Nick nodded.
“All right.” He turned and retrieved a folder from a basket on the edge of his desk. After a few moments of shuffling through the papers and photographs inside, he found a single sheet of paper and passed it to Nick. “This is a copy of the registry the rental agency sent over. Looks like whoever rented the cabin on the night of the shooting did so using a false identity. The driver’s license is fraudulent, the address is an empty lot, and the photo and name aren’t in our system. I need you to see if you can dig up any other instances of someone using this ID and if possible, find out who the person really is.”
“Is there a money trail?” Nick asked.
Chief Lincoln shook his head. “Afraid not. He used a pre-paid credit card. Pre-paid phone too, from the sounds of it.”
I leaned in and inspected the photocopy. It showed the registry from the rental company and listed the man as Benny Hicks from Newport, California. The photo on the California license showed a scruffy looking man who had an unwashed surfer vibe. Rough around the edges and not showing a hint of a smile in his eyes. “And no one saw him when he checked into the property?”
“No.” Chief sighed heavily. “It doesn’t look like this was this Benny Hicks’s first rodeo. The reservation was made online and the key for the cabin was in a lock box on the door. No one from the agency was on the property. It’s a little bit of a self-serve rental. Usually hunters or fishermen. They come and go. The agency deals with the money and sends someone out to clean after the guest leaves.”
“Has someone been there to clean?” I asked.
“No. We asked them to hold off. My guys will finish collecting evidence this afternoon and we’ll release the room back to the agency. As it’s not technically part of the crime scene, it’s more of a courtesy. I don’t want to overstay our welcome.”
I nodded. “Right.”
Chief Lincoln stood. Clearly, our five minutes were coming to an end.
Nick took the page with him as we were ushered from the office. “I’ll get on this right away and let you know the minute I find something.”
“We appreciate it, Rivers.”
“What’s all this? Anything else I need to know?” Nick asked, gesturing at the evidence board. It was a lot fuller than the last time I’d seen it. New photographs hung pinned to the board and a whole bunch of new notes were scrawled in dry-erase marker on the whiteboard sections of the wall. The photos were taken at all different angles and mostly catalogued evidence cones in a small, rundown looking hotel.
“The victim was checked into a room at the Dancing Dolphin Motel off the highway. We gathered everything up to see if we could find a trail. So far, not a lot working in our favor.”
I scanned the photos and my eyes snagged on one showing a couple different views of a leather briefcase. It was thin, with a wooden handle. A gold plate rested between the matching buckles, with two letters engraved in the shiny metal.
“MW?” I said softly. “Wasn’t the victim’s name Grady Woods?”
Chief Lincoln nodded. “That’s right. We figure it might have been a hand me down. We’ll ask his brother about it when we bring him in for a follow-up.”
“His brother … Marco,” I said, somewhat to myself. “MW. Marco Woods?”
Chief tilted his head and considered the photo. “Maybe. He didn’t exactly strike me as the briefcase and three-piece suit type of fellow, but I’ve learned not to always run with first impressions.”
I smiled at him. “See? Aren’t you glad I came in now?”
He chuckled. “You’ve buttered me up enough for one day, Holly. Literally. Tell Cass it’ll be her fault when I don’t fit into my—”
Chief stopped short, his cheeks instantly turning crimson.
“Into your what, Chief?” I pressed, dancing up on my tiptoes.
“Nothing. I—uh—”
“You were going to say tuxedo!”
Chief looked to Nick, imploring him to do something. Nick laughed and steered me for the door. “I’ll call later this afternoon to check in, Chief.”
“This isn’t over!” I called, still beaming even as Nick herded me out of the station.
Despite hours of digging, Nick couldn’t find anything on the so-called Benny Hicks. After dinner—pizza ordered by our resident take-out queen herself—we called it a night. I hauled Boots off to bed, planning to read a few articles before my eyes couldn’t stay open anymore while Nick bedded down on the couch. I barely made it through two paragraphs before my eyes slid closed, but I awoke less than an hour later, restless and edgy, though unsure why.
