Broken Paths (AIR Book 2)

by Amanda Booloodian

  "Lack of information?" I asked.

  "I oversaw the gnome autopsy that Dr. Taylor performed at MyTH. They have a good facility, and Dr. Taylor did a fine job. The problem is that there was nothing to find."

  "I'm not sure I'm following you, Doc," Logan said.

  "We screened for toxic chemicals, did a thorough examination, and autopsy. We couldn’t find anything wrong with the gnome," Dr. Yelton said.

  "What did she die of?" I asked.

  "Nothing," Dr. Yelton said. "There was nothing that she died of."

  I blinked a few times, unable to process. Logan appeared to struggle too.

  "What could do that?" Logan asked.

  "I'm looking into other cases. It appears that her heart slowed down and stopped without causing any trauma to the organ or blood vessels around them. When anyone dies, you can see the damage that death causes on the body."

  "Could it be a gnome thing?" I asked. My gnome research hadn't made it far.

  "Nothing that we're aware of, but we are researching the issue. There is a problem with that line of logic as well, though. Yesterday, a file came across my desk. The preliminary looks the same."

  "Raj?" I asked.

  Dr. Yelton flipped over a file. "Yes, that's the name."

  "What about the other two? Did their autopsies seem normal?" I asked.

  The doctor leaned back in his chair. "His friends died from trauma caused by their accidents. We've received several blood and tissue samples from the bodies. We are going to continue to test for lesser known toxins as well as toxins related to the Lost. I'll let you know if I find anything new."

  "Thanks, Doc," Logan said.

  "Thank you, Dr. Yelton." I followed Logan back downstairs, running the facts over in my mind, trying to figure out what it meant.

  Rider was waiting for us in the control room. "Clancy filed his report on the necklace you received from Bill. He did not find anything."

  "Nothing?" I didn't mean to sound unbelieving. "Sorry, but this case is running into a brick wall."

  "Has it been released?" Logan asked.

  Rider looked unsure. "The report ended with currently in evidence and was followed by the word release."

  "It sounds like it's still with us. Let's take one last go at it while it's here," Logan said, "to be thorough."

  We went down a few flights of stairs, past the basement and into the first sub-basement. There were cavernous rooms, including one that held evidence. Another sub-floor down held our man-made portals, which must have been closed. When they were open, the air vibrated and set me on edge. I don't notice it much upstairs, but down here, it would be obvious, even with my mind churning over the case.

  "Nothing gets thrown away here, does it?" I asked.

  The evidence room wasn't tall, but it was enormous in length and width.

  "Mostly, I think it gets shifted around," Logan said. "Twenty years ago or so, I saw them load a bunch of stuff and take it away. I think it went to a different storage area."

  A musty scent that reminded me of stale old books wafted over us.

  "I'm never down here much," I admitted. "It looks like the rows are dated, though."

  Rider looked at the ceiling. "I am not sure that I like being so far below the ground."

  I read a note card held in a silver plaque, with the dates 1992.7-1993.2. "We'll make it quick, if we can."

  Logan led the way. "Oldest to the left, moving to the newest on the right."

  Old fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as we walked the length of the room. Each row was marked with dates.

  "Here's the current year." Logan turned down an aisle.

  There were boxes and tagged bags lining the shelves. A few of the boxes had our names on them from other cases. I lingered on the box that was signed with Vincent’s name, before silently berating myself and moving on. He'd contact or he wouldn't. There was no reason to dwell on it.

  Obviously, my heart and head were in two different places.

  Moving further down the aisle, I focused again on the current case.

  Logan stopped in front of a tiny evidence bag. "No fingerprints, no lingering residue."

  "Clancy looked the item over. There was nothing he could use from it,” Rider said.

  "Clancy's good," Logan said, "if there were anything there, I would expect him to find it. But, even clairvoyants can be fooled."

  Rider picked up the evidence bag and turned it over and over in his hands. "Can we open this?"

  "Feel free," Logan said, "it's been released. Don't touch it, though."

