by Em Ashcroft
Fuck, she was a mess. She needed to see what the problem was for herself. When she tried to edge around the counter, Seth put his hand on her arm to stop her. “I’ve seen worse.” She met his gaze. “I guarantee it.” Whatever lay down there, she’d probably seen a variation of it.
Seth frowned. “You shouldn’t have.”
“Nobody should have, but somebody has to clear up the messes people make.” She just wished it hadn’t been her, but it was too late for that. Nobody could wind back the past, not even a shape-shifter.
He stepped to one side and spread his hands wide. “Help yourself.”
Reilly braced herself, the same way she always did when facing bad news, and it didn’t get much worse than this. Gripping the hardwood, she forced her gaze down into the gap left when Seth had moved the floorboard.
A woman lay there, her dark hair spilled over the dirt. Someone had laid her out neatly, her arms by her sides, and her legs straight. Her killer had shot her through the chest. Another bullet had taken the top of her head off.
“No amount of nursing is going to help her now.” Reilly looked up and met Seth’s eyes.
Before she could say anything, he touched her hand. “Hey,” he said softly. “I guess however much you see it, it still comes as a shock.”
“I guess it does.” Reilly took another look at the body. It was hard to be sure, but something about those features was familiar. No, she must be imagining things. She couldn’t know this person—she had only arrived in town yesterday, although it felt like much longer than that. With most of the head blown away, identification was nearly impossible in any case. “Do you know her?”
Seth shook his head. “I’m pretty sure I don’t, though this town is not small enough for me to know everybody who lives here.”
“She could be a traveler,” Reilly murmured. “You said yourself that this place is just outside the bus stop. Maybe she stopped in town just long enough for somebody to kill her.”
“Yes,” Seth agreed. “And it’s obvious this store isn’t yet occupied. It’s an easy place to dump a body.”
A rap at the door made them both look up. Chris, the police chief, stood outside, another uniformed officer behind him. He didn’t look as affable as yesterday, but then he didn’t have reason to.
Only then did Reilly realize Seth was still touching her. Reluctant to lose the comforting warmth, she nevertheless pulled her hand out from under his, and went to let the police in.
Chris glanced from Seth to Reilly and then strode to where they stood. His mouth set in a hard line when he saw what lay under the floor.
“I saw the floorboard had been disturbed,” Seth said. “Someone had pulled it up to put the body here, but they didn’t hammer it back.”
“Maybe he or she was interrupted.” Chris didn’t take his eyes from the body. “You didn’t sleep here last night?”
Reilly cleared her throat. “No. I slept at the motel.”
“Any witnesses to that?”
Reilly dropped her gaze. “As it happens, yes.”
Seth moved closer to her, and Chris’s attention went to him. “Brennan?”
Seth nodded. “I’ll vouch for her.”
“I see,” the police chief said, carefully neutral.
Reilly looked up. “What do you mean, you see? I didn’t—I wasn’t with Seth last night!”
Chris’s mouth twitched. “Breed partners are allowed to vouch for each other. They’re close enough to do that reliably.”
She flushed. “Oh.” Did that mean Seth knew what she looked like naked? And why didn’t that make her squirm with embarrassment? Oh well, she’d closed that door now. Telling Seth she didn’t want to see Brennan again had effectively pushed both of them out. Her reaction had been instinctive, but she wasn’t sorry for it. If Brennan had told her he was a shape-shifter, she might not have leaped on her high horse. He knew she thought he was a human, and he deliberately chose not to tell her the truth. Well, she deliberately chose not to fuck him again. Even if it killed her.
Chris took another look at the body, then stepped back as a woman with a camera walked in. She nodded to them, and started her job.
As the camera flashed, Reilly began to understand what was happening here. Why had whoever killed this woman chosen her store to dump the body? Why not the one next door?
“You’ve got an alarm fixed here. Is the code easy to guess?”
Oh, fuck. “I haven’t changed it from the default. I haven’t had time.” She’d been too eager to go across the street with Brennan. “Do you think the murderer did it yesterday?”
Chris tucked a thumb in his belt. “That’s hard to say. She wasn’t killed here, I’m pretty sure of that, but we’ll know for certain when the CSIs have done their work.”
Reilly’s eyes opened wider in alarm when she realized the implications of what he was saying. “You mean I can’t work here?”
“Not until they’ve done. This is a scene of a crime, Ms. O’Neill, and we need it locked up tight. I’ll put a deputy here overnight. And I’d appreciate it if you change the code on the alarm and let me know what it is. You can change it to something else when we’re finished here. It’s just a precaution.”
Sure it was. She did it right away—read the instructions on the sticky label attached to the panel, changed the password and went back. Chris handed her a notebook and pen, and she wrote the code in it. Seth stepped away, so as not to see the code. Polite, but unnecessary. He didn’t kill the woman. Why would he?
Where had she seen her before? The body had the olive skin and dark hair of the Hispanic, but that was no real guide. She could be Spanish, or Italian, or just naturally dark. But something nagged at the back of Reilly’s mind. Had she seen this woman on the road on her way here? Maybe she’d passed her in the street.
