The Elder Witches

by R.E. Packer

  Chapter 23

  Later having returned to the safe house I found James in the back yard with Rutger. I hadn’t forgotten what the werewolf Alpha had said about James, or the mixture of amusement and condescension the pack showed at having to explain more about him to me.

  I seldom forget anything, in fact, it’s one of my few redeeming assets. I can remember every witness name and comment in every police report about my parents and my sister or any other case I’ve worked. Pictures just seemed to stay in my head, as if neatly cataloged for when I needed that information later. It’s what made me so effective as an investigator.

  For a man that looked like he could be someones father, James didn’t seem to be having any trouble keeping up with an energetic mutt as they raced around the lawn.

  “Now I know how he gets so tired out,” I said.

  James smiled and tossed me the stick, sending Rutger on a new mission, crashing into me to retrieve it.

  I didn’t know how James would react if I mentioned the werewolves or what they’d said about him, but I’ve never been much for subtlety.

  “So, we had an interesting meeting today, with some people that said they knew you,” I said.

  “Right, the werewolves,” he said, his gaze unwavering.

  At my stubborn look he went on.

  “I’m just a man who guards women that don’t really need much protection. Lots of things aren’t what they seem in this world but I think you’ve got enough on your plate without taking on new problems to solve.”

  “Then you’re not a werewolf?” I asked, watching his reaction closely.

  He laughed, a full belly laugh that reminded me of why he was so likable.

  “No, I’m definitely not a werewolf; you might want to be careful of who you ask about that though.”

  I couldn’t think of a clever reply so I didn’t say anything. I thought for sure he was a werewolf, it was the only thing that made sense with how he knew the wolf pack, how he had handled the coven, and had the stamina of somebody much younger. Not that he seemed old, but he wasn’t a teenager either.

  “You need to follow your instincts more, stop letting your past control your thoughts,” he said, clapping me on the shoulder, which almost knocked me over, even though he had to weigh less than I did.

  “What do you know about my past?” I asked a little more defensively than I meant to.

  “It doesn’t take a mind read to see that you’ve had a bad go of some things. All I’m saying is to live your life based on what’s happening now, not what happened in the past.”

  He was right, I did tend to let my past control how I acted toward people. If he did have a secret I couldn’t blame him for wanting to keep it to himself, but seeing as how we’ve been in the company of witches, vampires and werewolves, all in the last 24 hours, what could be so private that he would hide that from me?

  “If you’re done, I promised Rutger and myself some lunch,” James said, grabbing a stick off the ground and running to the house with Rutger at his heels.

  James carved off slices of roast beef while I busied myself filling the kettle and listening to it slowly start to bubble. We ate in silence, James put away so much roast beef I thought he was training for a food challenge.

  Before I could comment on it my phone vibrated in my pocket. Jim Langhorne’s name appeared on the screen. It wasn’t totally out of character for Jim to call but it was almost always in the evening. Maybe he was checking in since I hadn’t been as available lately.

  When I hung up, James had stopped eating and was watching me, his sharp eyes seemed to take in everything at once, in contrast to his laid back posture.

  “That was my boss, Jim Langhorne,” I said with a shrug.

  “Why would he need you to stop in, couldn’t you give him an update on the phone?” he asked.

  He must have overheard our conversation somehow.

  “It’s not SOP, but it’s his business, if he wants me to come in, it’s his call.”

  “Does he ever reassign you before a client contract is over?”

  I hadn’t even thought of that, sometimes we did get reassigned to other clients. I would just have to deal with that when the time came.

  Half an hour later I was cleaned up and ready for the drive into the office. If only I could get past the blue eyed dark haired hurdle blocking the door.

  Gwen stood with her arms crossed blocking the doorway, pursing her lips in disapproval.

  “James told me it’s out of the ordinary for you to get called in and you’re still going?” she asked, hands on her hips. “You don’t need to go in, Gordon, you don’t even need the job, we can provide for you now.”

  “I don’t need somebody to provide for me, I can provide for myself,” I said, feeling the heat rush to my face. “I’ve been taking care of myself since I was twelve, it’s not going to stop now.”

  Her face softened, “I know you have—”

  “No, you don’t. You weren’t there, you don’t really know my history. None of you do.”

  A wave of emotions ran through me as I remembered my sister doing her best to provide for us with her meager wages while I went to school. I would meet her as she got off of work most days and walk her home. But that day I was too busy. That was the last day I saw her alive.

  Ever since then I’d had a thing about fulfilling my responsibilities. It was irrational how defensive I felt but I couldn’t seem to stop myself.

  “I don’t need to explain myself,” I said, pushing past a little rougher than I intended.

  Looking back my heart weighed down with guilt as the sadness in her eyes shown through. Maeve was at her side stopping her from following me.