by Jami Gray
I sighed and sipped my drink.
“Eight thirty, sure. I’ll be there. Thanks.” He hung up. Shifting on his hip, he pocketed his phone. “Your place is closer to Madeline’s office than the Guild. How about I pick you up at eight? That work for you?”
Doing a mental review of my schedule, I shuffled a couple of items around. “Sure.”
And just like that, I owed Zev a favor.
Joy.
Chapter Seven
Anxious to get back to the Guild, I left Zev at the cafe. I had a long list for Evan to dig into and a boatload of fishing lines I wanted to straighten out. Before we went our separate ways, I didn’t bother asking Zev what his plans were for the afternoon, nor did he ask what mine were, probably because his plans involved shadowing my ass. That would normally irritate me to no end, but I was more concerned about owing Zev an unspecified favor. Maybe I would get lucky and Sabella would need me to work over in Europe after all. If I wasn’t here, he couldn’t collect, right?
Safe in the confines of my Mustang, I could second-guess my decision to my heart’s content. Hell, I was beyond second guesses and well into my fourth and fifth at this point. I didn’t need the pit in my stomach or the bitter taste in my mouth to warn me that the ramifications of my choice would ripple far and wide on a personal level. Despite my initial knee-jerk refusal to Zev, the truth was, I would be less wound up about owing the favor to the Cordova Family instead of him. Yeah, it was dangerous to align with a Family when I was trying to keep my abilities quiet, but I’d been doing just fine for years. I had no doubt I could continue to do so.
But Zev was a different matter. On one level, being around him left me off balance and uncertain, two things I abhorred. But on a different, more intimate level, he fascinated me. It wasn’t as superficial as his dark, good looks. Although I freely admitted I preferred the dark, dangerous rebel look he had going on, but it was worse than that. It was the lethally protective core he carried, the one I’d caught glimpses of when he rode to his nephew’s rescue. Witnessing it had awakened an ache I hadn’t even known I carried, one I didn’t need a therapist to understand.
What would it be like to have one person willing to take on the world for you? It was an idealistic dream, which shouldn’t have survived my childhood or the realities of adulthood. Bouncing in and out of an overworked social system and running the streets, I’d learned quickly to rely on myself. That wasn’t a bad thing, but it could be lonely. Even now, those I called mine were few and far between. I knew if I asked, they would come to help, but it wasn’t the same. And that was why prolonged contact with Zev was dangerous. At some point, I would try to reach out for what he offered others, only to get my hand slapped.
But it was too late to back out now. I’d made a promise, and I would see it through. In the meantime, I could appreciate the physical packaging and still keep things between us purely professional. Decision made, I ignored the dull ache it caused. Shifting gears, I aimed for the more troubling waters of finding Lena. Since Zev was clearly watching, I needed to appear as if I was heeding his advice and riding things out. “Appearing” being the keyword here, since my first step would be to sic Evan on uncovering the dirty details of the Thatchers, Cordovas, LanTech, and Origin. Information was power, and I needed every bit I could get, even if it rocked the boat. Zev’s involvement guaranteed there was a tie to the Cordovas, but other than Keith’s connection to LanTech, the rest of the picture was murky.
Since I was stuck behind the wheel with time to kill, I went back through what I knew at this point.
Keith called in Lena to break a curse set by an unknown mage. Her first step was to identify the caster. While she managed to narrow it down to Madeline or Theo, Lena had once told me that curses came down to who was the most pissed at you. Curses were complex spells that required not only a focused intent, but also intimate knowledge of the victim. The more specific the curse, the more likely the caster was someone they knew. In this case, Keith’s performance between the sheets had been targeted. That was a flashing neon sign that the caster was probably female and pissed, intent on humiliating the man. Female and pissed led me to Madeline. My assumption was biased as hell, but if the high-heeled shoe fit… Women were much more vindictive than men when it came to payback. A guy would sucker punch you or take a literal pound of flesh, but a woman? She’d make it so painful, you’d never forget.
