Free Mardi Gras Mambo by Gred Herren

The caffeine would kick the drug back into high gear. My heart sank as I saw Frank and Colin sip from their cups, but there wasn’t any way to warn them.
    â€œNow, what’s this about, Venus?” I asked.
    â€œScotty, where were you this past evening at eight o’clock?” Venus, sitting down on the edge of the couch nearest my chair, pulled a notebook and pen out of her jacket pocket.
    â€œAt eight o’clock I was walking up Burgundy Street.”
    â€œWhere were you going?” Blaine walked over and stood behind Venus, his arms folded.
    â€œTo a friend’s.” I looked him straight in the eye again. His face was expressionless.
    Venus sighed. “Scotty, please. You were going to Mikhail Saltikov’s house on Burgundy Street, correct?”
    â€œMikhail Saltikov? You mean Misha?” I’d never known his real name; he’d always just been Misha to me.
    Venus put her notebook down and crossed her legs. “Okay, fuck this. I’m going to be up front with you, Scotty, and you know I don’t have to be. We know Saltikov was a drug dealer, okay? If you went there tonight, you went there to buy drugs. That’s fine. I can see why you wouldn’t want to admit that. But I don’t give a rat’s ass about busting you for that, okay?” She pointed at Frank and Colin. “You’ve got two witnesses to my saying that.” She gave me a crooked smile. “Your esteemed brother could make serious hay out of that in court, am I right?”
    I grinned back at her. Storm was a great lawyer. Mom always said he could argue a nun out of her panties. I felt a little better. Venus might be a cop, but she had always been fair with me in the past, even when she probably shouldn’t have been. “Let’s just say I went to Misha’s for whatever reason and arrived at eight o’clock on the dot. I looked at my watch when I rang his bell.”
    â€œAnd about what time did you leave?” Venus arched an eyebrow up.
    â€œProbably around eight-twenty, eight-thirty maybe. I didn’t look at my watch. I got back to Lafitte’s to meet the guys about then, right?” I looked over at them for confirmation. Frank was scowling. Uh-oh, I thought, I’m gonna have some “splainin’ ” to do later.
    â€œI’d just looked at my watch when he walked up,” Colin added. His feet were bouncing on the floor. “It was just after eight-thirty, wasn’t it, Frank?”
    â€œSomething like that.” Frank wouldn’t look at me—not a good sign. He was definitely pissed. My heart sank. I was definitely going to hear about this later.
    â€œHe was alive when I left,” I blurted out.
    Both Venus and Blaine turned to look at me.
    â€œOur cabdriver told us someone on Burgundy Street was murdered last night.” Frank put his coffee cup down. He was starting to sweat again. “In the same area Scotty’s friend lives— lived —and you were here to meet us when we got home, and you say you aren’t interested in any drug purchases that might have occurred.” He wiped at his face. “So, it stands to reason that this Saltikov person was murdered, and somehow you know Scotty was there, which is why you’re here.”
    â€œVery impressive, special agent.” Venus bowed her head to him. They’d worked together during the Southern Decadence mess, and I knew she had a lot of respect for his professionalism, even if he wasn’t a federal agent anymore.
    I have to say I was impressed with both Frank and Colin. Even high, they were able to say things with—what was it Storm called it?—oh, yeah, plausible deniability.
    Venus went on, “Yes, Mikhail Saltikov, Misha”—she nodded at me—“was murdered last night. And as far as we know, you were the last person to see him alive.”
    â€œAnd how do you know that?” Frank wiped his forehead with a