I took a step back as I considered the new information. Groove was the pragmatic sort. He didn’t believe in the paranormal. That meant it didn’t occur to him that they could have a different sort of predator in the mix.
It occurred to me, though, and I didn’t like it.
“You done?” Shadow asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. There’s nothing else in there.”
“You’re telling me.” His smile was tight before shifting his eyes to Groove. “Keep your ear to the ground. I’ll be back.” He motioned for me to follow him, waiting until we were on the other side of the park to speak. “That was impressive. Did you really see that in his head?”
It was an interesting question. “Yes.” I saw no reason to lie. I was billed as “the greatest fortune teller the circus had ever seen.” If he didn’t believe me, there was no harm in it. If he did, I might be able to help him.
“Well ... that’s more than I knew a few minutes ago, so I guess I’ll take it.” He looked me up and down. “I never knew your real name.”
“Poet Parker.”
“Poet’s your real name? I think you missed the whole reason people make up street names. It’s a survival thing.”
“I survived. And because people thought that was my street name, they never questioned me. It all worked out.”
“You did survive. I’m glad for that, but I was worried when you first disappeared. I looked for you. I was afraid ... .”
He left it hanging. “You were afraid something happened to me,” I finished. “I don’t blame you. If it’s any consolation, I left letters for you and Creek with Junk and Hazy. I guess they didn’t deliver them.”
He chuckled. “They weren’t exactly the reliable sort. You should’ve realized they would forget.”
That was true. “I didn’t have much time. The circus was pulling out, and if I wanted to go with it, I had to do it then. I was torn, but ... I sensed it was the only legitimate chance I would probably ever get. I wanted to take it.”
“I’m glad you did. Although ... the circus?” His lips curved. “Really?”
“It’s a good life. I have friends who are really my family. I fit in there. I can be who I was always meant to be.”
“That’s good, because you certainly didn’t belong out here. You were always the one I worried about most.”
“Yeah, well ... you didn’t need to. I’m stronger than I look.”
“I knew that about you. Still ... I thought about you over the years. I wanted you to be safe and happy. Disappearing the way you did left me with a few dark thoughts. I also had happy thoughts, because they allowed me to imagine you on grand adventures.”
I thought of the monsters we’d taken out, the people we’d met and places we’d visited. “I’ve definitely been on grand adventures.”
“I bet. Well ... come on. I’ll give you a ride back to wherever you’re staying. You really shouldn’t be out here, even though I enjoyed the way you made Groove whine like a big baby.”
“Sure. I’m over at the old state fairgrounds.”
“That’s close.”
“Just one thing,” I called out, stilling him. “What’s your real name? It feels weird to call you ‘Shadow’ given the fact you’re a police officer.”
“Can’t you pick it out of my head like you did with Groove?”
“I could, but it’s invasive. It’s also easier if you just tell me.”
“Logan Stone. I’m an FBI agent, not a police officer, although I was with the Detroit Police Department back then. I’ve been promoted fairly regularly since the Vipers were removed from power.”
I was impressed. “Awesome. Logan fits you. Although ... I thought Shadow fit you, too.”
“Come on. Let’s get you out of here. I want to see this circus.”
“Okay, but if you think the street is weird, the circus is going to rock your world.”
“Now I’m definitely looking forward to it.”
THE FAIRGROUNDS WERE BUZZING WITH activity when we parked. I didn’t miss the look of appreciation on Logan’s face when we coasted to a stop in the lot and he could see the hustle and bustle for himself.
“Wow! When did you guys arrive?”
“Yesterday.”
“And you did all this in less than twenty-four hours?”
I shrugged as I got out of the Ford Escape. “We’re a well-oiled machine. Totally professional and on top of our game.”
The moment the words left my mouth, Nellie appeared. He was dressed in a flowery spring dress that put his hairy legs and armpits on full display. “Where have you been?” he snapped, ignoring Logan. “And where is the food? I’m hungry. You know I need my afternoon snack or I get cranky.”
Logan arched an eyebrow as I rolled my eyes.
“Luke and Kade are getting the groceries today,” I replied. “They shouldn’t be too far behind me. I had them leave me downtown because I had an errand to run.”
“An errand?” Nellie shifted his suspicious eyes to Logan. “Looks like a Fed to me. Have you traded in your security stud for him?”
I scowled. “I knew him a long time ago. He gave me a ride and wanted to see how we operate.”
“That’s right. I forgot that you used to live here.” Nellie’s gaze turned thoughtful. “I never imagined you hanging around with a Fed.”
“It’s a complicated story,” Logan offered.
“One that’s none of your business, Nellie,” I added. “You don’t have to worry about him. He’s not here to give you grief.”
“I don’t know,” Logan hedged. “He looks the sort that might need some grief.”
“Oh, better men have tried,” Nellie sneered. “If you don’t have food for me, you’re useless. You’d better hope that your boyfriend and sidekick show up soon. I’ll eat them if they’re not careful.”
“I’m sure they’re on it.”
Logan chuckled as he watched Nellie go. “He’s ... interesting.”