Lena had to have made a similar connection. Just look at the timing. Keith’s dead body shows up the same morning that Lena goes missing.
No, wait a second. That wasn’t quite right.
Evan said Lena’s phone went down around midafternoon the day before, so Keith’s body actually dropped hours after Lena presumably went missing. So where did Lena go? We had narrowed her last known location to a rough ten-block radius in the West Valley. Zev indicated Madeline’s office was close to my place, which was in the heart of downtown Phoenix, so that ruled Madeline’s office out. Keith’s place was in Scottsdale, on the east side. First on my to-do list for Evan, see if he could link anything in that area with the Thatchers or Cordovas. Maybe we’d get lucky. Not that I held out much hope. Movers and shakers were phenomenal at hiding their ass… ets.
The second item for Evan was to run a check on the names of known associates for both the Thatchers and the Cordovas. As dangerous as it was to poke around in a Family’s business, Zev’s involvement meant there was a connection somewhere. As an electro mage, Evan was the best suited for doing the poking. Plus, if Lena’s presence was being blocked by a mage, then we needed to start running down mages with that kind of power. Considering our players, either one could afford that kind of talent, so it was best to start with their known associates.
With Lena’s line untangled, I worked on Keith’s.
Zev had mentioned he was following Keith. If that was true, then wouldn’t he have an idea of who’d met Keith at his home? The scene at Keith’s house made it clear someone had stopped by for a visit, someone Keith knew and felt comfortable enough to invite in for a drink. Maybe someone like Zev?
I shook that thought away. Nope, it didn’t fit. Zev was many things—lethal, secretive, sexy as hell—but one thing he wasn’t was sloppy. And whoever had fought with Keith at his house was just that. The lingering magic, the obvious destruction in the living room, hell, even the partially opened door. All of that spoke to either arrogance or incompetence. Could it be the same mage that was blocking Lena? Maybe. I made a mental note to pose that question to Evan, as well.
Back to Keith and the amount of residual magic flooding his place. Keith’s meeting had obviously made a hard right into violence, and chances were high he was actually killed in his own home. But it didn’t take much magic to kill, and what lingered behind hours later in the echo I’d stumbled across was a sure sign of seriously deep levels of expended magic. Was it overkill? A miscalculation? There was no way to know, not unless I could get my hands on the police report and description of Keith’s body. Hmm, I wonder if Evan would be up to hacking the police database? Sylvia wouldn’t be thrilled with my request, but I scratched it onto Evan’s growing to-do list.
So if an argument went down at Keith’s and things turned violent, why dump the body at my condo? Why not leave it at Keith’s place? A private residence was a hell of a lot less public than a condo lobby. Not to mention it could be days before anyone swung by Keith’s to find him. Dumping his body in a condo lobby was akin to sending a golden engraved invitation. Who was that invitation for, though? Lena? Or was it simply coincidence and whatever this was had been meant for someone else? Someone I hadn’t identified yet. I let that thought rattle around for a second but couldn’t shake it into place.
I turned into the Guild’s garage and parked. While my trip to Keith’s hadn’t turned up any answers, it sure as hell gave me a bunch of new lines to pull. Zev’s involvement added another layer to the mess. I couldn’t see why the Cordova Family would have anything to do with a curse that screamed pissed-
off lover. But if Keith, a former employee of LanTech, had anything to do with the aborted kidnapping attempt, then yeah, that could explain Zev’s appearance. Did that mean there were two separate issues here? The one Lena was investigating and whatever Zev was tracking?
I deactivated the security ward on the glove box and grabbed the file. Caught up in my thoughts, I headed toward the elevators that would take me to the lobby. Maybe I was overthinking this. I could drive myself crazy with questions and possibilities. Setting Evan loose was a better use of my time. Getting on the elevator, I checked my watch and noted I had enough time to meet with Evan then head home and clean up. In fact, I might even be able to pull on one more string—Madeline’s new boy toy, Theo. Despite Zev’s little spiel about allies and name-dropping, Theo’s name didn’t carry the same weight as Madeline’s, which made it worth a shot. With time tight, I scratched a phone call onto my to-do list.
