“Maurie gets anything Anna asks him to,” Delsey said. “He’s got gumbo and boudin on the menu now, and bottles of Slap Ya Mama spice set out next to the salt and pepper shakers. Has he asked you to marry him yet, Anna?”
Anna peeled off her leather gloves and lightly patted Delsey’s arm. “Maurie loves his mama too much to ever consider sharin’ himself with any other woman, so not in this lifetime, sweetie.”
Delsey licked another spoonful of ice cream, then said, “I figure you say half as many words as I do, since it takes you so long to finish a sentence. It’s like you worship each syllable and want to stretch it out to infinity.”
Anna patted her arm. “Don’t be jealous, Delsey. Since you weren’t born in Louisiana, the land of the happy vowels, then you gotta sound like you’re sawing wood, no hope for it.”
Sawing wood? Griffin laughed.
Delsey said, “Anna, I’m so glad you’re here.”
“I’m glad to be here, too.” Anna turned to Griffin. “Hey, Mr. FBI, you got word on the dead guy’s name? And who clobbered Delsey?”
He shook his head.
“I had a horrible dream, Anna. I think I saw the man who hit me. He was very young and Hispanic, and there was another young Hispanic there, too, yelling, in Spanish, so I didn’t understand what he was saying.”
Griffin thought he saw a flash of something hard and angry in Anna’s eyes. What was that all about? He saw her pull back the anger. Well, he was mad, too. “That sure sounds scary, Delsey. I hope they find those guys. I’m so glad you’re looking better.” She looked at Griffin. “Thanks for clearin’ me in to see my favorite songwriter.”
Griffin said, “Not a problem. You’ve got a nice full voice. Do you sing?”
“Well, I did sing once to Maurie, thought he’d stick his head in the oven to escape it.”
“He’d try to escape me, too,” Griffin said. “Do you have a favorite? Song of Delsey’s, I mean.”
“Now, that’s a toughie, but the one about racin’ toward love and death on the San Diego 405, I love to sing that one in the shower.”
Delsey said, “I remember I started it sitting in a traffic jam with a new boyfriend. Anna, I asked Griffin to get you clear anytime you can come.”
“Great. There are a good dozen or so other folk, mostly Stanislaus students, who’ve asked about seeing you.”
“Not a problem. I’m going home tomorrow.”
“But isn’t your apartment still a crime scene?”
Delsey said. “Is it still a crime scene, Griffin?”
“Yep. Regardless, there’s no way you’re going back there, Delsey. Remember, there’s no working lock on your back door. And the cop sitting outside your door? For all we know you could still be in danger. I’m at Bud Bailey’s B&B on High Street. I want you to stay with me when you get out of here. I want to keep you close.”
Delsey rose up on her elbows. “Griffin, you know very well the Hispanic guy could have killed me if he’d wanted to, which means he didn’t want me dead. That’s good, isn’t it? Henry can get the lock fixed on my back door.”
Griffin said, “There’s no way we can know what the killer intended, who that second man was, or if they’ll start to worry that you’re a witness. You’re staying with me, subject closed.”
Griffin didn’t much expect for her to cave, since he could picture her going toe-to-toe with him when she’d been five years old and so he wasn’t surprised when she said, “You’re going to be out and about, Griffin. I doubt you’ll want to take me with you, so how about I stay with Anna? I’ll be plenty safe with her. Do you mind, Anna?”
Griffin saw something flicker over Anna Castle’s face. Alarm? Then her expression was smooth and easy again, and she leaned toward Delsey, smiling, her dark hair loose, curtaining her face. This musician/waitress, with her beautiful drawl and very nice mouth, could protect his sister? Sarcasm slipped right out of his mouth. “What did you say your instrument is—the violin? Are you going to hit these guys over the head with your fiddle?”
Anna swiveled about to look up at him. “Do you know, Agent Hammersmith, I might have to belt out a nice song with full vibrato for that bit of snark.”
Griffin hated being a jerk, hated having it slap him back in the chops. “Sorry for the comment. Please, not full vibrato.”
Anna patted Delsey’s hand. “I think your brother’s right, sweetie; it’s better you stay with him. I have to work, too, and he’s the big bad Fed with a gun.”