While they stood there, TJ decided to wander behind a wrought-iron fence and into a big lawn party with lots of folks eating and listening to music, crawfish shells crunching beneath their feet. John Wesley followed her over to a big linen-topped table where she grabbed a china plate and helped herself to some little cut-up sandwiches and some sticky jambalaya like her aunt used to make.

John Wesley caught on to the idea real fast and stacked his plate with nearly a dozen little sandwiches. They found a nearby cooler loaded down with soft drinks and she found a couple bottles of root beer for her and John Wesley. It was a break. A little time out from the craziness. TJ felt she could breathe a little easier, getting something to eat, trying to get her mind right before she’d have to face Chastity. That girl either needed to help them get gone or get them a goddamn car. She’d derailed everything since they met up in Hot Springs. Nothing but empty-ass promises. Now they were in some strange house with folks coming and going at all hours. Too many of them taking long looks at her and staring back at their phones.

Maybe she was getting paranoid now, but TJ started to notice a group of teenage girls, her age or maybe a little older, staring at her and John Wesley. She was sure she’d been busted and told John Wesley to fill up his damn pockets, as it was time to leave. He nodded, mouth full, and she grabbed his hand, the kid dropping his china plate to the ground, but moving fast to the gate. Eyes were everywhere.

One of the teenage girls walked over to her. TJ ducked down her head and pretended not to see her. “You’re her,” she said. “Aren’t you?”

“I’m nobody,” TJ said. “Sorry. We’re at the wrong house.”

“We won’t tell anyone,” she said. “I promise. I hope they get whoever killed your mother. I know it had to be that Chester Pratt. Especially after he stole all your money. Sounds like he was covering his own butt.”

TJ stopped cold. John Wesley looked up at her, not sure what to do. Somewhere far off she heard the sound of a jazz band starting up and people beginning to clap along with the music. A real wild party. Good times. She could see the park on the other side of Saint Charles. They could just ignore the girls and make a run for it.

“I want to help,” the girl said.

“Why would you help us?”

“Because what you did is right,” she said. “Stood up. Fair is fair and all that. Love the hair, by the way.”