Risky Goods: Arcane Transporter 2

by Jami Gray

  Zev touched the base of my spine, a silent prod to head to his SUV. “He won’t be back.”

  I looked at him. “So how do we find him now?”

  “Now,” Bryan said as he set his sunglasses in place. “After I finish my thing, I get to do some serious video watching and see if I can’t track his movements.”

  “If that comes up empty, maybe we should check with any nearby businesses, see if they remember him,” Zev said as we walked to the SUV.

  I stopped at the passenger door and looked between the two of them. “What can I do to help?”

  Bryan hit his battered SUV, turned, and said, “Keep Sabella happy so she doesn’t get involved.” He didn’t wait for my response but got in and started up the car.

  Zev unlocked our ride, and I opened my door with a huge sigh. I had a feeling that was easier said than done.

  Chapter Twelve

  As Zev and I were on our way to the address Imogen had given us for Kerri, Zev’s phone buzzed with an incoming text. Since he was driving, I read it aloud. “Kerri says something came up, and she wants to know if we can meet with her tomorrow morning first thing.”

  This made Zev frown, but he said, “See if nine works for her.”

  A couple of texts later, we were set for a nine o’clock meeting with Kerri. “Done.” I put his phone back in the holder and settled back. “Since we’ve got time, maybe we should head to the coroner’s, check out Jonas’s body?”

  Probably picking up my poorly hidden reluctance, he asked, “You sure you want to do that?”

  Honestly, not in the least. I remembered the nightmares that had plagued my few hours of sleep after seeing the photos in the file, but I just said, “As this is more in line with your job than mine, you tell me. Will seeing the remains give us more than what we already have in the file?”

  Instead of an instant response, he took his time thinking it through. I waited, a little antsy and unsure of what I wanted him to say. Finally, he said, “It may be better to wait until we have more information to work with or something specific for them to pursue. Right now, we’re still putting the pieces together.”

  Relieved at the reprieve, I considered other next steps. “Should we go back and help Bryan? Since he’ll be pulling video, maybe we could talk with nearby businesses, see if anyone saw Neil.”

  Zev had opened his mouth to answer when his phone rang. I caught Emilio’s name on the screen. Zev used his Bluetooth to pick up. “Yeah?”

  “Where are you?” Emilio demanded.

  “Coming back from Tempe. What’s up?”

  There was a significant pause, then Emilio asked, “Am I on speakerphone?”

  Zev shot me a sidelong glance. “Yeah.”

  “You alone?”

  “No.”

  I was surprised that Zev didn’t elaborate, but I wasn’t surprised by Emilio’s next request. “I need you to take me off speaker, Zev.”

  Zev’s shoulders rose and fell in a near silent sigh but he popped in an earbud and did as Emilio instructed. “You’re off.” He paused, listening as his face tightened. “Yeah, I can do that.” Another pause. “No, no bother. Got to do a drop-off first, though. That work?” Based on Zev’s next answer, Emilio must have finally gotten curious. “Rory. Just finished a meet with Bryan and Imogen.” A short break. “No, I’ll update you when I get there.” Another, longer pause. “Okay, got it. Yeah, I’ll meet you there.” He clicked off.

  Unable to help myself, I asked, “Let me guess—duty calls?”

  “Yeah. Got a situation that needs immediate attention.”

  Even though I was curious, I didn’t push, because there was no way he’d share Family business with me. Still, it didn’t stop me from wondering what kind of situation was important enough to pull him away from this mess. “Right. So do you want me to follow up on the neighborhood canvas, then?”

  “I’d rather you didn’t.”

  I blinked. “Excuse me?”

  Before my feathers could get too ruffled, he said, “I’m not comfortable with you poking around on your own.” I opened my mouth to argue but he cut me off. “Bryan will be busy getting video feeds. If Imogen was free, I’d say nab her to tag along, but she isn’t, so no, let’s hold off.”

  Torn between warm fuzzies and a need to exert my independence, I couldn’t quite back down. “I think I can ask a few questions without a babysitter, Zev.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Then what did you mean?”

