Chapter 1
A surge of energy pumped through the crowd, the sights and sounds a breathtaking blend of panache and togetherness amongst partygoers. A purple feather fluttered through the air, landing on a screaming, nearly bare-chested woman with a plethora of beads strung around her neck.
Maddie giggled and sucked in a lungful of Mardi Gras magic, a mix of sweat, booze, mayhem, and a touch of whacky tobacky—secondhand, of course. Looking for a spot to sit down and finding none, she leaned against the gate in front of an older, boutique-style hotel, waiting for Sloane to return with another round of Canal Street Daisy’s, a bourbon-based drink infused with orange and lemon. She downed what was left of her drink in hand, tossed the cup in a nearby trash can, and watched the party unfold as the night chill began to set in.
Visiting New Orleans during festival season was a dream come true, one more item checked off her bucket list. Ever since Sloane suggested they vacation during the festival at her NOLA condo, Maddie had been planning her outfit. Hair piled high in a mass of curls that shot out of the crown of her black derby hat—she’d removed the top. Venetian half mask, all black sequins and braided silk, a black silk flower affixed to the right side. Her dress was body-con Lycra in a shocking pink, her skin covered in glitter, and her black boots stopping just above the knee.
She felt like a true party queen.
Maddie pushed away from the gate and strolled farther down Napoleon Avenue, hoping to catch one of the Krewe of Nyx’s many offerings, festive items being thrown to a ravenous crowd as the floats rolled on by.
She craned her neck, searching the crowd for any sign of Sloane.
Where was she, anyway?
It had been thirty minutes since she’d trotted off to get their libations. Maddie was starting to think she should have gone with her. But Sloane had insisted Maddie stay. She didn’t want her to miss a thing.
There was a small break between floats, and Maddie stared across the street into a tight alleyway, seeing a man and woman engaged in … well, she wasn’t sure what. She squinted to get a better look, at first thinking they were drunk, leaning on each other for a moment’s reprieve. Maybe it was nothing at all.
Then again …
It didn’t seem like nothing at all.
It seemed odd, and her curious nature won out.
Maddie weaved her way across the street, dodging drinks and dancers and phone cameras held high. She stopped cold at the mouth of the alleyway. The woman she’d seen was outstretched on the filthy pavement. She wasn’t moving, and her limbs were splayed, face toward the sky, expressionless, mouth agape.
The man glanced over his shoulder, saw Maddie approaching. He sprinted in the opposite direction, leaving Maddie to reassess what had caught her eye about the pair in the first place. The picture became clearer. The man had been dragging the unconscious woman to this spot in the alley. By her feet, her arms all akimbo as they bounced along the bricks.
And now he was just leaving her there?
Not a chance.
“Hey, wait,” Maddie called to the man as she raced toward the woman. “Stop! What is wrong with her? Can I help?”
The man kept going, leaving Maddie with a decision—tend to the woman or sprint after the man?
No-brainer.
Woman first.
Maddie hunched down, assessing the woman who appeared to be in her early twenties. She was dressed in designer jeans and a sequined shirt, but her clothes were grimy, her curly brown hair unbrushed, wild.
No surprise since she’d been dragged across the filthy ground and who knew what else.
Maddie checked for a pulse.
Nothing.
It didn’t mean it wasn’t there. As a retired medical examiner, she knew sometimes a person’s pulse could be so faint, it was almost undetectable.
Maddie reached down, shaking the woman, looking for other signs that would tell her something about her condition. She was cold—far colder than a normal person should be.
Maddie bolted from her kneeling position and headed straight for the man who’d just rounded the corner at the end of the alleyway. She’d expected him to be a lot farther away by now, but he wasn’t. It seemed he might have paused to see what Maddie would do after discovering the woman.
Lowlife.
Maddie took the corner in hot pursuit. “Stop right now!”
A streak of movement came from behind a dumpster, and she stopped, whirling around. A needle pierced her neck, and she felt her arms being locked behind her back. She screamed for help but was dragged farther down the alley. An old sedan of some sort was waiting, and she was shoved into the back.
Her fight was leaving her.
She whimpered Sloane’s name over and over again.
Why oh why hadn’t she just waited …
Maddie’s eyes rolled back, and her mind exited the party.
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