Cloaks and Daggers

by Annabel Chase

  I heard the click of the door as Sheriff Astrid left and turned to Gareth. “You actually helped find the murder weapon. Well done.”

  Gareth seemed disinterested in the murder. Instead he crossed his arms and fixed me with a hard stare. “And I ask again, when are the cleaners due to return? I cannot abide an unclean house.”

  “You can move objects if you make an effort,” I said. “Use the skills that Lyra taught you.” Lyra Grey had been instrumental in showing him how to manipulate objects in the physical world. He wasn’t quite at the level of a living being, but he wasn’t helpless either.

  From upstairs, Diana’s cry pierced the air. My body moved instinctively toward the sound and I made it to the bottom of the staircase, nearly colliding with Daniel as he flew into the house, his white wings spread wide. A few of his feathers floated to the floor, having been ripped off in the doorway.

  “Terrific,” Gareth moaned. “More mess to clean up.”

  “What’s the rush?” I asked my husband.

  “I could ask you the same thing,” Daniel said.

  “Diana’s crying,” I said.

  “You shouldn’t go to her the second you hear her squeak,” Daniel said. “She needs to cry it out. How will she ever learn to sleep alone if we don’t let her?”

  “You never learned,” Gareth said. “You slept with half the town because you dinnae know how to sleep on your own.”

  I shot my vampire ghost roommate a warning glance. “She’s waking up, not going to sleep. I want her to feel secure and know that I’ll be there when she needs me.”

  “The book says…” Daniel began.

  “I don’t care what the book says,” I snapped, and immediately felt guilty. “We just need to do what feels right for our family.”

  Daniel suddenly looked lost. “I don’t know what feels right for us. It’s all so foreign. That’s why I’m reading all the books to try and figure it out. I don’t have anyone to tell me about when I was a baby.”

  “Neither do I,” I said softly. “I’m sorry I got snippy.” He was only trying to figure out how to be a good parent, the same as I was. I wrapped my arms around him. “I love you, you handsome, dedicated academic.”

  He brushed his lips against mine. “I think this is the first time I’ve ever been turned on by the word ‘academic.’”

  Gareth groaned. “Do go on and make another wee bairn right here and now while the first one is melting down. A grand plan.”

  I ignored him and continued kissing my husband. “Astrid found the murder weapon. It was one of our candlesticks.”

  Daniel pulled back slightly, chuckling. “You really know how to keep things romantic, don’t you?”

  “Well, it was a wedding gift,” I said. “I guess that’s the romantic part.”

  He chuckled. “You’re always looking on the bright side.”

  “Hey, listen.” I paused. “She stopped crying.” We stood in silence as we made certain that the fussing had ceased.

  “Maybe the books aren’t so bad after all,” he said.

  We crept upstairs to the nursery to find Gareth hovering over the sparkling crib. He was tickling Diana under the chin and she gurgled and smiled in response.

  Daniel leaned against the doorjamb. “So much for my approach.”

  “Oh, Gareth! This is wonderful,” I said.

  “Heavens above. She can see and hear him, can’t she?” Daniel’s disappointment was evident.

  “I guess she must’ve inherited my father’s genes after all,” I said. “Look on the bright side. This makes Gareth a more effective vanny.”

  “Vanny?”

  “Vampire nanny,” I said.

  Daniel shook his head. “I suppose I see the silver lining there.”

  “Look at that face,” Gareth said. His gaze remained fixed on Diana and my heart swelled with joy.

  “It’s angelic, isn’t it?” I said, smiling. I bumped Daniel with my hip. “She gets that from you.”

  “Her eyes too,” he said. “They’re my color.”

  “Aye,” Gareth said. “And her pleasant disposition can only come from her mother.”

  The three of us peered into the crib, admiring the baby as she made happy, adorable noises. Without warning, she grabbed her naked toes and shoved a foot into her mouth.

  “I always wanted to be able to do that,” Gareth said with a regretful sigh.