  Instead of explaining, he said, “Let’s see if Bryan gets anything from the feeds. I’m fairly confident Neil kept his presence under the radar, which means asking questions is a hell of a long shot and probably a waste of time. Hence, my initial comment that if Bryan comes up empty, we move on to option two.”

  Frustrated with the situation—and maybe a little with Zev—I gave in. “Fine.”

  He shot me a look then turned back, his lips twitching. “I’ll take you to the Guild so you can pick up your car.”

  “That works. Thanks.” I looked out the window and considered how to spend the rest of the day. Updating Sabella wouldn’t take long, which left the remainder of my afternoon open. I could go back through the file then maybe drive by the alley where Jonas’s body had been found. It might be a waste of time, but it would make me feel like I wasn’t just sitting around, twiddling my thumbs.

  Zev and I spent most of the drive back to the Guild lost in our own thoughts. As we got closer, I couldn’t leave without regaining some control of this situation. “If you get free and decide to poke around tonight, call me.”

  “I will,” Zev promised. “I’m not sure how long things will run with Emilio, but as soon as I can, I’ll let you know.”

  Knowing that Family business would always take priority, I couldn’t expect more than that. “Sounds good.”

  Clearly occupied by whatever was going on with Emilio, he dropped me off at the entrance to the Guild’s parking garage with a distracted goodbye. Twenty minutes later, I was waiting for the elevator to take me up to my condo when my phone buzzed with an incoming text. I pulled it out and stepped into the elevator as I read my screen.

  Umber was asking if I had time to swing by his shop, as he had some information to share. I checked the time and told him to give me an hour. I got a thumbs-up emoji in response.

  A sharp yip greeted me as I stepped out of the elevator and onto my floor. I turned to watch one of my neighbors, Angie, being dragged out of her condo by an overly excited Yorkie and another small, long-haired pup with bright eyes, not an unusual sight, considering that she did dog walking for various tenants.

  “Ang, if they catch you bringing your pups up, you’re going to hear about it,” I said.

  Ang’s rainbow-hued hair was held back in a messy knot that threatened to unravel as she aimed a “Hush” at the vocal pup. She turned to me and explained in a breathless rush, “I forgot my cup.” She held up a reusable coffee tumbler. “If I don’t get my tea fix, I’m useless. I figured I’d run up and be back out before anyone noticed.”

  “Don’t let me hold you up.” I waved my hands, shooing her away. “Move quick before you’re caught.”

  “See ya, Rory.” She called as she did a strange mix of a skip and a walk to the elevator.

  “See ya!” I unlocked my door and went inside.

  As soon the door was closed behind me, I tossed my phone onto the counter then headed for the fridge. Breakfast was a fond memory, and lunch was long gone. I wasn’t overly hungry, but I needed enough fuel to keep going or I’d fade into bitch territory soon. I foraged up a combination of leftover sushi, grapes, and string cheese.

  Feeling a bit more like me, I cleaned up and headed to my room. Behind a closed door, I did a quick change from business casual to casual. Afterward, I left the door closed, as there was a chance Lena would be home soon, and this check-in required privacy.

  I dropped into the uber-comfortable chair tucked in the corner near the French doors that
opened to my portion of the balcony and pulled out the scrying stone Sabella gave me. Since it provided a direct hotline to Sabella, I wouldn’t have to rely on a circle to channel my magic. Holding it up by the chain, I once again considered the wisdom of trusting someone of her stature, because that type always played a long game. But with Lena’s reassurance that nothing nasty was hidden in the stone and confidence that my own magic would deflect the brunt of any less-than-favorable intentions, I took a bracing breath and cupped the stone in my palm. Then I used my magic out to nudge awake the stone’s slumbering hum of power.

  The two magical energies touched and sparked, spreading like lightening through my noisy brain. It took time to compartmentalize my thoughts, making sure to lock my most private ones behind the strongest mental vaults I could imagine. Bit by bit, my brain fell quiet, and as my concentration strengthened, I brought Sabella’s presence front and center.

