“Still, I promised that I’d keep it for as long as I could so that she could try and get it back. There was something almost magical about it, so I thought that it would be safer in the bank. I never meant for something bad to happen.”
Aletta examined the picture, then passed it to her partner. “Would it be possible for us to get a copy of that picture? Also, did she say if it did anything special?”
“She mentioned that it had protective properties, but didn’t elaborate. You can keep that one; I always take multiple pictures for insurance purposes.”
“Did you tell anyone else about the statue?”
Pushing his glasses up, the shopkeeper rubbed the bridge of his nose reflectively. “No one besides my insurance agent and the young man at the bank.” He carefully resettled his glasses into their proper position then blinked suddenly. “No, wait. There was a young woman that brought him a message while I was giving him the statue. A Miss Valens, I believe.”
Aletta nodded and handed him her card. “Thank you, Mr. Williams. If you think of anything else, feel free to call us anytime. This wasn’t your fault; this is due to circumstances beyond your control. However, I do recommend moving the statue to a more secure location and to bring a bodyguard while you do so. Someone has already proven that they are willing to kill over this and we don’t want it to happen again.”
She turned to Lirim and raised an eyebrow in question. He shook his head slightly. She turned to bid Mr. Williams a good day when a thought struck her, “Did she say why she needed the money? Also, do you remember her name?”
“Anthea Malus. She didn’t say why she needed the money and I didn’t ask.”
“Thank you. Have a good rest of your day.”
He smiled at them and eased off his seat, making his way back to the rear of the store and whatever project he was working on.
Aletta watched him go, a small smile tugging at one corner of her mouth. She asked Lirim, “Got the address?”
“Ian just sent it along with a long text saying that we’re overworking him.”
She chuckled, “Poor baby. You know he lives for this kind of stuff. He’d be bored out of his mind otherwise.”
“Yeah, he just likes to whine. Let’s go.”
* . * . *
She had just stepped out the door when the attack happened. All she saw was a blur, then pain exploded through her ribcage as she was slammed into the ground, knocking the breath out of her. She vaguely heard Lirim shouting her name but didn’t have the breath to answer him. Forcing herself to move through the agony, she rolled, trying to get away from any attacks.
When no further blows happened, she tried to get her bearings. Hearing the sound of flesh meeting flesh, she forced herself to her feet, blinking away the tears of pain so she could see. Suddenly, adrenaline kicked in and the pain faded fractionally. She saw Lirim struggling with a cloaked assailant, a furious expression on his face while he rained blows on his opponent. Sucking in a deep breath, she groped for her gun. Pulling it, she took a shooting stance, ignoring the lance of pain that shot through her ribs.
Waiting for a clean shot, she checked for any other assailants, but there was only the one. Seeing them break apart and start circling each other warily, she barked, “Surrender or I’ll shoot.”
The cloaked man’s head whipped towards her and he started making arcane hand gestures. She swore and squeezed the trigger but it was too late; he’d already teleported. She kept her gun raised in case he teleported behind one of them. However, when he hadn’t reappeared after a minute or so, she slowly lowered the gun and relaxed her stance. Lirim was at her side in two steps, catching her as she suddenly staggered. “Aletta!”
She wheezed, leaning heavily on him. “I’m alright, just give me a minute.”
He eased her down to a sitting position, propping her against the car. He crouched next to her, his tone anxious, “Where are you hurt?”
She touched her ribs gingerly with her left hand, ignoring how it shook as she lifted it up to where she could see it. It was devoid of blood and she grunted in relief. “Got me in the ribs, don’t know what he hit me with. Nothing’s broken I think, though.”
Batting her hand aside gently, he carefully inched her blouse up so he could inspect the injury site. He prodded it gently and she hissed with pain. He ignored the sound, but his touch softened. “Looks like he hit you with his fist, but nothing seems to be broken.” He looked up and met her eyes, his expression a curious mix of relief and seriousness. “Next time, shoot then issue a warning.”
She chuckled, then winced as her ribs protested. “Duly noted.”
The door chime caused him to spin into a protective stance, a feral gleam in his eyes. Seeing that it was only Mr. Williams, Aletta laid a hand on Lirim’s arm, trying to soothe him. Mr. Williams’ eyes were huge as he took in Aletta propped against the car, scrapes clearly evident on her face and arms. His gaze then moved to where Lirim was crouched protectively next to her, a feral gleam in his eyes. “I heard a shot. Are you all right? Should I call the police?”
Aletta mustered up what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “We’re fine, just catching our breath. The shot was me, sorry. Don’t call the police; our department will handle everything. Why don’t you stay inside until we give you the all clear that it’s safe to come out?” She was grateful when he did as she requested without arguing.
His face grim, Lirim pulled out his phone and dialed the department. Shifting slightly and trying to get more comfortable, she said, “Hey, Lirim?”
He grunted.
“At least we know that we’re on the right track, right?”
He shot her a look of disbelief and she gave him her most saccharine smile. He shook his head and returned his attention to the phone, but she was pleased to see that his shoulders had relaxed a tiny fraction.
