Page 6 of Shadow Seeking

“I learned that young,” I said. “I’m no spring chicken, though my kind live a long time.”

“I know you’re a half-demon, I can read your aura. So, you probably have a lot of years left.” Angela flashed me a half-smile.

“I’m forty,” I said. “We wear our age well, and we live a long, long time. Even as half-breeds. But, while I’m nowhere near middle aged by bloodline, I learned about the harsh realities oflife young. I lost my mother when I was fourteen, and lived on the streets. I had to learn how to survive.”

Angela glanced at me. “Wasn’t your father around?”

I shook my head. “No. I never met him. I have no idea who he is. My mother refused to tell me. I’m not sure why, but maybe she was afraid I’d run off and join him in the UnderRealms. I never knew who any of my other relatives—even the human ones—were, so I was on my own.”

“I’m sorry,” Angela said. “At least I had my family, even if they’re all gone now.”

Dante returned just as the rain started. It was pouring, the wind slashing the drops sideways across the window. The alleyway darkened as the rain hit the pavement. Dante was carrying a plate of pastries and the coffee pot and he set them on a trivet on the table.

Angela and I returned to our seats and I decided on another maple bar while Angela selected a cinnamon donut. Dante poured her coffee, then refilled his own cup. He picked up a cinnamon bun as I turned the recorder back on.

“So, I think we were about to discuss the fact that your sister was worried something was wrong with the school?” I asked. “Do you know anything about that?”

Angela dabbed the sides of her mouth with a napkin to wipe away some crumbs. “Maybe, though I’m not entirely sure what was going on. Letty suspected that something had been going on with the teachers and students for a while. Something about deaths and missing students.”

“Do she go into detail?” Dante asked.

Angela shrugged. “She was going to tell me more at dinner. Now I’ll never know.”

“Did your sister have any enemies?” I finished my second maple bar and wiped my hands on a napkin.

“Letty wasn’t the most personable person in the world. She lived a long time. I’m pretty sure she had her share of detractors,” Angela said. “But I can’t give you any names off the top of my head.” She leaned back. “So, will you investigate it? IknowLetty didn’t kill herself.”

I thought about it for a moment. We never guaranteed results, but the case had enough red flags, I thought we might be able to figure out something. “I can’t promise you anything, but we can look into it. Can you let us into her house to look through her things? We’ll also need to look over her office, if the school will allow it.”

“I haven’t touched her house yet, but I have the keys. She left the house to me. As to the school, I don’t have any pull there, but I have to pick up her effects. Maybe you can do that for me—I can give them permission for you to gather them for me.” Angela pulled out her checkbook. “How much for a retainer?”

“There’s a non-refundable five-hundred-dollar fee for us to take the case, then the hours we put in and any expenses. If that’s acceptable, I can write out an invoice, and you’ll pay Sophia on your way out.” I marked a box on her file and initialed it.

“That will be fine,” she said. “I know you can’t guarantee anything, but I have to try. My sister was not suicidal, and I can’t accept it.”

Dante and I walked her out to the desk, where I handed Sophia the file folder.

“Draw up a contract for her and we’ll get to work right away.” I glanced at Angela. “We’ll do our best. Whatever we can find out, we’ll let you know. Meanwhile, it would be best if you didn’t talk about this to anybody until we know what we’re dealing with.”

Angela nodded. “When do you want to go through her things? I can meet you at her house tomorrow morning at ten, if that will work.”

I glanced at Sophia. “Do I have anything scheduled at that time?”

“Nope,” Sophia said. “I can pencil it in.”

“Go ahead, but make it for nine, to give us time to get to her house.” I turned back to Angela. “Give Sophia the address. Dante and I’ll meet you there at ten tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” Angela said, sounding relieved. As she turned to Sophia to take care of the paperwork, Dante and I headed back to my office.

At one pm,Sophia locked the entrance and we gathered in the breakroom for lunch and our meeting. She had ordered pizza—as a group, we ate lunch together on a daily basis—and we settled down at the table. I was ready for more caffeine by then, so pulled a couple shots of espresso, added milk, ice, and some caramel syrup, and then stuck a straw in the travel mug and sat down. There were two pizzas—one sausage, pineapple, and extra cheese. The other was cheese and meatball pizza. I added a slice of each to my plate and waited till everyone was seated and served.

“All right, first, old business. How’s the Wilson case going?” I asked. I’d turned that one over to Orik. It was easy enough—a puma shifter had a gargoyle hiding in their barn. Orik had caught several of the creatures over the years, and he was well-equipped to deal with the case on his own.

“I’ve been out there twice. I think I’ve managed to acclimate the gargoyle to my presence, so I should be able to coax it intoa trap next time. There’s a gargoyle cave twenty miles north of Mount Rainier, and the Wilding Association is willing to take the gargoyle and relocate it.” He bit into his pizza. “I think it’s a female, and I think she’s looking for a mate.”

Gargoyles were intelligent creatures, but they were very much still wild creatures—like the pumas and wolves of the Supe Community. An insular group, they often acted like bats or owls and nested in people’s barns. They shunned communication with most people or Supes, and could be dangerous. The gargoyle language consisted of a mixture of verbal language and body language, and difficult to learn. It was illegal to hunt them, but given their nature, the authorities treated them like they did wild animals that got too close to people.

“Okay, well, keep us apprised of the situation.” I glanced over the agenda that Sophia had provided. “Carson, what’s going on with the Megani situation?”

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