  Rider opened the bag. His nose wrinkled after sniffing the contents. "It smells like Clancy and..."

  "And?" I asked.

  "Sterile is the best description I have," Rider said.

  "It was worth a try," Logan said.

  "Yeah, I guess it was a dead end. Still—" I closed my eyes and took a few steadying breaths.

  "You sure you want to do that again today?" Logan asked.

  "It's fine," I said, concentrating. The Path flared up around us.

  Each item on the shelf radiated color. When I turned around to look at the shelves behind us, I could see that many items held a distinct Path. In a far corner of the room, brilliant blue stood out like a volcano, even from this distance. A bright incessant Path spread up from the floor, but I ignored it, thinking of the portals below.

  A well of gold sprung from Logan's core, like a small glittering sun, and wrapped itself around him. Worried blues and greens twirled through.

  "It's fine," I repeated again, and gave him a look that I hoped was reassuring.

  Rider was a fluctuating flow of greens and browns that flickered between instinctual animal and human.

  "What's the necklace look like?" Logan asked.

  Focusing on the small package that Rider had put back on the shelf, I could see the trail he had left behind, but concentrating hard, I looked back further.

  "It's blank," I said. "I can see where other people have been near it, but Clancy's right, the necklace doesn't tell us anything."

  Sliding the Path away, the real world came into clearer focus, but with color drained away.

  "Let's get out of here," Logan said.

  The sterile carpet hushed our footsteps as we exited. We didn't shut off the lights. I'd hate to think someone else might have come in while we were here. The thought of trapping someone in this vault with the lights out made my skin crawl.

  "Remind me to bring a flashlight next time we come down here, just in case."

  ***

  "It's good to see you again," Ethan stood to greet me when I found him waiting at the restaurant. "You look nice."

  "Thank you," I said, taking a seat. "It's good to see you too."

  Trying to find the thin line between looking nice and looking like you were trying too hard was one I was never proficient with. Lately, though, my work attire had improved along with my work ethic, so it wasn't too hard to find an outfit to wear.

  The waitress appeared at the table with a pitcher of ice water and asked if Ethan would like some, poured his water, and left the pitcher on the table. Then she said she'd be right back with a menu.

  My good mood faltered, but Ethan poured me a glass of water and didn't appear to give it a second thought. When the waitress came back with one menu, for Ethan, he handed it to me and asked for another. She apologized, looking genuinely sorry, and later, when she brought Ethan a drink and forgot my coffee, she also appeared very apologetic.

  Ethan watched the waitress walk away, presumably to get my coffee, and he looked nervous.

  We hadn't had the chance to talk yet, so I dived in. "How was your day?" It was an awful question, but it would hopefully get the conversation started.

  "It wasn't bad. We closed the case your team was interested in, so I have a light caseload right now. How was yours?"

  My mind flashed on this morning, being thrown forward in the Path and disappearing in time, but I shoved it firmly away and replaced it
with smaller facts that I could talk about. "We mostly drove around today and spent some time at the office."

  Ethan began to talk, but our waitress appeared.

  "Would you like to order?" Her voice was friendly, but she did not come bearing coffee.

  "Oh, are you ready?" Ethan asked me.

  "Sure."

  We gave our order, and I checked after the coffee. The waitress apologized again and took off for the kitchen to place our order. Ethan tapped his fingers on the table and watched her walk away.

  Grabbing another harmless detail of my day, I threw out, "My partner did manage to convince me to get on a horse."

  "A horse?" Ethan's fingers stopped moving, and his good humor returned. "Do you keep those around the office?"

  I laughed, but then I thought, didn’t we have horses at the Farm? "We weren't at the office, we had to go off road and Logan will take any excuse to be around horses."

  "He's a fan of riding?"

  "Yes, but I'm sure he also gets some entertainment value out of watching my attempts."

  "I'm sure you can't be too bad with horses."

  "My first experience was, oh wow, about a year ago now, and things didn't go well. My horse ended up at the stables long before I did."

  "You fell off?" Ethan asked.