  She didn’t make me wait, and her mental voice filled my head, resonating with a depth our physical interactions didn’t have. “Rory, you have something already?”

  “We have something, but you may not like it.”

  Then I laid out the concerns raised by Umber’s story at the night race, the worries of Chloe’s parents, and finally, what the team had discovered at Neil’s makeshift lab. When I was done, she was quiet, but there was an edgy feeling to her silence that had sweat breaking out along my hairline.

  When it became unbearable, I ventured, “Sabella?”

  That looming threat drifted away. “Apologies, Rory. I was not prepared to have such quick confirmation that Stephen and Leander’s foolhardy ventures had borne fruit.”

  “I’m not exactly sure they have. There’s no doubt Neil’s up to something, and whatever he’s messing with, it’s not good, but all we have right now are assumptions, nothing concrete.”

  “You said your friend at the tattoo parlor…”

  “Umber.”

  “Umber—he has more information for you?” she asked.

  “That’s what his text said.”

  “Are you taking anyone with you?”

  “No, the Three Arbiteers are taking care of Family business right now. I’ll talk to Umber and catch them up if what he shares leads to anything interesting.”

  A hint of amusement made it into her mental voice. “The Three Arbiteers?”

  “It fits.”

  “Dare I ask who is who?”

  I wanted to roll my eyes because it was fairly obvious, at least to me. Bryan was the honest but slightly gullible Porthos, Imogen the ruthless player, Aramis, which left Zev to take the noble Athos’s position and not because he was sexy as hell. Instead of turning our conversation into a book-club meeting, I decided to bring our check-in to a close. “I need to go, Sabella.”

  “Of course,” she conceded, humor still evident. “I’m going to be otherwise occupied and unavailable shortly, so we’ll talk tomorrow.”

  “When I can.”

  “When you can,” she agreed.

  When I was once again alone in my own mind, I rubbed my hands over my face and blew out a big breath. I scanned to ensure that my mental locks remained undisturbed, and only then did the tension tightening my shoulders ease. I’d survived my first check-in. Yay me!

  I sat there, legs stretched out and ankles crossed, staring unseeing at my feet, exhaustion hazing my brain. Only the sound of the lock going and Lena’s “I’m home!” kept me from falling into a doze.

  I pushed to my feet, went to the door, pulled it open, and leaned a shoulder against the frame. “How was work?”

  Lena tossed her keys and phone on the counter. “It was work.” Her hands went to her hair as she studied me and unfastened whatever was holding it all in place. “How was your day?”

  I managed a shrug. “Interesting.”

  “Interesting good or interesting bad?” Her hands dropped as her hair fell around her shoulders. She tossed a barrette onto the counter.

  “A little of both.” Not ready to hash it out again, I said, “I’m heading over to see Umber.”

  She folded her arms and eyed me. “You have a sudden urge for a tattoo?”

  Since my aversion to needles made the answer obvious, I ignore her question and asked one of my own. “You and Evan still heading out tonight?”

  Her nose wrinkled as she scrunched up her face. “Yes, but he won’t tell me where.”

  I laughed. “And it’s driving you nuts, isn’t it?”

  Her face softened. “Yeah, it is, but damn if I don’t enjoy the suspense.”

  Once Evan decided to go all in with Lena, their relationship was fun to watch. Before Evan had demanded a spot in Lena’s life, her career took center stage. As an unacknowledged member of the Clarke Family, she made it a point to prove to anyone and everyone she could stand on her own, no help needed. Once Evan pulled his head out of his ass, he’d fractured that focus like a kaleidoscope. I liked that for Lena.

  “Well, have fun.” I crossed the room and picked up my phone and keys. “I’m out of here.” I turned and headed for the front door.

  Lena’s voice followed me. “Rory.”

  I stopped and looked back. “Yeah?”

  All signs of teasing were gone, leaving behind genuine concern. “If your interesting turns bad, you’ll call?”

  God she is an awesome friend. “Yeah, girl, I’ll call.”

  She pinned me in place with a narrow-eyed glare. “And not like last time, where you called me after the fact, right?”

