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It was New Orleans, and she loved it

Toht because that hat a man did It was simple instinct And so many tiirl Had he gotten to the girl? He didn’t know No ed

There had been a chance

But he hadn’t been able to talk

And then…

Then it had been too late He had been followed

Well, it had been a good fight And he had done as ood as he could Maybe someone would come after him, someone who knew the truth He had tried so da, and he knew He was being "taken care of" It no longerover reality And he could see…

The wo blond hair, eyes both blue and green… And that face, porcelain, and the look of pity…

The… ave a bum

Not a bum Once…

In his mind’s eye, in dreams, all that remained, he could see hi across a rooain, the dreaht, that had most ood

He was dying And as he died, one regret tore at him

They would never know the truth

Unless she realized just what she had, what she had received, what he had slipped to her in that instant when they touched…

It was over Had he lost? No, he had to die for a reason ! God help hi Fading, fading, and then…

Death

Chapter 2

The afternoon French Quarter tour wound up being a long one They always allowed for questions after the tour, and it turned out they had a lot of people with questions When they finished, Julian decided to head ho, so she and Andy headed off

In addition to suggesting the party, Max had given Nikki a bonus There was a corset shop on Royal Street and a certain piece of clothing she had been coveting for quite a while On the way they stopped by Andy’s place to check on an old woman, Mrs Montobello, Andy seemed to have adopted The woer years in New Orleans She was an Italian iht unseen, but now her husband was long gone, her one son had also passed away, and her grandchildren were sweet but living their own lives in New York City

That day, she was on a kick about the many voodoo queens, and tarot and palm readers in the French Quarter

"All shysters," she said, shaking her old gray head with animation "Once upon a ti of their own--and to get back at their masters, eh? But I can tell you this--there oift"

"Mrs Montobello," Nikki said, "Marie Laveau supported her ’powers’ by eavesdropping"

"Dear child," Mrs Montobello protested "Don’t you go doubting things just because they can’t be seen I hear that you give the best ghost tour out there That people believe they’ve seen ghosts when they get back from a ith you That’s because you see them, don’t you?"

Nikki shook her head "I think it’s just athe eirl who sees the real picture We lead tours, we make money I don’t fall for the shyster palood’ readings, but I think that’s because they would have ists They kno to read people"

"Nikki’s good No matter what she says, I’ve stood next to her and felt chills," Andy said

"So you really do talk to ghosts, huh?" Mrs Montobello said, rheu Nikki in far too serious a manner

"No I have a feel for history, and I think I’hosts"

"So you don’t talk to them, but do they talk to you?" Mrs Montobello asked

"Good heavens, no!" Nikki said "I’d have a heart attack on the spot if that happened And if they’re out there," Nikki said mischievously, "they apparently know that"

"Maybe they will talk to you one day," Mrs Montobello hosts need to have so to say But you believe they’re out there--I can tell"

Nikki felt a sudden chill Yes, she believed in ghosts, or if not ghosts, per se, in a ered in certain places