  "Bucked off."

  "Ouch. Were you hurt?"

  "Bruised pride and embarrassment more than anything else, it was practically my first day... uh, in my current position." My awkward stammer made me shift in my seat.

  "Sorry to hear your first time on a horse went so badly. Maybe, if you'd like some tips, I could take you riding. Only if you’re interested of course."

  Between him overlooking my awkwardness and his offer, my smile was hard to tame down. "You may be underestimating my serious lack of skill."

  Ethan's voice was tinged with humor. "I promise no miracles, but my aunt has a few horses, very tame, and she appreciates it when I take them out to stretch their legs."

  "Oh, they're family horses. I'm pretty sure once Logan finds out you'll have a new best friend."

  Ethan sat back in his seat as someone approached, but kept his eyes on me. "As long as he brings you along, I'll consider myself lucky."

  A plate was sat down in front of Ethan.

  "Thank you," Ethan said.

  "Can I get you anything else?" the waitress asked.

  "Uh," Ethan looked around the woman, "is the other meal coming?"

  The girl looked confused, and then her eyes opened wide. "I am so sorry." She covered her mouth. "I'll go check on it."

  She hurried away before I had a chance to ask about coffee.

  Ethan slid his plate to the side. "I'm sure she'll be right back."

  My hopes weren't high. Some people didn't know how to react to me, so they mentally moved me into an empty space. If someone was distracted or has met me more than once, things were golden. When Logan and Rider were around, they were able to take attention away from me until the other people became comfortable with me.

  Ethan's fingers were drumming the table again, and he kept looking towards the kitchen. I almost felt sorry for him.

  "You know," I said, "I think our waitress might be having a bad night."

  "That could be. I'm really sorry about this." He looked around the crowded room. "It's supposed to be warmer tonight than last night, isn't it?"

  "I'm not sure. I can check my phone if you want."

  "Thank you. You check, and I'll be right back."

  Curiosity made me watch him go, but when I looked up from digging my phone out of my purse, I had lost track of where he went.

  When he came back, all signs of apprehension had vanished. "Let's get a change of scenery. How's the weather?"

  "Cool, but warmer than last night," I said carefully as Ethan ushered me to the door. Outside I added, "It sets a bad example when a detective walks out without paying."

  Ethan chuckled. "I paid and even left a tip, although I admit, I thought against it."

  "Where are we going?"

  "Our first stop is around the corner."

  "First stop. You're feeling ambitious." Around the corner, the aroma hit me. "Mmmmm."

  "I figured a coffee shop would be a safe choice." Ethan opened the door for me.

  The massive board of caffeinated beverages stood behind a long bar, music filled the air, and the place was packed.

  "What would you like?" Ethan asked, leaning in close so he didn't have to yell over the noise.

  For the first time, I was close enough to smell his cologne, which worked well for him, but his warmth made me lean a little further in, to tell him my order.

  "Wait here?" Ethan asked.

  "Sure." I watched him walk away, but this time, my focus was on the view, in an admiring kind of way.

  He brought my drink and we went back out into the fresh air. Ethan took me on a winding trail around downtown. We talked about silly stuff mostly, he bought me dinner on the go, and our last stop was at a bakery, where we each chose a cookie.

  After dinner, somehow we ended up holding hands, and after the bakery, it felt natural for me to reach for it again.

  "So," Ethan said on our way back to my car, "this date went better than the last."

  "It was a nice evening," I said.

  "I thought so too."

  The following silence wasn't awkward, which was a nice change.

  We stopped next to my car.

  "Are you free on Saturday?" Ethan asked.

  "It's possible my mother might be over, so as long as work doesn't call, I am definitely free."

  Ethan laughed. "Won't she miss seeing you there?"

  "She's there to see my grandmother." It was only a little white lie, Mom would notice my absence, but she may appreciate the fact that I'd be on a date.

  "You live with your grandmother?" Ethan asked.

  "Yeah. After her last husband passed away, I didn't like the idea of her living all alone. I was looking for a new house, so the timing worked out well."

