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did.” I tugged at the cape, indicating my family had taken care of things.
    Leo nodded. “See you later.” Before he turned away he smiled. Uneasily.
    Like he’d won the lottery but lost the winning ticket.
     
     

CHAPTER 4
     
     
    I extracted my fanny from the box and snuck out the back door. Thor was waiting near the dumpster and trotted over to me when he spotted the cans of dog food.
    “Hope you’re happy,” I grumbled.
    Thor thumped his tail as I used the bar tool to open the cans of food. His water dish was still outside so I dumped the food in there and he gobbled it up in about three seconds. Then he belched and wiped his face on my cape. The slobber contrasted nicely with the wine stains.
    By the time I got to Angelica’s house, Cinnamon was pissed. “Where the hell have you been?” The scent of vanilla and almonds indicated that Angelica was still baking.
    “I don’t want to talk about it,” I told my cousin. “I want to change and go get a drink.”
    “Your clothes are in here.” Cinnamon handed me a brown paper bag. “Bye, mama!” she called.
    “Wait, I want to change,” I said as Cinnamon dragged me out the door.
    “Change at the bar. We’ll go to Down and Dirty. Tony is keeping my mother occupied so I can escape for a little while. She’s trying to convince me that we should lend Mario our guest room for a few weeks.”
    Halfway to the bar, Cinnamon lit a cigarette.
    “You’re smoking again?” I asked.
    “I’ve had a rough day.”
    Thor trotted along in front of us and I said, “Monique will not like this. How are we going to convince her to let Thor in the bar?”
    “Easy. I’ll promise not to kill her the next time she hits on my husband.”
    That might work. Monique Fontaine had been a splinter in Cinnamon’s behind since we were kids. Her real name was Monica, but she likes French perfume, French toast, and French men. Not to mention Spanish men, Italian men and African-American men, but you get the picture.
    Monique has had the hots for Tony for years, so when he married Cinnamon it really steamed her up. She takes every opportunity to try to seduce him when Cin isn’t looking. Of course he’s so in love with his wife that he tells her every time. Which only fuels Cinnamon’s anger. Monique finally realized that her facial features were exactly where she wanted them so she needed a new way to antagonize my cousin. Hence, the bar Down and Dirty. It’s located directly across the street from The Black Opal.
    Cin said, “I’ll have to check it out sooner or later. Might as well be tonight.”
    My mouth dropped open when we stepped inside.
    The walls were papered in burned-out red velvet, gilded gold frames anchoring them, with various burlesque paintings in each. Several cubby-holes lined the left side of the room, harboring loveseats with sheer gold curtains hanging above that could be drawn for privacy. Tiny tables supported by miniature Eiffel Towers filled the center of the room, each with little lamps in the shape of a woman’s leg complete with fishnet stockings.
    “Unbelievable,” I said.
    “I’ve died and gone to Cabaret Hell,” said Cin.
    “You think this is what the inside of Monique’s head looks like?”
    A young woman dressed like a Las Vegas showgirl approached us. “You want to get down and dirty?”
    “Excuse me?” I asked.
    “It’s a shot. Down and Dirty. Like the name of the bar. They’re only a buck.” She snapped her gum and held out a tray.
    “I’m already down,” Cin said.
    “I’m already dirty,” I told her.
    The girl skipped away.
    Thor parted the crowd as Beyonce belted from the speakers.
    We circled the half moon bar and I scanned the place for a bathroom.
    “I see two seats in the back,” Cinnamon said. She patted Thor to steer him in that direction.
    “Son of a bitch,” Cin said, when we got closer.
    “What?”
    “Scully’s here.”
    She was over to Scully in two seconds flat. He was sitting in front of a beer tap