Chapter 2

Dabi smiled when she saw Chris diving for the muffins on the cooling rack. "Help yourself," she said. "The icing might be a bit wet, but they're good to go."

"Nice to see you again," said Brody, smiling back and accepting the muffin Chris handed her.

"Same," Dabi replied.

"How long are you in town for?" Brody asked.

"Couple of days. Dwayne is letting me crash on the couch. How much did Dad tell you?" Dabi asked.

"What do you mean?" Brody asked.

"I know my dad. He's worried about me. That means he would have told you guys about the events surrounding my goddaughter, Sara, and her birth mother," said Dabi.

"He told us," said Pride. "That was a good fight." Both Brody and Chris nodded.

"Then you know I'm struggling with some minor memory loss in regards to the fight," said Dabi.

"Emotional shock," said Brody. "I've seen it a few times. It was a fight to the death, wasn't it?"

"If it came to that, yes," said Dabi.

"Your mind was protecting itself. It happens all the time. What matters is that you won," Brody assured her. "Sara is safe, and from the looks of it, very much loved."

"That she is," said Dabi, smiling. "She's starting to smile at people she knows now."

"Looks like she's going to be a regular heart-breaker," said Chris.

"That's what Owen figures, and he's already loading up on rifle and buckshot rounds," said Dabi, grinning.

"Dumb question; what's a pastry knife?" Chris asked.

"It's a long, slender knife we use for cutting finished cakes and pastries. The ones I keep at the bakery are made of high-quality stainless steel, usually about seventeen inches long, and very sharp," said Dabi. "There was one on the finishing counter that time. I don't remember grabbing it. I do remember using it on the guy's arm, as a permanent reminder of what would happen to him if he didn't convince Maria Ramirez that Camila and Sara were dead."

"Did it work?" Brody asked.

"I don't know," said Dabi. "Both he and Maria were found dead a few days later. Maria got the worst of it, from what I was told."

"Who's Maria Ramirez?" Chris asked.

"The bitch who hired the hitman to kill Camila and Sara," said Dabi. "You'll have to ask Dad for the details. I don't know and I'm not so sure I want to know."

Then Pride's phone rang. After talking to someone quietly, he glanced up at his team. "We have a call-out. Dead sailor in the bayou," he said.

"Have fun, guys," said Dabi. "If I go anywhere, I'll beep King."

"Good to know," said Chris.

Down at one of the local bayou fishing docks, Dr. Loretta Wade, Medical Examiner of Orleans Parish, was waiting for them. On the docks, in front of her was a water-logged dark-skinned male in jeans and shirt.

"What do you got for us, Loretta?" King asked.

"Meet Seaman Ryan Adders," said Loretta. "Can't quite give you the cause of death, but the broken bones in his face may be an indicator."

"Time of death?" Pride asked, watching as Chris snapped photographs.

"Liver temp says somewhere between ten and eleven last night, but these waters are cold," Loretta reminded him. "And his skin is telling me he's been in there for at least several hours, so that will affect things."

"Do the best you can."

"Always do."

Brody joined them. "Couple of local shrimpers found him. When the Coast Guard checked for identification, they found his wallet, called us."

"So no witnesses," said Pride.

"Maybe not, but there appears to be a receipt in his wallet. It's a bit wet, but maybe Sebastian can do something with it," said Brody, holding up an evidence bag. "Might tell us where he last was."

"Worth a try," said Chris.

"What about where he went in to the water?" Pride asked.

"If it was here, it would be hard to tell," said Chris, walking around. "No tracks and no cameras, but plenty of people, even at night."

"Water's moving pretty steadily. He could have been dumped further up," said Brody.

"Alright, start looking. Maybe we can figure out where he went in. If we know where he went in, we might be able to figure out where he came from," said Pride.

The search was exhausting but rewarding. About three miles up from the docks, they found a set of tracks leading to the water's edge from a back road.

"All dirt and dust from here," said Pride, studying the area.

"But a nice set of tire tracks and some boot prints," said Chris. "Looks like two, maybe three guys."

"Would take at least that many to move a dead body quickly," said Brody.

"Size ten, maybe eleven, boots and possibly one pair of runners," said Chris, snapping pictures. "Not seeing any signs of a fight or drag marks."

"Okay, well, that confirms the theory that Seaman Adders wasn't killed here," said Pride. "Now we just have to figure out where, why, and who."

Chris glanced at Brody and said, "This one's gonna be a long one."