whiskey witches 02 - blood moon magick (18 page)

She frowned at Tony. “I thought you said there weren’t a lot of paranormals high on the food chain like that.”

“There aren’t.”

“So, do you know Jack’s boss?”

Tony shook his head.

Paige put her plate in the crowded sink. “What would happen if the government found out about us?” Us. Oy.

Tony’s eyes tightened at the edges. “I don’t even want to think about it.”

Dexx handed his plate to Jack. “Thanks, man. Well, they could find me all they like. They got nothin’ to find. My DNA is pure as a baby’s butt.”

Paige winced. “Really?”

He grinned.

“But if they did happen to find you,” Tony smirked, “you wouldn’t be long for the free world.”

Jack snorted a laugh and pointed a finger at the hunter. “This is true. Your jacket is impressive.”

Dexx sighed theatrically. “Fine. Fine, fine. Well, what are we doing today?”

Hopping down, Paige added her cup to the sink. “Someone has dish duty. The dishwasher is available. Use it. I don’t care how you get the dishes in there. I’m going to get dressed. Then, I believe Dexx has a transmission to work on.”

“Can’t today.” Dexx pushed Jack off his perch. “Dude’s taking the car to work, but maybe this weekend. And by ‘weekend,’ I mean Thursday and Friday because
that’s
his weekend.”

Paige shrugged. “Okay. Tony and I have some notes to go over.” She pointed at Jack. “We don’t even have anything to run through your databases.”

He scratched his head, making his black hair stand up oddly. Sometimes, the man was adorable. “Well, maybe I can go to the scene and do that thing where I see if someone’s going to die soon.”

“Couldn’t hurt. Tony, we roll in twenty.”

After getting a whiff of herself on the way past the front bathroom, she decided she needed a shower. Just a quick one. After her shower, she pulled her long, wet hair into a high ponytail and shucked on a pair of jeans, a pale blue button-up shirt, and a jacket. She clipped her badge, her phone, and her service weapon to her belt and she was done.

Tony waved his phone at her. “We got something.”

Her stomach churned. She hoped it wasn’t another body. Granted, as a homicide detective, dead bodies were a way of life, but still.

“No,” Tony said as if reading her mind. “We got a live one.”

Dexx sat on the loveseat to lace up his boots.

“One of the shifters came back. Kevin, oddly enough.”

Was he possessed? What was the point of releasing living shifters? “And he’s alive?”

Tony nodded.

Jack pulled his black suit jacket on. “Okay. Well, I’m going to go back to the scene where Ms. Harwood was found. I’ll see if I can trace her steps. I don’t know. Anyway, I’ll try and let you know if I discover anything.”

“Thanks.” Paige unclipped her phone and handed it to him. “Program your number. If we find anything and have cell service, we’ll let you know.”

He saluted with two fingers then punched his number into her phone.

Dexx grabbed his keys. “In the meantime, we’re taking my car this time.”

Tony lowered his eyelids.

Paige raised her eyebrows. “Free gas with us. It’s paid for. On the job expense.”

“More room with me.” Dexx tipped his head to the side and offered a cheesy grin.

Shrugging and hooking her thumb in his direction, she nodded. “Point.”

Tony shoved his keys in his pocket. “Taken. Okay. Your car.”

“But I need you running down the lead on the demon since I can’t.”

“So, I’m going where?”

Paige grabbed a rain jacket, but didn’t put it on. Yes. It’d snowed yesterday, but it was supposed to be warmer and raining all day. Colorado weather. “See if your lab tech can run the DNA so we can get a name, but then that evidence needs to be taken care of. In the meantime, you have a description and you’re good at getting more.”

“That I do and yes I am. I’ll talk to Chastity about the DNA.”

“Chastity is your person in the lab?” Good to have a name. One day, if she was sticking around, she needed to meet this person.

“Yeah.”

“Alright. However you can get the information. Just be careful.”

“And if I do find him?” He gestured to Dexx. “What do I do?”

“You’re not getting the demon knife. Treat him like a person, but don’t be afraid to ask him questions. Even if the demon moved on, the host might have information you can use.”

