Katie nodded at the woman. She had been beautiful in her day, probably a bit flamboyant, and yet a woman ahead of her time, not about to be put in the background.

And she remained on earth past death. Maybe frustration had kept Mabel there. She had suffered a terrible loss, and maybe her way to deal with the pain was to help now.

Mabel rose. “Ah, my friends! The deliciousness of your meals is fading. I’m going to hitch a ride down to Bourbon Street and find some friends for a rollicking good time. While I see if I see anything!” she added. “You darlings of flesh and blood, get some sleep! You’re going to need it. Ciao, my loves!”

She gave them a wave, blew a kiss and departed, half walking and half floating out.

“She’s right,” Axel said. “We have to find the associations. Because Dr. Neil Browne is someone who has an agenda, or he’s the patsy working for someone with an agenda.”

Katie shook her head. “I don’t get it. My father was a good guy. He served his country. He came as soon as he could when the levees broke after Katrina. Why would anyone want to kill him?”

They were all silent for a minute. Katie looked at her plate. Despite her certainty that she wouldn’t be able to eat after they left the morgue, she had cleaned it all up quite well. Axel glanced at Dan. Dan shrugged.

“What? Are you two implying that I didn’t know my own father?” she demanded indignantly.

Dan shook his head, turning to her. “No, his very decency might have outraged someone. After something like Katrina and the levees breaking, you get to see the very best in people. And the very worst. There was looting, there were people left behind, there were horrible things that happened. We’ll never know the depth of it because of the flooding. People were trapped in areas.”

“My father and Jeremy went out in a boat to save people.”

“And maybe they missed someone. Or maybe he saw illegal activity and stopped it. Katie, we’ll figure it out,” Dan said.

“Tomorrow. I’m about to keel over,” Axel said. “I’m going to drop you off and go and get some sleep. I suggest you do the same.”

“The cameras were installed?” Dan asked him.

“The entire house is covered. An agent will be watching the screens 24-7. No one will be coming near Katie’s place, with or without the dogs on the loose,” Axel assured them.

Dan nodded. “Sleep,” he murmured. “Sounds good.”

Axel rose to go pay. “Adam is footing this bill. The case is personal to him, too,” he assured them.

“And we’re not...taking advantage of Adam?” Katie wondered.