Page 4 of Shadow Seeking

CHAPTER TWO

Dante Franco blewevery stereotype of the typical wolf-shifter out of the water. He strode in twenty minutes later, like the cock of the walk. He was six-two, taller than me by three inches, and had a long wheat-color shag that hung to his shoulders. It complimented his amber eyes.

I stared at his get-up. “Well, you’re decked out, today. But get moving. We have a new client coming in at ten.”

He shrugged, winking. “They’ll hire us. You have a reputation that’s hard to live down. Nobody ever says no to you.”

“You’re not only late, you’re a liar,” I said, shaking my head. “Wheredidyou get that outfit?”

I liked leather, but Dante made it a lifestyle. Today, he was wearing skin tight shiny patent leather pants, a fluffy, off-white faux-fur coat, a mesh shirt, a heavy gold chain, and boots that would make the members of Kiss cry. With a four-inch platform sole, the boots were as shiny as his pants, and laced up the front with a massive buckle strap that wrapped around the top, crossing the side zipper.

“Why, want one like it? And you can’t tell me you don’t like leather.” He threw himself into the chair opposite my desk. “So, what’s on the agenda today?”

Dante was part owner of my business, but I had the final say. He preferred letting me make the decisions, which suited me fine. I liked being in charge. Dante was good at his job, but I made the better boss, and we both knew it. He had an ego when it came to his looks and clothes, but as a work partner? He was as good as they came.

“We have a client coming in at ten. Her name is Angela, and she’s the sister of the witch who runs the Windchime?—”

“Letty Hargrove?” Dante asked, sitting up and putting his feet on the floor.

“You know her?”

“Know her? I met her years ago at several cocktail functions run by Reacher, the head of the Supe Affairs Office for Seattle.” He frowned. “If I remember right, she was one hell of a scary broad. The way she talked to me, I was afraid she was going to beat my hand with a ruler. There was a time when that sort of thing was allowed, you know.”

“Well, now she’s dead. The cops say it was suicide. Her sister thinks it’s murder. She’s coming in to talk to us about it.”

Dante rubbed his chin. “Well, this should be interesting. All I know is that if Letty killed herself, then she’s changed since I last said hello to her.”

“You don’t seem too upset over the news,” I said.

“She wasn’t a friend, exactly. But I am curious to hear what the police think.” He stood, sticking his thumbs through his belt loops. “Okay, I’ll get ready for the meeting. Meanwhile, let’s hope the academy finds a replacement as capable as she was. There’s a lot of powerful young witches there, and we don’t want them running amok through the streets.”

I chuckled. “Well, that would be a mess, all right. Okay, see you in half an hour in the conference room. Tell Sophia to order some doughnuts and anything else that she can think of for our meeting.”

And with that, Dante sauntered out of my office, as I pulled up a browser on my computer to read up on the history of Windchime Academy.

Promptly at ten AM,Sophia opened the door, peeking into the conference room. Dante and I were waiting with our tablets and notepads.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

I nodded. “Bring her in.”

A moment later, Sophia ushered an elderly woman into the room. “Angela Hargrove,” she said. “Here’s her file.” She handed me a file folder.

“Hello,” I said, standing and extending my hand. “I’m Kyann Sarasan, and this is my partner, Dante Franco. Please have a seat.”

As Angela sat down at the table with us, Sophia asked, “Can I get anyone some more coffee? A pastry?”

I asked for a maple bar, Dante wanted a bear claw, and Angela accepted a glazed donut. Sophia poured her a cup of coffee, and brought Dante some tea. I was still lit from my quad shot latte, so asked for a bottle of water. Then, excusing herself, Sophia slipped out of the room.

“So, Angela, Sophia said you have concerns about your sister’s death. First, let us offer our condolences.” I opened the file folder and scanned the preliminary notes Sophia had taken.

“I met Letty once. She was an admirable woman,” Dante said.

“Thank you,” Angela said. She seemed pulled together, but I detected residual tears beneath the surface. Ten to one, Angela was one of those women who kept rigid control in social situations, and broke down when she was alone. “My sister was stern, but she was fair, and she cared about the students.”

“Do you mind if we record this session so that we don’t miss anything?” I asked. “It will be kept strictly confidential unless the police request the information with a subpoena.”

Angela shrugged. “It’s fine with me,” she said.

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