places. It was so crazy. The man who’d taken her was definitely crazy. But he wasn’t the rougarou . Instead, someone else was coming. And why had her captor seen her as Melissa DeVane ? Because of the shop? Because of what she and Quinn did, searching down objects? And there was the cane across the shack. Refurbished, certainly. Its length appeared to be ebony, making the silver of the wolf’s head all the more shiny. She winced, thinking that the head of the cane might have been the object used to smash in the victims’ heads.
She kept struggling, while thoughts raced through her mind. Who could have done all this? Was the man who’d kidnapped her the bastard child of Jacob Devereaux? If so, why isn’t he the rougarou ? Wouldn’t he have taken on that role, rather than leaving it to someone else?
There was always a reason for murder.
Jacob Devereaux had obviously been a sick narcissist, determined to kill Genevieve LaCoste because she wanted nothing to do with him. But this time it had been a man who’d been killed first, then his girlfriend. Had someone been in love and killed his rival, then the woman who’d turned him down?
She kept working on her bindings.
Her hands came free.
She sat up and drew her legs close, working desperately on the knots at her ankles, which were tight. But she was determined. She leapt to her feet, ready to reach for the cane and run.
The door to the shack blew open.
And there it stood.
The rougarou .
Immense, covered in some kind of pelt, with a giant wolf’s head.
Before she could move, it picked up the cane.
And came toward her.
* * * *
“What is it that you’ve seen, Selena? Damn it, you have to tell me,” Quinn demanded.
“I told you, I’m not the rougarou . And if I say anything, the rougarou will kill me. I may be old, but I don’t want to go that way.”
“Selena, I’m going to hurt you worse than any rougarou .”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Try me. And why do you think that the rougarou will kill you for talking? How will the rougarou know that you even talked to me?”
She was silent for an unbearable moment, gnawing on her lip. “He left me a message. In the mud. I came out to hang laundry and it was there, in the yard. A big dug-out sign that said Silence is golden. Silence is life. I know it was from the rougarou .”
The same kind of message that had threatened David Fagin .
He decided to try kindness and softened his tone. “You tell me what you know and I’ll see to it that you’re safe from the rougarou forever.”
“I wish I believed you,” she said.
“Believe me. The rougarou dies today.”
“I know just about where he lives,” Selena said. “Or where I think he lives.”
“Near here?”
She hesitated. “I’ve seen him come and go. When I’ve looked through the trees, I’ve seen him. Come out with me, in back. I’ll show you where.”
“Let’s go,” Quinn said.
* * * *
The rougarou picked up the cane and pointed it toward Danni.
She stayed dead still. There was no way to escape. And the thing didn’t speak. It just stood there, impossibly tall with its giant wolf’s head, neck, and ears. A mask, of course. A man beneath.
“You will be dead,” she said. “I swear it.”
The man who’d taken her captive appeared from behind the rougarou . “You think you can curse the rougarou . I knew that you were the reincarnation of the witch. I knew it.”
“I don’t curse people and I’m not a witch,” she said. “But I can tell you that Michael Quinn will be looking for me, and when he finds me, you two are going to pay.”
She was sure that she heard the rougarou speak beneath his mask, and he seemed angry with the man who’d seized her. Seemed like threatening had bought her time, though how anyone would find her in the swamp, she didn’t know.
She pointed at the man who’d seized her, deciding to play a hunch. “You’re the illegitimate son of a man named Jacob Devereaux, aren’t
She kept struggling, while thoughts raced through her mind. Who could have done all this? Was the man who’d kidnapped her the bastard child of Jacob Devereaux? If so, why isn’t he the rougarou ? Wouldn’t he have taken on that role, rather than leaving it to someone else?
There was always a reason for murder.
Jacob Devereaux had obviously been a sick narcissist, determined to kill Genevieve LaCoste because she wanted nothing to do with him. But this time it had been a man who’d been killed first, then his girlfriend. Had someone been in love and killed his rival, then the woman who’d turned him down?
She kept working on her bindings.
Her hands came free.
She sat up and drew her legs close, working desperately on the knots at her ankles, which were tight. But she was determined. She leapt to her feet, ready to reach for the cane and run.
The door to the shack blew open.
And there it stood.
The rougarou .
Immense, covered in some kind of pelt, with a giant wolf’s head.
Before she could move, it picked up the cane.
And came toward her.
* * * *
“What is it that you’ve seen, Selena? Damn it, you have to tell me,” Quinn demanded.
“I told you, I’m not the rougarou . And if I say anything, the rougarou will kill me. I may be old, but I don’t want to go that way.”
“Selena, I’m going to hurt you worse than any rougarou .”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Try me. And why do you think that the rougarou will kill you for talking? How will the rougarou know that you even talked to me?”
She was silent for an unbearable moment, gnawing on her lip. “He left me a message. In the mud. I came out to hang laundry and it was there, in the yard. A big dug-out sign that said Silence is golden. Silence is life. I know it was from the rougarou .”
The same kind of message that had threatened David Fagin .
He decided to try kindness and softened his tone. “You tell me what you know and I’ll see to it that you’re safe from the rougarou forever.”
“I wish I believed you,” she said.
“Believe me. The rougarou dies today.”
“I know just about where he lives,” Selena said. “Or where I think he lives.”
“Near here?”
She hesitated. “I’ve seen him come and go. When I’ve looked through the trees, I’ve seen him. Come out with me, in back. I’ll show you where.”
“Let’s go,” Quinn said.
* * * *
The rougarou picked up the cane and pointed it toward Danni.
She stayed dead still. There was no way to escape. And the thing didn’t speak. It just stood there, impossibly tall with its giant wolf’s head, neck, and ears. A mask, of course. A man beneath.
“You will be dead,” she said. “I swear it.”
The man who’d taken her captive appeared from behind the rougarou . “You think you can curse the rougarou . I knew that you were the reincarnation of the witch. I knew it.”
“I don’t curse people and I’m not a witch,” she said. “But I can tell you that Michael Quinn will be looking for me, and when he finds me, you two are going to pay.”
She was sure that she heard the rougarou speak beneath his mask, and he seemed angry with the man who’d seized her. Seemed like threatening had bought her time, though how anyone would find her in the swamp, she didn’t know.
She pointed at the man who’d seized her, deciding to play a hunch. “You’re the illegitimate son of a man named Jacob Devereaux, aren’t
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