She shook her head, her smile disappearing to be replaced by a solemn expression. "This I did not do yet, Custis. You don't want Mr. Millard to know about it?"
"I'd just as soon we kept it between us. Not because I ain't grateful to you or anything, because I am, but-"
She shook her head and put a fingertip on his lips. "Don't say any more, you. You got your reasons, and I don't need to know 'em."
"That's mighty understanding of you."
She came up on her tiptoes, and instead of her finger, she brushed his lips with hers. "I do just about anything for you, Custis, no questions, no explanation. I guarantee."
Longarm slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him, giving her a proper kiss. Claudette's body melded against his. This was a mighty public place for such an embrace, thought Longarm, but he didn't rightly care. Besides, a man and a woman hugging and kissing was probably downright normal compared to some of the things that went on here from time to time, he speculated. Nobody seemed to be paying any attention to them.
Then he heard the voice right behind'him saying, "Well, well, what have we here?" He froze as he realized it belonged to Paul Clement.
And wherever Paul was, Longarm thought as he stifled a groan, Annie was usually right with him.
CHAPTER 11
For a second, Longarm was afraid to turn around. He expected to hear Annie's voice lashing at him, demanding to know who in the hell Claudette was and just why she was in his arms with his lips pressed to hers.
But when Annie's voice didn't come, Longarm glanced over his shoulder and saw that Clement was standing there alone, the smile on his face even more mocking than usual. He walked slowly around them, and his gaze was frankly admiring as he looked at Claudette. "Hello," he said. "I don't believe we've met."
"This is Claudette," said Longarm. "She's a good friend of mine."
"Yes," Clement said dryly, "I could tell."
"Claudette, this is Monsieur Paul Clement."
Clement took Claudette's hand, bent over it, and kissed it as Millard had done. Claudette said, "Honored to meet you, M'sieu Clement, I surely am." She was almost glowing from all the masculine attention that was being paid to her today, and as he looked at the radiant expression on her face, Longarm thought that maybe getting her a job here hadn't been such a bad idea after all.
Cautiously, Longarm asked Clement, "Where's your sister?"
"Annie will be along shortly. She wanted her costume for tonight to be perfect."
"Costume?" repeated Longarm. Clement was wearing his normal evening clothes.
"Yes, this is Mardi Gras, remember?" Clement reached into his pocket, brought out a piece of black silk, and unfolded it to reveal that it was a mask. He placed it over his eyes and tied the strings attached to it behind his head. "The whole thing is a bit silly, I know, but one can't argue with tradition, can one?"
"I've heard of Mardi Gras," said Claudette, "but I didn't know it was tonight."
"Well, then, you're in for a treat, mademoiselle," Clement said as he moved smoothly alongside Claudette and slipped his arm through hers. "If you'll be so kind as to keep me company while I'm trying my luck at the blackjack table, I'll tell you all about it."
Claudette glanced at Longarm, and he gave a barely perceptible nod to let her know that it was all right with him for her to go with Clement. He didn't have any hold over her, and the sooner she understood that, the better, especially if she wanted to work here at the Brass Pelican.
As Clement and Claudette moved off toward the blackjack table, Clement tossed a look over his shoulder at Longarm, who nodded to him in gratitude. Annie would be here soon, thought Longarm, and it would be better all around if Claudette was distracted. Clement had proven surprisingly understanding about the matter.
Sure enough, not ten more minutes had gone by when Annie appeared, pausing just inside the doorway of the club to look around for Longarm. He happened to be looking in that direction when she came in, and although he didn't recognize her at first, as soon as his eyes met hers he knew her.
She was wearing a gypsy costume, with an embroidered white blouse that left both shoulders bare and a neckline that plunged low enough to reveal practically all of the creamy valley between her breasts. A bright red skirt, also decorated with embroidery, swirled around her ankles. Golden hoop earrings and a wig with curls as black as midnight completed the costume. She was wearing a mask too, like her brother.
Her face assumed a coy expression as Longarm approached her. "Would you like to have your fortune told?" she asked over the music and laughter that filled the room. Even raised so that he could hear, her voice seemed to contain a purr.
Longarm extended his hand toward her. "Sure. Just don't tell me I'm going to meet a beautiful woman, 'cause I already have."
She took his right hand in her left, then used the index finger of her right hand to trace the lines on his palm. Her long, red-painted nail dug almost painfully into his skin. "You will meet many beautiful women, but only one is right for you. If you ignore her, you will be in much danger."
Longarm chuckled. "I reckon I'd better pay a lot of attention to her then." He reached up and cupped her chin, tilting her head back so that he could bring his mouth down on hers.
He sure hoped Paul Clement was keeping Claudette occupied.
For the second time in less than a half hour, he was kissing a beautiful woman and molding the soft warmth of her body against his as he drew her into an embrace. A different woman, at that. All the hazards of his life as a federal lawman didn't quite measure up to that, he thought wryly. He was really living dangerously now.
"Come on," he said to Annie as he broke the kiss. "I'll buy you a drink."
Annie nodded. "But not too many drinks tonight," she said. "I want you to take me home tonight, Custis."
"If I can," promised Longarm. How the night ended up, though, really depended on Millard, and Royale, and even Claudette.
Longarm stayed close by Annie as the long evening began to roll by. The club was too crowded and noisy to do much more than sit at a table, try to carry on a conversation in half-shouts, and hope that they didn't get trampled by the mob. Worry gnawed at the back of Longarm's brain. As packed in as the customers were tonight, anything that went wrong could easily turn into a catastrophe. It was a perfect opportunity for Royale to strike again at Millard.
But despite the crowd and the noise, the night's festivities went fairly peacefully. A few men got a little boisterous from too much to drink, but Millard's bouncers handled them with ease. Millard came over to the table while Annie had gone to use the facilities, which were indoors rather than out back of the building, a luxury Longarm hadn't expected to find in a place like the Brass Pelican. With a nod to Longarm, Millard sat down and said, "I was halfway expecting trouble tonight."
"You and me both, Boss," Longarm told him. "I reckon Royale must be celebrating Mardi Gras like everybody else."
"Let's hope so."
Claudette swept over to the table then, followed by Paul Clement. She was laughing brightly at something Clement had said. "Custis!" she greeted Longarm, and from the level of her merriment, he figured she had been sipping on a few drinks this evening. "Paul, he is going to take me to watch the Mardi Gras parade. Why don't you and his sister come with us?"
Longarm swallowed hard. "Sister?" he repeated.
"Oh, don't worry, Custis," said Clement. "I told Claudette how kind you've been to my poor maiden sister, paying attention to her while we're here in New Orleans."
Longarm took back what he had thought earlier about Clement being understanding. He was a damn rabble-rouser! But there was nothing Longarm could do now except plunge ahead and be thankful that Claudette seemed to be in a good mood.
"Sure," Longarm said. "I don't reckon I've ever seen a Mardi Gras parade, so I wouldn't mind at all." He looked at Millard. "If it's all right with you, Boss."