Page 52 of Shadow Seeking

By the time we reached the waiting room, the doctor was talking to Destiny. We hurried to her side.

“Your patient has powder residue all over him. He had to have been near some kind of explosion. But you need to know that he’s also possessed,” Dr. Jonteeth was a shifter.

“I thought so,” I burst out. “He thinks his brother Roddy is hanging around. Kelvin was indirectly responsible for his brother’s death, and he blames himself.”

“That’s what Ms. Oldpenny said. Do you think that the spirit that’s possessing him is his brother?” the doctor asked.

I thought about it for a moment. “I’m not a good authority on the matter. Itcouldbe his brother. I got the impression that, whoever it is, the creature’s out to make Kelvin’s life miserable. So, it could be Roddy, or some other astral creature posing as his brother.”

Destiny frowned. “What’s your take on this?” she asked the doctor.

“We’ll have to exorcise him before you can take him to jail. He’s a danger to both himself and others right now. We’ve got a lot to untangle. And then there’s the question of whether the hitchhiker is responsible for the attack, or was it really Kelvin himself,” Dr. Jonteeth said. “This isn’t going to resolve itself easily. We may also be facing a situation where the hitchhiker is so embedded into Kelvin’s own persona that we can’t separate them.” He paused, then added, “My techs are examining the powder residue now, to see if it matches the residue on the victims.”

“Are they here?” I asked. “I know Candy was killed, but who else was hurt? Is Tana all right?”

“She’s being treated for some minor injuries. There’s one counselor who was critically injured and he’s in surgery now. We’re not sure if he’s going to make it.” The doctor frowned, glancing at his chart. “There were a couple other minor injuries.” He glanced at Destiny and her partner. “You’ll want to question them. Both were there when the bomb came through the window. They saw the person who threw it, and I think they will verify it was Kelvin, but you’ll need to take their statements.”

I sighed. On one hand, I had hoped it would be the Society For Pure Blood Humanity & Decency, but we couldn’t just pin it on them to save Kelvin.

Destiny must have been thinking the same thing. “Damn it. Well, at least we aren’t left with an unsolved case, especially with a murder involved.” She turned to me. “Okay, Kyann. You can leave. We have what we need.”

“What about Sarah? Is there a way to help her out?”

“We’ll ask if she wants us to take her to a shelter, but honestly, sometimes it’s safer to be out on the road, even ifit’s harder. A lot of the shelters around here are hotbeds of criminals and meth heads,” she said. “We’ll take her back home, if she wants to go.”

“I’d like to give her some more money, if she’d take it,” I said.

“Give it to me and I’ll pass it on,” Destiny said.

I handed her a hundred dollars. It wasn’t a solution for anything, but it might make life a little bit easier.

As we headed out the door, I thought about the world, and the vast discrepancy between the rich and the destitute. Unfortunately, nothing was going to change in the immediate future, but if we could make life a little easier for a few here and there, then at least we could bring a little light into a harsh, dark world.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

It was nearlyfour-thirty by the time we got back to the office. My nail appointment was at five, so I asked Orik to write up the report for Tana’s case.

“Don’t mark it closed quite yet, but if they discover Kelvin was at fault, then we can put it to bed. Since we’re doing it pro bono, don’t invoice her.” I realized I was hungry. “I’m going to grab a snack before my appointment, but I don’t have time for dinner. Lazenti’s due at seven, so all of you, go out to eat while I’m at my appointment. If you could bring me back something, I’d appreciate it.”

I did a little research on Lazenti before heading down to Ami’s. I learned very little about our vampire friend—there was some mention of him, but I couldn’t pin down who he had been during his life, even with the fact that he’d been a PI.

I thought about what it would mean taking him on, even as an adjunct member of the firm. Working with vamps could be tricky. They were money-savvy, and good at wresting control over the situations they got themselves into. So, if we took him on, even part-time, we’d have to monitor him carefully.

At 4:55, I pocketed my keys and wallet and headed down to the first floor, to Ami’s Salon. She was waiting for me, dressedin a gorgeous blue and purple pantsuit. Selkies were magnetic, and had a charm all their own. The Fae were, in general, an odd bunch and I was cautious around most of them, but Ami, I liked.

“What color this time, darling?” she asked. She was a coquette, but with her it was as natural as breathing.

I thought about it. “Let’s go for the same blue-purple mix of foils that your dress is.” As I sat in the chair, letting her take care of my nails, I thought about the coming appointment with Seton. I hadn’t realized I was so silent until Ami spoke again.

“You’re quiet today,” she said. “What’s wrong, doll? You look like you’re chewing on something mighty somber.”

I let out another sigh. “I found out what kind of demon my father was.”

“Oh?” She knew I was half-demon. Most people did once they’d been in my world for any length of time.

“Arosien Clan. I have an appointment with a demon specialist next week. It seems some of my powers are beginning to wake up.” I licked my lips. “I’m kind of nervous.”

“I imagine so. It’s always unnerving when you start showing up with all sorts of new tricks. The first time I changed into my human form, I was terrified.” She gave me an encouraging smile as she filed my nails.

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