A Barrel of Whiskey - (An Urban Fantasy Whiskey Witches Novel) (31 page)

“Okay.” Alma took a seat at the table. “Are you wanting us to come to your aid?” She raised a piece of paper and let it fall to the table.

“That’s not the treaty, Grandma,” Paige said.

“I know it isn’t, child, but he didn’t.”

“I’m pretty sure he could tell.”

“I understood what she meant, and, no, ma’am. I do not expect that. However, Paige is a detective and she has been asked to head a special task force. I had hoped she could take the case. Track it down. I do not know if there is a paranormal aspect that is tracking us or if it something more sinister.”

“Like humans tracking us?” Alma asked. She shook her head. “Frankly, they scare me most. I know what to expect from other people. The religious zealots terrify me. They set people on fire.”

“Those are ISIS, Grandma,” Leslie said. “People here wouldn’t do that.”

“Yes,” Alma said, her voice tired, her shoulders sagging. “Because they’ve never done anything like that before.”

“We can’t have a political discussion right now,” Paige said.

Leah walked into the room with a yawn.

Paige pointed to Tyler who was still half-way in the cereal cabinet. “Push him aside.”

Leah nodded and walked toward her cousin.

Alma waved Paige away. “Go. We’ll watch the kids.”

Paige sighed and looked over at Chuck. “I’m not supposed to report into work until Monday.”

“Can you help us?”

“Of course. But…just let me get on some pants.” She looked down at her monkey ridden flannel pajama pants. “I mean real ones. I’ll be right back.”

She disappeared upstairs and five minutes later was downstairs, dressed, teeth brushed, hair braided, and her boots on, her gun clipped to her belt. There was no way she was wearing a jacket in this heat.

Dexx and Chuck sat at the dining table, talking to Mandy and Leah, Tyler chowing down on something chocolate that couldn’t be considered real food.

Paige cleared her throat and gestured with her head. “You two ready?”

Dexx and Chuck got up and followed her out the door.

Well, things might be a little weird, but it did feel good to be back on the job. Staying at home and being a mother was a good thing, but something she might not be terribly awesome at.

D
exx knocked on Henry’s office door and popped his head in. “Hey, Soon-To-Be-Boss. Got a minute?”

Henry looked up with a frown from his paperwork. “I thought I’d be seeing you two on Monday. It’s Friday.”

“Right, but we got a problem.”

Henry waved them in and gestured to the chairs.

There were only two. Dexx offered one to Paige and Chuck took the other.

“Who’s this?”

“Chuck de—” Paige released a puff of breath. “I forget. Sorry.”

“Chuck de Luca.” He offered his hand, rising out of his chair. “I’m the regional high-alpha.”

Henry clucked his tongue and shook the man’s hand, surprise showing on his face. “I didn’t realize I’d get a visit from you today.”

Or ever, judging by the expression on his face.

“I wasn’t planning on coming in.” Chuck released Henry’s hand and resettled in his seat. “However, we have a situation and I need your help.”

Henry turned to Paige, a look of question on his face.

“How do you feel about us taking other than homicide cases?” she asked.

“No one’s dead?”

“Not yet.”

“That’s a relief.”

“She was stabbed, though. Someone attacked her at the gas station outside of their town.”

“They have a town of their own?”

“It’s not on a map,” Chuck said. “But, yes.”

“And why would this fall into our lap?” Henry asked, steepling his fingers. “I don’t want to be an ass, but we don’t need to take every case out there just because it deals with paranormals, or something other than the ordinary.”

Chuck nodded. “I understand. We could use your assistance, though. We’ve received several threats lately.”

“By anyone in particular?”

“There’s a group, but we have been unable to identify them. Ruby said her attacker told her and her kind to leave and never come back.”

“So whoever this was knew she was a shifter.” Henry pursed his lips. “I assume she’s a shifter if you’re the area alpha and you’re coming to me.”

“You are correct.”

Henry tipped back in his chair and put his hands on top of his head, staring at the ceiling. “Is this a rival pack thing?”

