Ofelia’s cheeks burned and she quickly averted her gaze. “I should check on the other customers.”
Panicked that she might disappear and not come back, Sully covered her hand with his. “Wait.”
She slowly lifted her eyes, surprised by the contact. “What?”
“I ... .” Sully had no idea how to proceed. Felix had put him on the spot and he kind of hated the man for it. Ultimately, it didn’t matter because an earth-shattering scream split the air, causing everyone in Krewe to snap their heads toward the door. The noise had clearly come from outside.
“What was that?” Oscar asked finally.
“I’ll find out.” Sully pushed his drink away and climbed to his feet, holding Ofelia’s gaze for an extended beat. “I’ll be right back.”
Two
Ofelia had no intention of being left behind. She dried her hands on a towel and moved from behind the bar.
“Dad, watch things,” she ordered as she raced out after Sully. She didn’t bother looking over her shoulder to make sure he’d heard her. He was familiar with the drill.
Krewe’s location was something of an anomaly. It was located in a tunnel — no joke — in the shadow of an old hotel that catered to paranormals. Most of the random tourists who came to the area avoided the hotel because it looked like a dump on the outside thanks to a rather effective glamour. On the inside, of course, it was fabulous. They would never know, though.
“Where?” Felix came to a skidding stop beside his sister and glanced around. He was on full alert.
“I don’t ... .”
Another scream filled the air, causing them to look up ... to the empty building space above Krewe. On one side was Ofelia’s apartment. It was large, spacious, and quiet. On the other side were empty rooms that once belonged to the hotel but had fallen into disarray and been sold off as part of another property development decades before.
“How do you get up there?” Sully barked. He was pacing in front of the hotel, reminding Ofelia of a caged animal. His training and need to do what was right were obviously warring with the fact that he had no idea where to point his aggression.
“This way.” She directed him away from the hotel entrance and toward a dark alcove. There, hidden in the murkiness, was a staircase. “This leads up there ... although I don’t even know what’s up there these days.”
“Well, I guess we’ll find out.” Sully bolted through the door and started up, Ofelia and Felix close on his heels. “You guys should stay back,” Sully ordered as he started to climb. “We don’t know what we’re getting into.”
“You’re not staying back,” Felix pointed out. “Why should we?”
“I’m a cop.”
“So? I’m a tourist guide some days and a human statue in Jackson Square others.”
“And a man of leisure more times than not,” Ofelia muttered under her breath.
“I heard that,” Felix growled. “I’ll have you know that I’m rarely a man of leisure. I’m always hustling for a new gig. Just because I don’t stick with one thing—”
Ofelia waved off what she was certain would be a righteous diatribe. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ve heard this story a million times. There’s nothing wrong with having a steady job.”
“For you maybe.” Felix was defensive when it came to his work ethic. In truth, he was a hard worker. He simply never got ahead because he couldn’t commit to one thing. “I don’t know what I want to do with my life yet.”
“Well, you’d better figure it out.”
Sully hit the second floor a good twenty seconds before the others. He’d managed to put some distance between himself and Ofelia because he had longer legs. It did him no good when he reached his destination, though, because he found himself in a creepy hallway with a multitude of doors to choose from.
“Which way?” he queried when Ofelia caught up with him.
Bewilderment mixed with annoyance and caused Ofelia’s forehead to crease. “How should I know?”
“You know this building.”
“Um ... my part of the building is cut off from the rest of the building. This used to belong to the hotel ... and now it belongs to someone else.”
“Then why don’t they use it?”
“Ask them.”
“Oh, you guys are so cute,” Felix crooned. “You’re already fighting like an old married couple. It’s so ... weird.”
Ofelia ignored him and lifted her hand, igniting her fingertips with glowing magic so she could get a better feel for her surroundings. “It has to be that way,” she said after a beat, indicating the corridor to the left.
“How do you know?” Sully challenged.
“Because the only thing that way is a dilapidated storage room.”
“I thought you weren’t familiar with this part of the building.”
“I’ve seen it. The owner offered to sell it to me, but they were asking too much given the amount of work it needed.”
“I ... fine.” Sully started down the hallway, holding out a hand to keep Ofelia behind him. He was unarmed. He’d locked his service weapon in his vehicle because he didn’t believe drinking and firearms mixed. That didn’t mean he wasn’t prepared should a fight become necessary. “If I tell you to run, you do it,” he ordered, his voice low.
Ofelia swished her lips and didn’t respond.
“I mean it.” He was firm. “I’m the boss here.”
“Oh, dude.” Felix shook his head. “That’s not going to fly. If you ever get up the guts to ask her out on that date you’re jonesing for, you need to remember that she’s a person who has feelings ... and she will kick the crap out of you if you tick her off. I should know. She was a vicious little thing when we were teenagers.”
“Shut up, Felix,” Sully and Ofelia said at the same time, earning a ghost of a smile from both of them before Sully pushed open the first door.
Ofelia lifted her hands and sent out the magic to illuminate the room. It didn’t take long to figure out it was empty. The second room was a different story. There was a light emanating from under the door. Sully was through the opening in a split second, and he pulled up short when a dark-haired woman in a business suit started screaming her head off.
