her the night of Sadie’s accident,” he continued. “I agreed to meet with her, simply to tell her that it was over, and it would be better for both of us if she moved on.”
He paused and smoothed his thumb over the silver head of the wolf on his cane.
“And how did she take that?” Grace asked.
“Not well, I’m afraid. She told me that I wasn’t cooperating, and she was tired of playing nice.”
Those were exactly the words Lilliana had quoted. The problem was, she’d told Grace that Garrett had said them about Sadie .
Grace fought the temptation to use her magic. This would have to be sorted out with good, old-fashioned police work. Fortunately, Grace was very good at that very thing.
“I didn’t think she was serious, or I would have reported it,” Garrett said. “Wait. You don’t think she had something to do with Sadie’s accident, do you?”
“We are still looking into every possibility,” Grace said, keeping her demeanor calm and professional.
“Have you questioned Miss Atwater?”
Though she didn’t need to tell him, Grace was curious to see Sanderson’s reaction.
“Lilliana is missing,” Grace said. “She hasn’t been seen since last night.”
Sanderson’s eyes widened. He rested his cane against the table and placed his palms on its cool surface. For once he remained silent.
Either this was news to him, or he was one hell of a poker player. Grace began to wonder if maybe she had been barking up the wrong tree.
Maybe Lilliana had run because she was afraid to be caught in a lie. Grace was back to square one.
Damn.
“Thank you for your time, Garrett,” Grace said.
She stood abruptly, anxious to be done with the man and back to her investigation. In her haste, she bumped the table, knocking over his cane. Without thinking, she bent to retrieve it for him.
As her fingers grazed the silver wolf’s head, a tidal wave of static washed through her, nearly knocking her off-balance again and reverberating in her head until her teeth ached.
The sensation matched what she had felt in Sadie’s house perfectly.
“Are you alright?” Garrett asked.
He swept the cane out of her hand, releasing her from the hold of the feedback.
“Sure,” Grace said, summoning all her willpower to hide any indication of what she’d just experienced. “I just stood up too fast. Sorry about that. We’ll be in touch if there is any new information.”
Grace smiled tightly and opened the door for the older man.
He gave her an enigmatic smile as he headed out, the tapping of his cane reverberating in the empty hall.
CHAPTER 14
E rik was having a hard time adjusting.
No matter what else was wrong in the world, everything was right in the hardware store. At least that was what Erik had always believed.
Today every corner of Tarker’s Hollow seemed to be painted in bright colors but was suspiciously devoid of smell. And nowhere was it more obvious than in Hollow Hardware, where the smell of saw dust was thin and two dimensional, and what Erik knew should be the heavy scent of axle grease barely met his consciousness.
Physically, his body was stiff from the wound, but no worse for wear. His senses, however, seemed impossibly dulled. Was this how most people really experienced the world?
Telling MacGregor his wolf was gone had been distasteful, but it was good to have it off his chest and there was no one else he would trust with it. MacGregor had been the pack’s beta since Ainsley’s father’s tenure as alpha.
Erik and MacGregor both leaned on the counter in a friendly way, like they always did when transacting business or talking about the pack.
“So, Ainsley can fix it?” MacGregor asked tentatively, fiddling with a display of mini-flashlights.
“She’ll find a way. She’s been spending a lot of time working on her magic. She’s training now.” Erik was pretty sure his own concern was evident in his voice,
He paused and smoothed his thumb over the silver head of the wolf on his cane.
“And how did she take that?” Grace asked.
“Not well, I’m afraid. She told me that I wasn’t cooperating, and she was tired of playing nice.”
Those were exactly the words Lilliana had quoted. The problem was, she’d told Grace that Garrett had said them about Sadie .
Grace fought the temptation to use her magic. This would have to be sorted out with good, old-fashioned police work. Fortunately, Grace was very good at that very thing.
“I didn’t think she was serious, or I would have reported it,” Garrett said. “Wait. You don’t think she had something to do with Sadie’s accident, do you?”
“We are still looking into every possibility,” Grace said, keeping her demeanor calm and professional.
“Have you questioned Miss Atwater?”
Though she didn’t need to tell him, Grace was curious to see Sanderson’s reaction.
“Lilliana is missing,” Grace said. “She hasn’t been seen since last night.”
Sanderson’s eyes widened. He rested his cane against the table and placed his palms on its cool surface. For once he remained silent.
Either this was news to him, or he was one hell of a poker player. Grace began to wonder if maybe she had been barking up the wrong tree.
Maybe Lilliana had run because she was afraid to be caught in a lie. Grace was back to square one.
Damn.
“Thank you for your time, Garrett,” Grace said.
She stood abruptly, anxious to be done with the man and back to her investigation. In her haste, she bumped the table, knocking over his cane. Without thinking, she bent to retrieve it for him.
As her fingers grazed the silver wolf’s head, a tidal wave of static washed through her, nearly knocking her off-balance again and reverberating in her head until her teeth ached.
The sensation matched what she had felt in Sadie’s house perfectly.
“Are you alright?” Garrett asked.
He swept the cane out of her hand, releasing her from the hold of the feedback.
“Sure,” Grace said, summoning all her willpower to hide any indication of what she’d just experienced. “I just stood up too fast. Sorry about that. We’ll be in touch if there is any new information.”
Grace smiled tightly and opened the door for the older man.
He gave her an enigmatic smile as he headed out, the tapping of his cane reverberating in the empty hall.
CHAPTER 14
E rik was having a hard time adjusting.
No matter what else was wrong in the world, everything was right in the hardware store. At least that was what Erik had always believed.
Today every corner of Tarker’s Hollow seemed to be painted in bright colors but was suspiciously devoid of smell. And nowhere was it more obvious than in Hollow Hardware, where the smell of saw dust was thin and two dimensional, and what Erik knew should be the heavy scent of axle grease barely met his consciousness.
Physically, his body was stiff from the wound, but no worse for wear. His senses, however, seemed impossibly dulled. Was this how most people really experienced the world?
Telling MacGregor his wolf was gone had been distasteful, but it was good to have it off his chest and there was no one else he would trust with it. MacGregor had been the pack’s beta since Ainsley’s father’s tenure as alpha.
Erik and MacGregor both leaned on the counter in a friendly way, like they always did when transacting business or talking about the pack.
“So, Ainsley can fix it?” MacGregor asked tentatively, fiddling with a display of mini-flashlights.
“She’ll find a way. She’s been spending a lot of time working on her magic. She’s training now.” Erik was pretty sure his own concern was evident in his voice,
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