  I looked at him askance. “Why?”

  “No reason.” He started to whistle and drifted out of the room.

  “She’s officially awake, right?” Daniel asked. “I can pick her up?”

  “She needs to eat, but otherwise she’s all yours.” I tickled her under the chin and delighted in hearing her laughter.

  “I can use a bottle,” he said. “It’s important for me to have bonding time and it’s important for you to have time to yourself.”

  “I don’t mind, but I’m happy to let you have one-on-one time,” I said, inwardly relieved. As much as I loved snuggling with Diana, I felt guilty when I couldn’t produce enough milk on my own. I hated feeling like a failure as a mother.

  Daniel removed his shirt. “The books say skin-to-skin contact is best.” He lifted Diana out of the crib and hugged her to his bare chest. For me, it was the sexiest, most intoxicating image in the world—the father of my child holding our daughter. “What will you do with your free time? The library? A nap? Please don’t do laundry.”

  “No laundry. I want to follow up on a few leads in Andrea’s murder,” I said.

  Daniel gaped at me. “Emma, that’s not maternity leave.”

  I dropped my gaze to the crib. “I’m not a detective, so technically I’m not doing my job.”

  “Exactly. Leave the interviews to Sheriff Astrid.”

  I raised my chin. “Andrea was murdered right here in our home, Daniel. Don’t you feel a sense of obligation to help solve the crime?”

  “No,” he said firmly. “I feel a sense of obligation to ourselves and our daughter. That’s it.” He kissed the top of Diana’s head.

  “The killer whacked Andrea on the head with one of our wedding gifts and then stabbed her multiple times,” I said. “What if they left something behind and come back for it? What if we put Diana in danger by not dealing with it?”

  Daniel’s expression clouded over. “Dear gods. When you go dark, you go all in.”

  “It’s a gift.”

  “Promise me you’ll be careful,” he said. “Don’t provoke anyone and, if you figure out who did it, do not deal with it yourself. Send a message to the sheriff and let law enforcement handle it.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  He leveled me with those turquoise eyes. “That sounds too vague. I need a more concrete promise.”

  I’d promise anything when those eyes were locked on mine. Daniel may not be a magic user, but he had power over me. “I promise.”

  “Now let’s feed our little monster.”

  Chapter Nine

  No sooner did I leave the house when Calix appeared at the end of my driveway.

  “Daughter.” He said the word as if he were announcing my presence to the world.

  “Hello, Calix,” I said.

  “Dad,” he corrected me.

  I didn’t have the energy to argue. “Nice to see you again, Dad. I’m on my way out.” I opened the car door.

  Calix hurried to the passenger door. “May I accompany you on your errands? I’ve no doubt I can be of service.”

  “I’m not running errands. I’m going to track down a suspect in Andrea’s murder.”

  “Then I should most definitely accompany you.” He slid into the passenger seat.

  I bit my tongue and got behind the wheel. “You don’t need to accompany me. It’s not your job.”

  “It’s not your job either from what I understand, peanut.”

  Peanut? “The murder took place under my own roof,” I said. “I have an obligation to help.”

  “Is this because you’re not
a lawyer anymore? Have you lost your sense of purpose? I can relate, my sweetest lemon drop. There was a time—oh, maybe three hundred years or so, give or take—when I thought my career was over.” He shook his head, appearing lost in thought.

  “I’m still a lawyer,” I said. “I’m on maternity leave. That’s all.” I frowned. “What career?”

  “As a demigod,” he said. “I suppose it’s more of a calling than a career.”

  “It’s neither. It’s your species,” I said. “That’s like Gareth saying that being a vampire is a calling.”

  Calix smiled. “Isn’t it though?”

  “No. Not even close.” The magical engine roared to life and I backed Sigmund out of the driveway.

  “This is such an interesting mode of transport,” Calix said. “It’s quite different from the other modern steeds in town.”

  “Because Sigmund came with me from the human world,” I said. “Daniel had someone reconfigure it for the paranormal world.”

