whiskey witches 02 - blood moon magick (10 page)

Awesome. New territory. What wrong step would get her kicked off the investigation? Or worse?

Dexx closed the door, staring at the car through narrowed eyes. “You know, I wanted to give you a ration of shit over your car, but…” His voice trailed off as he shrugged.

Tony stood at the hood and smirked.

Paige turned to the car as well, but only because she couldn’t go further without Tony to initiate the meet and greet.

“It’s hard to beat the Charger.”

“It’s easy to beat
any
of today’s cars.”

“I think your old car crush is affecting your brains. The older cars can’t compete with the newer versions. But I’ve seen yours. A 1970 Dodge Challenger, right?”

Dexx gave a smug nod.

“Yeah,” Tony said. “Hard to beat that.” He opened his mouth to say something else, but then his expression closed. He gestured with his head toward the cabin. “Come on. We’ve got work to do.”

“We’ll trash talk later.”

“Deal.”

Paige followed Tony up to the porch. An almost eerie quiet filled the forest. The snow stopped and the clouds parted enough for pale sunlight to stream through. Not enough to warm the air, though. She rolled her eyes, checked the zipper on her coat, and shivered.

“Texans,” Tony chided. “So weak to the cold.”

“This isn’t even cold,” Dexx added. “You want cold? Move to New York. We
know
cold there.”

“Shut up. Both of you.”

The door opened and a man with a wrinkled face and long, grey hair stood slightly stooped behind the screen door. “Tony.”

“Hey, Sam.”

“Why’re you here?”

Hmm. First name basis.

“Sheriff Karl asked us to assist on the case of the missing shifters.”

Sam frowned at Paige and Dexx. “Who are they?”

Paige offered her hand. “I’m Detective Whiskey.”

Tony flinched.

Sam straightened, ignoring her hand.

She needed to nip this in the bud. “I’ve been informed of the situation. I also realize what it means for me to be here, talking to you.”

Sam tipped his head to the side as if to say he didn’t believe her.

“I assure you, I mean no one any harm. I really am here to help. We want to help find your missing people.”

“Why should I believe you?”

“Tony trusts me?”

Sam flattened his lips. “You’re the Whiskey that had a child with an Eastwood. In my mind, you’re the biggest bunch of trouble that’s ever landed on my doorstep.”

She ducked her head, clearing her throat. What was she supposed to say to that? “I fear your world got mixed up with mine.”

“In what way?”

She looked up at him. “Demons.”

His gaze remained firm as he stood in silence.

She nodded. “And that’s the real reason I’m here, endangering the treaty. Endangering myself.”

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

“I have to make sure you’re safe. Your town. Your people.”

“That’s a hard sales pitch to buy.”

“Whether you buy it or not, I’m going to make sure you guys are safe. I know about your town now. I know where to find you.”

“We can protect ourselves against one witch.”

Good. “Then, what do you have to fear? Me? The rest of the Whiskeys are in Texas.” And she had no idea where the Eastwoods were. Mark hadn’t talked about his family except to say that he’d had a falling out with his mother. They hadn’t even attended the funeral.

He chucked his chin in Dexx’s direction. “And that one?”

“Dexx Colt.” He stepped forward, offering his hand. “Demon hunter.”

“Paranormal creature hunter?” Sam ignored his hand, too.

“Since this is the first I’ve heard of it, don’t know.” Dexx dropped his hand. “Demons I know are murdering jackals that need to be put down.”

Paige hid her eye roll.

“But from what Tony here says, I’d have zero reason to hunt paranormals.”

Sam relaxed.

“Unless I discover they’re murdering people, or worse. Then, I’m putting them down without a thought.”

Paige cringed and reapplied her smile. She didn’t disagree with him, but she really wished he’d kept that to himself.

Sam thought for a moment, then shrugged and took a step back. “Sounds fair. Well, come in. It’s damned cold out there.”

