New Orleans Noir. Joanna Wayne

said.

      “Another day,” Helena said. “Shrimp salad sandwiches, peach cobbler and being here with you in your comfy, air-conditioned apartment can’t be beat.”

      Ella led the way to her second-floor kitchen.

      All of the units were more or less what Helena considered upside down. Kitchen and dining areas and a spare room with floor to ceiling windows were on the second floor. Ella used her extra room for a guest room.

      A large family area with a fireplace was on the first floor of every apartment as was a very spacious bedroom suite. All the apartments were entered through the courtyard. All had second-floor balconies and an ambiance that reeked of history and comfort.

      Ella pointed to a bottle of white wine on the counter. “Would you mind opening the wine? I splurged on a bottle of Mia’s favorite chardonnay and I’ve been saving it to celebrate your homecoming.”

      “Sounds great.”

      “I chilled it before you got here. Wineglasses are on the table.”

      They stuck to small talk until they’d settled at the dining nook that overlooked the myriad of greenery and blossoms trailing over the iron balcony.

      They devoured the sandwiches and were halfway through bowls of warm cobbler topped with ice cream before the conversation took a nosedive.

      “I saw you talking to Hunter Bergeron in the courtyard when he left here this morning,” Ella said. “I’m glad to see the two of you are cordial again. Mia would be, too. I’m not sure she ever quite forgave him for backing out of the wedding, but she was convinced he was going to be the one to apprehend Elizabeth’s killer.”

      First Alyssa and now Ella. It was as if Hunter had his own cheering squad. She had no intention of becoming one of his groupies.

      “I hope he’s successful in getting the killer off the streets,” Helena said, “but I don’t see the two of us becoming friends.”

      “Sorry. It was probably thoughtless of me to bring him up. I don’t blame you for the bad feelings. It’s just that you’ve both done a lot of growing up since then. I think you’d like him if you’d give him a chance.”

      “From what I hear, Hunter has plenty of friends.”

      “Mostly other detectives. He’s asked about you several times,” Ella added before letting the subject drop.

      Helena was not about to get drawn into talk of what Hunter said or thought about her. Seeing him again had shaken loose a few old memories, but she would make certain things between them went no further.

      They talked for at least an hour about the neighborhood and the other tenants and all the plans that were in the works for fall festivals.

      Fortunately, they managed to avoid any further mention of Hunter and any talk about Elizabeth’s murder, keeping things on the lighter edge of the spectrum.

      Things had gone so well, Helena was stunned when she saw tears welling in Ella’s eyes as she walked Helena down the stairs and to the door.

      “I’m thrilled you’re back, Helena. I promise not to be a burden, but you can’t imagine how much your being close by means to me. I miss your grandmother so much. She held me together when I literally didn’t think I could go on. She’s the only one who understood how much I was hurting.”

      Ella’s words felt like a jagged cord circling Helena’s heart. “I know how close the two of you were, but you must have other friends you can talk to about your grief. It can’t be good for you to keep it all bottled up inside you.”

      “I have lots of friends. They all try to help. Even Hunter comes by at least once a week. They say they understand, but they can’t. It’s not their pain. It’s mine. Most of them had never even met Elizabeth.”

      “Your niece was beautiful in looks and spirit,” Helena said. “I know how much you loved her.”

      “I still do, and I can’t begin to heal as long as the monster who killed her is out there just waiting to take someone else’s life.”

      “They’ll find him and make him pay,” Helena said, though she wasn’t convinced of that herself. “Have you tried talking about your pain with Alyssa Orillon? Mia always said Alyssa had an uncanny talent for connecting with people.”

      “We talked a few times. I begged her to try to reach Elizabeth across the gulf of death. All she did was tell me to think about happy times Elizabeth and I had together. It didn’t help. I’m just glad to have you back.”

      Helena couldn’t leave it like this. A lie of omission even for a good reason was still a lie. “I hate disappointing you, Ella, more than you can know, but I’m not moving back to New Orleans.”

      “But Mia left all the property to you. It’s yours free and clear.”

      “It is. But my life isn’t in New Orleans. I’ve taken a new job in Boston that starts November 1. I’ll be moving there permanently then or sooner if this property sells.”

      Ella stepped away. “But you loved this place. Mia had always counted on your moving here one day. You can’t just put it in the hands of strangers.”

      It was useless to try to explain her own reasoning when at times she doubted the decision herself.

      She took both of Ella’s hands in hers. “Let’s just take it a day at a time. Who knows? I may never find a buyer.”

      Ella sighed and shrugged. “You will. It just won’t be a Cosworth.”

      Helena felt like she was deserting Ella as she walked away, but at least Ella would have Hunter around to pay her visits.

      And for some crazy, inexplicable reason, that thought made Helena feel worse.