  "Do you take care of her?" Ethan asked.

  I laughed. "No, Gran is one hundred percent independent. In fact," I checked the time on my phone, and it was almost ten, "I'll probably beat her home."

  "Well, if you're sure I'm not taking you away from your family, would you like to go hiking?" Ethan asked.

  "That sounds like fun."

  The words were barely out when he kissed me. He was hesitant at first, but when I fell into the kiss, he did too.

  When he broke away, he asked, "I'll pick you up on Saturday?"

  "Hmm, Saturday it is."

  He opened my car door for me and waited on the sidewalk while I drove away.

  Chapter 8

  My cell phone rang around three a.m. Nothing good comes from a call at that time of night.

  "Cassie," I answered.

  "It's Hank, got another fishy death for you and Logan."

  "Fishy how?" I asked, forcing myself out of bed.

  "Some guy killed his girlfriend—"

  "That's nothing new." I yawned and stretched.

  "He claims a possessed necklace made him do it."

  "Okay, that's new. A necklace?"

  "I thought that would get your attention. They have him at the police station."

  I called Logan, and his voice was chipper. It was too early for that.

  "Hank already reached out," Logan said. "Call Rider. He's been useful on this case, and we want to keep him with us."

  I've never called Rider in the middle of the night, but he answered right away and sounded alert. I have no idea how my partners did alert at three a.m.

  "We have a lead," I said, "possessed necklace."

  "Like the one in evidence?" Rider asked.

  "Let's go and find out. Meet us at my house."

  I hung up and pulled myself together enough to get dressed and go in search of caffeine.

  "Morning, sugar," Gran said when I stumbled into the kitchen.

  "Did I wake you
up?" I blinked in the glare of the bright kitchen lights.

  "No, I woke up knowing you'd need coffee,” she said winking at me. "I have three tumblers ready."

  "I love you, Gran." I wanted to sink into a chair and rest until my partners arrived. It was a nice thought, but my time would be better spent finding out if Hank had any details in the file for today's case.

  The tablet wouldn't open for me. Apparently, a bleary-eyed attack on the password wouldn't work. Logan arrived in time to keep me from breaking the wretched thing on the counter.

  "Go finish getting ready," Logan said. "I'd like a chat with Margaret before she turns in," Logan said.

  I thought I was ready. How was everyone so awake in the morning?

  "Sure." I went upstairs.

  In my tired state, I had reverted to my old uniform of T-shirt, jeans, and boots. I changed into a better shirt and finished getting ready. Three-thirty in the morning wasn't pretty, but at least I was fully dressed.

  Rider arrived while I was on my third cup of coffee. I grabbed another to go, and we were out the door.

  ***

  The entry to the police station was open but empty. The officer behind the bulletproof glass buzzed us through without trouble this time.

  Ethan stood in the middle of a flurry of activity. He was talking to a uniformed officer, but he waved us over when he noticed us. How had it not occurred to me that he'd be here?

  He looked uneasy when we approached. "Agent Seale, and, uh, Agent Heidrich." He tripped over the greeting, and I didn't blame him. "And you are?"

  "This is Agent Wolfe," Logan said.

  Ethan blinked up at Rider, taking in his height. Standing behind me made him appear even taller in comparison. "Good to meet you. Let's go talk in my office."

  I was uneasy, wondering why Ethan was pulling us into his office. The talks that needed to take place behind closed doors were almost never fun.

  Ethan stifled a yawn as we entered the room. At least I wasn't the only one who thought being up at this time of the day was obscene.

  He looked pointedly at me. "I'm not sure how this works." I could hear the frustration behind his voice.

  Did he think I knew? "I think we treat each other the way we would anyone else."

  "Right." Ethan looked like he was thinking that over. "I find it interesting that my suspect was not even at the station when I received a call saying I couldn't interrogate him." He aimed this at Logan and Rider, as though trying to exclude me from his irritation. "Would you all care to shed a little light on why the Department of the Treasury is interested in a local homicide?"