Paige glared at Dexx and led the way through the creaky screen door.

Sam wandered into the small kitchen of the dark cabin.

The living room housed a couch in 1970’s burnt orange, a loveseat in 1960’s pea green, and a new leather recliner. A wood coffee table dominated the middle of the room. A small stand supported a box TV.

Paige had never been claustrophobic before, but her skin became a little clammy in the tight space.

“Sit, sit.”

Tony took the pea-green loveseat. “This is Sam Waugh. He came here from Montana in—what, Sam—the 1970’s?”

She’d been born in the 1970’s. Just barely.

“That’s about right,” Sam said from the small kitchen behind them. The room was open from the living room to the kitchen, so there were no boundaries.

Paige remained standing. If she sat on the sofa, her back would be toward Sam, and she wanted to read his body language as he talked.

“We’re having tea.” Sam put the kettle on the stove and lit a burner with a slight hissing pop of gas.

Dexx sank onto the sofa, his expression rounding in horror. He bounced a little, but he’d sunk into the thing, his knees nearly meeting his chin.

Tony grinned.

Dexx scooted forward to perch on the edge.

Sam came to the living room and eased into his recliner. “What do you think I can tell you?”

Paige sat on the edge of the couch with Dexx, testing the cushion with her hand. The thing had died many, many years ago. She couldn’t find any structure under the cushions at all.

“First of all,” Tony said, “you are a leader in this community. People look up to you.”

Sam shrugged with a dry expression.

“I need Detective Whiskey’s assistance on this case. The only way the people of this town will cooperate with her is if you give her the nod of approval.”

“Hmm.” Sam leaned back in his chair.

“You’re also a shaman,” Tony said, folding his hands in front of him. “People come to you for guidance.”

“Yeah. Yeah, they do.”

“Is there anything you can tell us about the missing people? Did they come to you?”

“Yes.”

“Anything that made them special?”

Pushing his lips out, Sam thought for a moment, then shook his head.

Demons liked to play on insecurities. “Did any of them come to you before they were taken? Were they having problems accepting their abilities? I don’t know how it works with shifters, but…”

Sam studied her, then seemed to come to a decision as the tension released from his face. “We don’t start shifting until we reach adolescence. So, yes, a few of them came to me for guidance. It’s a big change.”

“I can imagine.”

“I bet you can. But when we get older, our animal guide becomes stronger, and there are times when it is more difficult to control them.”

Paige clasped her hands. “But wouldn’t controlling the spirit animal only anger it?”

Sam’s blue eyes sharpened as he turned his gaze toward her. “Yes.”

She hoped she wasn’t pissing him off. “Then, wouldn’t it be better to not
try
to control it?”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re really a witch?”

She shrugged.

“Hmm. Anyway, to answer your question. Yes.”

“How did you become a shaman?”

His wrinkled lips ironed out into a smile. “My grandmother. She was Sioux and a medicine woman. When my father died and my mother abandoned me, she took me in, raised me in the old ways.”

“Sioux, huh? You don’t look Native American.” He looked, for intents and purposes, to be Caucasian.

“How do you think Native Americans are supposed to look?”

Shit. Foot in mouth. Mayday. Mayday. “Did they all come to you for guidance? Within the days or weeks prior to them disappearing?”

He took in a deep breath through his nose, straightening his stooped back. “Yes. Yes. I believe so.”

Dexx leaned forward. “Do you happen to know if they frequented the same places?”

Sam chuckled. “This isn’t a big town. We frequent all the places.”

Paige smiled and scratched the back of her neck. “Sam, we need a place to start. Is there a location one of the victims was last seen? Or one of their houses? Though, I’m kinda doubting that would help, I won’t rule it out.”

“What do you think?”

She could tell by his tone that he wasn’t being lippy. His question was honest and blunt. “We found Elizabeth Harwood last night.”

The light of excited interest in Sam’s blue eyes dimmed. “Dead?”

