Page 14 of Wicche Hunt

“We need you at your best tomorrow for the Council meeting.”

Of course.

“Here they come,” Declan said.

Osso jogged to his SUV, started it up, and spun it around, heading in the opposite direction.

The tap at the window made me jump. Hernández waited on the other side. I rolled it down.

“I’m sorry about that in there. We both really appreciate your assistance, but I can’t help feeling horribly guilty that every time you help us, it causes you pain.” She glanced around, uncomfortable.

“I appreciate that,” I said. “How about as a thank you, you arrest the asshole who killed Pearl?”

She thumped the side of the truck twice. “I’m on it.”

As she walked to her car, I rolled up the window. My phone buzzed in my pocket and Declan started driving.

The readout on the phone said,Sam. Why in the world would she be calling me in the middle of the night?

“Hello?”

“Hi. Sorry. I hope you weren’t asleep,” she said.

“No. I’m still up.”

“Good. That’s what she said. I had a visitor tonight. Well, she said she’s been hanging around since earlier when you visited. She was with you but then—”

“Darling, just start at the beginning,” a male voice said in the background.

“Right,” she started again. “I have Pearl with me right now. She’s afraid to move on, so she’s been spending time with all of you. She said she loves your mural. What?” Pause. “Right, okay. She thanks you for singing the song of the dead for her. She felt the push to move on but isn’t ready yet.”

Declan had pulled over when he heard Sam say Pearl was with her. I couldn’t see past the tears in my eyes. Sam Quinn, my newly found cousin, was a necromancer. She could see and speak with the dead.

I cleared my throat. “Tell her we love her and miss her so much.”

“She says she loves you all too. She knows she’s not supposed to hang around, but she doesn’t want to leave everyone,” Sam said.

“Remind her Aunt Sylvia is waiting for her with your mom, Bridget. She has two incredibly kind aunts waiting at the head of the line to welcome her and guide her through the next life.”

“She’s crying but says she knows. She needs me to tell you that she remembers what kind of car he drove. It was a black BMW convertible with brown leather seats,” Sam relayed.

“Thank her, please. I’ll tell the detective.”

“What?” Sam’s voice was less clear. “Huh. Interesting. Pearl says he kind of stuttered his name when he introduced himself. She says he said,D-David. Like maybe he was making it up on the spot.” Sam paused again. “Oh. She said there was a leather portfolio—black—on the passenger side seat that he tossed into the back seat when he drove them to dinner. She says she’s positive there was an engraved D on the portfolio.”

“I’ll let the detective know.” I thought about her last moments, the horror that this charming young man had only pretended to find her interesting so he could get close enough to kill her. And poor Pearl, like her mother, had only weak magic at best to protect herself. “Please tell her the whole family is grieving her loss. Tell her I saw what happened. I was with her at the end. She didn’t die alone.”

“Oh, here. Wait.” Sam’s voice was distant again. “It’s okay. Let’s try. Sometimes this works. Come here. You need a hug.” Rustling sounds. “There. That worked. You go ahead and cry. If anyone deserves a big cry, it’s you.” Silence. “I get it, but trusting people, wanting to see the good in them, that doesn’t make you stupid.” Pause. “Nuh uh. Trust me; I know from stupid, and you’re not.” She chuckled softly. “See, that’s better now.

“Look, here’s Fergus.” Pause. “Heisa handsome boy; you’re right. Ha, did you see that? He tried to put his paw on your knee. He does that when he thinks someone needs comforting. I’ve always wondered if pets could see people on the other side. Maybe they can.”

There was a soft jingling sound, probably her dog’s collar.

“Are you ready to move on? I can help you do that,” Sam said. “Oh, no. It’s okay. You don’t have to yet. Not if you’re not ready. If you stick around, though, you have to promise to not visit me in the bathroom. That’s creepy.” Pause. “Oh, and definitely not when, you know, Clive and I—”

A male voice broke in. “She is trying to tell you not to watch us have sex, Pearl. And I’d like to second that request.”

“Ah, there you go,” Sam said. “Your eyes sparkle when you laugh.”

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