by Gina LaManna
“Breaking laws doesn’t exactly stop most criminals,” I said. “How often have you seen this sort of channeling magic come through the lab?”
“Rarely. I saw it once a long time ago,” Felix said. “It’s difficult magic to perform. Besides the fact it’s extremely hard to get right, it doesn’t often make sense as a solution to a problem—even for criminals. There’s not usually a reward great enough to bear the risk of breaking these laws.”
“But in this case...”
Felix gave a grim smile. “I’m assuming the reward well exceeds the risk.”
“I would agree,” I said darkly. “I’ll bet you the mastermind behind this has cut a deal with the casino. A deal of this level would make someone very wealthy.”
“Wealthy enough to disappear from Wicked forever and live a very comfortable life?”
“And more.”
“Except for one problem.” Felix raised a finger and looked expectantly at me. “You.”
I smiled back.
“He’s not getting away with it, thanks to you, DeMarco. Speaking of, do we know who he is?”
I shot him a wary look. “This was off the record, remember?”
“I’m assuming it’s going to fall on the record if this breaks open in as big a way as I suspect. You need all the help you can get, Detective.”
I rolled my eyes, but I didn’t respond because the truth was that pieces were starting to fall into place. Only, I didn’t trust my theory enough to loop in Felix—not yet. He was right on one front: This development could break the case wide open, and I had to be absolutely positive that I was correct before I dragged names through mud.
“Can you tell what sort of magic ran through the Siphoning Spell?” I picked up the bracelet Reina had worn. It was about an inch thick and quite heavy. “I have a theory, but I’d really like more than theories at this stage in the game.”
“It’s strange,” Felix said, watching as I spun the bangle in every direction under the blinding lights. “I can’t get a read on it. Now, Residuals of any sort are hard for me to pick up—hence the reason we keep you around. I imagine there are protective enchantments keeping me out. Maybe if I had more time...”
“We don’t have more time,” I said, thinking of Lisa and Linsey. “Thanks for this—I’m going to need to take it with me.”
Felix’s eyes lingered on the peculiar bangle as I clutched it to my side. Felix’s tests had all but confirmed my newest theory. It felt safe to assume that the kidnapping cases, the murdered elves, and the casino scandal were all related.
I imagined how things might have gone. Damien, or possibly a partner, had found a way to pinpoint young elves who had the gift of clairvoyance. When he’d isolated the unsuspecting women, he lured them to Dust. Once inside, he’d ply them with a potion that would confirm the existence of elfin clairvoyance.
At that stage, the rest of his plan would have been simple. He would have conned his father, Jim, into helping him move the women. Maybe Jim would have resisted, but once he was too far down the rabbit hole, he would have had to continue on or risk death.
Once the girls had been moved to a secure location, Damien and/or a partner could begin the long and painful extraction process. If I wasn’t mistaken, Lisa and Linsey would be at this location awaiting their sentence.
Even as I reviewed the solid-sounding plan, something didn’t sit right. I suspected it had to do with Damien. I couldn’t see him killing his own father, or maybe I simply couldn’t picture him as the mastermind behind it all. But something was missing, and I heartily suspected the involvement of another mystery party.
I briefly considered Bran, though it didn’t feel quite right either. He had plenty of cash, a successful business, beautiful women throwing themselves at him. He seemed sated and cocky enough as is, but I’d been wrong before.
Bran was certainly powerful enough. Intelligent enough. He could have wormed his way into The Cavern and put Reina under a spell...
Reina! The answer hit me like a pile of bricks. For some reason, I’d assumed Reina had been a pawn in this scheme, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe, she had been the mastermind behind it all, and she’d merely used the men to sniff out powerful elfin women—good candidates for her clairvoyance extractions—while keeping herself out of the spotlight.
