The Whispering Room. Amanda Stevens

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СКАЧАТЬ believed him?”

      She sighed. “I didn’t have any reason not to. Then.”

      Evangeline hesitated for a split second to make sure nothing in her voice betrayed her agitation. “Did you ask him specifically about the dead cop?”

      “Yes, but he said he was just being melodramatic. Trying to make a point. Paul could be very theatrical when he needed to be. That’s why he was such an effective trial lawyer.”

      “He didn’t mention the cop’s name?”

      Something in Evangeline’s voice caught Meredith’s attention. She gave her a thoughtful look. “Not that I remember.”

      “What about the two men? Did he call either of them by name? Or a title? Detective So-and-So, for instance. Or maybe Agent So-and-So?”

      “I don’t believe so, no. But as I said, I’d forgotten about the incident until now. Maisie and I left for the Bahamas the next day, and when we got back, Paul had already moved out. He told me the marriage hadn’t been working for him for a very long time.” She shook her head, as if she still couldn’t believe it. “Just like that, our marriage was over. And I thought everything was so good between us. We had arguments, of course, like every married couple, but for the most part…” Her voice thickened. “I guess that’s why they say the wife is always the last to know.” Her tears spilled over and Evangeline handed her another tissue. “I’m sorry. This is bringing back a lot of painful memories.”

      “Don’t worry about it.” Evangeline fished a card from her purse and laid it on the coffee table. “Here’s my number if you think of anything else. My cell number is on the back. Call anytime, day or night.”

      “In the meantime, we’ll need someone to come to the morgue to ID the body,” Mitchell informed her.

      “But…you said identification was found on the body.”

      Hope springs eternal, Evangeline thought wearily. “A positive ID is just routine procedure. If you’re not up to it, we can talk to another family member.”

      Meredith winced at the suggestion. “Oh, no, please don’t call his mother. Not until I’ve had a chance to break it to her first. This is going to kill her.”

      “I understand.”

      “It’s just…it hasn’t even been a year since she lost her other son. Paul’s younger brother.”

      “I’m so sorry,” Evangeline said.

      “It was such a horrible accident and poor Leona…she’s never gotten over it. None of us have. I still have nightmares about it.”

      “What kind of accident was it?” Mitchell asked.

      “Paul’s family has a fishing cabin on the bayou near Houma. David took the boat out alone one day last summer and he must have hit something in the water. The boat overturned and he was…” She trailed off on a violent shudder.

      “He drowned?”

      She shook her head and put a hand to her throat. “It was like one of those terrible things you hear about but don’t really believe. An urban legend or something. The water where David fell in was infested with water moccasins. He was bitten over a dozen times before he could swim to the bank.”

      Six

      A few moments later, Mitchell put voice to his skepticism as they pulled away from the Courtland home.

      “I’m telling you, Evie, this case is starting to give me the creeps.”

      “No kidding.”

      “What are the chances that two brothers dying of snakebites within months of each other could turn out to be just some bizarre coincidence?”

      “In my professional opinion? Slim to none.”

      Mitchell was driving this time and Evangeline turned to glance back at the house. She couldn’t get Meredith Courtland out of her mind. Now that her husband was dead, their separation would haunt her even more. She’d find herself constantly wondering about the what-ifs and the what-might-have-beens if they’d stayed together.

      Evangeline knew all about those games and how they could creep up on you in the middle of the night. How they could undermine your memories, make you think of all the stupid little things you should have done differently, all the petty arguments you wished you could take back. She knew firsthand how all that blame could wear you down night after night, month after month, until you had nothing left but regrets.

      Mitchell looked at her. “I’m wondering if someone’s been playing around with the goofer dust.”

      “The what?”

      “You know, graveyard dirt. Zombie powder. The Brothers Courtland may have crossed someone dabbling in something a little heavier than the practice of law.”

      “Like voodoo?”

      “Voodoo. Hoodoo. Conjure.” He scowled at the road. “A lot of names for the same crazy-ass mumbo jumbo.”

      “Yeah, I admit the snake angle is freaky. And pretty damn messed-up. But my money is still on Sonny Betts. He’s involved in this somehow, we just have to find the link. I say we pay him a visit, rattle his cage a little. See what falls out.”

      Mitchell rubbed the side of his nose with his index finger. “You know, a lot of guys like Betts are into Santería. Especially the ones with connections to the Mexican drug cartels.”

      “Oh yeah?” Evangeline peeled her sticky ponytail from the back of her neck.

      “I saw a show about it on the Discovery Channel.”

      She turned to stare at him.

      “What?”

      “You watch the Discovery Channel? Somehow I figured the Cartoon Network was more your speed.”

      “I’m a man of many tastes,” he said. “You should know that about me by now.”

      “So you were watching the Discovery Channel…”

      “Yeah, and like I said, it was about these drug dealers using Santería to impress their enemies and keep their underlings in line. Only they called it La Regla de Lukumi. Or some shit like that.” He rolled down his window and a breath of hot air rushed in. “This car smells like a friggin’ ashtray.” Like a lot of ex-smokers, Mitchell had a low tolerance for cigarette odor.

      “I’ve never even heard of…what did you call it?”

      “La Regla de Lukumi. I’d never heard of it, either, until I saw it on this show. Anyway, there’s a group that operates along the border called the Zetas. They’re militia and ex-military officers from south of the border with some Guatemalan Special Forces thrown in to boot.”

      “In other words, a bunch of real badasses.”

      “Badasses with a capital B. The drug cartels recruit these СКАЧАТЬ