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place, a place where years ago hundreds of people had died. Of course she’d like it.
    Should he offer her something? Orange juice? Water? She’d served him tea at her pink plantation house. He didn’t have tea.
    “I’m here to help you,” she said.
    His mind tripped along, trying to figure out how she could possibly help him with anything. His first thought was a girl. One of her girls. Yeah, that was probably it. For a moment he actually gave it some consideration, and then he remembered what had happened the last time he’d used the services of Black Tupelo.
    “I’m fine,” he said. “Really.”
    “I’m not talking about sex, but if you’re interested I have a couple of new girls I think you’d like.”
    “No. Thanks. That’s okay.”
    “I’m talking about Elise. I worry about her, and I want to help you. I know things haven’t always been . . . well, that wonderful between us. And I know you suffered, no thanks to me. I want to do something for you. Free of charge. Out of the goodness of my heart. Well, not really goodness. I want to pay my debts.”
    “Can you be a bit more specific?”
    “I’ve brought a mojo.”
    He almost laughed, but that would have been rude. “I don’t believe in that stuff.”
    “You don’t have to believe for a spell to work.”
    He had to admit that when Elise went missing he’d actually thought of contacting Strata Luna to see if she could help. And then he’d gotten the call from a strange number, and he’d heard Elise’s voice.
    “It’s me,” Elise had said.
    And he’d dropped to his knees. Just dropped to his knees.
    He realized Strata Luna was still standing in the middle of the room. “Would you like a cup of coffee?” he asked. “Glass of orange juice?”
    “I can’t stay. My driver is waiting.”
    He let out an internal sigh of relief. He couldn’t exactly imagine shooting the shit with this woman. They had absolutely nothing in common. Well, that wasn’t true. They both would forever grieve the loss of a child.
    “The mojo is for Elise,” she said.
    He looked at her blankly, and she went on to explain: “A follow-me-girl.”
    A love spell? “So why are you giving it to me? Shouldn’t you give it to her?” And who in the hell was Elise supposed to fall in love with? He backtracked in his head, trying to think of someone she might be attracted to. There was her ex-husband, but he’d remarried long ago. Seemed a good relationship. And that guy had been all wrong for her. All wrong. So who? Somebody in the department? Mason? He’d split up with his wife. Oh, God, no. Couldn’t be him.
    Strata Luna was talking: “Elise is a strong, independent woman. I understand that. Who needs a man? Beyond sex and the occasional back rub? And a cup of tea brought to bed?”
    “Riiiight.” It came out as more of a question. No need to point out the obvious—that she was talking to a man.
    She let out a resigned sigh that seemed to imply he was too dense for the room. “Have you ever thought about you and Elise together?”
    Weird that her words echoed the very thing he’d said last night. “She doesn’t think of me that way,” he hedged, fairly certain the woman would know if he lied.
    “I can help.”
    “I don’t need your help.”
    She began moving around, looking at his shelves of books, wiping at the dust on his TV. “I started thinking about this when Elise was abducted. She’s an independent spirit, but she needs somebody in her life. You’re both single and close to the same age.”
    David felt his heart soften a little. This woman who claimed she cared for no one, claimed she needed no one, was worried about Elise.
    Strata Luna gave him an eloquent shrug. “You don’t believe in spells, so what does it matter?” She tucked a gloved hand deep into a fold of her dress and pulled out a small red bag secured with a drawstring. The scent that had followed her inside was stronger now, and he realized it came from the bag she held in