Page 18 of Shadow Dreaming

As I petted them, Murdoch fixed me with his gaze and I suddenly found myself sitting in a basement. It was cold and dank, and only a dim bulb hung from a cord in the middle of the ceiling. I looked around, then down at my lap. I was wearing a swing dress, blue with black polka dots. I could see my feet, and I had on Bauhaus blue Mary Janes that matched the blue in the dress. It was the same outfit Penn had been wearing that morning. My hands were tied behind my back, against the back of a chair, and I had a gag in my mouth.

The moment I realized what was happening, I looked around, trying to note as many identifying markers as I could. The room was so dimly lit that I couldn’t see the color, but I did see narrow windows high toward the ceiling, which probably meant I was in a basement. Or rather, Penn was in a basement. I took a big sniff and smelled strong garlic in the air. As I squinted, trying to see through the gloom, I saw a number of crates marked ‘wine’ and other open cartons containing large cans of fruit and tomatoes.

Restaurant, I thought. Could she be in the basement of a restaurant? And given that I saw wine, cans of tomatoes, and smelled garlic, possibly an Italian restaurant?

A deep sense of wooziness flooded through me, along with fear, and I tried to focus, but everything wavered and the next moment, Murdoch mewed. I was back in the pantry. I stared at him for a moment and he gave me a knowing look. I petted him and Jangles, then headed back to the living room, hoping what I’d seen had been real and not my imagination.

The officers had finished watching the video clips. “They came to play. Gloves, taped over license plate, covered faces.”

“I’m surprised they didn’t cut the camera wires,” Dante said.

“That takes time and they could have been spotted, given it’s daylight. If they knew what they were after, they probably didn’t want to waste energy or time on it.” Rush glanced at me. “Are your cats okay?”

“Yes, thank you. But I need to tell you what I saw. My cat Murdoch has familiar-like powers. I’m not a witch but several times I’ve sensed that he’s more than a cat. I was petting him and had a vision, and I feel it came directly from him.”

Rush stared at me like I was nuts, but Harrington nodded. “I know that’s possible.”

“Really?” Rush asked.

“Yes, there are familiars of all types and they don’t always bond to only witches,” Harrington said. “My sister-in-law has one,” she added.

Rush shrugged. “What do you know? Okay,” he said, turning back to me. “Tell us what you saw.”

I told them what I’d seen. “I’m pretty sure that Murdoch may have formed a bond with Penn, and if so, then he must have some connection to her. He showed me, the best he could, what he’s able to sense about her.”

“An Italian restaurant?” Harrington asked. “Well, that narrows things down a little, except there are dozens of Italian restaurants in Seattle. More if you include pizza joints.”

“They must have been watching to make certain she was home alone,” I added. “Penelope’s a powerful witch. I’m surprised they didn’t worry about her casting a spell to defend herself.”

Orik stiffened. “That’s because there’s been a magic dampening spell cast here recently—really recent. I thought I could feel something strange but was so focused, that I didn’t fully pay attention. But I’ve been standing here, trying to figure out what the sensation was.”

“Are you a witch or sorcerer?” Officer Rush asked.

“No, I’m a priest of Odin. But that, alone, is enough to give me the power to recognize when magic’s been cast, and when it’s being suppressed.” Orik frowned, holding out his hand.

“Can you tell whether it was cast inside or out?” I asked.

“Let me see what I can find out,” he said. He held out his hands, took a deep breath, and slowly began to walk forward.

I stifled a nervous laugh. He reminded me of Frankenstein’s monster, except he didn’t walk straight-legged or have bolts in his neck.

Orik headed toward the door and Dante hurried over to open it for him. We followed him out, making sure the door was closed behind us. He paused, then turned and walked around the house to the side, where he stopped.

“Here. They were here when they cast the spell. I can feel the origin spark of the magic.” He turned back to us. “So they hid here, cast the spell, then broke in. That they have the range to cast the spell from here and have it work so well tells me they’re powerful, and by the incendiary feel of the energy, we’re talking sorcerers.”

That sealed it—Brim Fire had captured her. I had to make a trip to PortalWatch and beg them to listen to me. And I wanted to do so before the police figured it out, because then the government might get involved and that could spell disaster for Penn, given the way most government operations panned out.

“Well, that’s something to go on,” I said, trying to play it coolly.

Officer Rush glanced at me. “We’ll file a report and see what we can find,” he said. “You’re sure you don’t know who might have it out for her?”

I hesitated. For some reason, I was leery about speaking out. It occurred to me that Brim Fire could have representatives hidden among any number of government agencies, including police departments. They were well organized hardcore fanatics, and that combination was always dangerous.

“No. But in her line of business, it’s not hard to gather unhappy customers,” I said. “I’ll do whatever I can to find any leads. That’s what my agency does, after all.” I wanted them to leave. I wanted to dive in and try to find Penn, because no way did I trust the cops to find her. And I didn’t trust that—even if I told them everything—they’d be able to piece things together.

“All right, do you have a picture of her we can use?”

I texted them a picture of Penn and me, at one of our recent dinners together. It showed her in all her glory, with a good shot of her face. As they left, I shut the door, locking it behind me.

---