Once Reina had secured the clairvoyant elves, she could offer her services to the casino. Funneling the elfin magic, Reina would be able to predict the decisions each player would make in the heat of the moment, just as Lisa had predicted the carriage’s impending crash through the brick wall. Reina could promise the casino complete control over which players won and lost each round.
More importantly, Reina could ensure a hefty cut of the profits for the casino. The house would never be on the losing end of the game, and when the stakes were as high as they were in The Cavern, each round added up to huge amounts won and lost. The casino would likely kick back a cut of the winnings to Reina, and both parties would come out on top with no one the wiser.
I had forgotten that I was standing under the harsh lights along with Felix while my mind worked in overdrive. Glancing up, I realized Felix had been surveying me, studying my every expression as if it held the secrets he longed to know.
“I have to go,” I said simply.
“You know, I shouldn’t let you take that bangle with you.” Felix frowned. “You’re lucky I’m afraid of you, DeMarco.”
I laughed as I left the lab, not sure if I should consider that a compliment. But since the alternative wasn’t great, I decided to go with it.
However, my good humor disappeared the second I stepped from the bright lab and out into the harsh, brilliant afternoon sunlight. What if Reina had been the key to this all along, and I’d missed it? I had assumed she was an innocent, or at least a pawn—someone paid a cut of the profits to do one specific job.
After all, Grey had specifically said that Reina was new to The Cavern the night we’d gone together. It’d been noted that she wasn’t the usual dealer, which had caused any thoughts of her potential involvement to seep from my mind.
However, now that I replayed the events in my mind—she’d been the one wearing the bangle. She’d been channeling elfin magic through the Siphoning Spell. Just because she’d been new to The Cavern publicly didn’t mean she hadn’t been watching, waiting, scheming behind the scenes all along.
It made complete sense. Reina could easily have roped Damien into helping her, probably with a touch of seduction. Damien would have flopped into her hand like a limp fish and gobbled up the opportunity to associate with someone as gorgeous, as powerful, as Reina.
By the time he might have realized he’d been a pawn—if he ever realized it—he would have been in so deep there was no hope of escape. Same with his father. Then, when they pushed back, she would have killed Jim first, scaring Damien into cooperating all over again.
Why hadn’t I seen it sooner?
I mentally kicked myself. Jumping on a trolley headed north, I raised my wrist to my lips and Commed Matthew. I swore when there was no answer on his end. He was probably in the middle of the hunt for Damien. I needed to get ahold of him, to let him know I was heading to the casino. I was too late to be of any help with Damien’s arrest, so I might as well get started on Reina’s.
I was just preparing to Comm the station when I felt a clammy hand grab hold of my shoulder. I spun around, stumbling as the trolley leapt over a bump, and found a frantic face staring back at me.
“You have to help me,” the terrified woman said. “I’ve been looking all over for you, Detective. They’re after me.”
Chapter 25
“Cynthia,” I said, pressing a hand to my chest and taking a moment to catch my breath. I’d been so deep in thought about Reina that she’d completely startled me. “What’s wrong?”
“They’re after me,” she repeated. “Or he is. Someone. I don’t know who, but I’m in trouble.”
“Back up,” I said, squinting as I st
ruggled to follow her frantic explanations. “How do you know someone’s after you?”
“They’ve got my mother,” Cynthia said. “I think they came to my house looking for me, and I wasn’t there. When I came home...” Cynthia stopped speaking and gave a full-body shudder.
I shrugged out from under the grip she had on my shoulder, noting she looked worn and tired, her face slick with perspiration despite her cool touch.
“Your mother is where?” I prompted her again. “I’m sorry, Cynthia, but I’m going to need you to focus. I need you to stick with me and explain so I can understand.”
“Of course,” she stuttered. “Sorry, I’m just...I’m shaken up. I came looking for you because you’ve seen her. You know.”
“Know what?”
“You know about my mother,” Cynthia said in a frenzied whisper, “and her powers.”
“I thought she didn’t remember what they were,” I said. “I thought they’d confiscated her magic a long time ago.”
