Chapter 27

Brad laughed as they started walking again. “It might be worth it.”

When they reached Bourbon with its hordes of people, Derek found he was studying them, but for a different reason than usual. He’d been on the street before, he knew the Quarter, had gone undercover to catch people preying on unwary tourists. But this time it wasn’t quite the same. He saw the people differently and realized they were there to have fun and live life to its fullest, if only for a few hours or days before they had to return to their mundane existences.

“Let’s start here,” Brad said. “Ease you into things.”

‘Here’ was a small club with a bar along one wall, tables scattered around with a bandstand at one end and a dance floor in front of it. Brad led the way to the bar, ordering a beer for himself and a soda for Derek. Once they found somewhere to sit, Derek sipped his soda, tapping his toes to the beat of the music while looking around at the other customers.