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  “Sorry for the delay, Mr. Harold. Here you go. I’m sure you’ll find the file is complete. Let me introduce you to Ms. LaShaun Rousselle. Her family owns the company in question.” Savannah turned to LaShaun. Her brows arched as her hazel eyes sent LaShaun a message. “Mr. Harold is a real estate attorney specializing in mineral rights, oil, and gas leasing.”

  “Hello, Ms. Rousselle. Not to be technical, a family trust actually owns the company which includes the property in question.” Mr. Harold gave LaShaun a smile so friendly, the sunlight outside seemed dim by comparison.

  “Hello, Mr. Harold. You’re correct. But since I’m the trustee no one cares about the technicalities.” LaShaun beamed back at him.

  Mr. Harold gave a slight nod as though saluting her smooth comeback. “True, all in the family so to speak. We’ll sort it out.”

  “Oh I think it’s sorted out already. The deed refers to all rights being included in the sale as listed in the previous deed, which includes mineral, oil, or gas. I included a copy of the previous deed issued in nineteen thirty-seven,” Savannah said in her best attorney “case closed” tone. Then she flashed her own mega watt smile at him.

  The attorney seemed unfazed. “I’ll look over these and get back to you. Have a great day, ladies.”

  “Goodbye.” Savannah waited until the glass door whisked shut before speaking. “We need to talk. Ginger, take messages.”

  “Yes, ma’am. Should I buzz you about your one thirty deposition in Lafayette? It’s almost ten o’clock now and…”

  Savannah pointed a finger at Ginger as she headed to her office with LaShaun in tow. “That’s why you’re valuable. Keep me on schedule.”

  LaShaun shut the office door. “Harold was hired by Quentin?”

  “By Olympia, Inc., the company that is seriously interested in drilling on your land. They’re looking over the geological studies. I authorized it on your behalf, remember?”

  “Yeah, right.” She didn’t really. LaShaun had more important matters on her mind, like saving Chase.

  Savannah went to the coffee maker on the credenza in her office. She poured two cups of coffee and picked up a box. “I’ve got pastries. We’ll need both.”

  “So we’re not celebrating,” LaShaun muttered. She took the tray from Savannah and set it on the compact round conference table. They sat across from each other.

  “Not so fast. The good news is once again your grandmother proved to be smart. Monmon Odette didn’t miss a thing, girl.” Savannah shook her head in admiration.

  “Monmon Odette was smart enough to get good advice when she needed it.” LaShaun selected a small round flaky treat with chocolate icing.

  “Well the good news is I’m almost one hundred percent confident we neutralized the Trosclair threat.” Savannah frowned. “I did some digging on Olympia, Inc.”

  “Pun intended?” LaShaun wisecracked and licked icing from her thumb.

  Savannah blinked at her for a few minutes, focused on business. “Yeah, I guess. Anyway, Olympia’s CEO and board president is the grandson of Claude Trosclair’s old fraternity brother. These families stay connected across generations.”

  “So that’s what got Quentin interested in our land. I wondered how he picked that company,” LaShaun said.

  “I’m certain he had his lawyers and accountants scouring documents for weeks to find some kind of opening. Your grandmother may have conducted business with the Trosclair patriarch back in the day, but she was no fool,” Savannah said.

  “Monmon Odette knew them well.” LaShaun had studied the legal papers associated with every transaction. Quentin’s grandfather, Claude, wrote the book on keeping every business advantage.

  “Old Claude underestimated Monmon Odette,” Savannah replied with a grin. Then she grew serious again. “Now the bad news. Neal Montgomery.”

  “He’s a respected attorney. Not one hint of anything dicey in his background. No shady clients or questionable behavior.”

  “But you were right about him working on cases of horrible killers. He’s hooked up with attorneys across the world who are doing the same thing. It’s funny, and I don’t mean in an amusing way.” Savannah squinted at LaShaun. “Are we about to take a stroll down Creepy Lane?”

  “Why I’m sure I have no idea why you’d say that,” LaShaun replied mildly.

  Savannah put down her cup of coffee. “You specialize in weird, LaShaun.”

