Page 83 of Evidence of a Folktale

“Neither are you.” He took her bag from her and threw it over his shoulder, playfully nudging her jaw before grabbing Cerberus’ leash. “I’ve heard stories from yourownmouth about some of your autopsies.” He waited for her to exit the cabin, and after locking up, he helped her dog into her car. “But of course, I’ll handle it. Do you want the bench cleaned or replaced?”

“Replaced. Even if you scrub the blood off, I’ll still see him sitting there every time I look out my window.” She collapsed in the passenger side of the SUV. It was her car, but all her adrenaline had been burned away, leaving her empty and sore. She was overdue for her next dose of painkillers, and everything within her longed to curl up and cease to exist.

“Consider it gone.” Eamon backed out of her parking spot and slid his hand onto her thigh as he sped off down the street. Another reason Bel wanted him to drive. They’d get home faster.

“We got interrupted earlier,” she said to keep herself awake. “You scented something. Is the killer like you?”

“I think so, but I can’t be certain. The scent was strong, but he could’ve come into contact with something before his death.”

“Come in contact? How?”

“Ewan and I aren’t the only beings of power in town, remember? But don’t worry.” He squeezed her thigh to keep her from interrupting. “Fantasy conventions draw everything from your garden variety witch to shifters to those in between.”

“How many people with unnatural powers are here?” she asked.

“I can’t give you a number, but it’s enough for me to catch scents of them everywhere. Some I recognize and some I don’t. And before you ask why, my kind survives by hiding. We don’texactlyhave support groups or chat rooms, and everyone hides from me. I mean death for humans and monsters alike, so I haven’t met everythingout there.It’s whyEwan hid in Bajka when that hunter was after his pack. My scent shielded him. But most here are harmless. They enjoy settings like this because they don’t have to hide, and a family of witches taking their kids to meet an actor who plays a werewolf isn’t concerning.”

“Except one of these harmless visitors might be killing people, so it’s become concerning.” Bel straightened in her seat, fully awake now.

“The number of supernaturals who attend events like this almost outnumber mortals. You probably met a lot of shifters you assumed were humans in costume, especially if you worked those big conventions in New York.” Eamon said as he parked before his front door.

“Are you serious?”

“Not people like Ewan. He’s incredibly powerful. It’s why his bear is so massive. He’s an alpha predator, but most shifters are weak imitations of what they used to be because of their decades of interbreeding with humans. Some makeup, and they look like every other cosplaying mortal.”

“So when Olivia freaked out over that kid in a mask, she might’ve had cause?” Bel waited for Eamon to open the door, andthenthe trio climbed the grand staircase to the master bedroom.

“Maybe.”

“But could something powerful be in town? If they can sense you, they know you can scent them. What if they’re hanging on the outskirts so the lesser powers mask them?”

“It’s entirely possible. I had trouble tracking down Ewan when he first moved here because he avoided me and kept to his human form.”

“You didn’t find him until we arrested him.”

“Because his scent was all over somewhere you frequent.” Eamon dropped her bags at the foot of his bed.

“What about me? Have I come into contact with anything?”

“A lot. Especially after you work the signings. So, to answer your question, I can’t tell if someone of power murdered the producer. If only the cast and crew were here, I could give you a definitive answer, but hundreds of conflicting scents are transferring between bodies because everyone’s touching and hugging and crowding and shoving. I can’t be certain. A creature could’ve killed Rot. Or he might have hugged one for a photo or knocked into them while ordering coffee or had a one-night stand with a supernatural. He wasn’t ugly, and he was a rich man. I’m sure plenty of women tried to get him into bed, and that would cause a massive scent transfer.”

“So does that mean…” Bel paused with her pants halfway down her legs.

“It does.” Eamon kissed her cheek before collapsing to the mattress.

“Oh god.” She blushed a deep pink.

“If it makes you feel better, Ialwayssmell like you now, too. Maybe that’s why that young witch fled from me the other day. She realized I was a very taken man.” He leaned forward and captured her waist, pulling her half-clothed body into bed with him. “But it’s a good thing. Every supernatural being you’ve encountered these past weeks knows you belong to someone powerful. Unless they have a death wish, most will give you a wide birth.”

“Except that doesn’t always work. Crazies still come for me… although, most have been human lately,” she said as she wiggled out of her clothes and slid below the sheets. “I guess the shield your scent offers makes up for people smelling who I sleep with.”

“It’s not foolproof, butit’sone more layer of protection,” Eamon wrapped her in his arms. “Especially if this killer is like me or Ewan.”

“It didn’t stop him from killing outside my home, though.”

“But he hasn’t come for you.”

“True.” Bel buried her face in Eamon’s chest as Cerberus circled five times before laying across their legs. “What do I do? This show refuses to halt filming or cancel its events. Something’s off about Aesop’s Files, and if a predator is hunting in this town, what good are the police? They couldn’t help in the Darling case, and Pann was just a mortal with a magic-laced tattoo. Do I let Griffin walk around blind, or do I give him a heads up?”

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