“How long is this likely to take?” She bit her lip. Next to somebody’s death, her concerns seemed so petty. “I’m sorry, maybe working in a hospital dulled me to bodies. But I’m working on a shoestring here. I’d hoped to open this week, as early as the day after tomorrow if I could manage it.” If she could have helped the victim by keeping her store closed, she’d do it like a shot, but the poor woman was dead, and nothing Reilly could do would bring her back.
Chris slowly shook his head. His jaw tightened. “Out of the question. We won’t be finished here for a few days. That can’t make any difference, surely.”
By the time she’d unpacked the stock, arranged it and fixed everything up nice, yes, it would make a difference.
“You can come home with me,” Seth said. “We have a lot of room, and we don’t live far away.”
“No.” Her instinct was to stay as far from Brennan as possible. Although she found it difficult to forgive him for lying to her, he had given her the best night of her life. If she got close to him, she’d fuck him again. She didn’t want to give him the chance. She was weak where he was concerned. “I’ll be at the motel until further notice,” she told the police chief.
“I’ll have to insist you do that,” Chris said. “I need to know where to find you.”
That meant she was under suspicion. Rationally, she understood why that should be so. After all, she was new in Goldclaw, and the body had been dumped here. But she did have a witness, much though it went against the grain for her to admit it.
Only for the dumping of the body, not for the murder itself. That depended on the time of death. She knew that as well as the policeman standing before her did.
Like it or not, Reilly was under suspicion.
There was a disturbance as someone new entered the store. It was another cop. This one was younger, maybe a little overweight, or maybe he was just built like all the men around here seemed to be. He wore the navy pants and pale blue shirt that identified him as much as the gold badge on the breast pocket of his jacket. “Sir—Chris—there’s been another one. That is—there’s another body.”
He took off his cap and ran his fingers through his close-cr
opped, light brown hair. His grey eyes were wide and shocked.
Next to her, Seth went still. “Who?”
“I don’t know. But he was a traveler.”
“A hobo?” Chris rapped out.
“No, like a traveling salesman or something. He was staying at the motel.”
Seth reached for Reilly’s hand. She didn’t want to resist when he grasped it. You’ll be okay, he said. We’ll take care of you.
It took a moment for her to realize he wasn’t talking aloud. Fuck, the man was speaking into her mind. How the fuck are you doing that? How the fuck was she doing that? She copied what he did and followed the channel he’d opened up. It had come as easy as talking aloud.
Clever girl. It’s instinctive, once somebody shows you the way. You just needed opening up.
Can you read my mind? The thought of that terrified her and set her slamming down any barriers she could find. She’d been trained to do that, part of her job now shape-shifters were moving in human society. Nobody wanted their mind read like that. But she’d never used telepathy. Truth be told, she’d thought she was incapable of it.
“No.” His lips moved so he was definitely talking this time. “I can feel your moods, but I can’t read your mind unless you let me.”
Chris sighed. “Stop it. We need to get this sorted out.”
Cautiously, she opened again. Can he hear us?
Not unless we want him to.
This was so complicated—and so easy. Seth was right about the instinct part. If she started thinking about it, her mind bugged out, and she couldn’t do it, but if she just let it go—she could talk to him without moving her mouth.
Don’t overthink it, Seth said before she could finish her thoughts. At least her new ability had taken her mind off the problem for a moment, and that was exactly what she needed.
Her mind cleared and panic left her. She was unnaturally calm, as she was at work when she was facing a full-on, code black emergency.
Reilly started thinking, hard, running a range of scenarios through her head. Not only would she be late opening, but the news of the tragedy would shoot around this place like wildfire. People would come to gawp, or to gossip. She’d have to work twice as hard to sell anything.
Her resolve firmed. She wouldn’t let this get her down. Standing over the spot where a woman’s body had lain would be a problem, but she could cope with that. What she couldn’t manage was dealing with the fallout from this event. She wouldn’t be able to afford the motel much longer either, even though prices were reasonable. She couldn’t eat out all the time, either. But the motel didn’t offer facilities above a small refrigerator that ran too warm and an ancient coffee machine with frayed cables she hadn’t dared use.
She’d cope. She’d have to. Going back to Chicago was out of the question.
She would need a time scale, but now wasn’t the time to ask. She needed a place to stay.
And she needed to know why the bodies were found in places she’d been. Her store and the motel. Was it a coincidence? It could be, because travelers would stay at the motel, and her store would be the first place anyone getting off the bus would see.
“The bus stop is also where the shuttle from the ranch stops,” Seth said. While Chris nodded, he explained to Reilly, “The tourists from the ranch can come here to shop and relax if they want. That’s why we have high-end stores. The guests at the weddings can be really well-off. They come from all over the country.”
Chris swore softly. “Fuck. That widens the net. This is getting complicated.”
As if to punctuate his comment, the photographer took a series of snaps.
Someone else came through the door and nodded at the officer stationed just inside. This man wasn’t in uniform, but he carried a large, black case. Chris introduced her. “This is the pathologist, Jonah Goldclaw.”