“Got it.”

She hadn’t even managed to get everyone shuffled out of her apartment when her phone rang.

Gummy Bear.
She swiped the call button and put the phone to her ear. She locked the door behind her as the boys shuffled down the suddenly tight stairwell. “Is everything okay?”

“Huh?” Leslie sounded a bit distracted. “Oh. That. Yeah. I mean, no. No one was willing to help. The bank was a complete ass. Wouldn’t help at all. Just a, ‘Well, don’t be such an idiot the next time, and as penance for your stupidity, you get to pay your scammer, and you get to pay us overdraft fees. Congratulations, dumbass.’”

Paige winced. “And the police?”

“Ass-fuck used a burner phone which is no longer working. The email address gave them no information, and the address I mailed the cashier’s check to belongs to a really sweet old lady who has a mailbox on the side of the road and can’t get out to check her mail every day. So, yeah. I now know how to make a lot of money and
never
get caught.”

Paige made it outside. The air was a bit humid. Clouds covered the sky, but nothing serious. Cool rain drizzled. It didn’t soak through her shirt, and it wouldn’t if she hurried. “Sorry. You got the money I sent?”

“Yes. Thank you. You really didn’t have to.”

“Well, you know, it’s a loan.” It really wasn’t.

“Yeah. Whatever. Thanks. Anyway, I called because I
do
have some information.”

“Really? On paranormals?” She felt safe saying that out loud because if anyone overheard her, they’d probably think she was joking, or talking about a book, or a movie, or a game. That was just the world they lived in. She paused at the sidewalk, then crossed the street behind the school bus.

Dexx and Tony stood beside Jackie, talking. Jack was nowhere to be seen.

“We don’t have a lot, mind you.” A page flipped on the other side of the line. “And most of it is in a different language. I’ll have to see if I can get it translated.”

“Google translator, here we come?”

“Yeah. Anyway, from what I can read, our ancestors were terrified of the paranormals.”

Paige frowned. “Terrified? I’ve met a vampire and several shifters, and none of them really scared me. They’re all pretty lame, I guess you could say.” She glanced at Tony to see if he heard her.

He continued his conversation with Dexx and didn’t even flinch.

Nope. She was good.

“Well, how ever they are now, that’s not how our ancestors saw them. Apparently, we enslaved them.”

Paige moved around Tony and opened Jackie’s passenger door. “Dexx, come on.”

Tony slapped Dexx’s shoulder. “Keep it steady.”

“Yeah, man. You, too.” Dexx walked around Jackie’s hood.

Paige closed her door and clicked on her lap belt. Jackie had been built before the age of seatbelts, and Dexx hadn’t felt the need to defile her by installing one. Oh, rebels. They were so darned cute. Now, as long as she didn’t die… “Is there anything saying
why
we enslaved them, though?”

Leslie paused. Paige imagined her sister shaking her head. “Not really, unless it’s all this stuff in the other language.”

“Do you even know what language it is?”

“Nope.” Leslie’s tone sounded chipper as a thick tome slammed shut. “But I see a field trip in my near future. So, I’m excited.”

Paige chuckled. “All right. Well, keep me informed and stay safe.”

“Always. Love you, baby sister.”

“Oh, hey! Before you go!”

Leslie paused, then said, “Yeah?”

Paige narrowed her eyes at the dashboard. “Do you know where Grandma’s old journals are?”

“Um, which one?”

“Great Grandma. The demon summoner?”

“Oh. Yeah, um, I think they’re somewhere in the attic. Why?”

“Because I have a demon mark that showed up on a body two days ago and I need to know who it is. If I know who it is, I might stand a better chance of finding him.”

“But you can’t,” Leslie said, her tone rising in pitch. “You can’t.”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean that the demons just disappear. They’re here, Les, and I have to fix that. It’s still my responsibility.”

Leslie sighed. “Okay. Fine. I’ll look. What does the mark look like?”

“A four-tiered candelabra.”

“Like a full candelabra?”

Paige frowned. “Like a brand that’s been burned into the skin and it’s about the size of a quarter.”

