Page 63 of Mardi Gras Murders & Midnight Masquerades
"Where his original body waits," I finished. “We need that locket.”
The others nodded, and we continued searching. Noah discovered a collection of personal items. It was clothing, jewelry, and most importantly, a portrait of Armand Delacroix in his original form. He had been strikingly handsome, with sharp features and eyes that seemed to follow us even from the faded canvas.
"That's enough to make my skin crawl," Lia muttered as she turned away from the portrait.
"Someone is going to get suspicious,” Kota pointed out. “We need to hurry."
"We'd better go," I announced, carefully replacing the artifacts we'd examined. “I’m not sure there is anything else here.”
We retraced our steps quickly and reached the business center just as voices approached from the hallway. Dre sealed the hidden entrance with a subtle gesture, the wood paneling re-forming seamlessly. Lia and I immediately moved to the antique desk and began examining it with professional interest while the others positioned themselves around the room.
"Are you finding everything you need?" a young manager asked pleasantly as he entered with a clipboard in hand.
"Absolutely," I smiled. "Your preservation efforts are commendable."
"We've completed our safety inspection," Noah added, nodding to Lucas. "Everything seems to be up to code."
The manager looked pleased. "Excellent."
Lucas and Noah engaged him in conversation about the building's structural details while the rest of us drifted toward the exit, careful not to appear too hurried. "Thank you for your time," Noah said with a professional nod as we finally steppedoutside into the bright morning sun.
We made it two blocks before ducking into a side alley, where Lia had parked her SUV. "That was cutting it close," Phi said. "Another minute and those guards would have caught us in a restricted area."
My phone rang with an unknown number before anyone could respond. I answered it on speaker. “Hello.”
"Danielle Smith?" a trembling female voice asked. "It's Griselda. I’m with the Society."
"Griselda? How did you get this number?"
"That doesn't matter," she replied urgently. "Listen, there's an emergency gathering tonight. Everyone's been summoned, including initiates. They're saying it's preparation for tonight’s ritual."
I exchanged glances with my sisters. "Where is this happening?"
"The old Blackwell mansion on St. Charles Avenue in an hour." Her voice dropped lower. "I shouldn't be telling you this, but... they have a girl there. She’s young and terrified. I think I heard someone mention you guys tried to take her from Delacroix."
"Evelyn," Dea breathed.
"I have to go," Angela said. "If they catch me..."
"Wait," I interrupted. "Why are you helping us?"
There was a pause before she answered. "Because I saw what you showed us. The truth about Delacroix. Some of us are starting to question things." The line went dead.
"This could be a trap," Lucas pointed out, his expression grim.
"Definitely," Dre agreed. "But if Evelyn is there..."
"We can't ignore it," I finished. "And a gathering of Society members might give us the perfect opportunity to locate the locket and learn more about Delacroix's plans."
"We need to find a way in that won't immediately set offalarms," Lia said, tapping her fingers on the table. "Going in the front door isn't an option."
Phi pulled out her tablet and quickly brought up schematics of the historic Blackwell mansion. "There's a service entrance through the kitchen gardens. The staff will be busy preparing for the gathering."
"We could slip in disguised as catering staff," Dea suggested.
"Too risky," Dre countered. "They'll be checking everyone against a list. But..." Her eyes lit up. "What if we're not physically there at all—at least not visibly?"
I caught her meaning immediately. "We use a cloaking spell to get inside."