The man, older, and wearing gold-framed spectacles, had white hair, but he stood tall and his shoulders were broad. Younger, he could have been even more intimidating than he was now. He nodded to Chris and glanced at her. “Are you the new owner?”
She nodded.
“Pleased to meet you. Sorry it’s in such unfortunate circumstances.” His accent was heavily Texan, drawling and seductive, like Chris’s but on steroids. “Howdy” wouldn’t have sounded like a cliché in his mouth. “I’ll welcome you to Goldclaw at a better time, if I may.”
Jonah strode across the floor and halted, waiting until the photographer looked up. “I guess the scene of the crime is pretty messed up?”
“Not so much,” the woman replied. “We’re okay for around three feet around the body. And nobody’s touched her yet.”
Jonah put his bag down where he stood and snapped on a pair of plastic gloves and a pair of blue plastic shoe protectors. Numbly, Reilly watched, recalling the times she’d suited up for a patient. She could almost smell the disinfectant and antiseptic. Her throat tightened, not from the memory of the smell, but of what it meant. Blood, death, bodies mangled beyond recognition...
She broke off her train of thought, as she always did. When Seth slid his arm around her waist, instinctively Reilly leaned against his strength, grateful for his support. Seth said nothing, and she was grateful for that, too.
The memories receded, leaving her with a new nightmare. Gently, Seth drew her to one side, and they watched the professionals go to work. This patient wasn’t going to groan or cry or scream.
“There’s another one when you’re finished here,” Chris said.
Jonah looked up sharply. “Another what? Another body?”
“Yes.”
The younger officer spoke. “The cleaner found the body. It seems the guy was just passing through town.”
“He won’t be going anywhere else in a hurry.” Chris grimaced. “Was it a natural death?”
“He died from lead poisoning,” said the young cop. His mouth tightened as though he was suppressing a grin and realized it was inappropriate. “That is, he was shot through the head. There was no sign of struggle. He was probably shot in his sleep.”
Chris grunted. “We’re having a regular crime wave here.”
“We’re letting too many people in,” Jonah remarked. “This is what you get when you mix with humans.”
Shock arced through Reilly. She had heard plenty of humans prejudiced against shape-shifters, but she had never heard it the other way around before. It sounded just as bad this way. Nobody said anything, and it occurred to her she had heard this casual bigotry every day in her old job, but the other way around, humans against shape-shifters. She had wanted to get away from it.
The officer who had come in with the news of the body continued. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and consulted it. “It was a Frederick Jordan. It wasn’t burglary because he had a bunch of stock with him. He had samples of fancy teas and cookies, that kind of thing. “
“I guess that was for Granny’s Tea Room. They sell that kind of thing. The ladies who lunch love the stuff.” Pushing his cap out of the way, Chris scratched his head. “We’ll have to ask the owner if she was expecting anybody.”
“I took a look at his wallet. His driver’s license says he lives in Wyoming.” The cop scrolled down and halted, his fingers resting on the glass screen. “He works for a company selling fancy merchandise.” He gave Reilly a curious glance. “He had a few other things, too. Candies in the shape of tigers, that kind of thing. You’re planning to sell those things, aren’t you?”
“Sure.” Reilly tried to sound confident, but her voice wavered. “But I didn’t order anything. I have all the stock I need.” And more, most likely.
Seth gripped her harder. “Did you find Reilly’s name anywhere?” His voice rumbled through her body, providing unconscious comfort. “Did this guy plan to visit her?” His hold loosened slightly, but she didn’t move away. “These people often have a list of potential customers to visit.”
“I didn’t look that far,” the cop said. “I just touched the minimum
I needed. His wallet was on the bedside table. I checked his name, called Morgan to come and guard the door, and came straight here.”
“You did good,” Chris said. He glanced at the pathologist. “Are you okay there, Doc?”
Jonah was squatting by the hole in the floor, pointing a powerful flashlight at what lay below. He answered without looking up. “I’ll be a while. Don’t let anybody touch anything before we get there.”
“Yeah, like I’m an amateur.” Chris huffed. “Tell you what, we’ll trample all over the place, shall we?” He turned his attention to the young officer. “What room was the body found in?”
“1-26,” the young man replied.
Riley went cold all over. “That’s the room next to mine,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Shock temporarily paralyzed her. She closed her eyes.
“Then this could be personal,” Chris said.
“You mean someone wants to hurt me?” Reilly’s voice was definitely shaking now.
“That’s one interpretation,” Jonah said. He bent down, closer to his target.
Or she could be the one doing the killing. She didn’t need to hear the words to know that was what most of the people in the room were thinking.
Chapter Five
Seth refused to let anybody talk to Reilly until he had her away from the scene of the crime. After Chris had briskly ordered the scene, he took them a few yards up the road into the police station. Seth insisted on Reilly getting a hot drink, although she tried to refuse it. The distraction gave her a chance to marshal her thoughts and gave Seth a chance to call his breed partner. Their plans were blown to shit, and all he could do was ensure she was cared for and protected.
Finding a quiet corner, he called his breedmate telepathically. Where are you, buddy?
Still at the house.