“He’s a good guy with a big mouth. He’s harmless – mostly.” Except for the ax he carried around at night so he could behead monsters, I silently added. Of course, Logan didn’t need to know about that.
“This is amazing,” Logan said, leaning against the front of his vehicle and tucking his hands in the hip pockets of his pants. “And you guys travel around together from one end of the country to the other. Does that mean you don’t have a home base?”
“We have a home base in Florida, but we’re only there for two months in the winter. It’s the closest thing we have to an anchor.”
“Do you wish you had a home?”
“I have a home. These people are my home. It’s because of them that I didn’t end up dead or ... something worse. I saw Creek today, by the way.”
“I haven’t seen her in years. She was searching for you right along with me for a few weeks, but she distanced herself from me fairly quickly. She had hope at first. You could see in her face when it faded. I’m pretty sure she thought you were dead. It was easier than believing you would take off the way you did.”
Guilt, hard and fast, barreled into my chest. “I didn’t have a choice.”
“I’m not blaming you. I didn’t really live on the street. It only felt like it because I was undercover for so long. For her, it was different. I think there was some jealousy involved. Groove was telling people that some rich pervert took you off the streets and married you. The rumor went around that you were living in the lap of luxury … but selling yourself to do it.”
“Not quite.”
“The circus rumor went around. That came from Hazy, so most people didn’t believe it.”
I could see that. “Well, I really did join the circus. As for the man who found me, he’s still here. His name is Max, and he’s not a pervert. He’s a good guy who is pretty much like a father to me, although that’s weird because I’m dating his son.”
Logan barked out a laugh. “Sounds complicated.”
“Maybe on paper, but it’s not rea
lly. We’re a tight-knit unit. Well, we’re a segregated but tight-knit unit. Nobody likes the clowns and we try to keep away from the midway workers as much as possible because they’re crazy.”
“Crazier than the little guy wearing a dress?”
“He’s our bearded lady.”
“Ah. I guess that makes sense?”
“Yeah.” I was amused by his expression. “Do you want to look around? It really is a different world.”
“Why not? At least now I won’t have to imagine how you live.”
“There’s that.”
“I also want to talk to you about the missing girls.”
“There’s that, too. I want to help if I can.”
“I’m not sure how you can, but I’m willing to give it a shot. I don’t like what’s happening out here.”
I didn’t blame him. “I’ll do what I can. I think there’s more to the story. Groove has been looking, but he hasn’t found acceptable answers.”
“Then we need to tap resources he hasn’t.”
8
Eight
Logan took a tour, met several people — including Nixie and Naida, who were enamored with him — and then sat with me at a picnic table so we could talk about the missing girls.
“They’re all from bad homes,” he explained. “They’re on the street for a reason. You can always tell when a kid has a bad home life.” His gaze was pointed. “You never mentioned what you were doing on the street. I assume you’re not visiting anyone else while you’re here.”
He’d never really asked about my history, but that made sense. He was undercover and there was so little he could do for us without blowing his fake persona that it was probably easier not to know the specifics.
“It was different for me,” I replied. “I had good parents. They died when I was a teenager. I bounced around between families after that. Some were really good, but the placements were only temporary. Not many people want to take on a bitter kid who is almost an adult.”
“You didn’t run from a good placement.”
“No.” That was definitely true. “I ran from one that had the potential to go bad.”
He furrowed his brow at the way I phrased things. “Did you do that mind-reading trick of yours to figure that out?”
“Basically.”
“And you thought the streets were better than reporting him to the foster care system?”
“Back then, I didn’t believe they cared enough to do anything. I’m an adult now, so I see things differently. They were overwhelmed, not negligent. Still, I’m not sorry about how things turned out. I ended up here.”
“Yes, in your own kingdom of ridiculousness.”
“It’s not so bad.”
“I can see that.” His eyes traveled to trailer row, to where Percival — our clown with the fake British accent — was trying out a new routine in full makeup for his girlfriend’s benefit. Raven didn’t look impressed. I often wondered how their relationship survived, because he seemed the exact opposite the sort of man she would seek out. Of course, as a lamia, she’d been alive for centuries. Perhaps she was simply looking for something different.
“Percival notwithstanding.” I snickered as he shot water out of a flower and it hit her in the face. The look she shot him promised death ... or some very kinky sex games that she would dominate. “You can’t choose your family. We’re a family. Sure, it’s a different kind of family, but it’s still a family.”
“I’m glad you have them. In fact ... .” He trailed off, his eyes going to a spot over my shoulder.
When I turned, I found Luke and Kade heading in our direction, their arms laden with groceries. “Hey, guys. I told you I would be fine. You had nothing to worry about.”
Kade didn’t look happy. “Is your phone broken?”
I cringed when I realized I’d forgotten to text him. It had slipped my mind. “Oh, um ... .” I dug in my pocket and found my phone. I’d muted it before heading into the park and it looked as if I’d missed twenty-five messages ... all of them from Kade and Luke. “I’m sorry.” I felt real contrition. “I got distracted.”
