Otherworld 11 - Waking the Witch by Kelley Armstrong Page B

accomplishment in itself. His grandkids were all for it, though, so the old man couldn’t say no.”
    Manny Radu—I’d heard the name around town. Cody’s father, who must own the empty building, which would explain why Cody had been there. The rest explained what I’d found at the empty shop—everything teens need for a makeshift house o’ horrors. As someone not far past her teens, I really should have seen that. My brain was too rooted in the supernatural world. That’s what I saw, even when a simpler explanation was right in front of my nose. I had to remember that.
    After the woman left, I set my coffee down and opened the bag. Two muffins-double-chocolate and blueberry bran.
    I texted Adam a thank-you. I’d just started eating the chocolate muffin when he texted back
Put that one down and eat the bran. It’s better foryou.
    I laughed and carried the case file and my coffee and muffins outside, ignoring the cold concrete under my feet. There were weathered plastic patio chairs along the front walk and I pulled two of them over—one to sit in, one as a footrest. I stretched out, sipping my coffee, nibbling my muffin, and reading the interview reports.
    I was almost done when a room door opened and a little girl of no more than seven came out. Her hair wasn’t brushed. Her face was smeared with spaghetti or pizza sauce from the night before. As she started across the parking lot, someone shouted for her to close the door. The girl picked her way across the lot to a soda machine and got a Coke. Breakfast.
    Seeing her made me think of Kayla, and what the folks at the diner had said—how her grandmother had kept her from a life like that. I needed to speak to Paula Thompson today. If she wasn’t pleased with Bruyn’s investigation, I could probably win her support.
    I made a to-do list. Lucas would be so proud of me. Thinking of them, I checked my watch, but it was still too early to call their hotel, so I e-mailed Paige, saying I’d phone later.
    I was sending the message when the hairs on my neck prickled so strongly that I looked up. The parking lot was empty.
    I cast a sensing spell, but there were too many people in the motel rooms. I pretended to return my attention to the phone, while sneaking glances around. Nothing. Still, I had the distinct feeling of being watched.
    Um, yeah, it’s a motel. Could be the manager. Could be the perv in unit fourteen or the nosy lady in unit six ...
    True. I tore a chunk off my muffin. As I was popping it into my mouth, a figure passed between two tractor-trailers parked at the edge of the motel lot.
    I got to my feet and stretched. As I worked out a kink in my shoulder and feigned a yawn, a dark figure emerged from behind one of the trailers, then quickly pulled back.
    I opened the door to my room, walked in, then cast a blur spell and slid out again. I made it halfway to the trucks when my phone rang. A Hawaii area code popped up. Paige. I ducked behind the nearest car and hit ignore. Footsteps scrambled over pavement. I peeked out and caught a flash of movement as someone ducked behind the motel office.
    I took off after it, but by the time I reached the building, there was no one around. I cast my sensing spell. It picked up two people.
    The chimes jangled as I went inside. The manager and his wife sat behind the counter, eating bagels and doing paperwork.
    “Did anyone just come in?” I asked.
    Twin head shakes.
    “Did you see anyone run past?”
    Twin head shakes. Twin blank expressions.
    I glanced around. There was no other way in, but also no way for them to see someone passing by.
    I went back outside, walked around the building, and found a recessed doorway—the perfect place for someone to hide, then take off while I went into the office.
    I took one last look around, then retreated to my room to call Paige.
     
    IT WAS AN ungodly hour in Hawaii, but naturally they were already up. Paige put me on speaker phone so I could talk to both of them. They’d