when he noticed us, and Pascal took his place, climbing into the nook and lying down on the slab. As soon as he was settled, I rested my palm on his warm forehead, releasing his soul from Matty’s body in a wisp of blue light.

As soon as Pedro gained his sea legs inside Matty, we exited the crypt, Pascal jittering with excitement.

We handed him off to Rollo outside, waited until Josie and Pedro ordered a Swyft to Magazine Street, then started walking.

Noting our direction, Kierce asked, “Where are we going?”

“Before we hit the cemeteries, I want to check out Bad Beats. It’s a para-owned bar on Frenchman.”

“Any particular reason why?”

“The bartender is known for selling information to the right person for the right price. He’s not a nice guy. I guess he can’t afford to be in his line of work, but he still gives me the creeps.”

A static crackle moved through him, but he doused his reaction. “How did you two meet?”

“Through Vi. She uses him to keep tabs on persons of interest from time to time. His intel is good. He doesn’t lie or cheat. But he’s not someone I would want to meet in a dark alley after a few hurricanes. I’ve never approached him on my own. I can’t say I’m looking forward to it.”

Part of my education included how to seek out and vet people like Pierre, and also how to survive them. I had put those skills to use establishing a few sources in the Savannah area, but no one in his league.

“I’ll be right here.” Kierce threaded his fingers through mine. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Uncertain I would have risked this trip solo, I squeezed his hand, grateful for the support. “I’m counting on it.”

The hour was early enough we had no trouble finding spots at the bar, but the bartender I had hoped to see was nowhere in sight.

While we waited, I ordered a black and bleu burger with garlic parm fries for myself. Kierce opted for the Ethel burger, rare, with a side of plain fries he intended to hand off to Badb later. We kept an ear out for any gossip about roving spirits or soulless bodies while we ate, but I didn’t hear anything promising.

A half hour later, a lanky man with sunken cheeks and greasy hair strolled out of the back room with an upbeat gait and a wild grin carving his bloodless mouth as if the world was his oyster and he had just pried a gleaming pearl from its softness.

Pierre D'Aboville. Bartender. Information broker. Man in need of a bath.

“Frankie Talbot.” He noticed me the second he reached the register. “Long time, no see.”

“Yeah, that happens when you move out of state.”

Drawing a circle in the air above his head, he grinned. “Looks like you got a promotion.”

Given his line of work, I wasn’t surprised he saw the dark corona I wore.

Folks who used runners like the Buckley Boys to gather intel for their clients tended to perceive more than just the spirits in their employ. “Something like that.”

As his interest flitted away from me, his eyes gleaming as they landed on Kierce, I knew this had been a mistake. Nothing that lit up Pierre could mean anything good for us. I had let our past interactions color my perception of him, but I had failed to grasp how tight a leash Vi must have kept on him when I paid visits.

Eager for what he could tell us, what information he would sell us, I hadn’t considered that any news gleaned from our conversation might go on the auction block next.

“The Viduus.” Pierre laughed out loud. “As I live and breathe.”

Angling his head in a crowlike tilt, Kierce studied Pierre. “Have we met?”

“I’m hurt you don’t remember, but I’m sure there are plenty of things you don’t recall anymore.” He rubbed a finger alongside his nose. “I could remind you, for a price.”

Oh, yeah. This had been a mistake. I shouldn’t have brought Kierce. I should have approached Pierre as an old friend with a few questions to ask the right person and not tipped my hand.

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