do you get out of this? What’s in the journals that you need?”
“The same thing you need. Information. You want to know about the war and whether it has anything to do with what’s happening to Jamie Smith. So do I.”
“Why?”
“Either the fair folk are up to something or there’s a new player in town. Either way, I need to know more. That shit that went down in June in Fahraya made no sense to me.” He stared at her, considering his next words. “And I don’t think it made sense to you. Am I right?”
Meaghan shrugged. “I have questions, yeah. So, assuming I can get Matthew’s missing notes, what are you willing to give in exchange?”
“Resources to help the king care for his people.”
“Which you couldn’t offer directly or the king would snap you in half. He really doesn’t like you guys. He said he has history.”
Owen sighed. “Eamon O’Malley—slimy little sod, even by leprechaun standards—tried to horn in on John’s honey business about ten years ago. Eamon and his moron crew were crawling all over John’s place threatening to smash his hives if he didn’t agree to pay them half his net revenues as protection money. Instead they got chased off by the swarm. I don’t know how John does it, but those bees really like him.”
Meaghan smiled. “Yeah, they do.”
“You really like him, too,” Owen said with a sly smile.
Meaghan’s smile evaporated. “Not a topic you and I are going to discuss. What specific resources are you offering?”
Owen opened the leather folio he’d brought with him and pulled out a spiral-bound report, which he placed on her desk. “My proposal. Resources, deliverables, and timetables.”
Meaghan picked up the report, impressed in spite of herself. It might be bullshit, but it looked good. “I have to confess. I wasn’t expecting something this thorough.”
“I’m a businessman, Ms. Keele. I haven’t been a criminal in quite a while. I make more money legitimately than all my thuggish brethren combined.”
“So, why aren’t they in business with you?”
Owen flashed his perfect smile. “Fear, Ms. Keele. They don’t like change any better than their former masters do. Look through my proposal and I’ll give you a call tomorrow.” He held out his small hand across the desk.
This time Meaghan shook it. “I’m not promising anything here. We have not reached an agreement and no deal has been made.”
He raised an eyebrow, then smiled. “Nice disclaimer. You’ve done your homework. No, I know better than to try to lure an impervious attorney into a leprechaun’s deal. Until we put something in writing, you don’t owe me anything. I can find my way out. Thanks for your time.”
Once he was gone, Meaghan breathed a sigh of relief. Despite her flippant comments to Owen Finnerty, leprechauns scared her. They were sometimes helpful, sometimes malicious—but always unpredictable and often dangerous. Owen Finnerty couldn’t hurt her with magic, but he could hurt everyone around her. The trick of dealing with leprechauns was figuring out which version you were getting and why.
It’s probably some kind of con , she thought as she opened the report. Don’t get your hopes up.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
M oments after Owen Finnerty’s exit, Kady knocked softly on Meaghan’s office door. “Hey, boss, got a minute?”
Meaghan looked up from the leprechaun’s report. “What’s up?”
Kady walked in and sat down. “That leprechaun guy, he just left—did everything go okay?”
“As far as I can tell. He’s offering help with the Fahrayans.” She gestured at the report. “It might be bullshit. I need to do more research.”
“Speaking of Fahrayans, do you know where Marnie and Jhoro are?”
“What do you mean? Are they missing?”
“Yeah, they seem to be.” Kady looked grim. “Did they stay at your house last night?”
“You know about them?”
Kady rolled her eyes. “Who doesn’t? Marnie’s flaunting it all over town.”
“The same thing you need. Information. You want to know about the war and whether it has anything to do with what’s happening to Jamie Smith. So do I.”
“Why?”
“Either the fair folk are up to something or there’s a new player in town. Either way, I need to know more. That shit that went down in June in Fahraya made no sense to me.” He stared at her, considering his next words. “And I don’t think it made sense to you. Am I right?”
Meaghan shrugged. “I have questions, yeah. So, assuming I can get Matthew’s missing notes, what are you willing to give in exchange?”
“Resources to help the king care for his people.”
“Which you couldn’t offer directly or the king would snap you in half. He really doesn’t like you guys. He said he has history.”
Owen sighed. “Eamon O’Malley—slimy little sod, even by leprechaun standards—tried to horn in on John’s honey business about ten years ago. Eamon and his moron crew were crawling all over John’s place threatening to smash his hives if he didn’t agree to pay them half his net revenues as protection money. Instead they got chased off by the swarm. I don’t know how John does it, but those bees really like him.”
Meaghan smiled. “Yeah, they do.”
“You really like him, too,” Owen said with a sly smile.
Meaghan’s smile evaporated. “Not a topic you and I are going to discuss. What specific resources are you offering?”
Owen opened the leather folio he’d brought with him and pulled out a spiral-bound report, which he placed on her desk. “My proposal. Resources, deliverables, and timetables.”
Meaghan picked up the report, impressed in spite of herself. It might be bullshit, but it looked good. “I have to confess. I wasn’t expecting something this thorough.”
“I’m a businessman, Ms. Keele. I haven’t been a criminal in quite a while. I make more money legitimately than all my thuggish brethren combined.”
“So, why aren’t they in business with you?”
Owen flashed his perfect smile. “Fear, Ms. Keele. They don’t like change any better than their former masters do. Look through my proposal and I’ll give you a call tomorrow.” He held out his small hand across the desk.
This time Meaghan shook it. “I’m not promising anything here. We have not reached an agreement and no deal has been made.”
He raised an eyebrow, then smiled. “Nice disclaimer. You’ve done your homework. No, I know better than to try to lure an impervious attorney into a leprechaun’s deal. Until we put something in writing, you don’t owe me anything. I can find my way out. Thanks for your time.”
Once he was gone, Meaghan breathed a sigh of relief. Despite her flippant comments to Owen Finnerty, leprechauns scared her. They were sometimes helpful, sometimes malicious—but always unpredictable and often dangerous. Owen Finnerty couldn’t hurt her with magic, but he could hurt everyone around her. The trick of dealing with leprechauns was figuring out which version you were getting and why.
It’s probably some kind of con , she thought as she opened the report. Don’t get your hopes up.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
M oments after Owen Finnerty’s exit, Kady knocked softly on Meaghan’s office door. “Hey, boss, got a minute?”
Meaghan looked up from the leprechaun’s report. “What’s up?”
Kady walked in and sat down. “That leprechaun guy, he just left—did everything go okay?”
“As far as I can tell. He’s offering help with the Fahrayans.” She gestured at the report. “It might be bullshit. I need to do more research.”
“Speaking of Fahrayans, do you know where Marnie and Jhoro are?”
“What do you mean? Are they missing?”
“Yeah, they seem to be.” Kady looked grim. “Did they stay at your house last night?”
“You know about them?”
Kady rolled her eyes. “Who doesn’t? Marnie’s flaunting it all over town.”
Similar Books