* . * . *
Hearing sirens approaching, Aletta straightened, knowing that the department was about to converge on them full force. Ignoring the slight twinge, she tried to stand but changed her mind when Lirim shot her a look. Shifting uncomfortably, her posterior numb from sitting so long, she crossed her fingers and whispered, “Not Cyrus, not Cyrus, please not Cyrus.”
Her hopes were dashed as the Lycan bailed from the first car and stormed over to where they were waiting. “You’re hurt!”
She rolled her eyes, trying to project a brave front. “I’m fine, Cy; he barely tapped me. Lirim’s just being careful.”
He scoffed, “Lirim doesn’t overreact to things. You’d be standing if he thought you were fine.”
“Nah, he’s just as bad as you are. Help me up?”
He reached out and helped her up effortlessly, his Lycan strength making her feel like a child. “C’mon, little one. Let’s get you over to the healers.”
Lirim smirked and she shot him a sour glance. “Don’t say a word.”
Cy chuckled at her pathetic show of temper. Letting her lean on his arm, he shot casually over his shoulder, “Don’t go anywhere, Bosk. We need to discuss why she’s even injured in the first place.”
Aletta growled and smacked him upside the head, then instantly regretted it. “Ow.”
“See, you are hurt.”
“All right, so he might’ve clipped my ribs. Nothing’s broken, just bruised.” She raised her shirt just enough so he could see the discolored patch of skin. He hissed in sympathy. “I’m sure you’ve had worse.”
“I’m Lycan, little sister. While you have the heart of a Lycan, you have a soft, human body. You need to take better care of yourself. And what’s this I hear that you’re investigating a murder?”
She pouted, “I can take care of myself. He just took a cheap shot is all. Next time, I’m just going to skip the warning and shoot him. He deserves it.”
Cyrus nodded his approval of this decision.
“Capt. Jones assigned me to the murder. Lirim is partnered with me for the time being.” She was surprised to see him relax at hearing this.
“That’s good. Bosk will take good care of you. He’s too intense for some people, but you’ll keep him on his toes, keep him from going too far into his head. It’s a good partnership.”
She said wryly, “I’m glad you approve. Anyway, at least we know were on the right track. I don’t think he would’ve attacked us if he hadn’t worried that we were on to something.”
Cyrus’ eyes darkened and he growled quietly. She smacked his arm gently. “Stop that. I’m an agent too, remember? We all know the risks when we join HSI.”
His growl petered out and he sighed. “I know, but it doesn’t mean that I have to like it, pack sister. If you need backup, don’t hesitate to call me. Ah, here we are.”
He deposited her gently onto the backseat of the SUV that contained the healers. “Now, be good and don’t give them any grief.” Patting her on the head, he grinned and jogged off.
She fumed silently for a minute before sighing and turning to submit to the healers.
* . * . *
Lirim watched as agents combed over the scene, waiting for Tala to return. Now that the others had arrived and he didn’t have to keep an eye out for threats, he allowed his mind to go back over what had happened. He had been turning over what they’d learned and made a mistake by allowing her to go first. She’d barely stepped out the door when something smashed into her with the speed of a freight train. She’d flown a good five or six feet before smashing into the ground and he’d screamed her name. He’d seen that the cloaked figure was about to attack her again, so he sprang forward and attacked, trying to distract the attacker’s focus away from his partner
It had worked; the attacker had instantly engaged him in intense combat. His opponent had kept up with him, which was not something that very many people could do. While they had exchanged blow after blow, the scent of ice and pine had reached his nose. When he couldn’t find an opening, he had backed away, taking a moment to fully assess the threat. He’d never been so surprised and relieved to hear Aletta’s voice. He’d glanced at her and in that split second of inattention, the attacker had managed to get away.
He was still kicking himself about that. However, he was rather glad that he hadn’t jumped forward to stop him when Aletta’s bullet tore through the space the assailant had just occupied.
He’d been impressed that she’d managed to stand and shoot, but then she swayed alarmingly. He’d sprang forward, praying that his mistake hadn’t gotten her seriously injured. The lack of blood had surprised him. He’d prodded the area gently, knowing that it had to hurt like hell but agreed that it was merely bruised, not broken. Although Aletta was calm, Lirim had been about to jump out of his skin. His lack of control was evident in how he had almost attacked Mr. Williams when the store owner had come to investigate. Lirim was grateful that Aletta had managed to defuse the situation then tease him about them being on the right track. He still didn’t know how she had remained calm after being attacked and with himself looking half crazed afterwards.
Seeing Tala returning, he shoved his thoughts to the back of his mind where he could analyze them later. The other man barked, “What happened, Bosk?”
“We were investigating a lead on the case. We were leaving when he attacked, the one who killed Brown. Went straight for her, didn’t even glance my way. He got one hit on her before we realized he was there. I managed to draw him away from her, but he teleported before she could get a shot off. I accept full responsibility for it.”
“Did you at least get a look at his face?”
“Nope. Caught his scent though.”
“At least you got that.” The Lycan leaned in close. “The only reason I’m not beating you into a pulp right now is because Leta needs you in working order to solve this case. However, if she gets so much as another scratch on her, all bets are off.”
