compliment. Anyway, Faine has the weekend off. I’m
on Molly duty. It’s better that I go to the SPD with you anyway. I’ve had some dealings
with them and we’ve got sort of an established relationship there.”
Molly took one last look at herself, grateful for the wonder of modern makeup and
the few awesome glamour spells she knew to get rid of under-eye circles. She’d slept
pretty hard after her shower wallow and that huge bowl of ice cream. Before the makeup
and hair she’d looked every inch the person who’d been up too late.
“Yes, let’s get this over with. I have a conference call in two hours. Do you think
this will take that long?” She grabbed her bag and he helped her into her coat.
“Shouldn’t, no. They may have questions, but it shouldn’t take them that long.”
“So glad it’s a snap to report a death threat,” she muttered.
He guided her to the elevator and then out through the lobby where his car waited.
She didn’t want to talk about the night before but he had that look men got when they
knew they should probably mention something that had upset the woman before. But they
didn’t know how to do it and they were uncomfortable with it anyway. If she’d been
dating him, it might have been more amusing than annoying.
She headed it off. “I’m fine.”
He gave her a sideways look as he snapped the seat belt but thankfully left it alone.
“This cop we’re talking to is pretty all right. He’s someone the wolves have dealt
with in the past I’m told. So he’s not unfamiliar with Others, nor is he a bigot.
At least not any kind that could be turned up after a search of his background.”
“Do you do that? Routinely check on people?”
“Yes. Especially now.”
“Like how?”
“Do you really want to know? Don’t you want plausible deniability? Or whatever.”
She held her eye roll in check. “I’m not your attorney. I need to know. I’m fine not
answering a question if I feel that’s what’s necessary. And I don’t need to know every
little detail. I just need to know what you’re doing. If it comes up I should have
the information. It vexes me when I should know things and I don’t.”
He blew out a breath. “We want to know what all the powerful humans in the area are
up to. What their affiliations are. Lark thought it was best to keep an eye on PURITY
headquarters to see who came and went.”
“Smart.” And it was. These people had a big say in whatever direction all this went.
It was important to know who they were inside. What they supported and believed in.
“So that’s pretty much it. We look into donations for the big anti-Other organizations.
Who goes to dinner with whom. That sort of thing.”
“Have you connected with your counterparts in different, um, Other groups? I don’t
even know what to call it, them, jamborees, packs, nests, whatever.”
He snorted a laugh and pulled into a spot next to a parking meter.
“Lark has made some connections. I’ve worked some with Megan Warden, she’s the Enforcer
for Cascadia. Smart. The vampires aren’t as open to us as the shifters have been.
They’re scared of Lark though.”
Molly could believe it. The woman may have been tiny and blue haired, but Molly knew
a predator when she saw one and Lark was that.
“Well, I’m meeting with someone from the local nest next week so I can bring it up
then.”
He groaned. “You are? Did you clear it with Faine? You can’t go unescorted.”
“Rita made the arrangements. She told me she’d clear it with your office.”
He got out and moved to her side to open her door. His gaze never stopped moving as
she got out.
“By the way, that spell you did last night—outside the restaurant—what was it?”
“Do you want to learn it?”
She nodded.
“I’ll teach you tomorrow.”
* * *
NO one looked at them twice as they were met by Detective Alder. When he saw Gage he
glowered a little and
C. J. Cherryh
Learning to Kill: Stories
John O'Riley
Brenda Sinclair
Christopher George
Stephen Lloyd Jones
Karl Iagnemma
Celya Bowers
Jill Gregory
Aria Cunningham