“Oh. Okay. Gotta go.”

“Sure. Make sure Tru’s doing all the heavy lifting.”

“This is my fourth baby, sweetheart. Trust me,” Leslie said, her tone frank, “my husband knows how to lift things for me.”

“Good.” Paige chuckled. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.” She hung up.

The stranger her world became, the more comfortable she was with it. Did that say something about her. Or the world she now existed in?

T
ony had told them to go to the Nederland police station, which looked like a big log cabin. Rustic, but homey. It didn’t appear as oppressive as the brick and mortar, or concrete stations Paige was accustomed to.

Inside was nicer, as well. Still had that small town homey feeling. She went to the first desk and peeled her business jacket aside to reveal her badge to the older man sitting there. “We’re looking for Sheriff Karl.”

A short woman in a black police uniform walked through the door in the rear of the room. Her dark hair was pulled back in a tight bun. She smiled and offered her hand as she walked forward. “You must be Detective Whiskey.”

“Sheriff Karl.” Paige took the other woman’s hand, exchanging a firm shake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. This is Dexx Colt. He’s assisting my partner and I on the case.”

Dexx took the woman’s hand next. “And I don’t call people by their last names if I don’t have to.”

“I prefer being called Karl or Sheriff.”

“A girl named Karl.” Dexx widened his eyes, his lips smashed. “I like it. I guess.”

“Like a boy named Sue. Makes us tougher.” Karl chuckled and led them to her office. “Tony said you knew about our society and that you’re friendly.”

“I have learned a lot in the past couple of days. And you’re okay with me being a witch?”

“I talked to Sam. The world’s changed, anyway. It’s not the same as it was when the treaty was created. If you’re good, I’m good. Close the door.” She sat down behind the desk. “Kevin will be here shortly. I wanted the doctor to check him out, just to be sure nothing strange was going on.”

Paige took one of the other two chairs. Just enough cushioning to ensure a thirty-minute conversation wouldn’t be too uncomfortable. “Did he say where he was being held?”

Karl shook her head. “Not really. He says he doesn’t remember much.” She shrugged. “So, having a witch might not be such a bad thing on this case.”

Narrowing her eyes, Paige settled back in her chair. “Why?”

Dexx took the seat next to her. “You can help him remember?” He wiggled his fingers. “Honestly, it’s like talking to a newb sometimes.”

Karl smiled, her brow furrowing.

Paige raised her shoulders. “Your stories might have you believing we’re all about manipulation, but I don’t know how to do that.”

“Hmm.” Karl rapped her knuckle against the desk.

Paige hadn’t openly practiced magick. Ever.

This felt weird. Like being naked. In public.

Paige rubbed the scabs on her chest hiding beneath her tank top under her button-up shirt. They didn’t itch. They didn’t burn, but the door whispered, reminding her it was there. “I’m assuming you pulled evidence from his clothes?”

Karl nodded. “We have someone here who does lab work for us.”

“Easier that way.”

“Exactly. She should have something by end of day.”

“That
is
quick.” Paige raised her eyebrows. “I’m a bit jealous.”

“That’s what happens when you live in a secret paranormal community,” Karl said with a smile.

“Where do I sign up?”

Karl chuckled.

Probably the nicest brush-off Paige was likely to receive.

“The laws still apply to us. I don’t let anyone off easy, but we take care of our own, too.”

“So,” Dexx said, resting his elbows on his knees, “what are you?”

“Not telling.”

He frowned with an exaggerated hurt-face and sat back in his chair. “Fine. I’m not telling you what I am either.”

She smiled, turning her attention to Paige. “So, I take it we were a surprise to you.”

“You have no idea,” Paige said, a weight lifting when she admitted it out loud. “I had thought we had witches and demons and angels, some ghosts, but that was it. But this? Vampires? Shapeshifters?”

“And that’s only the beginning. There are all sorts of other paranormals out there.”

“Any I should be worried about?”

“Not here.”

“Hey, Jennifer,” a man said, entering the office, a teen-aged boy in tow.