I tossed and turned for another hour before I finally threw off the covers and swung my legs out of bed. Boots burrowed down deeper into the corner of the bed he usually occupied. Clearly, he wasn’t budging. It was just as well. If he followed me to the kitchen, I’d no doubt have to share my midnight snack. I stepped into my slippers and crept from the room, careful to avoid the floorboard that squeaked right outside my door.
When I rounded the corner into the living room, I noticed a sliver of light from under the kitchen door. Nick was sleeping on the couch, one arm sprawled over his face. Tiptoeing past, I glanced at the clock on the living room wall, one of Posy’s antiques. It was a little after three in the morning. I wondered if it might be Lacey. These were her usual waking hours. Besides sleeping, she rarely stayed at the manor. Her schedule ran opposite to the rest of ours except for a few hours of late-evening crossover.
After she had her breakfast, she’d slip off into the night. I couldn’t blame her. There wasn’t much to do at the house alone and it wasn’t like she could entertain while the rest of us slept. She usually went out with one group of friends or another. Shopping, happy hour, dancing, and then, of course, there were the hours she put into prepping for her next beauty contest. Before this business with the wolf and the vamp, I’d always had her pegged as a vapid person with no real goals or dreams, just an immortal drifting through a life of all things bedazzled and bling-tastic. Now … with visions of her roughing up that vampire in the woods … I didn’t know what to think.
I found the kitchen empty when I stepped inside. Whoever had been in last must have forgotten to turn off the lights. Or perhaps Nick had left it on intentionally as a sort of makeshift night light. After all, he was only just getting acquainted with things that go bump in the night. I shrugged and set about making a cup of tea—heavily lacing it with a dose of sleeping potion. It was one of my own concoctions, more powerful than over-the-counter medication without the sleepy hangover feeling the next day. Non-habit forming, of course.
While the water came to a slow boil, I made a couple piece of toast and slathered them with almond butter, honey, and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Hey, you only live once. Well, usually, at least.
When my snack was gone and the tea reduced to dregs in the bottom of my cup, I placed the dishes in the sink and decided to head back to bed. I turned off the light and started to pad out of the room, when the back door swung open, letting in a whoosh of frosty air. My hand whipped out, smashed the dimmer switch and the room was bathed in light once again. Adam stood in the doorway, hair mussed, cheeks a scarlet pink, and a stunned look on his face. “Holly? What are you doing up?”
“Where were you?” I demanded.
He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. “I went out for a run.”
“In the woods? Alone? In the middle of the night?”
He tensed and dropped his hand. “Yes. To all three.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You were looking for the wolf.”
“Holly, I—”
“Just tell me the truth! That’s what you were doing, wasn’t it?”
“I can’t sleep knowing there’s someone out there. If Sasha is behind this, the wolf could be out there, regardless of the full moon. Someone could get hurt.”
I threw my hands into the air. “And you were going to do what, if you found it?”
He rolled his shoulders back.
<
br /> “Great. Really good planning. Going out there alone, in the middle of the night, when the rest of us are asleep and can’t help.”
“I don’t want help. I want you here, safe.”
My teeth clenched together and it took all of my limited self-control to keep from flying across the room and grabbing him by the collar and shaking him. I might not have Lacey’s catsuit or knife collection, but I had every drop of the anger. “I never asked for a gilded cage.”
Adam took a step inside and shut the door a little too hard. He glowered at me, his cheeks even redder, now from anger instead of the cold. “I’m doing what needs to be done, Holly.”
I crossed my arms and glared up at him. “And what is it that you think I was trying to do? Was I just playing around? If I try to go with you and Nick, you accuse me of being reckless. In an even bigger group, you still want me glued to your side like I’m some kind of helpless child. When are you going to learn to trust me?”
“If we’d stop getting dragged into these things, this wouldn’t even be an issue!” he fired back, eyes sparking.