  She knew me too well. I grinned. “Right, I promise.” I crossed my heart. “Are we good now?”

  “Fine.” She shooed me away with her hands. “Go forth and find trouble.”

  I laughed as I left, not bothering to remind her that I didn’t have to find trouble—it managed to find me just fine.

  I opened the door at Etched Chaos and stepped into a wall of noise. Voices called back and forth, laughter rose and fell, and just above the music being pumped through the speakers was the steady hum of various tattoo machines stitching ink into skin.

  Sketches covered the walls, both in vibrant color and subtle monochrome. The front had some beat-up seats clustered around a low table, their occupants watched over by a partial wall stationed behind a desk, its sides open to the back, where the artists’ chairs were arranged.

  At the desk, a dark-haired, multipierced twentysomething male occasionally shot an exasperated look at the four young women huddled at the counter as they flipped through a sketchbook, discussing options. Since it looked as if they’d be a while, I went to the other end and flashed Mr. Impatient a grin. “Umber in?”

  He sauntered over, leaned his arms on the counter, and did the head-to-toe scan most males of his age did by habit. When his eyes finally made it back to mine, his grin was all kinds of flirty. It made me want to pat his cheek and say, “Aww, aren’t you sweet.” But I refrained.

  “You got an appointment?”

  I shook my head. “But he’s expecting me.”

  “Gotcha.” He straightened and picked up the nearby phone. “Umber, your presence is requested at the desk.” The echo of his voice drifted from the back.

  “Be there in a sec!” Umber shouted. Less than a minute later, he was walking up to the front. Meanwhile, the indecisive women had managed to loop in the front-desk guy for his opinion on their options. Umber spotted me and gestured. “Come on back, Rory.”

  Fortunately escaping before my opinion could be requested, I left front-desk guy to fend for himself. After all, that was what he was paid to do. I waited until I got to Umber before saying, “Hey, you. What’s up?”

  “Got something I want to share.” He grabbed my arm and began leading me past the busy space and into a small deserted kitchen.

  I settled into a beat-up plastic seat while Umber closed the door. He pulled out a nearby chair, its metal legs scraping across the worn linoleum as he positioned it next to me. “Okay, so here’s the thing…” He swung the chair around so its back fac
ed me and straddled it, resting his casted arm along the back. “Know those whispers I mentioned?”

  “Yeah.” I hated it when my instincts were proven right.

  “Got another one today.” His face was screwed up as if he’d bitten into something sour. “Normally, I’d blow it off, but man…” He shook his head, his Mohawk bending like a wave. “Sounds just as fucked-up as the shit that happened to me. And coincidence is for idiots.”

  Since I wasn’t going to argue with that, I said, “Okay.”

  “About a week ago, a couple of my customers were hitting a scene.”

  Translation: they went to an underground gathering with music, liquid refreshments, and illegal party favors in an abandoned building. These pop-up events weren’t common, but they happened.

  “They were taking a break in the back alley, enjoying a smoke, when they heard two guys going at it.”

  Since that term could be broadly interpreted, I figured I’d better clarify. “Arguing?”

  “Well, they weren’t having a good time, that’s for sure.” He shifted in the seat, his voice lowering. “They didn’t catch much, just enough to understand that some kind of drug deal was going down, and not in a good way. The tone was dark enough to make them to decide to cut their smoke break short and get back inside.”

  “Umber, considering the circumstances, an argument like that isn’t that unusual.”

  “It is when the next morning some SOB turns up well-done in that same alley.”

  A sour taste hit my tongue. A week before, Jonas Gainer had been found dead and burnt in an alley. As Umber said, coincidence was for fools. The story left an ugly feeling brewing in my gut.

  Even knowing it was as stretch, I asked, “Another sleeper?”

  Umber tugged at the gauge in his ear. “That’s the thing—I don’t know. Figured I’d let you find out since you’ve got better connections than me.”

  “You got an address?”

  He rattled it off as I put it in my phone. It sounded familiar enough, and I guessed that when I checked it against the information I had in the file, I’d find a match. “So your customers, they didn’t hear any specifics?”