"Go ahead," Millard said with a wave of his hand. "Like you said, Royale's probably celebrating tonight too. He might even be at the parade. Who knows?"
Claudette looked at Longarm. "Who is this Royale, Custis? Another of your lady-friends, maybe?"
"Not hardly," Longarm replied vehemently. "Just a... business associate, I suppose you could say. Nothing for you to worry about."
Clement looked across the room and said, "Here comes Annie now."
It took a few minutes for Annie to make her way through the crowd. Even in the press of people, Longarm had no trouble spotting her in that colorful outfit. As she came up to the table, he stood and reached out to take her hand. "We're going out to watch the Mardi Gras parade, if that's all right with you," he said.
"Of course. I'd like that." Annie looked at Claudette and went on. "I don't believe we've met."
Clement began, "She's a friend of-"
"A friend of your brother, me," Claudette cut in. She put out her hand and shook with Annie. "Claudette, that is my name."
"What a pretty name," said Annie. "And that gown and those earrings are beautiful. You and Paul are coming to the parade too, aren't you?"
"Of course. I would not miss my first Mardi Gras parade."
Longarm tried not to heave a sigh of relief. Claudette was really helping him out. Most women would have been spitting jealous, but she was going out of her way to keep the peace with Annie for tonight. He would have to thank her later if he got the chance. And he hoped that Paul Clement's big grin didn't tip off Annie that something more was going on than was readily apparent.
With Annie on his arm and Claudette being accompanied by Clement, Longarm shouldered his way through the crowd and led the little group to the door. As they stepped out onto Gallatin Street, the press of people around them lessened slightly, but the sidewalks and the cobblestone street itself were still unusually crowded. All the street lamps had been lit, and light flooded out through open doors and windows so that the revelers could see what they were doing. Everywhere, purple and green and gold--the official colors of Mardi Gras--were dominant, and hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of voices were singing the anthem of Mardi Gras, "If Ever I Cease to Love." Longarm found himself humming along with the tune as he and his companions made their way through the throng.
"Come on," Annie cried merrily as she tugged on Longarm's hand. "The parade is on St. Charles Avenue."
That seemed to be the direction the crowd was flowing, all right, thought Longarm. He was glad he wasn't trying to go the other way. It would be like trying to swim upstream against a strong current.
Claudette and Paul Clement were still talking animatedly. Longarm knew it was unreasonable, considering the way he had felt earlier, but now he was the one who was a mite jealous. Obviously, Claudette had been telling the truth: It wasn't so much seeing him again that had brought her to New Orleans. It was an honest desire to try something new in her life--an attempt to leave the bayous behind her. Longarm wished her the best of luck in the effort.
Longarm hadn't been to the hotel much in the past few days, but he had been aware of the sound of hammering whenever he went in and out of the place. Now he understood the reason why. Viewing stands had been built all along the avenue, and they were already packed. It was doubtful that Longarm and the others would be able to find a place to sit. They would have to stand along the sidewalks with the hundreds of others who had gotten there a little too late to fit into the viewing stands.
Annie noticed the same thing and mentioned it, then said, "But that's all right. When the floats pass by, we'll be able to catch some of the things the crew members toss down as they pass by."
She went on to explain the tradition to Longarm and Claudette. Each year, the members of the societies that built the floats threw candy, flowers, and coins to the spectators who lined the parade route. The gifts were meant primarily for the children... but at Mardi Gras, everyone was a child, at least to a certain extent.
Longarm, Annie, Claudette, and Paul Clement managed to find a place to stand near the front of the crowd. They were just in time, because not far away, someone shouted, "Here they come!"
Annie leaned closer to Longarm's ear and called over the clamor, "Rex, the King of Mardi Gras, will be on the last float! It's quite an honor for the gentleman selected."
Longarm supposed that was the case. He would have felt mighty funny dressing up in a mask and a gold crown and a long, fur-lined cape, so he was just as glad that he would never be the King of Mardi Gras.
The huge, elaborate floats began rolling by, pushed along on their wheeled platforms by krewe members who were concealed under the layers of flowers and bunting. Cheers went up from the crowd as the costumed men atop the floats began tossing their gifts over the heads of the spectators. It seemed to be raining candy and flowers and coins. Longarm grinned and ducked his head as a particularly heavy shower of gifts pelted him. Beside him, Annie was gleefully plucking items out of the air. On the other side of her, Claudette was doing the same thing. Children swarmed around them, darting between them to scoop up the treats that had fallen to the sidewalk.
Someone bumped heavily into Longarm from behind, and taken by surprise, he stumbled forward a step. As he caught his balance, he glanced back to see who had run into him, forcing down the irritation that was welling up inside him. Mardi Gras was no time to be losing his temper just because some old son was clumsy.
The light from a torch on one of the passing floats glinted off steel. Longarm's eyes widened as he saw a man in a pirate costume thrusting a short cutlass at him.
He would feel foolish if the cutlass turned out to be rubber and the "pirate" only playing, but Longarm had learned a long time ago it was better to be foolish than dead. He twisted, letting the blade pass harmlessly by him, and clamped his left arm down on the arm of the man holding the weapon. He drove his right fist into the man's midsection, sinking it almost to the wrist. Breath puffed out of the man's mouth.
Longarm caught hold of his wrist and wrenched it, forcing the pirate to drop the blade. It clattered to the cobblestones, and the sound told Longarm that the cutlass was most definitely the real thing. For some reason, this piratical reveler had just tried to kill him.
Close by, a woman screamed.
Longarm brought his fist up and slammed it into the pirate's jaw. The blow didn't travel more than half a foot, but it had all of Longarm's strength behind it. The would-be killer's head slewed to the side, and he sagged against Longarm, stunned. Longarm let go of him and stepped back, allowing the man to slide to the ground. He didn't want the pirate to be trampled to death, but that scream had sounded like Annie, and he was more interested in making sure she was all right. He looked urgently through the crowd for her.
She was gone.
So was her brother, Longarm saw. No sign of Paul Clement met his searching gaze. Of course, in this crowd someone could be only a few feet away and be invisible. Claudette was still there, looking surprised and more than a little frightened. Longarm leaned close to her and shouted, "What happened?"
"Paul and Annie, they are gone, them!" she replied. "I did not see where they went-"
Longarm wasn't surprised. No one in the wildly celebrating crowd had even noticed when the pirate tried to run him through. Everyone was too caught up in the excitement of Mardi Gras.
Which meant it was a damn good time to get rid of some enemies without anyone noticing.
"Royale," muttered Longarm through clenched teeth.
"What did you say?" asked Claudette, looking worried.
Longarm shook his head. "Nothing. Let's get you out of here, and then I'll find Paul and Annie."
He hoped he could make good on that statement. Royale clearly had spies everywhere, and he would know that the Clements were regular customers and friends of Jasper Millard's. It seemed unlikely that Royale would try to strike at Millard by hurting Annie and Paul... but none of Royale's other recent attempts had worked out exactly as planned. Royale could be getting desperate enough to kidnap the Clements and use them to try to force some concessions from Millard.