Page 13 of Wicche Hunt

“Sorry. You’re right. You’ve given us avenues to pursue and that’s what I’ll tell her family. Thank you for your assistance.”

“Uh huh.” I stood. Declan kept his hands on my hips until I seemed steady. I asked Hernández, “You said you notified Pearl’s mom, right?”

The detective nodded. “I went out to tell her this afternoon. I was able to get her to call someone to sit with her.” She checked her notes. “An Elizabeth.”

I nodded, relieved. “My aunt Elizabeth is a very kind woman. She’ll be a comfort.”

“Let’s go get you something to eat,” Declan said, shouldering my backpack.

“Yeah, let’s go,” I said.

SIX

Grieving the Dead

Once we were back in his truck, he pulled a pair of brand new gloves from his glove box, put them on, and then reached for the back of my head. “There’s a small knot. You still have some water in the cup. You should take a couple of those pain relievers in your backpack.”

He was right. The pain hadn’t faded yet, so I might as well. After I did, I pulled out my phone. “Sorry. This will take a minute.”

“No problem. They’ve boxed us in anyway.”

Smiling, I tapped the screen. “Couldn’t you just pick up the truck and place it in the road?”

“I could,” he said as the phone began to ring, “but I don’t have time for secret government agencies snatching me up to experiment on, trying to figure out why I’m so strong. And hot.”

“Yes, dear.” Mom had picked up.

“Hey. I’m sorry if I woke you. I don’t know if you’ve heard yet, but Pearl was found today. She’s been positively identified.”

“We know. Your gran and I are with Hester now. Elizabeth was here earlier. John and Selena will be here in the morning. Roger’s on a plane. He and Hester may no longer be married but they both loved Pearl very much.”

“Can you take me over tomorrow after the Council meeting?”

“Of course. Would you like me to come get you now?” Mom asked.

“No. Detective Hernández told me about Pearl and asked me to come to the morgue to read her, to try to figure out who killed her. I ended up having to read three murder victims, so my head is a mess right now. I’d rather visit tomorrow.”

My mom was moving. The low murmur of voices in the background disappeared. “And what did you see?” she demanded.

Declan reached over and rubbed my thigh, listening to both sides of the conversation whether he wanted to or not.

“I just shared that with the detective, Mom. You can’t say anything to the people there. It might mess up the investigation.”

“I know how to keep secrets, Arwyn. I’m asking you what you saw.” Sybil was tough as nails and didn’t have much patience for anyone who wasn’t.

As she was my mother, head of the Corey coven, and kept way too many secrets, I explained what I had seen, though in less detail than I’d given the cops.

“So she was singled out? Targeted?” Mom’s heels clicked in the background. She was pacing in an echo-y room, probably the kitchen.

“That’s the way I read it,” I said.

“Tomorrow, when the Council convenes, we’ll see if the three of us can see anything more.” She let out a gust of breath. “I want this bastard found and thrown into a cell for the rest of his natural life,” she hissed, trying to be quiet.

“Me too.”

“I know you do. All right. I’ll tell Hester you’ll be here tomorrow. Now go home and rest.”

Aww, she did care about me.

---