“No, sir.” Chuck leaned back, imitating Henry’s position. “There are no rival packs in the area.”

“You’re sure.”

Dexx cleared his throat. “Trust me. They have a greeting ceremony that’s pretty effective. He would know.”

Henry nodded, but didn’t say anything. He tipped his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. “We’ll do what we can. I assume Whiskey and Colt have the location of the incident and any other pertinent details?”

Chuck nodded.

“Your shifter. How is she?”

“Stabilized.”

“Is she a threat inside the hospital?”

“Shouldn’t be. Her spirit animal will keep her safe.”

“So, I have no need to worry. No need to have you pull her out and have her taken somewhere she can be patched up by your kind?”

Chuck shook his head.

“There’s nothing I’m going to have to cover up? Evidence? Claws? Reports of fangs?”

“Ruby is an owl, sir.”

“Okay.” Henry’s eyebrows shot up. “So, feathers and a beak, then?”

“No.”

Paige had to hand it to Henry. He was dealing with all of this much better than she had.

Henry nodded. “Okay. Do what you have to do, but remember something.”

“Yeah, boss?” Paige asked.

“You’re not a detective anymore. You’re the head of the department.”

She knew that, but didn’t comprehend exactly what that meant.

“It means you don’t do the leg work anymore. You delegate. And,” he continued, turning his attention back to the files on his desk, “I’ll be showing you the glorious amount of paperwork you get to complete while they’re doing the legwork.”

Crap. “Awesome.”

He jerked his head to the door. “Go. You’re not officially on duty today, so do it your way. Just don’t get used to it.”

“Yes, boss.” Paige got up and turned to leave.

“And, Paige.”

She turned back toward Henry. “Yeah?”

“At least consider staying longer than two months. Okay? We could use you.”

“How about we take these two months to figure out if that’s really the case.” She gave him a tight smile.

Henry shooed her out.

She headed toward her department. She snorted to herself. Her department. It felt weird. Really weird. She’d just been fired. Did she hide that? Flaunt it? Mention it? Bring it into the conversation gently? Ignore it?

She’d ignore it and if anyone mentioned it, she’d discuss it then. Bridge. Cross it later.

Gomez was camped out on the sofa, several files spread out in front of her on the coffee table. She was perched, her lithe legs wide, one booted foot propped up on the table, her arm flung over it with a sheet of paper in her hand. She glanced up when they arrived, frowned, and went back to her case.

Parris—Light Eyes—stared at the blank wall behind him.

Paige could have given him a hard time, but she knew the look on his face. He was deep in his own internal notes. There were times when putting paper on a wall didn’t even come close to giving you the perspective needed to properly review a case.

Wrick—Mr. Frump—frowned at his computer, his nose appearing to be only an inch from it. Had to be perspective. At least Paige hoped so. That close? Wow. But the light from his screen reflected off his face quickly, so maybe he wasn’t going as slow as Paige would have. From the flashes of light, he had to be looking at a video.

King sat perched on the edge of the desk behind Wrick, watching his screen. She looked up. “Thought you weren’t coming in until Monday.”

“Wasn’t going to.” Shit. How was she supposed to pick who to choose to help with this case? They were usually assigned to a team of two detectives and she didn’t know any of them. “What are you two working on?”

“Dude kills two people while holding up a bank,” Wrick said. The flashes of light stopped and he settled back in his chair, blinking rapidly. “But the suspects escaped after locking themselves into the vault.”

Awkward. “Any leads?”

“None.”

“Okay. I’ll take a look at that later with you, if you like.”

King’s blonde brow twitched and the corner of her lips turned down minutely.

Wrick shrugged, shifting his crooked tie. “Sure. Extra set of eyes? Always appreciated.”

Yeah. He should probably talk to his teammate before accepting help next time. Paige turned to Gomez and Parris. “What are you two working on?”

“Serial killer case.”

Shit. “Details?”

