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“Text that list to me, Carlos, if you would,” Willa Mae requested. “I’ve got to go now. Gabe and Molly are waiting for me.” She gave a little wave, then followed Antoine to the boat.
A minute later, the boat’s engine roared to life and they were gone.
Xavier went to the kitchen, where his mother sat with her hands folded on the table. Sure enough, her eyes were red and wet, and Xavier felt about three inches tall. “I’m sorry, Mama.”
“So am I.” She patted the chair beside her, and Xavier sank into it. “I’m proud that you want to help, and I’m sorry that I cut you off with no explanation.”
“It’s okay. Miss Willa Mae explained it all just fine.”
Cicely smiled weakly. “She’s good at that. I didn’t know that she’d kept up her license here and in Texas, but I’m glad she did, for Molly and Gabe’s sake.”
“I hate that they’re in trouble because of—” He stopped himself from saying me. “Because of all this.”
His mother was not fooled. “Good catch there, son. You are as much a victim of all of this as anyone else. Probably more. You think you’re not helping, but you are. Without you, nobody would have known to look for Nadia Hall. And your turn is coming, Xavier. When Molly and Burke and André unravel all of this craziness, you’re going to be called on to testify. That’s not going to be easy.”
“Testify against who?” Xavier asked, so very frustrated. “Everyone’s dead.”
“Not the man who killed Mule,” Cicely said quietly. “If that man wearing the hoodie was disposing of the body of the young woman who came to see Burke—who was definitely involved in some way—then he’s involved, too. We just don’t know how yet. And we don’t know who Nadia’s lover was back then. It might have been Mule or someone else. We just don’t know.”
No, they didn’t know. But they might be able to help find out. “I have an idea about what we can do while we’re waiting. Carlos! Manny! Can you come in here?”
Seconds later, the brothers were crowded around him. “What’s up?” Carlos asked.
Xavier motioned for them to sit. “I was just thinking that there’s something we can do. Remember when we were brainstorming last night?”
Carlos blinked. “Yeah, that really was just last night. Yes. I remember. Why?”
“Remember when Gabe was petting Shoe and asked Molly, ‘What about the dog?’ ”
A slow smile spread over Carlos’s face. “We’re going to call all the veterinarians in New Orleans.”
Xavier nodded. “Yes, we are.”
Manny took out his phone. “I got my burner and it’s got a full charge. Let’s do this.”
Xavier glanced at his mother to gauge her reaction. She was nodding. “I’ll look up the names and numbers on my phone,” she said. “You boys can make the calls.”
Xavier held up a hand. “Hold up. We know now how easy it is to trace our calls.”
“I already knew,” Carlos said smugly.
Xavier found he could still smile. “I’m sure you did. Those crime shows you love have served us all well. Do you know how to make it look like we’re calling from different numbers?”
“Spoofing,” Cicely said, and they all stared at her. She frowned. “What? You don’t think I know stuff? Spoofing is when you fake the number you’re calling from. One of the nurses did it when she was harassing her ex-boyfriend. She got in trouble for doing it, just so you know.”
“But we wouldn’t be doing it for any illegal reasons,” Manny said. “Plus, they’d have to catch us first, and this is an untraceable phone. Let me pull up a spoofing website.” He gave Cicely a nod. “Nice job, Mrs. M.”
She reached across the table to pat his arm. “Thank you, Manny. It’s nice to be appreciated.”
Xavier tapped the table until she met his eyes. “I appreciate you, Mama. More than I can ever say.”
Her eyes filled again, and she waved him away. “Hush, now. We have work to do.”
