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“Through one of the charities Dad volunteered at,” Gabe offered. “I was still living at home at the time, so it was at least twenty years ago. Lott did some pro bono work with a few troubled teens that Dad worked with. You might want to take another look at those cases.”
Cardozo groaned. “No more, please. We’re going to be sorting through Ducote’s mess for years to come.”
Gabe shrugged. “Sorry.”
“Not your fault,” André said. “Your father trusted Lott and was betrayed.”
“For money,” Gabe said sadly, and for a moment no one spoke, everyone grieving with him.
Standing next to Val, Patty cleared her throat. “What about Donna Lee?” she asked, her voice trembling. She’d figured out that by telling her parents about the danger, she’d provided Donna Lee with the information that had led to two deaths, and as Gabe had predicted, she was devastated.
“We’ll charge her,” Cardozo promised. “We’re not sure with what just yet. She knew that Tobin was an asshole because he was blackmailing her, but she says she didn’t know that he was working for Mule or that Mule had been involved with Rocky Hebert’s death.”
“Do you want her to serve time?” Molly asked Gabe.
“I don’t know,” Gabe answered honestly. “I haven’t had a chance to think about it.”
“I don’t know, either,” Patty confessed. “But I do know that I have to do something for the two who died. I’ve known Dusty Woodruff for years. I know his wife. Gabe and I catered their wedding and the baby shower for her first child. I...” Her voice broke. “I have to do something for them.”
Gabe put his free arm around his cousin’s shoulders, which were now shaking with quiet sobs. “You didn’t know, P. If you had, you would’ve turned Donna Lee in.”
“We have counselors on staff who work with victims of crime,” Cardozo said to Patty, breaking into Molly’s thoughts. “You and Gabe certainly qualify. Let me know when you’re ready and I’ll send you the contact information.”
Patty wiped the tears from her cheeks and nodded, sniffling. “I might take you up on that.”
“We both should,” Gabe said fiercely. “I still haven’t processed Dad’s death. He would have passed soon enough from the cancer, but those bastards stole what little time he had left.”
“We assumed that Mule gave Tobin the order to attack Molly’s and Patty’s apartments,” Burke said, taking the spotlight off the cousins, leaving them to whisper comfort to each other. “Is Tobin talking?”
“Not yet,” André said. “But he will.”
“He’s Mule’s son,” Cardozo supplied. “Illegitimate son, so they didn’t share a last name. Tobin was very loyal to Mule for a lot of years.” He grimaced. “We’ll be sorting through that mess for a very long time, too.”
“And all of Mule’s cases,” André added wearily. “It’s not going to be fun. Ducote and Mule had been giving each other legs up the ladder for decades. They’d been friends since high school.”
“We know,” Molly said. “We found photos of them at a reunion together, along with Paul Lott.”
Cardozo blew out a breath. “We’ll likely have quite a few more questions for you guys as we dig deeper.”
“Always happy to help,” Burke said dryly.
“And on that note, I have to get back to the precinct. The paperwork from this case is...” André shook his head. “I don’t even want to think about it.”
“I have to go, too,” Cardozo said. “But if I could sneak a slice of that cake?”
“Give me two seconds,” Gabe said and turned back to his kitchen.
Keeping his hands busy, Molly thought. She had some other ideas of how to distract him later. She’d have to watch the man closely to make sure he grieved and didn’t hold it all inside as he’d been doing before breaking down at Burke’s camp.
Only yesterday morning. Seemed like a lifetime ago already.
“I’d like to stay,” Farrah said. “If that’s okay.”
“You are always welcome here,” Gabe said over his shoulder. “Always.”
“We were going to head into the Quarter for the festival,” Molly said. It was the weekend of Satchmo SummerFest. “Our Houston friends wanted to go, and I’ve never been.”
Farrah’s smile brightened. “I can be your official guide. I have never missed a Satchmo. I know all the best places to listen to the music and get the best food. Second-best,” she amended. “Best is at the Choux.”
