Page 18 of Deadly Sins: Envy

“I know,” I said. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m only going to ask you for one thing,” he said. “Stay out of sight. You understand what happens if you don’t.”

“I do.”

“You should know ... I made a compromise with Murphy.”

“What kind of compromise?”

“I’m wearing a wire. I need it to seem like I’m here alone.”

“So ... where are they?”

“I’m not sure,” he said. “They said it was best if I didn’t know. Close enough to get inside if something goes wrong, I imagine.”

He opened the car door and climbed out. “I, wanted to, ahh ...”

“What is it?” I prompted.

“Nothing.”

“Whatever it is, just say it.”

“Nothing. Never mind.”

He walked away, leaving me to wonder what he might have said.

I wanted to be optimistic, to believe everything would go as planned.

But I was unnerved, which told me otherwise.

I waited a few minutes and then pulled myself onto the passenger seat just enough for me to see out the passenger-side window. I eased the car door open, slipped out, and crouched down, waiting an additional minute before making another move. I thought the cemetery would have been a lot more lit than it was, but it wasn’t.

Before Coop and I left his brother’s house, we’d gone over the cemetery’s layout, familiarizing ourselves with its irregular sections and rows. Being there now on a moonless night, it would be difficult to make use of what I’d learned.

The brick wall around the cemetery was old and showed signs of erosion. I considered trying to scale it from the back but decided it was best to enter the same way Coop had—through the front. I reached the gate and noticed the lock around the chain had been cut off. I crept inside and made a sharp left, inching my way toward the tomb of Marie Laveau. A minute later, I spotted Coop.

He ran a hand across his brow and said, “I’m here. Are you?”

No response.

He tried again. “It’s midnight. I’m on time. Are you? Hello? Are you there?”

A man’s hushed voice echoed throughout the cemetery. “Yes, I’m here.”

Coop looked around.

I looked around.

Wherever the man was, neither of us seemed to be able to locate him.

“I have your money,” Coop said. “Hand Willow over, and let’s finish this, all right?”

“You didn’t come alone,” the man said. “You were supposed to come alone.”

Coop sighed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Look around. There’s no one else here but the two of us. Iamalone.”

The man’s tone was unsettled and nervous, nothing like I thought it would sound after hearing Dean’s description.