  Calix looked blank. “Who’s Sigmund?”

  “The car,” I said. The green Volvo had once belonged to my grandmother and I refused to part with it.

  He scratched his head. “You name your beasts of burden?”

  “I name everything,” I said. “My wand is called Tiffany.” Because of its powder blue color and silver grip.

  “Such an odd affectation,” Calix said. “They’re mere objects.”

  “I know, but they’re my objects,” I said. I patted the dashboard. “Sigmund is more than a car. He has sentimental value.”

  “And Tiffany?”

  “She’s saved my life more times than I can count,” I said. “How can she be a nameless object when she’s played such a crucial role?”

  Calix observed the road as we drove. “I still have so much to learn about you. Tell me, what’s your favorite color?”

  “Blue. What’s yours?”

  “Black,” he said. “Because it’s the absorption of visible light.”

  I glanced sideways at him. “Black’s not really a color.”

  He rubbed his hands on his thighs. “Fine. Then I’ll choose green.”

  “That doesn’t sound sincere. It sounds like you picked a random color out of the air.”

  “Will nothing I say please you?”

  I offered a rueful smile. “You wanted a typical parent-child relationship.”

  “Is it truly as fraught as this?”

  My fingers stopped strangling the wheel. “No. I actually had a good relationship with my father, at least until my mother died. He was a good man.” And I missed him terribly.

  “I wish I could thank him personally for looking after you,” Calix said.

  I softened. “That’s a nice thing to say.”

  “I can be nice,” he said. “I’m not the monster you think I am.”

  “I don’t think you’re a monster,” I said. “I don’t know enough about you to make such a claim.”

  I pulled into the parking lot of The Spotted Owl and maneuvered into a spot near the door.

  “We’re going for an ale?” Calix nodded to himself. “I wholeheartedly approve of this choice, my daughter.”

  “I’m going here because I heard that Adam has been using a booth here as his office while he’s stuck in town.”

  “And who is this Adam?”

  “He was present during the murder and it sounds like he may have had a relationship with the victim.” Paige didn’t say that, of course, but what she did say planted the seed in my mind.

  “As in carnal knowledge of her?”

  “Possibly.” I wasn’t comfortable discussing others’ sexual exploits with my father. Honestly, I wasn’t comfortable discussing anything with my father. I still didn’t know what to think of him.

  “Fascinating,” Calix said.

  “Not really,” I said. “You don’t have to come with me. I’m sure it’ll be boring for you.” I left the car and hoped he would take the hint and not follow.

  No such luck. I entered the bar with Calix close behind. It seemed that I wasn’t going to shake him, so I’d have to do my best to keep him in the background.

  The pub was mostly empty, so Adam and Bethany were easy to spot in a booth. They were seated across from each other and poring over paperwork. I approached the booth and cleared my throat. They both jerked back and looked at me in surprise.

  “Ms. Hart,” Adam said. “I wouldn’t expect to see you here.”

  “He’s lying,” Calix said quickly. “Shall I smite him for you, pumpkin?”

  I craned my neck to see the demigod. “You think he did expect to see me here?”

  Calix scowled at Adam. “The minotaur tells lies for a living. I haven’t seen eyes that shifty since Rasputin.”

  Adam and Bethany exchanged confused glances.

  “Is this an audition?” Adam asked. “Because I only do a house hunting show.”

  I lowered my voice. “If you’re going to insist on lingering, please keep your comments to yourself.”

  Calix pretended to zip his lips.

  I turned back to the booth. “How’s it going?” I tried to inject a casual tone into the question.

  “Not great,” Adam said. “It’s tough to put together the show from here. We usually go back to basecamp after we film.”

  “Are you still planning to air the episode?” I asked, gobsmacked.

  “If we can salvage it, yes,” Adam said. “Waste not, want not.”

  “I think we need more footage,” Bethany said. “We need to go back to that second house and film another scene.”

