Page 82 of Purchased

“If you call ahead next time, I can have my engineer ready it for departure, and we can enjoy a jaunt through the countryside if you like. In the meantime, I hope you find your comrades.”

“One probably ran off from his wife,” the older detective laughs. “And the other… there are rumors that the two of them were the reason she was jealous. It is possible they will turn up of their own accord, but we had to follow the tag, you understand?”

Men trust men who own trains. I do not entirely know why, but now that we are standing inside the cabin, these two detectives are looking at me as if I could never possibly have ever done anything wrong.

“Of course. You have my number. Please do call any time if I can be of further assistance. Would you like to come for lunch? The chef is preparing quite a spread for the household today.”

They look at one another, as if knowing they shouldn’t.

“It is a long drive back to the city, no? Fortify yourselves with us.”

The pack feasts every lunch, with the chef putting on a grand spread mostly for her own edification. She often requests additional budgets for experiments and such. We are lucky to have Madame Foisin.

I do not see Beatrix at lunch. This is likely for the best, though of course I am worried about her. I occupy the detectives with conversation about the train and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I don’t think any of us actually do BJJ, but it is a safe subject for all men to discuss regardless.

“Did you know a gorilla can rip a man’s face off?”

“Did you know sharks are older than the moon?”

We entertain one another with such questions until finally they stumble, drunk, back to their vehicle. I would tell them not to drive, but I want them gone as soon as possible.

Their car drifts along the road, back and forth, barely staying in the proper lane. We should stop them. I think about sending an escort, someone to drive them back. I will do that as soon as I have found Beatrix.

“Where is Beatrix? Has anyone seen her?”

Nobody has. If anybody saw her digging up the graves, they’re not telling me. I suspect she went right there the moment she realized who the detectives were and what they wanted. I have no idea what she did after that, or where she has gone.

I am torn between going hunting for her myself, or bringing the whole pack out to hunt for her. When I take my form out by the cemetery, I do catch a faint scent of her, but most of it is masked by grave dirt and rot. There is no way to follow her.

“Fuck!”

I slide back into my human form and curse the wind. I curse the scent.

Mr. Volkov sees fit to make an appearance at this point. He is fully clothed and I am entirely naked and I am not in the mood for the power dynamic that ensues when this man shows up in all his psychological glory.

“My mate is missing, Volkov. If you have anything useful to tell me about her whereabouts, now would be the time.”

“She knows what she is doing. You can trust her.”

“She’s a teenage girl with two dead bodies and a tag. You often talk about her needing to be in school with a responsible adult. What are you talking about, man!”

“Yes. All of that is true. She’s also the most qualified person I know to be in the wind with two dead bodies and a tracking tag. I would imagine the tag is no longer in existence.”

“So you’re telling me to relax?”

“I’m telling you that whatever comes next, you should be prepared. Ready yourself.”

He’s a therapist, but he’s acting more like an advisor. I am tempted to listen to him. None of the others know what to do. Most of the others don’t actually know the entirety of what has gone on.

“Ready myself for what, exactly?”

He looks at me, deadpan. “The worst.”

CHAPTER20

Armand

The detectives arrived at about eleven a.m., and left around two p.m. Beatrix doesn’t show up again until around five p.m. Those are the longest three hours of my life, stretching into interminable worry.

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