a complete shift on the full moon. When the moon mother calls, you obey.
Rit sat on the other side of the desk and crossed one leg over the other. “What’s going on with the police?”
The image flashed through my mind. Timothy’s lifeless brown eyes, the slit on his thigh trying to mask the puncture wounds, his youthful body left vulnerable and exposed, a killer’s trophy in the night. Rubbing my temples, I sighed.
“The police found a boy’s body.” I focused on keeping my tone even and undisturbed by the visions in my head.
“What’s the boy’s name?”
“Nelson. Timothy Nelson. Why? Have you heard something? It hasn’t been on the news, has it?”
She nodded again. “It’s been on the news, but that’s not how I heard of it.” She paused. “Kassandra, his older brother was here.”
“Here?” I pointed at my desk.
“Yes. He came in to speak with you about his kid brother’s case, but since you weren’t here I talked to him. His brother’s murder is one of the ones I’m dealing with.”
“Avani.” I rarely called her by her first name, and I hoped it would help drive the seriousness of my point across. “You need to drop it.”
“Why?”
“I’m already covering it. Why the hell would his brother come here? Is that the one that was away at college? Texas University?”
“Same one. Why do I need to drop it?” Her expression turned suspicious. “What do you know that I don’t?”
I got up and closed the office door. If I told her, I didn’t want anyone to overhear, even if it was just June downstairs. You never know when something supernatural might come in. Granted, most of the business we did was with humans, and I’ve had to turn away a lot of potential clients just because they wanted me to tell them whether their house was haunted. There were still a lot of “not humans” out there, and any one of them could show up at any time.
“Do you remember the last time I took a few days off work?” When she nodded, I continued. “I was investigating a killing out near the Nelsons’ family home. They didn’t have any connection to the killing, and it wasn’t anyone they knew well. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Mrs. Nelson practically threw me out of her house.” I shook my head. “I met Timothy. Rit.” I nearly choked on the words. “It was there.” I forced the words out of my mouth. “I saw it. I knew it. I sensed it. I tried to warn him…”
I hugged myself, closing my eyes.
Her hand was on my shoulder, a gentle touch. “Kassandra, what was in his eyes?”
“Curiosity. When I mentioned that a werewolf had to have made the attack, he pressed me for more information. I told him to be careful. I should’ve told his parents.” I looked at my desk. “No matter how neurotic Mrs. Nelson seemed, I should’ve warned one of them that Timothy was curious and to watch him, but I didn’t.” My throat was tight. “I told a sixteen-year-old with an insatiable curiosity about monsters not to do anything stupid.” I blinked, which only made my vision blur.
Distantly, I was aware that Rit had put her arms around me, pulling me against her. “It’s not your fault,” she murmured. “It is not your fault.”
I don’t do well with compassion, and hers broke through the careful walls I’d built around myself. No matter how untouchable people try to convince themselves they are, they are not. Whether it is a werewolf, vampire, or human, pain is pain. Heartache is heartache. The question I’d feared thinking swam to the surface of my mind like some great oceanic beast. Could I have saved Timothy’s life if I had acted differently? If I hadn’t shrugged him off with a quick be careful , would he still be alive? If I had told someone to watch him, would it have kept him safe?
I closed my eyes as tears threatened to break free. I would not cry, damn it. I would not. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, feeling Rit’s arms around me like a
Rit sat on the other side of the desk and crossed one leg over the other. “What’s going on with the police?”
The image flashed through my mind. Timothy’s lifeless brown eyes, the slit on his thigh trying to mask the puncture wounds, his youthful body left vulnerable and exposed, a killer’s trophy in the night. Rubbing my temples, I sighed.
“The police found a boy’s body.” I focused on keeping my tone even and undisturbed by the visions in my head.
“What’s the boy’s name?”
“Nelson. Timothy Nelson. Why? Have you heard something? It hasn’t been on the news, has it?”
She nodded again. “It’s been on the news, but that’s not how I heard of it.” She paused. “Kassandra, his older brother was here.”
“Here?” I pointed at my desk.
“Yes. He came in to speak with you about his kid brother’s case, but since you weren’t here I talked to him. His brother’s murder is one of the ones I’m dealing with.”
“Avani.” I rarely called her by her first name, and I hoped it would help drive the seriousness of my point across. “You need to drop it.”
“Why?”
“I’m already covering it. Why the hell would his brother come here? Is that the one that was away at college? Texas University?”
“Same one. Why do I need to drop it?” Her expression turned suspicious. “What do you know that I don’t?”
I got up and closed the office door. If I told her, I didn’t want anyone to overhear, even if it was just June downstairs. You never know when something supernatural might come in. Granted, most of the business we did was with humans, and I’ve had to turn away a lot of potential clients just because they wanted me to tell them whether their house was haunted. There were still a lot of “not humans” out there, and any one of them could show up at any time.
“Do you remember the last time I took a few days off work?” When she nodded, I continued. “I was investigating a killing out near the Nelsons’ family home. They didn’t have any connection to the killing, and it wasn’t anyone they knew well. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Mrs. Nelson practically threw me out of her house.” I shook my head. “I met Timothy. Rit.” I nearly choked on the words. “It was there.” I forced the words out of my mouth. “I saw it. I knew it. I sensed it. I tried to warn him…”
I hugged myself, closing my eyes.
Her hand was on my shoulder, a gentle touch. “Kassandra, what was in his eyes?”
“Curiosity. When I mentioned that a werewolf had to have made the attack, he pressed me for more information. I told him to be careful. I should’ve told his parents.” I looked at my desk. “No matter how neurotic Mrs. Nelson seemed, I should’ve warned one of them that Timothy was curious and to watch him, but I didn’t.” My throat was tight. “I told a sixteen-year-old with an insatiable curiosity about monsters not to do anything stupid.” I blinked, which only made my vision blur.
Distantly, I was aware that Rit had put her arms around me, pulling me against her. “It’s not your fault,” she murmured. “It is not your fault.”
I don’t do well with compassion, and hers broke through the careful walls I’d built around myself. No matter how untouchable people try to convince themselves they are, they are not. Whether it is a werewolf, vampire, or human, pain is pain. Heartache is heartache. The question I’d feared thinking swam to the surface of my mind like some great oceanic beast. Could I have saved Timothy’s life if I had acted differently? If I hadn’t shrugged him off with a quick be careful , would he still be alive? If I had told someone to watch him, would it have kept him safe?
I closed my eyes as tears threatened to break free. I would not cry, damn it. I would not. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, feeling Rit’s arms around me like a
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