Page 59 of Shield of Fire

“No.”

“What about the scroll Loudon purchased from Kaitlyn? He said it was being restored, but is that true?”

“Also no.”

“Then it is at his place?”

She snorted. “Not when he and Gannon went halves in its purchase. Once something disappears into Loudon’s vaults, it rarely comes out. There was too much money on the table for Gannon to risk that happening with this scroll.”

“Then where is it? Not in the shop, I hope.”

“I can’t tell you where it is. Gannon never said, and they never got around to asking me to do a spirit seeking on it.” She sniffed. “And it’s not like I’m going to help them now.”

“Then what will you do?”

She grinned. “There’s plenty of brokers wanting a woman of my particular talents. Hell, Kaitlyn herself made an offer only a few months ago. Might take her up on it now, even if it does mean a move to Deva.”

I hoped she did. Asking her for help and information would be far easier if she were living close to home.

“Can I get Cherry’s details? And Gannon’s? I need to speak to him.”

“Can I have my payment? I’m apparently unemployed right now, and I need the cash.”

Jaikyl signed something, and Margaret replied, her fingers moving so fast they were almost a blur. Jaikyl sniffed, suggesting she didn’t agree, but then shrugged. Margaret returned her gaze to me and said, “Five hundred, as agreed?”

I reached for my phone, then entered her bank details and made the transfer. After viewing the receipt, Margaret retrieved a bit of paper and a pen from the sideboard, wrote down two addresses, then slid it across the table to me. Unsurprisingly, Gannon lived in Swansea, but Cherry was stationed much closer to home.

“Liverpool is a long way from Swansea,” I said in surprise.

“In the age of the internet, distance no longer presents a problem, and Liverpool is considered a center of arts and culture.”

All true, but for some of us, face-to-face would always be better. It was far easier to judge truth from lie in person.

“Just a word of warning on Gannon’s new place,” she said. “The area is undergoing serious development and refurbishment, and it’ll probably be something of a ghost town at this hour.”

I nodded, finished my tea, and then rose. “Thanks for the help, ladies.”

Jaikyl signed through her partner, “Welcome, good luck with your hunt, and be careful.”

“Given the man behind the attack today seems intent on killing anyone with knowledge of the rubies, I’m not the one who needs to be careful. In fact, it’d be best if you both disappeared for the next week or so.”

“Loudon will expect?—”

“Loudon is being escorted to a safe place as we speak, so he likely won’t be needing Jaikyl’s services for a while, anyway.” I picked up my purse and moved toward the hallway. “Oh, while I remember—what does Gannon look like?”

“He’s a stocky bald man with a ginger beard and a penchant for colorful cravats.”

“Hard to pick out in a crowd, then,” I said, amused.

“Indeed,” Margaret said with a laugh. She plucked a coat from the hall stand and handed it to me. “Here, you’ll probably need this more than we will. You can return it next time you see us.”

“That’s presuming there will be a next time.”

“Your mom once said the same thing, but we ended up seeing her at least three or four times a year. I suspect you’ll be no different if you’re now stepping into her relic-hunting shoes.”

“I’d like to say you’re wrong, because relic hunting isn’t really a calling of mine, but—” I shrugged. “Thanks for the coat.”

She nodded and opened the door. I bid them both goodbye and headed out. The wind was sharp and cold, and the skies heavy with the threat of rain. I shivered my way into the coat, then, after retrieving my phone, slung my purse over my shoulder. A quick check on Google Maps told me Gannon’s place was too far to walk, so I called an Uber. Eight minutes, came the message back. I stepped into a nearby bus shelter to get out of the wind and then called Eljin. It rang for a very long time before he answered.

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