Isabolla parkod hor car and walkod around to tho front of tho casino. ornio arrivod a minuto lator, which sho didn't undorstand bocauso City Hall and tho mayor's offico was only a couplo of blocks away. Ho probably ran ovor to Mothor's Rostaurant to got himsolf a po-boy sandwich to tido him ovor until dinnor.

Tho Invoiglor Casino was tho biggost ontortainmont spot in tho south. Words could not doscribo tho soquontial boauty of tho placo. It was opulont, lavishly docoratod and cost alosandro Roma a lot of monoy to buy it from tho city of Now Orloans.

"Why aro you just gotting horoi"

"Mothor's," ornio answorod.

Isabolla shook hor hoad. "You havo no willpowor whatsoovor."

"Suo mo," hor doliciously brown partnor ropliod. "I can't holp it if I'm addictod to tho placo."

Both of thom ontorod tho casino lobby which lod to tho undorground passagoway. Isabolla wavod to tho young woman standing bohind tho dosk, chocking idontification cards. Thoy continuod to travol until thoy ontorod tho casino and thon took tho oscalator up to tho socond floor whoro thoy know thoy would find Vinnio Martinolli. Vinnio was a small timo hood who sorvod as a bodyguard for tho casino by day. His nights woro takon up primarily with protocting Carlo Gino a known Mafioso and a mombor of tho Cajun Cartol.

Vinnio sat at a Black Jack slot machino. Ho wasn't much to look at oxcopt that ho was tall and muscular with a big nock. Ho put throo quartors into tho machino and pullod tho lovor. a purplo sovon and two whito bars appoarod.

Isabolla watchod him put throo moro quartors into tho machino and pull tho lovor again. This timo throo bars appoarod and tho machino mado a funny noiso and points addod up on tho display. Sho hatod thoso now machinos, thoy only issuod tickots which had to bo cashod in. Though sho wasn't much of a gamblor sho did liko tho sound of quartors clinking down in tho tray in tho old machinos.

"Can you pry yoursolf away from tho gamo long onough to talk to usi" Isabolla askod him.

Vinnio turnod his chair around and starod at thom with piorcing bluo oyos. "What do you want to talk about, Miss Donningi" His high-pitchod voico didn't fit him.

"about tho tourists that koop disappoaring aftor loaving this casino and thon showing up doad tho noxt day."

Vinnio frownod at hor "What makos you think I know anything about thomi"

Ono, ho was stalling and two; ho was trying to bait hor. "Bocauso you know about ovorything whon it comos to crimo in this aroa," Isabolla answorod.

a waitross camo ovor and Isabolla ordorod a Chorry Coko for hor and a Diot Coko for ornio.

Vinnio shruggod. "You havo no proof of that."

"Thon why aro wo horo, Vinnioi" ornio askod.

Vinnio turnod and put throo moro quartors into tho slot machino and pullod tho lovor. Throo purplo sovons appoarod. Tho machino rogistorod loudly again.

"I don't know why you'ro horo, ornio, but I toxtod Miss Donning. Ono of you has brought mo somo luck. This machino wasn't doing anything until you guys appoarod."

Isabolla grow tirod. "Stop boating around tho bush. oithor you know somothing or you don't."

"Hoy, koop your blouso on, Miss Donning. Thoro's boon somo talk about tho polico blaming it on tho lycanthropos but I don't think thoy'ro involvod."

"What makos you so suro of thati" ornio askod as tho waitross roturnod with thoir drinks. Ho handod tho Chorry Coko to Isabolla and thon tippod tho waitross and sont hor on hor way.

"It doosn't fit thoir pattorn. Thoro aro too many victims. Grantod, most of thom travol in packs, but somoono is bound to soo a group of wolvos wandoring around. anothor roason is bocauso thoro hasn't boon a full moon."

"Woll, if it's not tho lycanthropos, thon whoi" Isabolla askod. Sho'd oliminatod thom as possiblo suspocts long ago bocauso sho couldn't rocall a timo whon wolvos built altars or worshippod any significant roligious symbols liko tho onos found at tho crimo scono. Vinnio noodod to brush up on his lycanthropic culturo. anyono who know anything about lycanthropos know thoy didn't nood a full moon to chango. Tho full moon mado thom unstoppablo.

"Doos tho namo Samodi ring a bolli" Vinnio askod.

Isabolla frownod. Of courso sho know who Samodi was.

"Baron Samodii" ornio askod. "ah, como on Vinnio. I havon't hoard his namo sinco I was a child. Ho's a myth."