“What’s wrong?” he gritted out when she took a breath.
By the time Felix and Ofelia joined him, she decided to start screaming again.
“Do something,” Sully instructed.
It took Ofelia a moment to realize he was directing the order at her. “Why should I do something? You’re the cop.”
“Yes, but ... that noise.” He stuck his finger in his ear and moved it around. “I think I might be temporarily deaf.”
Ofelia rolled her eyes but stepped forward. She’d wisely extinguished her magical fingertips before entering and now looked like a normal woman ... who wanted to shake a screaming woman until she stopped making noise. “Um, ma’am?”
The woman stopped screaming and focused on Ofelia.
“Hi.” Ofelia brightened considerably and pasted what she hoped was a friendly smile on her face. “I don’t want to infringe on your freedom to do ... whatever it is you want to do as long as you’re not hurting others or anything. The thing is, why are you making that noise?”
The woman’s hand flew to her mouth, her fingers trembling. “I ... you ... .”
Ofelia’s smile never wavered. “Take your time.”
The woman nodded and sucked in a breath. “My father sent me here.”
“Here?” Felix wrinkled his nose as he looked at the filthy room. “Does he hate you?”
“No.” She fervently shook her head. “We just bought this space. We’re doing renovations. He sent me here to take measurements.”
“I didn’t know this space was purchased.” The news annoyed Ofelia. She liked the quiet the empty building afforded her. If another business came in, that would mean looky-loos ... and potential exposure. “When did the sale go through?”
“Is that really important right now?
” Sully challenged.
“Three weeks ago,” the woman automatically answered. “That’s why I’m here now. My father wants to start renovations soon. I just ... don’t know how that’s going to happen given ... that.”
Ofelia tilted her head. “Given what?”
“That.” The woman pointed toward a spot behind what had probably been a couch at one time. Now it looked like a misshapen lump.
Curiosity got the better of her — as it always did — and Ofelia shifted so she could look. She almost fell over when she realized what was waiting for them on the other side of the couch. “Oh, geez.”
“What?” Sully pushed past her so he could see. “Oh, my ... .” He hurried to the side of a fallen woman. All he could see was a mass of blond hair and a pink dress. He pressed his fingers to her neck to check for a pulse, but her skin was cool to the touch.
“You probably shouldn’t do that,” the screaming woman offered after a beat. “The cops won’t like it if you mess with their crime scene.”
“He is the cops,” Felix reassured her.
“Oh, that’s good.” She’d taken on a dazed expression. “Now that I’ve told you what’s going on, I think I need to ... lie down.”
“Here?” Felix was horrified. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’ll probably get chlamydia just from touching the curtains.”
“I don’t have much of a choice.” As if on cue, the woman’s eyes rolled back in her head and she started to tumble. On impulse, Felix reached forward and caught her before she could hit the floor, swinging her into his arms as he lobbed baffled looks toward Sully and Ofelia.
“Now what?” he challenged.
“Now we call the coroner,” Sully replied, reaching into his pocket for his phone.
“A paramedic might not be a bad idea either,” Ofelia noted, inclining her head toward the unconscious woman. “You know, just in case.”
Sully nodded. “Yeah. I think that can be arranged.”
“HELLO.”
Felix beamed at the woman as she slowly opened her eyes and returned to consciousness. Rather than put her on the couch — which he was convinced was infested with vermin ... and possibly the plague — he placed her on the floor and propped her head up on his coat.
“I ... who are you?” She looked confused.
“Who are you?” he countered. “I think that’s the more important question.” He had a sort of roguish charm that members of the female persuasion — and occasionally a few men — went weak in the knees for, and even though the woman was clearly shaky, she offered up a genuine smile.
“Daisy. Daisy Simmons.”
Felix winked. “That’s my favorite name.”
For her part, Ofelia was trying not to wretch at the way her brother took advantage of the situation to flirt with a traumatized woman. Instead, she cocked her head to the side. “Simmons? Does that mean your father is Phil Simmons?”
Daisy was taken aback. “How can you possibly know that?”
“Because you said you were working for your father and he’s a huge real estate developer,” Ofelia replied blandly. “I was just playing the odds.”
“Oh.” Daisy straightened. “Um ... that makes sense. I’m sorry if I sounded suspicious. It’s just ... there’s a body over there.” She pointed to where Sully was crouched. He’d been quiet since Felix caught the woman mid-faint.
“I know.” Ofelia flashed a smile she didn’t feel and turned her attention to the detective in question. “Anything?”
Slowly, Sully lifted his eyes. “I’ve been here like two minutes. I’m good, but I’m not that good.”
Felix leaned closer to his sister. “In case you were wondering, that’s his attempt at flirting.”
Ofelia ignored her brother and moved closer to the detective. “I was just wondering if you had any idea how she died.”
“Oh.” His expression softened as she drifted closer and he had to briefly press his eyes shut as her familiar scent — cloves! — wafted past him. He had no idea why she always smelled that way, but it drove him crazy. “Um ... there aren’t any wounds that I can see. I don’t want to move her hair until I can get photos of the scene so ... I don’t know.”