He refused to give an inch. “Don’t worry; I take care of my partner. It won’t happen again. But does she know that you treat her like a pup?”
Cyrus suddenly grinned, moving back. “Drives her nuts. But seriously, take care of her. She’s a pack friend. If something happens to her, it won’t be just me coming after you.”
Lirim nodded his agreement, wondering how many times he’d be surprised by his partner. Pack friend was a highly coveted position and one that wasn’t given lightly. Somehow, he had a feeling that being partnered with her would never be boring.
* . * . *
Aletta thanked the healers and left, quickly breaking into a sprint to get away from them. Healers were great, but they tended to be an odd mix of perfectionistic and motherly. They’d healed up the giant bruise on her side and the scrapes from her sudden introduction to the pavement, then wanted to move on to all the tiny scrapes and bruises that she managed to accumulate on a daily basis. Only by convincing them that she was in the middle of an active murder investigation and that she needed to get back to it had she persuaded them to reluctantly let her go.
Aletta hadn’t waited for them to change their minds. Weaving her way through the various agents– had the entire department responded to their call?– she finally made her way over to where Lirim and Cy were having an intense discussion. Getting close enough to hear, she resisted the urge to face palm herself. They were comparing and rating the French fries of various eating establishments throughout the city. Jogging up, she cleared her throat loudly and was pleased to see them jump slightly. “Hey guys, I thought we were handling the murder case, not being restaurant critics.”
Lirim grinned at her, causing her to reluctantly grin back. “That’s all handled. We were just waiting for you to come back. Do you want to head back to the department or continue on to Valens’ place?”
Cracking her knuckles, she gave an ominous grin that caused Cy to take a small step back. “By all means, let’s continue on. I’m looking forward to making Miss Valens’ acquaintance.”
She heard the Lycan murmur something about “poor person,” but she ignored it. As far as Aletta was concerned, lying to the police and being in league with a murderer meant that woman deserved to deal with the full brunt of her ire.
Leaving the other agents to finish processing the scene with a promise to give their statements when they returned to the office, they headed out. It took some fancy negotiation for Cyrus to stay behind, but she had finally snapped at him and he reluctantly backed off.
Checking the address, she was surprised to see that it was only about ten minutes away from the pawn shop. However, two minutes into the ride, Aletta was ready to lose her temper. “Quit checking on me like I’m going to disappear or break into hysterics. I’m fine. See, not even a bruise.” She yanked up her blouse far enough that he could see the unblemished skin before dropping it back down with a huff.
He sighed and apologized. “I’m sorry that you got hurt. I should’ve been more alert.”
She let go the breath that she’d been holding with a huff, exasperated. “It wasn’t your fault. Things happened. However, if it makes you feel better, I accept your apology. Did you set up a protective detail for Mr. Williams? The killer might’ve been trying to kidnap him.”
“Tala’s going to handle it. We discussed it while you were getting fixed up.”
“Good. Let’s talk about something else.”
“Sure.” He was silent for a minute. “How did you become a pack friend?”
She blushed. “Sure, pick the easy ones why dontcha.”
Lirim just glanced at her expectantly.
“Fine. Remember I told you that I mainly did theft and fraud? Well, there was another case that I ended up getting called in on. I seem to have a knack for noticing things. Well, a little girl had been kidnapped, a pup only seven years old. The pack was frantic to find her, but she’d disappeared without a trace. I was able to track down the culprit. It actually turned out to be someone closely associated with the pack, someone that helped them manage their finances. He had been embezzling from the pack and was stupid enough to think that holding the child hostage would
save his skin.”
He snorted. “Did you shoot him?”
She smirked, “Nope, I got to take the pup home to her family while that piece of slime learned exactly why you don’t mess with the pack. The pup bonded with me, so they named me pack friend.”
She hesitated, unsure of why she was being so open with a virtual stranger, before decided to throw caution to the wind. “It was the pack that saved me from the ogre, actually. I didn’t want to kill him, but he was too strong for me to subdue. The pack were out for a night run and heard the ruckus. They came to investigate and managed to subdue him until the authorities could arrive. Cyrus was unbearably overprotective for the next two weeks– until I sicced the pack females on him. You should’ve seen his face, standing there like a scolded pup. He’s so going to pay me back for that.”
He laughed, “You’ve got a wicked streak, don’t you?”
She shrugged nonchalantly. “I blame it on my siblings. Here’s the building.”
The building was a run-down apartment complex and she wrinkled her nose. What in the world was an employee of a large bank doing in a place like this? She started for the building, only to be stopped by Lirim’s hand on her shoulder. “Let me go first.”
“I’ll be right behind you, no worries.”
The building didn’t have an elevator, so they took the stairs to the third floor. Approaching the door marked seventeen, she started to get a bad feeling. Lirim raised his hand to knock on the door, but it swung open under his hand. He immediately drew his gun. Scanning the hallway, he came to a decision. “Wait here.”
She waited anxiously, listening to his quiet footsteps as he swept through the apartment. After what seemed like forever, but was probably only a minute or so, he called for her to enter. “It’s clear.”
In Search of Justice Page 5