Gomez dropped the piece of paper out of her one hand and used it to gesture with as she talked. “Man. Mid to late forties. White. Wears a baseball cap. Kidnaps people and then kills them a week later.”

“How’d we land this case?”

“His victims. They’re not all the same body type. He’s not choosing them because of a vendetta against his mother.”

Typically, it really wasn’t that simple, but, okay.

“He’s picking them because they’re paranormal.”

Uh-oh. “Shifters?”

Gomez shook her head.

Parris turned, his pale blue eyes unfocused. “Two vampires. A nymph.”

“A nymph?” Dexx stopped himself and cleared his throat. “Impressive. Huh.”

“A skinwalker and a dryad.”

“Ah.” Chuck had said that the man had told Ruby to get her people out of town. If
their
guy was targeting paranormals, it wasn’t a big leap to connect the two cases. However, dryad? “Anyone you know?”

Gomez nodded. “We grew up together.”

“Was she in your grove?”

“Yeah,” the detective said quietly.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” But it also meant that, maybe, the two cases
weren’t
linked. The ash dryad’s number one enemy were the djinn. That didn’t mean the djinn were the
only
people to target the dryads, but…they
did
know a djinni was in town. Heather’s killer.

“We’re also working your friend’s murder.” Gomez dropped her gaze. “We’re tracking down a couple of leads.”

Paige nodded. “Keep me informed, but I have to stay out of that case.”

“Understood, sir.” Gomez shook her head. “Ma’am.”

Paige turned to King and Parris. “I have another case for you, then.”

Parris perked up.

King frowned.

That was something Paige was going to have to deal with sooner rather than later. “How good are you with retrieving video surveillance?”

“It depends.” Wrick folded his hands over his abdomen and smiled. “Has the right paperwork been filed? Is it old school or cloud?”

She knew what he was saying, but she didn’t know the answer. “The Sunmart.”

“Oh. New school. All the way.” He leaned forward, his keys clacking. “Let me just see what I can find. What are we looking for?”

“Chuck is the local regional high-alpha.”

King raised her blonde brows and leaned to the side to get a better view of the man. “Shifter?”

Paige nodded. “One of his pack was attacked earlier and stabbed. She’s stabilized and should be fine, but we need to find who did this. He’s been threatening the pack.”

I’m a Gummy Bear
filled the room with its loud and obnoxious lyrics.

Paige closed her eyes and took in a breath. She needed to fix that ring tone. “Chuck can fill you in on the rest of the details. I need to take this.”

King smiled and pulled out a chair without getting off the desk. “Have a seat and tell me what’s going on.”

Dexx found a perch on the other desk, clasping his hands between his legs. He looked as uncomfortable being there as Paige did leading them. She had no idea what she was doing.

Put herself in his shoes. He probably didn’t, either.

“Hey, Les,” Paige said, closing the door of her office behind her. “What’s up? Are the kids okay?”

“Oh, sure. Yeah. Grandma took Leah and Mandy to the library because the two of them were about to drive us crazy and Grandma didn’t want baby duty.”

“Ah, okay. I’m kind of at work.”

“So, you did take the case.”

“I did.”

“And are ya plannin’ on stickin’ around or leavin’?” Why did Leslie’s accent get thicker every time she interrogated people?

“I’m still planning on leaving. I’m just here for two months.”

“You ain’t gonna fall in love with the job?”

“I might.” She had to be serious with herself. “There aren’t too many director positions, especially of a unit like this. It was created for me. I’m not going to get this in Portland. I’m not going to get this anywhere.”

“Even with all the paranormal activity out there?”

Paige shrugged. “What’s going on?”

Leslie didn’t answer immediately.

Paige kept quiet, listening to King’s voice as she asked Chuck questions.

Finally, Leslie blurted out, “I want out of here.”

“Why?”

“They kicked me off the goddamned parent’s committee.”

“Um, huh?” Paige just couldn’t register what she was hearing. She had a serial killer case, a stabbing, and a robbery gone bad. And Leslie wanted to talk about being kicked off a parenting committee?