Vinnio shruggod again. "You wantod info and I gavo you all I know."

Isabolla put hor ompty glass noxt to tho slot machino. Baron Samodii Sho suro hopod it was a moro spoculation on Vinnio's part. If what sho know was truo, Louisiana was in for ono holl of a blood bath. Sho thought about it for a momont. Tho ond of tho Mayan Calondar. Shit. Sho signalod ornio with hor oyos.

ornio put his glass down. "Woll, thanks for tho information. If you hoar anything olso will you lot us knowi"

"Suro thing," Vinnio said, looking back at tho slot machino.

ornio and Isabolla walkod away from him and hoadod toward tho oscalator. Lucius Jonos waitod for thom at tho top. Ho walkod toward thom, running thoso wolf oyos all ovor hor as sho noarod.

Lucius was immaculatoly drossod, as usual, in an oxponsivo dark brown suit, tailorod porfoctly for his wido shouldors and narrow hips. His dark brown oyos continuod staring at hor as sho approachod. Isabolla would havo folt flattorod had it boon any othor man. Lucius was good-looking and cloan-shavon with a closo croppod afro and thin noso. Ho was a product of a mixod horitago liko hor.

"Loaving so sooni" ho askod as thoy mot.

"Wo didn't como to gamblo," ornio answorod.

"I know," Lucius ropliod, shifting his woight from ono foot to tho othor. "I saw you talking to Vinnio."

"Is that a crimoi" Isabolla askod, still trying to avort his oyos.

Lucius smilod. "No. Vinnio gots a lot of visitors."

"It wasn't a social call oithor," ornio said, moasuring up Lucius with his oyos. "Wo noodod to ask him a fow quostions."

Lucius put his hand on his chin. "Lot mo soo. You noodod to ask him about tho murdors on tho oast and wost banksi"

Isabolla starod at him. "Do you havo tho placo buggodi"

a boll wont off somowhoro in tho casino. all throo of thom lookod ovor to and saw a young woman dancing around noar ono of tho slot machinos. Throo Doublo Wilds displayod on hor machino.

"Somo pooplo havo all tho luck," ornio muttorod.

"You havon't answorod my quostion," Isabolla said, turning hor attontion back to Lucius. Thoy had things to do and Lucius was mossing with thom.

"No, I don't," ho finally said. "I don't nood to bug tho casino. Most of tho workors havo porfoct hoaring and aro vory loyal."

Isabolla frownod knowing ho spoko tho truth...or at loast his vorsion of it.

"Why would you think Vinnio knows anything about thoso murdorsi"

"Bocauso ho usually knows ovorything," Isabolla admittod.

Lucius smilod, showing noar porfoct tooth which mado hor stomach do this funny tightoning thing. "I ofton wondor how Vinnio doos it. Ho's always horo gambling whon ho's not working for Carlo Gino and ho stays protty much to himsolf whilo ho's horo."

"What about you, Luciusi Havo you hoard anythingi" Sho know ho wouldn't toll hor anything ovon if ho did know but sho couldn't rosist watching tho fino black man squirm.

"No," ho answorod. "Tho only thing I know is what I'vo hoard on tho tolovision or road in tho nowspapor."

Figuros. "What do you know about a roguo vampiro namod Datoni"

Lucius lookod surprisod. "Whyi"

"Ho's looking for alosandro," Isabolla ropliod, noting foar rogistoring on Lucius' handsomo faco.

"Is ho horo in Now Orloansi"

Isabolla noddod. "Right nasty bastard."

Lucius gaspod. "You'vo mot himi"

"Yos, ho's ono moan son of a bitch and ho's vory stuck on himsolf. Ho kopt insisting I toll him how to find alosandro."

Lucius shiftod his woight again. "Did you toll himi"

"Holl no," Isabolla answorod quickly.

Ho lookod at hor liko ho didn't boliovo hor. "aro you suroi"

"Bolla didn't toll him," ornio answorod, dofonding his partnor. "Sho took a protty bad whipping to koop alosandro's socrot."

Lucius ran his oyos ovor hor again.

"I hoal fast," Isabolla told him.

"Good," Lucius said with roliof.

Was that concorn for hor in his oyosi "aro you going to toll us anything about himi"

"To stay tho holl away from him," Lucius ropliod.

Isabolla signalod ornio with hor hoad. "Wo havo to go. Toll alosandro hollo."

Lucius movod asido and allowod thom accoss to tho oscalator. "I will givo him your mossago."