  LaShaun gazed back at her friend for a time. “I’m worried about Chase, Savannah. Every since that poor kid was murdered he’s been acting strange. Those kids were doing more than just partying out there in woods.”

  “Okay, but how is that connected to Manny Young?” Savannah leaned forward.

  “I don’t know yet,” LaShaun replied.

  “One of the members of Juridicus is representing Greg Graham.” Savannah sat back with a frown.

  “Juridicus?”

  “It’s like a private social club for lawyers. Montgomery is one of the co-founders. ” Savannah let out a sigh. “The club bought a historic building in the warehouse district of New Orleans in 2006. Get this; they also own a plantation home on Bayou St. John in New Orleans. Membership is exclusive and what goes on at those meetings is hush-hush. All I have is lawyer to lawyer gossip, speculation about what goes on behind those mysterious closed doors. Very strange.”

  “You ever see that movie The Devil’s Advocate?”

  “Whew, that was a while ago. But what does that have to do with …” Savannah’s expression went from surprised to stunned. “Oh come on! You can’t seriously believe that Montgomery is Satan on earth. I know people hate lawyers, but that’s way out there even for you.”

  “No, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he and his friends are into some kind of high-class cult,” LaShaun said quietly.

  “A group of highly educated professionals are devil worshippers. Okay, I get a group of rebellious adolescents dabbling in the occult. That I get. But the list of Juridicus members is a legal Who’s Who. They couldn’t…” Savannah’s voice trailed off.

  “I’m not saying Montgomery has some hotline to hell, but more than a few adults dabble in the occult. We both know that.”

  Savannah fell back in her chair. “Oh shit.”

  “M.J. says Chase has put together evidence that could help Montgomery get Manny Young out of prison. The Chase I know would never do anything to help Manny walk free. Never.”

  Savannah jumped to her feet and marched to her desk. “Look at these articles I found, five cases of murderers winning their freedom. One in England, another one in Canada, two in Brazil and one in Florida.”

  LaShaun gazed at the photos of the three men and two women smiling in victory after leaving prison “All of their attorneys are friends with Montgomery, and belong to Juridicus.”

  “I can’t say for sure for all of them. Two names pop up at international symposiums on panels with Montgomery. They also co-authored articles in international law magazines.” Savannah put her fists on both hips, her “feet on the ground” attorney side in evidence. “The explanation might be simple, a group of like-minded lawyers who believed those folks were unjustly convicted.”

  LaShaun quickly scanned the articles in her hand. The printed words dissolved into images as Savannah’s voice faded away. LaShaun worked hard to shut down the slideshow of horror playing in her head. Her hands shook with the effort, which made the papers she held rustle. “Yes, except for one thing.”

  “I’m going to be sorry I asked, but what?” Savannah sat on the edge of her desk as though she needed the support.

  “None of these people were wrongly convicted, Savannah. They committed every one of the grisly murders they were accused of. What’s more, their attorneys knew,” LaShaun said.

  ***

  Chase would be home in a few hours. LaShaun kept repeating the sentence as she made preparations to greet him. He’d called on his way to the station. Miss Rose and the twins had been on a conference call. All three st
ressed that LaShaun should definitely not tell Chase what was happening to him. He would be in even more danger, because the demon would step up his efforts to take over. The twins gave instructions on herbs and seasonings that would counteract bad spirits. In that way the demon would be repelled for a time, but LaShaun’s window of opportunity would be brief.

  “Now I don’t usually encourage young people to sin when they’re not married yet.” Miss Rose paused to clear her throat.

  Justine snorted and said, “Oh give me a break.”

  “This isn’t 1950 for goodness sakes. Even back then people had sex whenever and wherever. They just kept it quiet,” Pauline added.

  “Shut up you two,” Miss Rose snapped through the phone. “As I was saying, get him totally relaxed in the way only a woman can do. You know what I mean.”

  “In other words turn up the heat,” Justine had put in bluntly.

  “You got to do it, girl,” Pauline piped up in agreement.

