Nora had the front door lock popped in seconds.

“Are you impressed?” she asked.

“Not really. I can pop locks, too.”

“Then what the hell am I doing this for?” she asked.

“First, my kit’s in my Honda back in the Quarter. Also, I don’t know this neighborhood and this neighborhood does not know me. I don’t want to get shot by some trigger-happy rookie because some old lady in the Irish Channel called the cops on a black guy popping the lock of a car that’s been here two days.”

“Oh, but you’ll let me do it?”

“They won’t you shoot you. Pretty white ladies make very good human shields.”

“Nice to be needed. Ready?” she asked as she reached for the trunk latch by the steering wheel.

“I’ll do it,” Cyrus said. “You man the trunk.”

“What if there’s a monster in there?” she asked.

“You’re scarier than I am,” Cyrus said.

“This is probably true. Hit it.”

Nora waited at the trunk as Cyrus pulled the lever. The latch released and the trunk opened.

“No monsters,” Nora said. “I think.”

“Uh-oh.” Cyrus walked around to the trunk, kind of wincing as he went to stand by her. “What does ‘I think’ mean? Blanket.”

“Yup, that’s a blanket. And there’s something under the blanket.”

There was definitely something under that blanket. Nora stared long and hard at the bulge, which could have been anything from a flat tire kit to a dead animal in a garbage bag.

“I don’t smell anything.”

“Good sign,” Cyrus said. “I’m gonna do it. Stand back.”

She stood by and waited. Cyrus pulled the blanket back.

“That’s not much better,” Nora said.

“That’s a suspicious-looking duffel bag.”

She pointed at the bag in the trunk.

“Not big enough for a body,” Cyrus said.

“Not a whole body, you mean.”

“Don’t do this to me.” Cyrus shook his head.

“My turn,” Nora said. “Stand back. I’m going in.”

God bless Cyrus Tremont, the man actually stood back instead of doing any macho posturing. She took latex gloves out of her purse, pulled them on, and unzipped the duffle.

“Houston, we have a pervert,” she said.

“What is it?” Cyrus stepped forward again.

“Let’s see…” Nora started pulling items out of the bag. “We’ve got handcuffs. We’ve got ankle restraints. We’ve got rope, bondage tape, blindfolds, and three different gags.”

She spilled the cuffs, rope, tape, and gags into the trunk to give Cyrus a look at them.

“Either he was kinky, or Father Ike was going to kidnap somebody.”

“He was definitely stocking up on Aisle 15 in Home Depot.” She picked up the two lengths of rope.

“You get this shit at the Depot? I’ve been shopping the wrong aisles.”

“Not really,” she said. “This is called love rope. It’s much softer than real rope. Used for bondage. I mean, it can tie you the fuck up and you won’t be able to get out, but it also won’t tear your skin apart like hemp rope.”