The elevator doors slid open, spilling me onto the second floor. Still running through things in my head, I pulled open the door and came face-to-face with Detective Brenner.
“Whoa, Rory.” He reached out with a hand to steady me as I stutter-stepped in surprise. Thankfully, he gripped the hand without the folder.
“Hey, Detective.” My face heated, and my pulse raced. Hopefully, he would attribute it to the near collision instead of nerves. Thank God the file carried no identifying labels. Balance regained, I stepped back. With no way to hide the file, I decided to brazen it out and held it down by my thigh. “What’re you doing here?”
“Doing my part to encourage interagency cooperation.” Although he smiled, it didn’t reach his eyes. He was obviously far from happy.
Behind him, Evan stood at the front desk, arms folded across his chest and a frown darkening his face. Light bounced off his lenses, but he caught my eye and gave a short shake of his head. Unsure of what that meant, I plastered a smile on my face and decided it was safe to play dumb. “I’m assuming it’s about the dead body from this morning?”
The lines around Brenner’s mouth deepened. “You’d guess correctly.”
Playing my part, I asked the obvious. “Who was it?”
“You know we can’t release that information until we notify the family.” He recited the standard line. “Actually, I’m glad I ran into you.”
And that didn’t make me nervous. Nope, not at all. I prayed my smile didn’t falter. “Yeah? Why’s that?”
“I wanted to let you know the scene’s been released, so you’re welcome to access your condo.” He added a couple more inches of welcomed space between us and held the door open with a hand above my head.
Our positions meant we were blocking the doorway, so I shifted to the side. “That’s good news, I guess, but you could’ve called, saved yourself the time and trouble.”
“No trouble.” His gaze tagged the file before he went back to studying me. “Have you seen your roommate today?”
A fissure of anxiety ripped through me, and my hand tightened on the file. What did he know? Had he linked Keith and Lena already? “Lena? No, why?”
“I was hoping to get her statement.”
Utilizing my acting skills, I did my best to feign confusion. Frowning, I shifted my weight and tapped the file’s edge against my leg. “I thought you couldn’t release the scene until you got everyone’s statement?”
His gaze didn’t waver. “Seems your roomie wasn’t home.”
As hard as it was, I continued playing dumb. I bit my lip and winced. “Huh, we must have missed each other.” I gave an apologetic wince. “Sorry.”
“That happen a lot?”
I managed a small smile. “More than you’d think. I know she’s been buried under work lately, and my caseload isn’t much better.”
“Yeah, the Guild seems to be hopping lately.” His sarcastic tone matched the jaundiced glare he shot back toward a watching Evan. “Hard to get ahold of people around here.”
With that one comment, he confirmed that no one from the Guild had shared about Lena’s disappearance, and I decided to follow that example. “That’s par for the course most days.” I touched his arm, regaining his attention, and offered, “Hey, I’ve got to head home before a job tonight. You want me to leave her your number and a message to call?”
“Will it do any good?” There was a healthy dose of antagonism in his voice.
I was fairly sure it wasn’t directed at me, since as far as I knew, we were on good terms, but I still dropped my hand and straightened my shoulders. “What am I missing here, Detective?”
A red tinge hit his cheekbones. The hand holding the door tightened; the other one rose to rub the back of his neck. “Nothing, Rory. I apologize.” He moved back so he was no longer blocking the entrance. “It’s been a long day.”
On that, we could agree.
He continued, “I’d appreciate it if you could pass my request along.”
Since outright lying to Brenner made me more nervous than lying by omission, I stuck with “Will do, but I can’t promise or predict when she’ll call back. Half the time, we barely see each other during the week. As soon as I see her, I’ll have her call you.”
He studied me for what felt like forever. It was hard to hold his gaze, but I managed. Finally, he said, “You do that.”
“You got it. In the meantime, you take care.” I went to step past him, but he called my name. I turned to look back.
