crouched, looking closely at Peacock’s ruined eyes. After a moment’s silent contemplation she stood, smoothing her tight, dark skirt. ‘So, looks like we won’t need to continue trying to negotiate with Peacock for all this.’ Her hand swept the room, taking in the bowed shelves of grimoires and scrolls. ‘Instead of trying to convince him to give us a price we can turn a profit on we can take it all and clear a very healthy margin.’
Hood nodded absently, still staring at Peacock’s corpse. His index fingers tapped away at his lips, eyes narrowed.
‘What are you thinking?’ Sparks asked. ‘I’m sure Peacock pissed off plenty of people. This was inevitable really, given enough time.’
Hood lowered his hands. ‘Certainly. But think about it. This kind of targeted, ruthless violence doesn’t come from a simple dispute.’ He pointed to the bullet-riddled doorway. ‘Someone destroyed the front door, came in while Peacock squeezed off several shots. They covered this distance and killed him without any unnecessary activity. And then they left.’ He pointed at a book on Peacock’s desk. ‘Look at that. Very valuable that is. And the stuff on the shelves is untouched. Why didn’t they take anything? Why not ransack the place?’
Sparks looked around, shrugged. ‘You think this was about something else?’ Hood nodded. ‘Something specific?’ Sparks asked.
‘I built Black Diamond Incorporated by sourcing the kind of things that most people don’t even believe in,’ Hood said. ‘I’ve made an obscene amount of money by learning to spot those items and find buyers for them. I notice details.’ He gestured at Peacock. ‘This situation bears the hallmarks of something very intriguing. I want to know who killed this despicable little man and why. Have the boys get around here and gather up anything of value before the police or some other busybodies stumble across it all. We can’t let an opportunity like this slip by. Any authorities will think it a simple robbery. There’s nothing to trace back to us if we’re clean.’
Sparks nodded. ‘Yes, sir. And the killer?’
Hood smiled. ‘I think we need to call in the Subcontractor.’
Sparks’s face split in a wide grin. ‘Excellent!’
‘But first.’ Hood ran a long, thin hand through Sparks’s hair. ‘This whole situation rather thrills me. Bend over that desk, Ms Sparks. I have some excitement that needs releasing.’
Sparks dipped her head coyly, her grin staying put. ‘Why, Mr Hood!’
Alex and Silhouette stood outside Welby’s house, looking up through watery light at the stuccoed Victorian facade. ‘What do you see?’ Alex asked.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Describe to me what you see.’
Silhouette looked the house up and down, at the others either side. ‘I see a mostly white, two-storey house. It’s kinda dirty, but looks in good condition. Tile roof, new windows. Pretty much the same as every other house along this street. What am I supposed to see?’
‘Look at the roof again.’
‘Yeah? Tiles, chimney. What?’
Alex frowned at the plainly obvious third storey, windows with the curtains drawn. The house stood head and shoulders over every other home in the street. He laughed, shook his head. ‘Come on then.’
Silhouette planted her hands on her hips. ‘What the hell? What am I supposed to see?’
‘It’ll be easier to show you. Come inside.’
Alex paused as he shut the broken front door behind them, wedging it closed with its broken catch. He studied the devastation from his fight with the gargoyles. He fought for a living, but he’d never had a battle like that in his life. Hoped he never would again. Drawing a deep breath he started up the stairs, bracing himself for Welby’s corpse. ‘Don’t like, lick him or anything,’ he said.
‘Okay then. Just for you.’
He led her to the first floor and stood with his back to the stairs leading to the third, secret storey. ‘You see anything you don’t
Hood nodded absently, still staring at Peacock’s corpse. His index fingers tapped away at his lips, eyes narrowed.
‘What are you thinking?’ Sparks asked. ‘I’m sure Peacock pissed off plenty of people. This was inevitable really, given enough time.’
Hood lowered his hands. ‘Certainly. But think about it. This kind of targeted, ruthless violence doesn’t come from a simple dispute.’ He pointed to the bullet-riddled doorway. ‘Someone destroyed the front door, came in while Peacock squeezed off several shots. They covered this distance and killed him without any unnecessary activity. And then they left.’ He pointed at a book on Peacock’s desk. ‘Look at that. Very valuable that is. And the stuff on the shelves is untouched. Why didn’t they take anything? Why not ransack the place?’
Sparks looked around, shrugged. ‘You think this was about something else?’ Hood nodded. ‘Something specific?’ Sparks asked.
‘I built Black Diamond Incorporated by sourcing the kind of things that most people don’t even believe in,’ Hood said. ‘I’ve made an obscene amount of money by learning to spot those items and find buyers for them. I notice details.’ He gestured at Peacock. ‘This situation bears the hallmarks of something very intriguing. I want to know who killed this despicable little man and why. Have the boys get around here and gather up anything of value before the police or some other busybodies stumble across it all. We can’t let an opportunity like this slip by. Any authorities will think it a simple robbery. There’s nothing to trace back to us if we’re clean.’
Sparks nodded. ‘Yes, sir. And the killer?’
Hood smiled. ‘I think we need to call in the Subcontractor.’
Sparks’s face split in a wide grin. ‘Excellent!’
‘But first.’ Hood ran a long, thin hand through Sparks’s hair. ‘This whole situation rather thrills me. Bend over that desk, Ms Sparks. I have some excitement that needs releasing.’
Sparks dipped her head coyly, her grin staying put. ‘Why, Mr Hood!’
Alex and Silhouette stood outside Welby’s house, looking up through watery light at the stuccoed Victorian facade. ‘What do you see?’ Alex asked.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Describe to me what you see.’
Silhouette looked the house up and down, at the others either side. ‘I see a mostly white, two-storey house. It’s kinda dirty, but looks in good condition. Tile roof, new windows. Pretty much the same as every other house along this street. What am I supposed to see?’
‘Look at the roof again.’
‘Yeah? Tiles, chimney. What?’
Alex frowned at the plainly obvious third storey, windows with the curtains drawn. The house stood head and shoulders over every other home in the street. He laughed, shook his head. ‘Come on then.’
Silhouette planted her hands on her hips. ‘What the hell? What am I supposed to see?’
‘It’ll be easier to show you. Come inside.’
Alex paused as he shut the broken front door behind them, wedging it closed with its broken catch. He studied the devastation from his fight with the gargoyles. He fought for a living, but he’d never had a battle like that in his life. Hoped he never would again. Drawing a deep breath he started up the stairs, bracing himself for Welby’s corpse. ‘Don’t like, lick him or anything,’ he said.
‘Okay then. Just for you.’
He led her to the first floor and stood with his back to the stairs leading to the third, secret storey. ‘You see anything you don’t
Similar Books