  Which all explained why LaShaun had spent the afternoon saying prayers. Jumpy with anxiety, LaShaun swept through her house cleaning like a whirlwind. Her activity had a dual purpose. She badly needed to keep busy, or the tension would drive her nuts. She also used a combination of herbs traditionally used to ward off evil as air fresheners. The fragrant subtle scent soothed the frayed edges of her nerves. After a warm shower using sandalwood oils, LaShaun dressed in soft cotton wrap that draped her body. Her hair hung in thick curls to her shoulders. By the time she heard heavy footsteps on the back steps and then on the porch, LaShaun felt ready. She met Chase in the hallway with a hug.

  “Welcome home, love.”

  “Chase gazed at her. “You look absolutely gorgeous.”

  “Seeing you come through my door is a beautiful sight,” LaShaun replied. She walked to him and planted a trail of kisses across his cheek that ended with his lips.

  Suddenly Chase drew back with a scowl. He sniffed the air. “What is that smell?”

  “I’ve been cooking and cleaning, sweetheart. What’s wrong?” LaShaun kissed his cheek again.

  “Let’s air this place out,” Chase said. “Open the windows.”

  LaShaun tugged him back when he started off. “I’ve got a surprise. Come with me, darlin’.”

  “What’s gotten into you?” Chase wore a smile, but his gaze darted around as though he was looking for something. “Something has been done to this place.”

  “Yes, come in and see the changes I’ve made.” LaShaun took his hand, but he resisted.

  “Let me get something out of my truck first.” Chase tried to pull free.

  “Oh no you don’t, Deputy Broussard. Next thing I know you’ll be on your way to work.” LaShaun put a playful sound to her words. Yet she yanked him until they were in the kitchen entrance.

  “I said stop this,” Chase growled, except the voice hinted of another accent. His diction sounded formal in an old fashioned way.

  LaShaun opened the lounger to reveal that she wore nothing beneath it. As she let it slide to the floor, LaShaun twirled around. She waved her hands hoping the scent of sandalwood would distract him from the sage used to neutralize evil. The scent worked as an aphrodisiac, especially to demons who loved pleasures of the flesh.

  “Now that you’re here, you don’t want to be with me?” LaShaun said softly. She rubbed her hands down her breast and hips.

  Chase licked his lips and let out a hissing sound. He crossed the few feet between them and pulled her against his body. LaShaun took off his jacket. When she tried to hang it on the hook for coats, Chase knocked it from her hands. Seconds later he’d pulled off the rest of his clothes as LaShaun danced for him.

  “I will have you, cherie,” he rasped.

  Chase lifted LaShaun easily and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Kissing passionately they held onto each other. LaShaun started to unwind from around his body so they could head to the bedroom. Chase growled a protest deep in his throat. He pulled her legs back and pushed her against the wall. He entered her and LaShaun gasped at the force of his thrusts. The ferocity of his lovemaking made him seem like a stranger. Yet the smell of his skin and hair sent shudders of lust through her body each time they moved together. Fear mixed with ecstasy. The strident screams of pleasure seemed to echo inside her head until she felt senseless. He thrust once and held her tight. LaShaun felt an explosion building inside her until she dug her fingers into his flesh, greedy for every inch of him. He cried out as he came, moaning until his voice died away into gasps for air. After a few seconds Chase sighed and let go of LaShaun.

  “I’m going to take a shower,” he said.

  LaShaun kissed his shoulders. “I put out fresh towels. Why don’t you turn on the whirlpool and relax instead. I’ll have your dinner waiting.”

  Chase playfully slapped her bare bottom. “Merci, cher.”

  To keep him from being distracted, LaShaun showered in the spare bathroom. She dressed quickly and finished cooking wild rice, roasted chicken and fresh snap beans. All of the dishes were seasoned with sage. Chase returned to the kitchen dressed casually in loose fitting brown cotton pants and a matching long-sleeved shirt.

  “You like that outfit I bought for you? More elegant that those frayed LSU sweatpants and purple t-shirt,” LaShaun teased as she spread butter on warm cornbread.

  “Oui. Very elegant. This food looks delightful.”

