Page 69 of The Vampire and the Case of the Baleful Banshee

‘You could see it on its stone plinth?’

‘No, I meant I rarely left the house for long, only to pick up and drop off the kids and to go to the store, things like that. I don’t work outside of the home. Being the guardian has a nice stipend and my husband makes good money.’

If she was being well paid, it made more sense that she’d been happy to hold the position for so long. Maybe that was part of what my barrier tax went to pay for. ‘Did you notice anything odd or anyone hanging around your place in the days leading up to the fire?’

She shook her head slowly. ‘I thought I saw a skinny girl hanging around once, but it was nothing.’

Aoife. I frowned. She had been dead when the wind gem was stolen but maybe she could have been there in her banshee form?

‘Have your kids brought home any new friends, kids you don’t know?’ I was grasping at straws.

She frowned. ‘No, I don’t allow visitors into my home. I don’t even let my shifter guards in the house. If my kids want to hang out with their friends, they go to their houses. I take my duty seriously.’

‘Do you know of anyone who would want to take the gem?’

‘Of course not.’

‘Anyone with a grudge against you?’

She looked at me, wide-eyed. ‘Heavens, no!’

I couldn’t think of anything else to ask, so I handed over a business card and told her to call if she thought of anything. I was at a loss, which was my most hated place to be – but I had made progress. And I knew who had broken into my house, so that was one thing to cross off my list.

Back at my desk, I checked my phone for calls: there was a missed one from Sidnee. I looked at the time; it was only an hour or two before she was due to come on shift and I wondered if she wanted to meet for breakfast, but she hadn’t texted, which wasn’t like her. A tingle of unease ran down my spine. I accessed my voicemail.

Sidnee’s voice clicked in, breathy, scared, and determined. ‘Bunny, I’m letting you know where I’m going … in case. I’m swimming out to Elizabeth Island. Someone called the hotline and said that they think Chris is hiding out there. I have to go see. You understand, don’t you? I have to have closure. I have to see him.’ Click.

‘Press one to delete the message, press two to repeat the message, press three to save the message,’ the automatic voice said.

‘No, no, no! For fuck’s sake, Sidnee!’ I yelled.

My hands were trembling and I was muttering ‘fuck’ over and over as I dialled Gunnar. The second he picked up, the words fell out of my mouth. ‘Sidnee’s gone to Elizabeth Island to find Chris! We gotta go now!’ If Chris was there, Sidnee would need backup. He might have dated her, but he was unscrupulous and powerful and I’d never forgive myself if any harm came to her. I should have listened to the message sooner!

Gunnar let loose an impressive string of expletives then told me to meet him at the docks. ‘Meet me at Stan’s boat – he’ll have to take us. And get Connor!’ He hung up. The Nomo boat had been pulled out for repairs after being rammed by what was probably a large, pissed-off selkie. Now Sidnee was chasing that same large, pissed-off selkie.

I called Connor and he answered instantly. ‘Doe, I didn’t expect you to call until you were off shift.’ He sounded pleased.

‘There’s an emergency!’

‘Of course there is,’ he said ruefully. ‘What do you need?’

‘Can you meet us at Stan’s boat? Sidnee has swum out alone to Elizabeth Island to confront Chris Jubatus.’

‘I’ll see you there.’ He hung up.

I took the animals home then drove like a bat out of hell to the south dock where Stan kept his boat. Gunnar was already there helping prepare it to leave.

I was putting on my life jacket when Connor came running up with Thomas Patkotak and Soapy Willoughby. Connor and Stan gave each other man-nods; their usual low-key animosity was on hold for now. Stan threw Connor and Thomas life vests – Soapy didn’t need one – and soon we were pulling away from the dock. Stan’s boat was larger and slower than the Nomo’s, but at least it was seaworthy which ours wasn’t at the moment.

I was glad that Connor had pulled a siren group member into the fray. Soapy probably wasn’t thrilled with us since we’d accused him of being a drug dealer and kidnapper, but we needed someone who could search underwater more easily than a lumberjack vampire, a demi-god and whatever the heck I was.

I looked at Stan. Polar bears were good swimmers, right?

Then I looked across the unbroken dark water before us and hoped we’d find Sidnee in time.

Chapter 43

The ride out to Elizabeth Island was marginally smoother than the last one I’d taken, but this time my anxiety was way higher. There was also a minor storm brewing. Perfect.

---