Diana Racine 02 - Goddess of the Moon

authorities, the management company will have a cleaning service in there to scour the place down, then repaint. Good thing Mr. Deems paid in advance. His money will help defray the costs of repairs.”
    Businessman, indeed. Or was that part of the act ?
    “Your prints and the prints of Mr. Reyes were all over th e house.”
    “We checked out the house thoroughly before we purchased it. Even at foreclosure prices, a million is a lot of money. Fernando and I purchased it with his wife in mind. She’s an interior designer, and he thought an exclusive bed and breakfast would be an interesting project for her. The property is on a cul-de-sac, making it a perfect location. But shortly after we bought it, she contracted a huge project that would keep her busy for quite a while. So we rented it out . Besides, property is a good investment right now. We considered the house was a bargain.”
    “Would the agency have a photocopy of Mr. Deems’ s canceled check so we could see what bank it was drawn on? If we could track the account, we might find out who financed the rental.”
    “Good point. I’ll ask them to send it over to you. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” He rose . S o did Lucier and Diana.
    The two men shook hands. “I appreciate your time, sir,” Lucier said.
    “No problem.” Compton turned to Diana with a fawning smile. “It’s been a pleasure, Ms. Racine.”
    He took her hand again . S he held her breath, but her hand di dn’t transform into an atrophied claw, black with foreboding. “I’m sorry we met under these circumstances.”
    “Maybe we’ll meet again,” he said.
    “Thank you for inviting me,” she said as a reminder. “In spite of the situation, I enjoyed the opportunity to see your beautiful home. The Lieutenant said it was rumored to be one of New Orleans’ s showplaces. From what I’ve seen that wasn’t an exaggeration. It’s magnificent , an d incredibly large. How many of your family live here?”
    Compton, his smile in place, answered, “All of them.” His outstretched arm moved them toward the door. “I’d like to invite you back and show you around. You too, Lieutenant. Would you consider giving me a private reading, Ms. Racine, if you still do that sort of thing. I’d be happy to pay double your professional rate.”
    “That’s not necessary. A tour of your lovely home would be fair exchange.”
    Compton’s smile cracked, and he missed a beat, imperceptible to most, but not to Diana, who’d spent a good part of her life studying people’s nuances.
    “ S ettled then . I’ll be in town for the next two weeks. Give me a day or two to check my schedule and I’ll call you, if that’s all right.”
    Diana wrote her number on a card she pulled from her purse. “This is my cell phone, or you can always get Ernie at his office . Either way, I look forward to seeing you again.”
    “And I you,” he said.
    Compton saw them to the door, and the two men shook hands again. The doorman waited by the car and opened the passenger door. When they both got inside and closed the doors, Lucier as ked, “Well, what do you think?”
    Diana recalled the black handshake, and the memory made her queasy. “Drive out of here first.” She didn’t know why, but she wanted to get as far away from the house before revealing her experience. She spoke when they were into French Quarter traffic and out of sight of the house. “When we first got there and I shook his hand, did you notice anything strange?”
    “No, why?”
    “Because for a fraction of a second, my hand turned black and skeletal.”
    Lucier started to laugh but stopped cold when he glanced at Diana. “That’s ― ”
    “Go ahead. Say it. Sounds crazy, I know. But he offered his hand to see if I’d pick up any vibrations from him, and he must have seen I did. I tried not to react, but I couldn’t help it. It’s not every day I see my hand a charred mirage before my eyes.” She held her hand up in front of her face. “Silas Compton lives on the edge.”
    “So you’re saying what?”
    “I’m saying he’s evil.” Lucier didn’t say anything . He probably thought that stress had finally tipped her over the edge, and she needed a month in an ashram to restore her sanity.
    He drove her home and planted a chaste kiss on her cheek before they got out of the car. Yup. He thinks I’m losing it. At the door he picked up the newspaper. A slip of paper fell from its pages. On it w ere written five words: Diana, we