The Pleasure of Sin (2 page)

“And, if she was your sister? What then? Could you just sit back and wait?” Jade asked.

When he didn’t reply, she stood up, heading for the door.

“Ms. Monroe, please don’t get involved. There’s a very good chance that your sister knew her killer, which means that any dime-store investigating you do could be dangerous,” he instructed firmly.

Jade turned to face him. “I’ll be in touch,” she replied.

Chapter 2

Jade caught a cab to Ruby’s apartment in the French Quarter. She could never understand how her sister felt comfortable living directly above an occult shop, but Ruby said it gave the place a ‘mystical’ feel. When Ruby’s job as a receptionist fell through, she changed gears, deciding to get a job at the shop. She could still remember the day Ruby told her about it.

* * * *

“It’s fantastic! The boss can be a bit of a pain sometimes, but he’s okay. I never knew there were so many different beliefs out there.”

Her smile on the other end of the line was evident.

Jade shook her head. Despite the best advice she gave to her younger sister, Ruby never seemed to do anything in a conventional way. “Ruby, what about the job you had at the dentist office? I thought things were going well there,” she reasoned.

“Oh, this is much better. Besides, it was so boring at the dentist office. And those fake sets of teeth all over the office, they freaked me out!”

Jade couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony of her sister being more afraid of plaster teeth than the undead. “Does it pay well, at least?” she inquired, praying for an answer that would soothe her worries.

“Well, no, not yet,” Ruby admitted softly.

“Ruby, are you okay? I mean, do you need money?”

Ruby laughed. “I’m okay. You worry too much.”

* * * *

Now, as she stood on the sidewalk in front of the shop, Jade wished she had gotten more information. She stared up at the building for a moment, gathering her strength. Knowing that delaying this moment would not take the sting out of it, she braced herself as she opened the narrow side door with the spare key Ruby had given her on her last visit. Taking a deep breath, she walked up the dimly lit staircase. Refusing to allow herself to stall, she unlocked the door and pushed it open.

Ruby’s scent lingered in the air all around her, and she greedily breathed it in. Tears welled up in her eyes. Light filtered in through the closed drapes as she took a few tentative steps inside. This was the way everything had looked the last time Ruby saw it. Jade couldn’t help the eerie sensation that Ruby would walk through the door at any moment to tell her it was all a big joke. Deep down, she knew it wouldn’t happen, but a part of her liked the fantasy better than the horrible realty.

A burgundy overstuffed couch sat beneath the windows. Forgotten mail that would never be answered covered the square coffee table. To the right, the small kitchen seemed bare. She pulled open the refrigerator door, and was not surprised to find a half-empty bottle of ketchup and an opened box of baking soda. Menus held up by flowery magnets plastered the front of the refrigerator door.

Jade’s eyes were inevitably drawn to the narrow hallway that led to the bedroom. She hesitated for a moment, unable to move. That was where it had happened. The thought of being in the room where her sister had taken her last breath made her stomach feel hollow. She walked down the hallway, closing the bedroom door without looking inside. She took a few steps to the bathroom to lean over the sink. Splashing water on her face, she took a couple of deep breaths.

This was going to be harder than she’d thought.

She had known from the beginning that this trip wasn’t going to be easy. She just hadn’t realized how difficult it would be to feel surrounded by Ruby, knowing she was gone. After she recovered some composure, she walked back into the living room. The first thing she would need to do if she was going to be here for any length of time was to go to the grocery store. Then she could begin the chore of packing Ruby’s things. If she kept herself busy enough, she wouldn’t have time to think about what had happened here. She grabbed her purse, locking the door behind her and walking down to the street.

After her tasks were completed, she decided to stop at the shop where Ruby worked. A purple sign that read ‘Mystical Notions’ hung over the narrow doorway. Jade pushed the door open, causing a little bell to jingle, announcing her arrival. She glanced around at the varied items that lined the shelves. Occult books littered the wall to the left, while candles and incense were neatly displayed to the right. Crystals hung from the ceiling, and pictures of magicians decorated the walls.