“Blame me,” Logan interjected quickly. “We got to talking, sharing information, and time got away from us.”
Kade’s eyes were dark when they landed on the FBI agent. “And who are you?”
“Logan Stone.” He extended his hand. “I knew Poet a lifetime ago. I ran into her in the park.”
“You were friends with a Fed?” Luke made a face as he looked Logan up and down. “That doesn’t sound like you, Poet.”
Now it was Logan’s turn to frown. “How do you know that? Are you guys sharing information or am I wearing an invisible sign that reads ‘FBI agent’?”
I chuckled at his discomfort. “In this line of work you learn to recognize law enforcement pretty fast.”
“Who else identified him?” Luke asked.
“Nellie.”
“Of course.” Luke’s expression was hard to read, but he couldn’t drag his eyes from Logan. “I’m Poet’s best friend. Luke Bishop.” He extended his hand. “If you like her, you have to like me. Those are the rules.”
Instead of being put off, Logan laughed. “Well, I can tell already that I’m going to like you.” His eyes were clouded with doubt when he turned to Kade. “And you?”
“Kade Denton.” My boyfriend was more reticent when it came to shaking hands. It was expected, so he did it, but I could feel his annoyance.
“Another best friend?” Logan teased.
“Boyfriend,” Kade quickly corrected, and then darted a look in my direction. He was obviously worried I would think he was unnecessarily marking his territory. I wasn’t in the mood to argue, so I let it go.
“They live together,” Luke volunteered helpfully. “I live next door.”
He was acting weird, even for him, and I was suspicious of his motivations until I realized what he was doing thanks to a few stray surface thoughts. “He’s not gay,” I offered, causing Luke to frown.
“That’s not what I was thinking,” Luke protested. When I didn’t immediately respond, he pointed a finger. “You stay out of my head. You’re supposed to mind your own business where I’m concerned.”
“Then don’t think so loudly.”
“I’m going to get the rest of the groceries,” Luke supplied after a moment’s contemplation. “I’ll leave you guys to ... whatever it is you’re doing.”
“We’re talking about the missing girls.” I patted the open spot next to me so Kade would sit rather than stand and glower. “There’s not much information about them, even from a law enforcement perspective.”
Kade’s nose might’ve been out of joint a bit, but he was nothing if not a consummate professional. “Did you find out anything while you were down there?”
“There are a lot of rumors, but few facts to back up any of the rumors. One second the girls are there and the next they’re gone. It’s ... distressing.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” Logan said. “We’re forming a task force among local departments. Four missing girls is a big deal, and if we have a serial predator on our hands we need to stop it before it gets out of control.”
“Yeah.” I rolled my neck. “Are you going to be hanging around the old haunts?”
“Until it’s solved,” he confirmed.
“How did you two meet?” Kade asked.
“He was undercover with a biker club back then,” I replied. “I knew he was different from the rest, but I hadn’t pegged him as a cop. It made sense when I heard the news today. He looked out for us, brought us food sometimes. He always checked to make sure nothing bad was going down.”
Something occurred to me. “That last day, you warned me to get out of the park because the police were coming,” I noted. “Is that because you called them?”
He nodded. “I was undercover, but I couldn’t ignore something like what happened that day. I couldn’t just pretend I didn’t see Noble’s body.”
&nbs
p; “Yeah.” I rubbed my forehead, suddenly weary. “I’ll keep my ear to the ground. What about the girls? Do they have anything in common?”
“They’re all brunette — brown or black hair — and their eye color varies. They’re between the ages of sixteen and twenty. They’re all thin and none look ... used up by the street.”
Kade knit his eyebrows. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“I understand what it means,” I volunteered. “After a certain amount of time, you start looking different when you live on the street. It’s something you can’t really shake. I’m sure you saw it today with Creek.”
“She looked as if life had beaten her down and she forgot to get back up,” Kade said.
“That’s the look.”
“You’re lucky you got out before you got the look,” Logan said, getting to his feet. “I’ll be in touch if I can. I’m not sure what my schedule will be like. If I can’t stop by, don’t take it personally. I’m glad to know you found your people and I can put the sad stories to rest.”
“I’m glad to know that you took down the Vipers. They were jerks.”
He smiled. “Thank you. Stay safe if you go wandering around. Groove isn’t the only old friend who might recognize you. Some of the others are still around.”
“I’ll be careful. I know how to take care of myself.”
“And she has me,” Kade added.
“And I have him.” I smiled as Logan shook his head. “We really are fine. There’s very little this city can throw at us that we can’t take. Trust me when I say we can handle ourselves.”
“I don’t doubt it. Still, watch the shadows. Whoever this is somehow gets in and out without being noticed. I want to make sure that doesn’t happen to anyone from your group.”
That made two of us.
KADE’S MIND WAS FULL OF questions for the rest of the afternoon, but I refrained from calling him on it. I was curious about how long it would take him to break and ask, but to my surprise, it wasn’t until we were getting dinner ready. And then, when he finally did ask, I was stunned by what he wanted to know.
Freaky Reapers (A Mystic Caravan Mystery Book 8) Page 8
