I checked my phone. He would be there in five minutes. Perfect timing.
"And Marcus?" Lia asked. "Does he have a regular schedule too?"
She lifted one shoulder. "He's been coming by most afternoons lately, learning the family traditions. Claude's been teaching him the songs his grandmother passed down. Marcus was particularly interested in the ones that Claude always said weren't meant for public performances."
"What do you mean by that?" Phi asked.
"Claude calls them sacred family songs. His grandmother made him promise to only play them at certain times, in certain places. He said she was kinda nutty but everyone always appeased her and now it's like a family superstition. No one plays them any other way. Marcus has been pressing him to share those. If you ask me, those researchers are pressuring him to get the information. They probably offered to pay him for them."
"Thank you," I said sincerely, though my mind was racing with implications. "And if any more researchers show up asking questions about Claude or his family..."
"I'll call you," she said, accepting the business card Phi handed her. "Claude's a good man. Whatever's happening, I hope you can help him. And I hope Marcus isn't involved in anything dangerous. He's young, you know? Sometimes young people don't understand the consequences of their actions."
"So do we," I replied as we headed for the door.
"Café Beignet," Lia muttered as she typed the name into her phone for directions. "Let's hope Claude is as predictable as she thinks he is."
"And let's hope we get to him before Marcus does," Kota added grimly. "Sounds like the kid's been feeding information to the wrong people."
"Or the right people, depending on which side he's really on," Dre said quietly.
“You don’t think he’s working against his grandfather, do you?” My hand went to my stomach as I asked that.
Turning the corner, Dre lifted a shoulder. “I really hope not.”
CHAPTER 12
DEANDRA
The walk to Café Beignet was brief but tense. The restaurant was exactly the kind of local spot that tourists walked past without noticing, which was how my sisters and I liked it. They had small tables, strong coffee, and the kind of regulars who had been coming there for decades.
I nudged Dani's shoulder and gestured to a man that central casting would order for 'elderly jazz musician'. He had silver hair, weathered hands that spoke of decades of trumpet playing, and eyes that held the kind of wisdom that came from a lifetime of music. My empathic senses told me it was Claude even before I noticed the presence about him that made my magical abilities take notice.
"Mr. Moreau?" Dani approached his table with what I hoped was a friendly smile. "My name is Dani Smith, and these are my sisters. We're hoping to ask you some questions."
His expression immediately became guarded. "I don't talk to reporters or genealogy people. Too many folks been asking questions lately, and I don't much care for the attention."
"We're not reporters," Lia said as she pulled out one of the photographs from the vault. "We're more like... crisis managers. And we think your family might be in danger."
Claude's eyes widened as he studied the photograph of the genealogical carvings. "Where did you get this?"
"From a place your ancestors wanted kept hidden," Dani replied carefully. "Mr. Moreau, what do you know about Les Gardiens du Voile?"
The coffee cup slipped from his hands and clattered against the saucer, but didn't break. "How do you know that name?"
"We're trying to stop something terrible from happening and heard it in our investigation," I said gently, sending out calming vibes through my empathic powers. "We're working to keep something your ancestors helped bind over a century ago locked away."
Claude looked around the café nervously, then leaned forward. "My grandmother used to tell stories about 'singing away the darkness'. She said our family had a responsibility to keep certain songs alive and that we play them at certain times. I always thought it was just Creole folklore." He gestured to the vacant chairs around him.
"What kind of songs?" Phi asked as she pulled a chair over and took a seat. The rest of us did the same.
"They were old spirituals, mostly. Some jazz standards, but with different lyrics. They were family versions that my grandmother said were 'more important than the pretty ones they play for tourists'."
"Would you mind if my sister demonstrated something?" Dani asked. "Dea has abilities that might help you understand what we're talking about." Lia and Dre muttered something under their breath. When the air vibrated, I realized they had erected a magical screen of sorts that would keep mundanesfrom seeing anything magical. The cafe was almost empty but it wouldn't be good to be seen.
Claude nodded hesitantly. I closed my eyes and reached out with my spiritual senses. Almost immediately, the temperature around our table dropped. A second later, Claude's eyes widened as ghostly figures began to materialize around us.
"Sweet Mary and Joseph," he whispered. "Please tell me this isn't another trick of my mind."