“You remember what I said to you this morning?”
It took a second, but I found it. “Stay in town?”
He shook his head. “The second part.”
My stomach clenched, because he wasn’t just angry, but also worried. “Be careful?”
“That’s the one. You call me if you see or hear anything out of the ordinary, okay?”
“Yes, sir.”
He lifted his chin, shot one more disgruntled look at Evan, then left.
I watched the door close behind him before I turned to face Evan. “What the hell was that?”
Evan took off his glasses and squeezed the bridge of his nose. What he didn’t do was answer.
I crossed the empty lobby and stopped in front of him. “Evan?”
He dropped his hand, resettled his glasses and grabbed my arm. “Come on, we’ll talk in the back.” He dragged me back, and as soon as we cleared the ward, he dropped my arm and paced a few steps away. He dragged his hand through his hair, leaving it standing on end. “The detective stopped by and demanded to see Sylvia.”
“I’m sure that went over well.”
“Don’t know, don’t care. I was in Sylvia’s office, giving her a rundown on what we had so far, when Adele interrupted and informed us he was waiting in the lobby. Sylvia had me go and bring him back, so I did. The good detective informed her that they ID’d the dead body at your condo as Keith’s.”
“Okay.”
He stopped mid-step, pivoted to face me, and narrowed his eyes. “You don’t seem surprised.”
“I’m not.” But I was wondering how Evan managed to find out since a minute earlier Brenner refused to share that tidbit with me. “What’d you do, eavesdrop on their conversation?”
He shrugged.
A door to our right opened, releasing a team of Sentinels from a conference room. We got a couple of hand raises and chin lifts, but they were busy with their conversation.
Evan took my arm and pulled me away. “Come on.” We headed toward the back of the office, and Evan kept his voice low. “Adele asked me to cover her desk while she went to check on something. The conversation inside appeared intense, and since I was sure it was tied in with Lena’s situation, I might have accidentally triggered the computer’s audio.”
Accidentally, my ass. “If Sylvia finds out—”
He waved away my concern. “Remember who you’re talking to here.”
We came up on the empty break room. I followed him in, steering toward the coffee machine while he ducked into the refrigerator. I prepped the single-serve machine as he grab
bed a soda. The thud of the refrigerator door closing had me turning to find Evan leaning against it, soda in hand, watching me.
“So how’d you find out the DB was Keith?” His voice was hard with suspicion.
Mimicking his stance, I leaned against the counter’s edge, folded my arms, and raised my brows. “I’ll tell you when you’re finished with your story.”
He managed to maintain his frustrated glare for a good three seconds before he shook his head and gave in. “Fine.” He popped the soda’s top and took a healthy swallow before continuing. “The detective told Sylvia that Keith had an appointment with Lena noted in his phone. Then Brenner requested access to Lena’s case files.”
“I’m sure that went over well.”
“Like a lead balloon,” he confirmed. “He was not happy to be told that the Guild would not share active case details without a warrant. He made a few more vague threats, Sylvia stone-walled, and then he stormed out. He was in her office for all of fifteen minutes. You caught him on the way out.”
Remembering the visible resentment on Brenner’s face, I winced. Sylvia took our NDAs very seriously. “He’s going to request a warrant.”
He raised his can. “That’s my guess.”
“How fast do you think he’ll get it?”
“I don’t know. Depends on how hard he’s going to push and what else they have.”
Considering how quickly they’d showed up at Keith’s house and knowing how dogged Brenner could be, I winced. “Dammit.” Dodging Zev was bad enough, but throw in the Phoenix PD, and this was a cluster waiting to happen.
Evan opened his mouth but was cut off by Adele appearing in the doorway. “Rory, Evan, Sylvia would like you in her office.”
Behind me, the coffee maker sputtered, dispensing liquid life into a cup. Unfortunately, it would have to wait. When the director calls, you answer. Evan and I shared a look, then followed in Adele’s wake to Sylvia’s office.
