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CHAPTER 1
Why had she said yes? Again! Noelle Breaux looked around the bar and grill, and even if it was filled with familiar faces, she’d never felt lonelier. Even though she was part of the New Orleans Police Department, she wasn’t like a member of that family.
The men and women in blue milled around, talking, laughing, and drinking beer, but it was as if she watched a play. It could have weighed even heavier on her until her ears pricked up at three bursts of familiar laughter—loud, amused, and feminine.
When she turned, Noelle’s body relaxed, and her smile echoed those of her three coworkers and friends who’d arrived in all their glory and joined her at her table. All unique, both in temperament and look, they had three things in common: they were clever, Cajun, and curvy.
Part of the NOPD, more accurately the brains of the CSI department, everything brought them together, forged their friendship.
As they ordered drinks and munchies, Noelle couldn’t help but beam at her friends. With her messy blond bob of pale blond hair and pale baby blue eyes, Roseline Fontenot was the smile you always needed, always seeing the glass half-full. People often saw a brainless bimbo, but she was a dangerously skilled computer forensic investigator, both compassionate and dedicated to her job. Marina LeBlanc didn’t draw as much attention as their fair friend. With her brown hair and deep soulful eyes, she appeared like a doe in the moonlight. Always remaining in the background, the classic beauty might have been an introvert, but she was a fantastic criminalist, renowned and highly respected throughout the state of Louisiana and beyond. On the other hand, Dr. Severine Landry was like a bursting flame. The unapologetic redhead played hard but worked even harder as the medical examiner, having forged an impeccable reputation.
Apart from her friends, Noelle had always found herself out of place. With a wealth of long mahogany hair that curled under the Louisiana humidity and too many freckles dotting her pale face when she looked in the mirror, Noelle never had the impression she compared with their little squad. However, none of them ever made her feel that way. She was valued and loved by her friends and respected as a forensics scientist and toxicologist within the NOPD. That’s what should truly matter, so why did she feel something was missing?
“Darling Noelle! You look exactly like your name! Beautiful like a Christmas morning.” Roseline clapped her hands while Severine laughed at her enthusiasm, and Marina winked in agreement.
“You’re always beautiful, but I have to agree with Rosie. You’re simply glowing tonight.”
Self-conscious, Noelle pushed back her hair behind her shoulder. “I don’t know why I had to dress up for this. Or even come.”
It was becoming harder and harder to keep a professional tone when the situation had become more untenable for all of them over the years. Many detectives and police officers—mainly the old guard—considered science a hurdle to their investigations that slowed them down. In addition, the CSI being mostly feminine amplified the problem, almost to a breaking point. The only light in these dark times was the arrival of a new commander, who immediately noticed the internal tensions and promised to remedy the situation. However, it was still difficult to be shunned and ridiculed by a group of bullies with power day after day, while the others laid low, waiting hopefully that the storm would soon pass.
Severine put a hand on her fidgeting fingers. “Ignore those dumbasses. Better days are coming. We have to believe Commander Beckner.”
Marina chipped in. “It’s written all over him. That man comes from a tough background, and when he gave that speech at his welcome party, I couldn’t detect any signs of him lying in his eyes.”
And with a spark of her own, Roseline leaned forward. “And I did a quick search on the Commander. He has sealed files from his youth, but since then, he’s been one hell of a cop.”
“Roseline Marnie Fontenot! Don’t you tell me you hacked into our commander’s file and spied on him!”
Noelle laughed at Marina’s reprimand but knew deep down those empty promises had burned them all, and it was expected, wherever they could, to find proof that they weren’t grasping at straws only for their hopes to be squashed into pulp again.
“Ladies, please, let’s present a united front. That’s why I pushed for the four of us to dress up and come tonight. We’reall doing our best here, and we need to keep doing exactly that. And remember, the Commander will be here with a few new people he recruited to renew the team. To break that bad mojo, we’ll need all the power we can muster within our little squad.” Severine lifted her cocktail glass before wiggling her nose in disgust. “Heads up, ladies.”
Noelle didn’t have to turn to know who was walking their way.
“Well, well, well, aren’t the Cajun gumbo queens cheerful in their tight little dresses. Didn’t think you would even show up.”
The voice of Detective Reinhard Reeker behind her back made her want to shudder. If this whole department mess could be summed up in one giant asshole, it was the Reek.
Noelle clenched her teeth and turned, managed some sort of smile, and geared up as the first line of defense. “Detective Reeker. This is a department event and we’re part of the department.”
Reeker was a veteran cop who had never managed to become more than a detective. Scraggly, with a sharp face and a mustache hinting at gray, revealing that he was nearing retirement, the man should’ve been a leader by now, elevating the squad instead of bringing it down to his disgusting level.
“Yeah, but it’s not as if you’re doing real, dangerous work down in your lab. Maybe it’s for the best because with your constitution, you may not be able to catch any bad guys. Enjoy your food, ladies. As I’m sure you always do.”
As he turned his back on them with a smirk, Noelle always wished she was better with a quick comeback, but that wasn’t one of her talents. “I’ve never wanted anything bad to happen to anyone in my life, but...”
With a sigh, Roseline finished her glass and ordered another round. “Damn karma. I hope that something bad falls on his head! With all my heart!”
Severine concurred. “Hey, Noelle, can’t any of your friends do some sort of spell on that creep so he’ll just disappear?”
That quip made the whole table dissolve in laughter. Noelle took a more relaxed breath, shaking off the slimy feeling Reeker always settled upon her skin whenever he was near. “Oh, I’ve thought about it, over and over again, but I still believe in karma. I just hope I can be patient enough to see it before my career with the NOPD is over.”
As soon as the words had escaped her lips, Noelle knew she should’ve been more careful. It wasn’t something she’d shared with any of her friends, even if they were like sisters to her.
“Noelle, what do you mean?” Roseline inched closer and touched her arm.
Marina and Severine looked worried.