She hated seeing that reaction, but she understood it. One day, she hoped she could stop being the person to deliver the bad news, though, in her line of work, that was unlikely. “A demon killed her. That’s all I know right now, but with that said, he would probably not have taken them from their homes.”

“Why not?” Tony asked.

“Thresholds. They have to be invited across the door of a home, unless the demon possesses the one the doorway belongs to.” She frowned at him. “Which reminds me. Do thresholds work on you?”

He raised his eyebrows. “Fictional mumbo-jumbo perpetuated by witches.”

“Then, no.” Witches were able to create wards that could be keyed to keep certain people out, certain types of creatures—like demons—out. Normal human beings could power their thresholds, too, and it went a long way toward keeping them protected. “Okay. Anyway, I’m willing to wager this thing kidnapped them some place semi-public. I would say in a secluded spot, but there’s a lot of that around here.”

Sam clapped his knees. “Well, Kevin liked to frequent one spot. Might be what you’re looking for.”

“Kevin.” Paige mentally rummaged through the file she’d been reading, though she’d only just started on it. “He’s the one that went missing a week and a half ago, last seen leaving school.”

“Yes.” The tea kettle whistled. Sam rocked back and forth before successfully launching himself out of his chair. “We’ll have some tea, and then I will give you directions to his spot.”

Paige released a tight breath. She hoped she’d find something. If Sven really was a part of this, she would.

Well, this would be a very telling spot.

“W
hat did you pull off the victim?” Tony asked quietly when Sam left the living room.

“What?” Paige blinked, her mind elsewhere. “You’re just asking me that now?”

“We were busy discussing other things.”

“Just the case.” Dexx tipped his head to the side, looking at first Tony, then Paige. “What did I miss? I feel like I missed something.”

“Barn knows more than he should.” Paige removed the card from her back pocket.

Tony took the card from her and flattened his lips.

“You mean the coroner?”

“Yeah.”

“About what?”

“Paranormal stuff.”

“Oh.” Dexx quirked his lips to the side. “Well, there could be some benefits there. You could actually gather evidence and you’d have someone on the inside able to hide it or tamper with test results for you.”

“Yes.” Though, having someone “tamper with test results” for her made her feel dirty.

“So, what’s the big deal?”

“I broke a lot of Tony’s rules today.”

“Like, ‘Don’t discuss Fight Club’ rules?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, then he shouldn’t have revealed Fight Club.”

“I’m standing right here. Listening to you.” Tony flipped the card over. “What does this mean?”

She wished had an inkling of a clue. “I have no idea.”

Dexx stood and walked to the fire place. “In Louisiana, Sven would leave bodies for her with messages. Clues and love notes at the same time.”

Tony licked his lips and stared at her with open surprise. “That’s a new one.”

“Demon.” Dexx popped his lips, fingering a brass vase on the mantel.

“Well.” Tony leaned back, draping his arm over the back of the couch and propping his ankle on his knee. “Do you think the same thing is happening here?”

She shrugged. “If this is Sven, then, yes. He thinks he’s guiding me to something.”

“You said, ‘if’. You have doubts?”

“A few things just don’t add up.”

“Like what?”

Being able to share this kind of information with her partner was refreshing. What happened if she lost this job? If she had to go elsewhere? She’d lose this. She’d have to go back to lying and hiding.

Yeah. She had to keep this job.

“This demon left a mark behind. A small four-tiered candelabra branded into her arm. Sven’s never left a demon mark behind. Just a kind of demon scent I could pick up.”

Tony lowered the corners of his lips.

“Then, he didn’t actually
sign
the card. He’s never left it to interpretation. He claims his gifts.”

“Okay.”

“And this demon knew I could see him through his handprint. Sven doesn’t know that or he would have
used
that.”

“Also, these disappearances started months ago.”

“Yeah. Months before the murders in Louisiana. Months before I was kidnapped. Months before he captured me and created a door to Hell inside my soul.”