She walked over to the counter, looking at the jewelry displayed in the glass case. A woman appeared just beyond the side door. She took another bite of her sandwich, stashing it in the side room before coming out to greet Jade.

“Can I help you?”

Her jet-black hair hung low on her back, almost reaching her buttocks. Her blue eyes were shrouded in a vat of black mascara, and her skin was caked with white makeup. The long black dress she wore billowed around her legs as she turned the corner to stand behind the counter.

“I’m Jade Monroe, Ruby’s sister. I’m here to pick up her things,” she offered with a smile.

A stricken look clouded her face. “Just one moment.”

She disappeared into a back room, leaving Jade alone. Jade could never understand how Ruby could work in a place like this every day, but Ruby loved every minute of it. She would say, “
Not everything is so black and white. You need to experience more of life. Broaden your horizons!
” Jade would laugh, feeling that Ruby’s horizons could definitely stand a reigning in.

If only she’d known then what would happen.

A man appeared in front of her; his gray shirt held an obvious mustard stain directly above his stomach. His blue jeans were old and tattered, and his greasy brown hair was pulled in a ponytail at the nape of his neck.

“Ms. Monroe, I’m the owner of the shop, Lloyd Tomlinson. We were all real sorry to hear about Ruby. I have her things in the back.”

As he guided her through the hall to the back room, a woman stuck her head between the partitioned curtains, her gaze focusing on Jade. Jade stared at her for a moment before following him into a small room in the back that seemed to serve as a break room. A small kitchenette was conveniently placed to the right, equipped with a sink and microwave, while a table and four chairs sat in the center of the room.

“Here are Ruby’s things,” he offered, picking up a paper bag marked ‘Ruby.’ He sat it on the table in front of her.

“Have the police found out who did it yet?” he asked, his brows furrowing together.

She opened the bag, sifting through the items. A black sweater, some hairspray and blush, a bottle of mineral water and a couple of books were all that was left of Ruby’s days here. She scanned the titles of the books. One was a gemstone dictionary; the other was a book on interpreting dreams. Finally, the last book was entitled,
Change Your Destiny…Magically
. Tears burned the backs of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” she replied, her voice shaking a little.

Lloyd shifted his weight uneasily. “Do the police have any suspects yet?”

She stared down at her sister’s belongings. There wasn’t much left of the two years Ruby had spent here. It was a sad pittance. “No, nothing yet,” she answered without meeting his eyes.

He watched her for a moment before saying, “Well, that’s all there was. Don't s’pose you’ll be wantin’ the stuff she had on layaway?”

He started to leave the room, but Jade stopped him. “Ruby had items on layaway?”

He nodded his head. “Always did. Had more on layaway than she ever bought.”

Jade grabbed the bag, crossing the few feet that separated them. “I’d like to see it if I could.”

He led her out to the front. “Be my guest. Zoë, show Ms. Monroe the stuff Ruby had on layaway.”

With that instruction, he disappeared through a side door. Zoë pulled out a box from beneath the counter, sorting through the small plastic bags inside. Jade walked over to stand before her, noticing how different she was from the girl who’d greeted her earlier. Her short brown hair bounced around her head in loose curls, her hazel eyes sparkling. She pulled a small bag out, placing it on the counter.

Jade looked through the pieces of jewelry. Her eyes traveled over Ruby’s selections: a gold bracelet with a green stone, long dangle earrings with stars, and a red cross. She picked up the cross, holding it up to the light to see it sparkle.

“Tiger’s Eye,” Zoë explained. “It’s a stone of protection—helps you to be strong through tough times, brings clarity.”

Clarity.

It was one of the things Jade was lacking at the moment.

“I’ll take all of it,” she proclaimed, pulling her wallet out of her purse.

“All of it? Are you sure?” Zoë confirmed, her surprise evident.

Jade smiled, giving her a quick nod. After Zoë rang up the purchase, she hesitated.

“Look…it’s just…Ruby and I were friends. I’m sorry about what happened to her.”

Lloyd loomed in the doorway, his presence as imposing as his manner. Jade leaned in so that he wouldn’t be able to overhear them.

