closed her eyes and let herself slump
for a moment, then rallied. Blue and Blackwing had kept the local
police out of her hair last night, but now the piper had come to
call and be paid. Drawing a strengthening breath, she said, “Okay,
it’s got to be done. Have to eat first, though. Would you send them
to the dining room and offer them coffee? I’ll be with them as soon
as I can. Are they in the kitchen? Tell me when they’ve cleared
out, please.”
She waited until Blue gave her the
all-clear, then entered, sat down at one of the worktables and let
Jamir smother her with sympathy and pastries. Being around her own
people was just what she needed, and she drew strength from their
company.
Finally, fortified, she retreated to her
office and let Blue bring in the cops.
Chapter 9
Gem’s first glimpse of the tall, lanky
detective in the black narcotics uniform threw her. Long green hair
tied back in a ponytail framed a cold face marked by an old knife
wound that ran from forehead to temple. He was missing the tip of
one ear, and a crystal stud winked from the lobe, as if drawing
attention to the mutilation. Obviously the man’s main occupation
wasn’t riding an office chair.
Blue took up a station against the wall.
Arms crossed, he directed a cool look at the Narc’s two
intimidating comrades.
Gem rose automatically from her desk and
extended her hand, extending common courtesy. The Narc looked at
it, but made no move to take it. Puzzled and a little insulted, Gem
let her hand fall.
“I’m Captain Azor, and I’ve been assigned to
your case,” the man said in the deep, raspy tones of someone who
spent his days inhaling hellfire. “I have some questions for
you.”
“Okay.” Gem gestured for him to take a seat
and resumed hers. Reminding herself he was there to help, she
looked at Azor attentively. “Do you have any idea who might have
hurt my sister and Jean Luc?” In all the excitement, she’d almost
forgotten Jean, but she planned to visit him, too. She blinked as
she added the trip to her mental schedule. This was turning out to
be a jam-packed day, and it wasn’t even noon!
“We spoke with Jean Luc this morning,”
Captain Azor said coldly. “While he claims he didn’t know his
assailant, he gave us a general physical description. Short,
masked, with an unidentified accent. He was trying to get
information out of Jean by interrogating your sister. However…Jean
would not specify what the man wanted.”
Gem frowned. “Why not?”
Azor cocked a brow. “Perhaps because he
would implicate himself.”
Gem shook her head, still puzzled. “In
what?”
Azor leaned back and assessed her. “Are you
aware that there’s a drug investigation centered around your inn,
Ms. Harrisdaughter?”
Gem’s eyes bugged. “A what? That’s not
possible. I’m aware of everything that goes on around here!”
Blue snorted.
Gem glared at him, then turned the look on
the captain. “That’s not possible. You’ve got to be wrong,” she
added.
Azor gave her a cold stare. “Are you aware
that your sister is taking antidepressant drugs, Ms.
Harrisdaughter? You didn’t list them on her medical records last
night while filling out her paperwork. Her surgeons would have
found the information useful. Fortunately, they were in touch with
her current doctor. Thank goodness for small communities.”
Gem blinked, floored. She’d never heard of
such a thing, never suspected it.
Azor continued in a conversational tone that
still cut like a whip, “You’re a busy woman, Ms. Harrisdaughter,
that’s obvious, but maybe you should have looked into the
background of the man you chose to affiliate with. Your brewer has
a record of past narcotics violations as wide as your desk.
Distributing, suspected manufacturing; someone didn’t do their job
on that one; fraud…The list goes on. You did claim to know
everything that happens around here, didn’t you?”
The blood had drained from her face as
for a moment, then rallied. Blue and Blackwing had kept the local
police out of her hair last night, but now the piper had come to
call and be paid. Drawing a strengthening breath, she said, “Okay,
it’s got to be done. Have to eat first, though. Would you send them
to the dining room and offer them coffee? I’ll be with them as soon
as I can. Are they in the kitchen? Tell me when they’ve cleared
out, please.”
She waited until Blue gave her the
all-clear, then entered, sat down at one of the worktables and let
Jamir smother her with sympathy and pastries. Being around her own
people was just what she needed, and she drew strength from their
company.
Finally, fortified, she retreated to her
office and let Blue bring in the cops.
Chapter 9
Gem’s first glimpse of the tall, lanky
detective in the black narcotics uniform threw her. Long green hair
tied back in a ponytail framed a cold face marked by an old knife
wound that ran from forehead to temple. He was missing the tip of
one ear, and a crystal stud winked from the lobe, as if drawing
attention to the mutilation. Obviously the man’s main occupation
wasn’t riding an office chair.
Blue took up a station against the wall.
Arms crossed, he directed a cool look at the Narc’s two
intimidating comrades.
Gem rose automatically from her desk and
extended her hand, extending common courtesy. The Narc looked at
it, but made no move to take it. Puzzled and a little insulted, Gem
let her hand fall.
“I’m Captain Azor, and I’ve been assigned to
your case,” the man said in the deep, raspy tones of someone who
spent his days inhaling hellfire. “I have some questions for
you.”
“Okay.” Gem gestured for him to take a seat
and resumed hers. Reminding herself he was there to help, she
looked at Azor attentively. “Do you have any idea who might have
hurt my sister and Jean Luc?” In all the excitement, she’d almost
forgotten Jean, but she planned to visit him, too. She blinked as
she added the trip to her mental schedule. This was turning out to
be a jam-packed day, and it wasn’t even noon!
“We spoke with Jean Luc this morning,”
Captain Azor said coldly. “While he claims he didn’t know his
assailant, he gave us a general physical description. Short,
masked, with an unidentified accent. He was trying to get
information out of Jean by interrogating your sister. However…Jean
would not specify what the man wanted.”
Gem frowned. “Why not?”
Azor cocked a brow. “Perhaps because he
would implicate himself.”
Gem shook her head, still puzzled. “In
what?”
Azor leaned back and assessed her. “Are you
aware that there’s a drug investigation centered around your inn,
Ms. Harrisdaughter?”
Gem’s eyes bugged. “A what? That’s not
possible. I’m aware of everything that goes on around here!”
Blue snorted.
Gem glared at him, then turned the look on
the captain. “That’s not possible. You’ve got to be wrong,” she
added.
Azor gave her a cold stare. “Are you aware
that your sister is taking antidepressant drugs, Ms.
Harrisdaughter? You didn’t list them on her medical records last
night while filling out her paperwork. Her surgeons would have
found the information useful. Fortunately, they were in touch with
her current doctor. Thank goodness for small communities.”
Gem blinked, floored. She’d never heard of
such a thing, never suspected it.
Azor continued in a conversational tone that
still cut like a whip, “You’re a busy woman, Ms. Harrisdaughter,
that’s obvious, but maybe you should have looked into the
background of the man you chose to affiliate with. Your brewer has
a record of past narcotics violations as wide as your desk.
Distributing, suspected manufacturing; someone didn’t do their job
on that one; fraud…The list goes on. You did claim to know
everything that happens around here, didn’t you?”
The blood had drained from her face as
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