  He had already begun eating in the short time it took LaShaun to turn around and bring the plate of cornbread. She felt a small prickle as she watched him. Chase looked totally at ease, but something was… off about him. The way he sprinkled French words in his conversation was uncharacteristic. He ate the food slowly, pausing at times to gaze out of the bay window at the woods beyond the backyard. Although LaShaun tried for small talk, Chase only nodded a few times as he kept eating. When the phone rang LaShaun jumped. She started to get up, but Chase put a restraining hand on her arm.

  “I’ll get it.” He wiped his mouth on a napkin and went to the kitchen wall phone. “Hello, Sheriff. Honestly the trip was sorta boring. Those guys in Shreveport are depressingly by the book. No, I’ll come in. Thanks to my sweet wife to be I’m energized.”

  LaShaun stood when he hung up. “Stay with me this once.”

  I’m running for Sheriff, so I intend to be visible. You can bet good old Dave is going to be at the crime scene when I get there,” Chase said. He picked up the last bite of chicken on his plate and ate it.

  “I’m surprised you care about appearances,” LaShaun murmured.

  Chase’s hand whipped out so fast she hardly had time to blink much less react. He gripped her wrist tightly and smiled down at her. There was no warmth in his dark gaze. Instead his eyes sparkled with amusement that seemed at her expense.

  “You think you’re so clever. I’ve grown strong. The herbs only annoy me now,” the voice came out slow. He pronounced his consonants in a fluid accent that didn’t belong to Chase.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Chase. Stop hurting me.” LaShaun tried to pry his fingers loose.

  His grip tightened. “I’ve been chastised for falling prey to your charms. Wanting you, watching you all these years. Who was it that made your family rich? Me. When you were with that fool Quentin, who guided your hand as you controlled him for your own profit? Me. Our time is coming. You will enjoy even more wealth and power at my side. Why must you continue to fight me?”

  “I know who you are,” LaShaun spat. She fought to control the growing terror that threatened to leave her senseless.

  “Then say my name,” he said, his face so close the tips of their noses touched.

  “No.” LaShaun shook her head slowly.

  If she said the demon’s name at the wrong time he would gain power over her, and Chase might be lost to her forever. She had to set the stage for another attack plan, and say his name with her weapons ready.

  “I don’t have time for these games. One way or another, you’ll be mine. You can choose
the hard way or accept the inevitable.” With his eyes half-closed, he brushed his face against hers breathing in deeply. “This weak man does not deserve such sweetness.”

  “Chase, please hear me. Fight against this vile thing trying to control you.” LaShaun couldn’t hold back the tear that slipped down her cheek. She started to pray.

  “Stop being foolish woman. I…” The accented voice trailed off. Chase’s eyes blinked rapidly as he kissed LaShaun’s forehead. “You smell so wonderful.”

  “You have to resist. Do you remember coming here? The last two hours or so?” LaShaun searched his gaze, uncertain Chase was back with her.

  “Of course I remember. How could I forget every tender touch from my beautiful fiancée?” Chase gave LaShaun a puzzled look. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

  “You’re in great danger of being possessed by evil, Chase. A beast from another realm is back and trying to take over.” LaShaun wrapped Chase in a strong embrace. “Remember the good in you. Remember our faith.”

  “I’m just fine. In fact, I feel more alive than I have since enlisting in the Army.” Chase pushed free of her hug. “Now I gotta go see about some crime. I have to look like the next sheriff of this parish, because that’s exactly what I plan to be. We’re gonna have a new day around here, little darlin’.”

  “But Chase…” LaShaun followed him to the bedroom.

  He turned to face her. “LaShaun, you’ve gotten yourself all tied up for no good reason. This is our time.”

  “You never asked what I was talking about, or made fun of me for talking about evil spirits,” LaShaun said.

  LaShaun felt numb as Chase strode away without looking back or answering her. The sound of Chase whistling a jaunty tune seemed to mock her. She muffled the shuddering sobs by clamping both hands over her mouth. In a rush of emotion she’d done exactly what Miss Rose had warned her not to do. Because of her weakness Chase was now in even more danger.