There’s a slight smile on his face, but he doesn’t let his guard down.

“Hey, settle a bet for me,” I say. “Who makes the best gumbo in Plaquemines Parish? I have a buddy who says Talbot’s. But I swear by Mama Gerry’s.”

His eyes light up at the question, as I thought they might.

“That’s like picking a favorite child. Can’t be done. How’d you know I—”

“I could tell you’re from around there by your accent,” I say, still trying to keep my voice relaxed, casual. “I always know a fellow Louisiana son when I see one. Gotta stick together. We’re a special breed down here.”

“You got that right.”

“That’s what all these suits don’t understand,” I say, wanting to focus on this kind-looking man before me, not wanting to think of his part in what I witnessed this morning. The blood. The screams. The crumpled bodies.

I go on. “They show up, thinking they know everything. But all they do is make a mess. If you ask me, that’s what’s really going to destroy our city. Not hurricanes. But people. From the outside. Who don’t belong here.”

He bobs his head. “Amen to that, brother. Amen to that.”

“Now, I can see why that makes you angry, Reggie,” I say. “Truth is, it pisses me off, too. When outsiders come in, try to charm us, try to steal away what’s special about the Big Easy. I can understand this. But … ”

I pause, take a moment to scratch at the back of my head, like I’m trying to figure out the crossword puzzle in that day’s New York Times. “But what I can’t understand is, how you could fall under the spell of a man like Billy Needham.”

I watch his reaction closely. He doesn’t admit to anything. But he doesn’t deny it, either.

Progress.

Oh, so slight, but I know I’m making progress.

“You used to work at a seafood plant out in Buras,” I say. “Isn’t that right? Until a new investor stepped in two years ago, laid off a bunch of folks. Especially the old-timers. That must have hurt real bad, Reggie. But do you know who that investor was?”

He smiles wider, but it’s an uneasy smile. “Oh, c’mon, man, Mr. Needham had nothing to do with that. He loves this city, and he cares about us folks. You’re bullshitting me!”