“She started remembering,” Cynthia said. “I don’t know how, but things started coming back. Pieces of the puzzle started fitting with one another, as if something triggered her.”
“I thought you didn’t believe your mother.”
“I didn’t for the longest time,” Cynthia said. “But after seeing you and Matthew, and hearing you talk about it as if it were real...” Cynthia’s shoulders straightened, and she stood taller. “In fact, I wonder if it was your visit that triggered her memories. It wasn’t long after you visited that she started saying things, remembering...”
“Is it just memories?” I asked. “Or have her powers come back, too?”
Cynthia shrugged. “I don’t know. I assume it’s just the memories, but maybe there’s some lingering powers—I have no clue how to tell.”
“Whoever took your mother might not have been after you at all, Cynthia. I hate to say it, but if your mother’s powers returned somehow, or were still there, hidden behind the memory loss, she might have been a target.”
“For what?” Cynthia asked, her brow furrowing with concern. “Do you mean extracted? Is that what happened to Maybelline and Lillie? Is that what killed them? Oh, God! Don’t tell me they’re going to kill my mother, too!”
“Look, Cynthia, we can’t discuss this here,” I said, glancing around. We were starting to collect curious stares from the rest of the trolley patrons. “Come with me. I have to check on something.”
We both slipped off the trolley at the next stop, the closest one to the casino. While I knew I couldn’t bring a civilian into The Cavern with me, I didn’t feel comfortable leaving Cynthia alone when she was in such a state.
She was clearly spooked and upset. If Damien and Reina had kidnapped Cynthia’s mother, we needed to follow her trail while it was hot. I suspected it would lead us directly to Linsey, Lisa, and any other kidnapped women.
“Cynthia, I’m really sorry,” I said, as we walked at a quick clip toward the casino. “I know you’re scared, but I need to ask a favor of you.”
“Of course. Anything.”
“I have to run in and check on something in the casino, but I can’t have you with me. Is there a place you can wait around here where you’d feel safe?”
Cynthia glanced around, scratching aimlessly at a spot on her elbow. “Um, yeah, sure. I’ll wait out front next to those trees. I’ll be within view of the security guard, and I can scream if I need help.”
“Sorry,” I apologized again. “I’ll just be a second.”
She nodded, shrinking into the shadows of the trees as she crossed her arms and hugged her thin body with trembling arms.
I moved quickly toward the back door to The Cavern. I was unsurprised to find there were no bouncers or bodyguard awaiting my arrival. After all, it was bright afternoon, almost vicious sunlight biting down on the side entrance to the casino’s secret room.
Even if the playing room had remained functional after our recent debacle, the doors wouldn’t open for hours. In the meantime, the entrance looked more like a derelict employee-only space than one that housed a room fit for royalty. A perfect cover.
Everything looked drearier. None of the glamorous lighting was there to frost the hallways in a regal glow, nor was there the shadowy sheen of an intriguing, back-alley speakeasy. The allure of The Cavern, of the secrecy and wealth within its walls, was washed away by the brilliant rays of sunlight beating against the cracked alley pavement.
I pulled the Stunner from the holster at my hip and leaned against the door, listening for an extended moment. At the silence, I pounded my fist against it and called out an introduction. Nothing.
For both my sake and Cynthia’s, I hoped this would only take a second. I’d promised Cynthia I’d be back quickly, and I intended to keep my confrontation with Reina short and sweet. Hopefully, she’d be here already, preparing for the evening festivities. I was confident that with the element of surprise on my side, I could handle her.
There was a chance that the room would have been moved to a new location as Grey had mentioned, but I had no way of knowing. There was always the chance business would continue as usual—with my name firmly on the black list.
Before forcibly opening the door, however, I raised my wrist and Commed Matthew again for backup—just in case. He didn’t answer, so I left a message with my whereabouts and the fact that I had Cynthia waiting out front. With any luck, if I didn’t return in a few minutes, she’d be smart enough to alert the security guards out front that I was missing, and they could contact the station.
