Cut & Run by Traci Hohenstein Read Free Book Online Page A

to take a closer look. The statues were of different shapes and sizes. One was an old man carved from stone. His eyes were misaligned and too big for his head. He was shirtless and his nipples were pierced.
    She stood up and wandered over to a small desk. It was neat compared to the rest of the room, with a small stack of bills on one side and a plain notebook on the other. Rachel picked up the notebook, and a business card fluttered to the floor. She bent down to pick it up. The card was plain, black and white, with weird symbols on it.
    “Madame Verdene’s Voodoo Shop,” she read aloud. “Located in the French Quarter on St. Peter Street.”
    “Maybe that’s where Erin buys her stuff for the altar,” Red said.
    Rachel walked over to a small closet. Inside, it was neat and organized. Paint supplies, candles, and various small bottles labeled in cryptic black script.
    “These look like potions of some sort,” said Rachel. “Was Erin into black magic?”
    Red shrugged his shoulders. “I have no idea. This is New Orleans. Home to Anne Rice, vampires, witches, and voodoo.”
    “I pictured her as a typical soccer mom,” Rachel commented. “Maybe there’s no such thing.”
    “You can never tell what dirty little secrets people have in their closets,” Red said, walking out of the apartment. “Literally.”
    Rachel pulled out her notebook and quickly wrote down the number of the voodoo shop. She returned the card to the notebook and then followed Red back outside.
    “Top of my list is visiting Madame Verdene’s Voodoo Shop,” Rachel said.
    “Sounds perfect. I know a great little restaurant in the Quarter that I’ve been dying to go back to. We can stop by and see the voodoo shop and then grab a bite.”

CHAPTER 9
    M adame Verdene’s Voodoo Shop was sandwiched between a well-known karaoke club and a homemade-candy shop that was famous for its pralines. The window display of the voodoo shop was draped with black velvet and adorned with various talismans and crosses. Rachel stepped inside and was immediately overwhelmed by the scent of sage. It made her feel light-headed, but luckily that tapered off once she was a few feet inside the store.
    “May I help you?” asked a gravelly voice from behind the counter.
    Rachel turned to find an older woman wearing a long orange dress that complimented her dark skin, with hair trailing down her back in intricate braids.
    “I’m looking for Madame Verdene,” Rachel said.
    “Well, you found her.”
    Rachel introduced herself and Red. “We’re with Florida Omni Search. A family disappeared near this area last week, and we’re working to find them.”
    Madame Verdene narrowed her eyes and looked Rachel up and down, like a simple glance would reveal if she was telling the truth or not. “The O’Malleys?”
    “Do you know them?” Rachel asked, surprised.
    Madame Verdene walked to the front of the store and picked up a duster. She proceeded to dust around the cashier stand. After a few beats she answered the question.
    “Erin O’Malley was a customer.” Madame Verdene put down the duster and lit a single black candle.
    Rachel thought about her answer for a minute. “You said she
was
a customer. Not anymore?”
    Red shifted uncomfortably beside her.
    “That’s right.” Madame Verdene looked Rachel straight in the eye.
    “What happened?” Rachel asked.
    “She’s dead.”

CHAPTER 10
    “H ow do you know she’s dead?” Rachel asked.
    Two young teenage girls walked into the shop, smacking their gum and talking about buying voodoo dolls. Madame Verdene called out to another girl working at the back of the store. “Mabel, please come up here and watch the store while I help these customers.” Madame Verdene motioned for Rachel and Red to follow her as soon as Mabel took her position at the cashier stand.
    They followed her to the back of the store through a heavily curtained door. The back room was surprisingly large and clearly multipurpose. There was a