“Oh, you’re right! Gee, why didn’t I think of that? It’s a good thing you’re here to help me understand these things,” I tossed back, sarcasm dripping from the words.
Adam stormed through the kitchen and yanked open the fridge. He grabbed a bottle of some cherry-red sports drink and guzzled half the contents before wiping his mouth and continuing. “I don’t know what to say, Holly. I’m doing what needs to be done. If I’d told you where I was going, you would have wanted to come along.”
“And that would be terrible, huh?”
“Holly,” he sighed.
The door opened and Nick peeked his head around it. “You guys all right?”
“Yes!” we both snapped in unison.
Nick flinched but didn’t scurry off. Instead, he pushed the door open the rest of the way and stepped inside. “You sure? Cause you’re kind of giving me flashbacks to the summer before my parent’s divorced.”
He was joking, an easy smile on his lips, but neither Adam or I could play along.
The effects of my sleeping potion were kicking in and the room swayed slightly as I fought to keep my eyes open.
Nick hurried forward and placed a hand on my elbow. “Holly? Are you all right?”
I nodded but that only made things seem more off-kilter. “Sleeping potion,” I managed.
Adam crossed the room with two long strides and tucked an arm around my waist. Nick took a step away and let Adam lead me from the room. He helped me back into bed—or at least what Boots had left of it for me.
“I’m still … mad at you,” I told him around a long yawn as he tugged the covers up around me.
One corner of his mouth turned up. “I know. You can keep yelling at me in the morning.”
Nodding, I nestled into my pillow.
Chapter 19
Nick went with me to the Seattle Haven the following morning to see Agent Bramble. Thankfully, we left in such a hurry that he didn’t get a chance to ask me about the awkward scene he’d stumbled into the night before. As we exited the portal, there were only two minutes to spare before my appointment, and if Agent Bramble was anything, it was punctual. The portal deposited us right in the heart of SPA headquarters and we hustled to the bay of receptionists near the front doors of the impressive building.
At the top of the hour, Agent Bramble welcomed us to her office. It was a different one than the oversized coat closet she’d been working out of the first time I met her. Apparently, since her former partner’s ascent to head of the department, she’d snagged herself an upgrade. This office was three times the size-large enough for a grand, L-shaped desk, two plush chairs, and a chaise lounge on the wall opposite a bank of windows. Potted plants decorated the space, but other than that, there were no knick-knacks or personal touches.
I smiled and took the seat she offered me. “Morning, Agatha.”
“Good morning, Holly.” She gesture for Nick to sit as well and offered a hint of a smile. “Nicholas, I wasn’t expecting you this morning. How are you adjusting to your new life?”
Nick slid a glance my way before answering. “It’s been … interesting.”
Agent Bramble barked a laugh. “Yes, I suppose it must be.”
She shuffled some paperwork and then set it aside and folded her hands together on the top of the desk. “Now, let’s get to the business of today. Holly, you didn’t really provide many details over the phone.”
“I’m sorry, Agatha. It’s kind of a last minute thing.” I glanced at Nick. “Without getting into a lot of details, there’s been a situation and it’s important that we speak to Ben. I was hoping that since he’s in a different facility than Sasha, we could get a visit sooner rather than later. Is that possible?”
Agent Bramble considered Nick carefully, as though worried he might sprout a second head, before shifting her sharp gaze back to me. “I’m afraid I don’t do anything without details, Holly. You should know that by now.”
I frowned. I’d been expecting it, but it frustrated me all the same.
She didn’t budge.
“All right.” I licked my lips, trying to decide where, and how, to start. “We think there might be something going on with Ben’s old pack. I wanted to ask him some questions about a few of the members.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “Care to be more specific?”
Bat wings. I’d forgotten how tough she could be.
I planted my palms on her desk and leaned forward. “One of them was shot and killed the night of the full moon. The BHPD is investigating, but it appears that someone might be running around cleaning up Sasha’s mess.”