I took Matthew’s lack of response on the Comm to be promising. Matthew, Marcus, and Nash were probably in the middle of arresting Damien, which would explain their radio silence. The thought was invigorating, for the sole reason that if my assumptions were true, and I could get to Reina before she received news that Damien had been arrested, it would give us the advantage.
We would be able to pit them against one another independently, and with any luck record full confessions and wrap the case by nightfall. The women would be back with their families—Linsey would be returned to her parents and Tink would be reunited with her mother. Hopefully, Cynthia’s mother would also be reunited with her daughter.
I took a deep breath, focused on the kidnapped women, and kicked open the side door. I was surprised by its flimsiness. Maybe it was my faulty memories, but I could have sworn this place was exceedingly grand, deliciously opulent, an elusive sort of space where millions were gambled and lost in any given night and plates of food cost more than my annual salary. I distinctly remembered diamonds glittering on ladies’ necks, fat enough to feed an entire country. Yet that had all vanished.
I crept through the dim entrance hallway, noting that it had completely lost its luster. I was saddled suddenly with the eerie sensation that the entire setup had been an illusion. That The Cavern hadn’t truly existed.
“Hello?” I called out loudly as I inched through the long, narrow hallway. “Anyone there? I’m Detective DeMarco with the Sixth Precinct.”
Still no answer.
The shadows seemed longer, dingier. The hairs on my arms rose.
Almost as if on cue, my Comm beeped, and I answered in the same breath. “Matthew?”
“We’ve got Damien,” he said. “He’s—”
“He’s what?”
“He’s dead. And Dani, that’s not all. Marcus is missing.”
I cursed as Matthew exhaled with frustration. It looked like Reina was two steps ahead of us on all fronts; she’d gotten to Damien before we did, eliminating him before we could gather his side of the story. He probably would have cut a deal in exchange for giving up Reina.
“How do you know he’s gone?” I pressed, wondering if Marcus had perhaps found himself in deep water. He’d blackmailed another cop; it wasn’t a stretch to think he might have gotten involved in something worse.
“He’s not answering, hasn’t shown up when expected,” Matthew said. “We’re looking into it. Wher
e are you?”
“I’m at the casino,” I said. “The room where Grey and I went the other night is completely gone. But Matthew—Damien’s not the end of the line. There’s a third person involved.”
“We know,” Matthew said. “We found her fingerprints in the system at Damien’s murder. Her prints were in the system because of her Silver Collar worker license, so we got a name.”
My mouth parted in surprise. “But Reina’s not an elf, so how did she get her license?”
It was Matthew’s turn to pause. “Reina?”
“The dealer,” I insisted impatiently. “She was the one wearing the bangle, the one at The Cavern the night Grey and I were here. She must have figured out who I was after I blew my cover.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Matthew said. “Maybe Reina wiped The Cavern clean, and maybe she’s involved with your gambling scandal, but we didn’t find her prints at the crime scene.”
“But then...” I paused. “Whose prints did you find?”
In my mind, I’d already convicted Reina of the crime, so I was stunned to hear Matthew’s evidence didn’t agree with mine. I’d been so sure of it, so positive the evidence would be stacked entirely, conclusively against her.
“The first witness we interviewed.” Matthew cleared his throat. “The one who survived while Maybelline and Lillie were taken. Cynthia’s fingerprints were on the murder weapon.”
“That’s ridiculous,” I said. “Cynthia’s right ... here.”
Before I turned around, my stomach plummeted. The pieces that hadn’t quite added up suddenly clicked into place, and I knew I’d been deeply played for a fool. Cynthia had correctly suckered me into believing she’d needed help, wanted desperately to save her mother. She’d toyed with my emotions as well as my logic, and I’d fallen completely for it all.
