TWELVE

TWELVE

Greenwood Cemetery Caretaker’s Cottage

New Orleans

SHE’D APPEARED IN the middle of the road, damp and muddy, but alive. Roo tried to explain how the Sultana could travel on any existing and past waterway—and certainly the bit of road they’d been on was near enough to the river. But no one could explain to Curtis why Jeannine had appeared exactly where the krewe was at exactly the right time.

Gallow wanted to bring her to a hospital, but Curtis, not trusting any government institution, had insisted they go back to Roo’s safe house. Curtis carried her into the caretaker’s cottage himself but refused to lay her on the couch that Stanley-the-asshole had occupied barely an hour earlier. He carried Jeannine up the stairs to the little spare room across from the master.

The room was just big enough for a creaky twin bed with fresh sheets. Roo never knew when a member of the krewe would be sleeping one off at his place, so he kept the bed at the ready.

“She’ll