That got her attention. She sputtered for a moment, her eyes pinging between the two of us. “And you’re just now bringing this to my attention?” She bristled and reached for her phone. “Holly, you should know better.”
I started to defend myself but the words were cut short when she started speaking into the receiver.
Nick nudged his knee against mine and offered a slight smile of solidarity.
“All right, we’ll put in an emergency request to have Ben brought forth for questioning,” she announced, setting the phone back in place. “Tell me everything you know.”
Grimacing, I gave in and shared everything with her. Well, almost everything. I skirted around Nicks half-change and the encounters with the vampire and leprechaun.
When I finished, the door of her office opened and a petite woman with short, spiky black hair with red tips marched into the room and with a swish of her wand, formed a reflective pool on Agent Brambles desk. Her long nails were painted the same shocking red as the ends of her hair and she pinched her wand tightly between them. Raising it up, the pool lifted, forming an orb. It looked like a shiny globe, if all the land masses were erased. “The prisoner will be presented in ten minutes,” she told Agent Bramble, her words clipped in a staccato pattern.
“Thank you.”
The woman showed herself out and when the door closed, I stepped in to examine the magic. “This is incredible!”
Agent Bramble smiled. “Humans don’t know what they’re missing out on. Sure they have their telephones and computers, but can they do this?” She puffed out her chest and I tried not to snicker at how majestically bird-like she looked. Shifters often took on characteristics of their beast form even while walking on two legs. Adam was stocky and tall like his dog form. Thankfully without the drool.
“You don’t get out of the haven much, huh?” Nick asked.
She furrowed her brow. “Not exactly. Why?”
Nick laughed softly. “Humans do have something like this. It’s called Skype.”
“Oh.” She muttered something under her breath and I bumped my foot against his shin.
“This is impressive though,” he hurried to add. “And I’m guessing it’s not going to buffer every five seconds.”
“Buffer?”
He shook his head. “Never
mind.”
“Mmhmm.”
A sound emitted from the orb, mercifully cutting the tension. I lifted off the chair for a moment and dragged it closer to the desk. I’d expected Ben to appear to us in the orb, but instead, the entire orb reshaped itself into the exact shape of Ben’s head. Nick and I jolted back and Agent Bramble flashed a triumphant smile when Nick was forced to admit that no, the humans didn’t have anything like it.
It took me a moment to adjust to the surprise of seeing Ben’s head, three times its normal size, as a talking orb of light. “Holly? Is everything all right? Is this about my appeal hearing?”
I shot a glance at Agent Bramble. She hadn’t mentioned anything about an appeal.
After Sasha’s full investigation and trial, the extent of Ben’s involvement had come to light. While Agent Bramble and the rest of the SPA originally concluded he was acting under her control and therefore not liable, there were instances that they couldn’t ignore and he’d wound up in a jail cell anyway. Granted, for a lot less time than Sasha.
I shook my head. “I don’t know anything about an appeal.”
“Oh.” He lowered his gaze, crestfallen.
“Hey.” I held up a hand. “As far as I’m concerned, if you can help me with what I’m about to ask, I won’t stand in the way of your hearing.”
Ben’s thick brows lifted. I’d forgotten how handsome he was. He’d won over Evangeline’s fleeting attention, which wasn’t a small feat. Several months ago, my money would have been down on the two of them kicking off some kind of romantic relationship.
I didn’t dwell on all the ways things had spun out of control since then.
“Marco Woods found me,” I said, giving him my full attention.
“You have to believe me, Holly. If I could have given you some kind of warning, I would have. I was worried, after what happened to Grady. Someone had to warn you and Nick.”
“I’m not mad at you, Ben. If that’s what you’re thinking. But I need answers. What do you know about Sasha’s background? Did she ever mention a mentor or teacher? How did she get her powers? I can assure you, nothing she does was covered in my spellcraft classes during academy.”
Lucky Witch: A Beechwood Harbor Magic Mystery (Beechwood Harbor Magic Mysteries Book 5) Page 15