  Adam gave her a disdainful look. “Hence why you’re the assistant.”

  Calix clapped his hands together. “Ooh, I sense tension in the relationship.” He poked me in the side. “Could be evidence of wrongdoing, could it not, dearest daughter?”

  “The only wrongdoing at this table is forgetting to order me the gluten-free meal,” Adam said, his attention on his beleaguered assistant.

  “I said I was sorry,” Bethany replied. “I’ve been so distracted with Andrea…” She broke into a sob and gulped for air. “One of our team is dead and we’re sitting here reviewing footage. It doesn’t feel right.”

  “The show must go on,” Adam said.

  Calix brushed past me and slid into the seat beside Bethany. He clasped his hands in front of him and focused on Adam. “Tell me, friend. Why is this activity so important to you? Does it bring you joy?”

  “Joy?” Adam echoed. “What does joy have to do with it? The activity is important because ratings are important.”

  Calix shot me a quizzical look. “I do not understand ratings.”

  “Who does?” Bethany said. She leaned her hand against her cheek. “I don’t even know how accurate they really are.”

  “Ratings are a measure of how popular a show is with viewers,” I explained to Calix.

  “The higher the ratings for our show, the more money I make,” Adam said. “The more power I have.”

  “And why is money so important to you?” Calix pressed. He reminded me of Dr. Hall with his probing questions. For a brief moment, I wondered whether the demigod had ever sought therapy, although he seemed far too self-assured for that.

  “What else is there?” Adam asked, completely serious.

  “Well, there’s love and friendship and laughter,” I said. “Those don’t cost anything.”

  Adam grunted. “I can’t pay for anything with those.”

  “What is it that you need so desperately?” Calix asked. “Money for a wife?”

  Bethany began to choke on her drink.

  “Calix!” I smacked his arm. “We don’t pay for wives in this century.”

  The demigod grinned at the spot on his arm where I’d hit him. “What an admirable act of aggression. I was beginning to doubt that you had any violent tendencies.”

  “I don’t have violent tendencies,” I said. “I just find the notion of buying women appalling and I lashed out.”

 
Calix was still grinning when he turned back to Adam. “Did you kill Andrea over money?”

  Adam looked startled. “What? No, of course not. She was my right hand.”

  Bethany kicked him under the table. “I’m your right hand.”

  “No, you’re my left hand,” Adam said gently. “I have two, remember?”

  Bethany seemed soothed by this remark. “Adam would have no reason to kill Andrea. He relied on her.”

  “For cutting down his enemies?” Calix asked. “Women make excellent warriors when they’re taught properly.”

  I gave his arm another smack. “You make us sound like dogs.”

  His expression reflected pure innocence. “Dogs aren’t fierce enough. Perhaps hellhounds or an army of vampires.”

  I moved into the empty space next to Adam. “Were you involved with Andrea romantically?”

  Adam nearly spit out his mouthful of ale. “With Andrea? No way.”

  “Why not?” I asked. “A pretty elf. You’re both single. Spend a lot of time alone together.”

  “Adam and Andrea were constantly at odds,” Bethany said. “They’d have to stop arguing long enough to do anything else.”

  “Sometimes that kind of interaction masks sexual tension,” I said.

  “Even if there was any tension, we didn’t act on it,” Adam said.

  Bethany’s eyes popped. “Are you acknowledging there was tension?”

  “We both have…had strong personalities,” Adam said. “I won’t deny that there might have been occasional thoughts, but we never acted on them.”

  “Why not?” I asked.

  “The network doesn’t allow interoffice relationships,” Bethany said. “They worry about the imbalance of power. We have to agree that we won’t engage in office romances. It’s one of the boxes we tick when we sign our employment documents.”

  “Did you ever discuss the potential for a relationship?” I asked.

  “Not in words,” Adam said. “It was more of an unspoken thing.”

  “It had to be or I would’ve known.” Bethany seemed completely thrown for a loop by this revelation.