“Junkie?” Ofelia knew it was a horrible assumption, but an accidental death in her backyard was somehow better than the alternative.
Sully hesitated before answering. “I don’t think so,” he said after a beat. “She’s too ... clean.”
“Not all drug addicts are dirty.”
“That’s not what I meant.” His eyes flashed with warning. “I don’t have attitude about addicts. I know a lot of the other cops do, but I understand it’s a sickness. I don’t look down on people because they’re ill.”
Ofelia realized, after the fact of course, that she’d stuck her foot in her mouth. That was a regular occurrence she’d learned to live with. Still, she raised her hands in a placating manner. “I’m sorry. That came out wrong. I know you’re not like that.”
Sully held her gaze for a beat and then pointed toward the woman’s exposed arm. “Look there. I don’t see any track marks. Sure, it’s possible she was partying with someone at the hotel and things got out of hand, but that doesn’t feel right.”
“You trust your gut.”
“I ... just have a feeling,” he clarified, raising his chin in Daisy’s direction. “Is she okay?”
Ofelia nodded. “I think she was just overwhelmed. Felix is over there charming her. I bet she goes home with him tonight.”
Sully’s eyebrows migrated up his forehead. “What makes you say that?”
“He’s my brother and women find him magical.” She made a face as she moved closer to the fallen woman. “You’re right about her being clean. There’s a bruise on her arm, but that could’ve occurred during a struggle.”
“That’s my guess.”
“Her clothes are expensive. We’re talking Louis Vuitton shoes, Gucci leggings, and I’m not sure what brand that top is, but I guarantee it’s not off the rack.” She craned her neck as she looked around. “You don’t see a purse, do you?”
Sully shook his head. “Why?”
“Because a woman like this doesn’t travel without an expensive purse. I’m guessing there’s some seven-thousand-dollar bag that’s supposed to go with this outfit.”
His mouth dropped open. “Seven thousand dollars?”
“That might be an exaggeration. Still, she’s the type of woman who would have an expensive bag.”
Sully shifted so he could survey more of the room. “If it’s missing, maybe that’s the motive.”
“If it’s theft, our killer would’ve taken the shoes. They’re worth a couple grand, too.”
Sully let out a breath and shook his head. “I can’t see spending that much on shoes.” He furrowed his brow. “Out of curiosity, how expensive were your shoes?”
Ofelia glanced down at her Dr. Marten boots. “Like a hundred and fifty bucks.”
“Some might say that’s expensive.”
“I’ve had them for five years.”
“Well ... .” Sully grinned. “I guess that’s okay.”
“Thanks for your permission.”
“I happen to like the boots.”
“Yeah? Thanks.” Ofelia’s cheeks burned under the light praise. “I ... um ... like your boots, too.”
He glanced down at his well-worn footwear and realized that Felix was probably right. They were horrible at flirting. He just needed to get things out of the way. The faster they had a date set in the books, the faster they could move forward ... and oddly enough, that’s what he wanted most. “So, um ... .” He didn’t get a chance to finish his statement because, out of nowhere, Ofelia jerked her head toward the opposite side of the room. He didn’t know her well, but there was something about her demeanor that set his teeth on edge. “What is it?”
“I ... don’t ... .” She was on her feet and drifting toward a dingy wall, her eyebrows furrowed.
Sully abandoned
the body on the ground and gave chase. “Ofelia?”
She lifted her hand and rested it against the wall.
“Don’t do that.” Sully’s lips twisted as he reached for her arm. “This place is going to have to be checked for prints. The fewer the better.”
She didn’t listen to him, instead letting loose a strangled cry as she unleashed a big dollop of magic and basically slammed a hole into the wall.
“What was that?” Daisy asked, sitting up straighter. Thankfully the couch had cut off her angle and she hadn’t seen the magical burst.
“Nothing,” Sully called back. “It’s just ... we’re looking for evidence.” His expression turned dark as he glared at Ofelia. “Are you trying to give me a stroke? Why are you putting holes in the wall?”
Ofelia didn’t immediately answer, instead moving closer to the opening she’d created in the drywall and looking inside. Her heart gave a heavy roll when she found what her instincts had told her to look for. “Do you have a flashlight?”
“A flashlight?” Sully’s expression was hard to read. Finally, he hit a button on his cell phone and lifted it up. “What am I looking for?”
Ofelia went back to staring at the ground on the other side of the wall. It was just as she suspected. “That.” She took a step back and gave Sully room to look inside.
He was dubious but moved forward, his face disappearing. It was only seconds before he was back, viciously swearing under his breath. “There are bodies in that wall.”
“What?” Daisy climbed to her knees so she could stare over the couch. “What are you guys doing making holes in the wall?”
“This is a police investigation,” Sully replied, using his most authoritative voice. “Since this location is a crime scene, we have to cover every angle.”
Ofelia struggled to smother a laugh at his reaction and barely pulled it off. “You’re going to need more than a medical examiner on this one. You’re going to need a forensic coroner, too. There’s no way of knowing how long those bodies have been in there.”
He blinked several times and then nodded. “How did you know?”
She shrugged. “It’s just a feeling.”
Witch Confidential Page 2