“Would you have coffee with me? I’d really like to talk to you some more about Ruby,” she invited. If Zoë and Ruby were close, maybe she could provide some clues as to who Ruby was seeing.

Zoë glanced over at Lloyd warily, but Jade pressed on. “What do you say we meet tomorrow? Nine o’clock at Café du Monde?”

Zoë sighed heavily. “I’ll try.”

Jade walked back to the apartment, enjoying the evening breeze as it drifted through the city streets. She entered the apartment, taking a seat in the overstuffed chair for a moment as she tried to plan her next course of action. She searched through the papers, magazines and mail in the wicker basket on the table, only to be disappointed. Next she ransacked the kitchen, opening every drawer, every cabinet, but still nothing.

Her eyes were inevitably drawn to the very door she had been avoiding. Knowing that the answers she sought would only be found the hard way, she made her way down the hall. She stopped in front of the door, placing her fingers on the doorknob. It was cool to the touch, causing a chill to race up her spine.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed it open.

The pungent stench of chemicals filled her nostrils, making her nose crinkle as she entered the room. She could only imagine how many forensic tests had been performed in this room to uncover the truth. Unfortunately, they had yielded little to no results. The bed was completely stripped of everything, its headboard left barren and alone. A large painting hung above it. The swirls of red and black paint were decidedly erotic and violent.

This was where it had happened.

Her stomach rolled at the thought of the scene the detectives had witnessed on that fateful day. As she looked around, she realized the room did not provide any more clues than the other rooms had. She had hoped for something, anything that could lead her in the right direction. She searched the drawers of the nightstand only to find nail polish and a few romance novels. It seemed that the cops took any evidence with them.

How was she going to find out who killed her sister?

Chapter 3

The next morning she sat at Café Du Monde, sipping hot chocolate as she watched people walk by. Most came here for the fabulous chicory coffee and beignets, but she found their hot chocolate to be the best-kept secret. Tourists sat all around her, planning their activities for the day while pigeons fought for every discarded crumb. The little tables were cluttered together tightly, and everyone who was lucky enough to have found one had incurred a few battle scars for the find. On any other occasion, she would’ve enjoyed the hustle and bustle of it all, but today she had only one thing on her mind.

Zoë.

She knew something.

Jade could feel it.

She couldn’t help but remember the first time she came here with Ruby. She had brought her here saying that she simply
had to go
. Then they’d spent the day wandering the streets of the French Quarter, stopping in all of the little boutiques. A smile touched her lips as she thought of the laughs they’d shared that day.

“Jade.” A voice brought her back to the present.

“Zoë. I’m so glad you could meet me.”

Zoë took a seat across from her, quickly ordering a coffee from the waitress.

“Me, too,” she replied, leaning over to put her purse on the ground by her feet.

For a few minutes, neither spoke. The awkwardness of encountering a stranger was setting in. “So, you and Ruby were friends?” Jade asked.

“Yes,” Zoë answered, refusing to make eye contact.

“Good friends?”

Zoë hesitated. “I guess.”

“The reason I wanted to meet you is that I need to find out some things about my sister.”

“What sort of things?” she inquired uneasily, taking a tentative sip from the cup the waitress placed before her.

“Who was she dating? Where did she like to hang out? Those kinds of things.”

Zoë shifted in her chair. “Why do you need to know those kinds of things? What I mean is…I thought the cops were investigating everything.”

“They are, but they have other priorities. I only have one…finding Ruby’s killer,” Jade announced firmly.

“Look, I’d love to help you,” Zoë said, scooping her purse up to leave.

Jade reached across the table to place a restraining hand on her arm. “Please, Zoë. Anything you can think of, anything you know would really help.”

A stricken look covered Zoë’s face for a moment and Jade felt sure she was close, but instead she murmured a quick, “I’m sorry,” and left.

Jade sat in stunned silence for a moment before walking across the street to Jackson Square. She weaved her way through the many artists and psychics that littered the courtyard. Following the narrow paths, she walked around the tourists who were lined up to watch the many antics of the street performers.
The unsung talent of the Quarter.