Page 12 of The Vampire and the Case of the Malevolent Mermaid

‘What?’ she repeated.

I guessed we weren’t doing small talk today. ‘Two girls have been kidnapped and only a necromancer could have broken through the wards on the house.’

‘And you’re what? Ringing to ask me nicely if I kidnapped them?’ She actually sounded amused, which I took as a good sign.

‘No,’ I hastened to reassure her. That had been partly the reason for my call, but she didn’t need to know that. ‘I’m just checking you haven’t got any necromancer buddies visiting you.’

‘Ihaveno necromancer buddies,’ she said and hung up.

Well, that was fun. I scribbled a note to April asking her to look for more girls who’d gone missing, although there hadn’t been any since I’d joined the Nomo’s office unless Gunnar had dealt with one while I was at the academy. Either way, I needed to know; if I had nothing fresh to work on maybe a cold case or two could help us.

I was about to get Fluffy and go for a walk to clear my head when the phone – Wilson – rang.

‘Officer Barrington,’ I answered.

‘Bunny? It’s Ernie. Could you come to the hardware store? I have a situation,’ he said it quietly, clearly not wanting the ‘situation’ to hear him calling for backup.

‘Absolutely. I’m on my way,’ I promised.

I hung up and picked up the black duffel bag that contained every type of magical restraint under the sun. I wasn’t sure what I’d be dealing with since Ernie hadn’t been in a position to tell me.

I looked atmy canine companion. ‘Come on, Fluffy, you can come with me. You might even get to bite someone.’ He perked up and gave me a single bark. I grinned. ‘That’s my boy. Let’s go.’

I locked up the office then we broke into an easy jog. Gruff on the outside and warm on the inside, Ernie had a special place in my heart. He cared more than he showed – and he made a brilliant chai latte. He was also quite old, and this wasn’t the first time he’d called for backup. I’d first met him after Frank, the drunken bear shifter, had started trouble; that was also the first time I met Stan when he was squaring up to Connor. It felt like a lifetime ago, but in a good way.

I pulled myself out of my nostalgic thoughts as I approached the hardware store and walked in through the glass front door. Ernie was at the counter where he served coffee and chai. A large man was in his face, shouting, pushing at his chest. Ernie wasn’t reacting; he was far smaller than the goliath who was prodding at him and he was using the counter to keep some distance between them.

Just as I reached them, the man took a swipe at Ernie who thankfully ducked out of the way. I realised the big man was drunk; I could smell the booze on his breath. This time though, it wasn’t Frank but Svestri Donovan, the mayor’s son-in-law. Son of a bitch, he just couldn’thelphimself: that guy brought trouble wherever he rolled.

I pulled the magic-cancelling cuffs out of my back pocket to prevent him from shifting, then twisted his loose arm from behind whilst simultaneously kicking the back of his knees. He collapsed like a felled tree and I cuffed him as soon as he was on the ground.He yelled and tried to fight me but my knee was in his back and I had a healthy dose of supernat strength, so he failed miserably. I had the upper hand – and his hands, too.

‘Stop it,’ I barked. ‘You’re making things worse for yourself.’

He’d been on the cusp of shifting and going full mer – but the moment the magic-cancelling cuffs snapped around his wrists they drained the supernat right out of him ... and his consciousness, too. He lay as still as a beached whale.

‘What happened, Ernie?’ I asked.

‘Donovan came in raving, trying to buy shells. I wouldn’t sell them to him – he’s obviously intoxicated.’ His mouth pressed into a grim line. ‘Bunny, he kept saying he was going to kill that half-breed bitch – and we both know who he means by that.’

Sidnee. Fuck. ‘I’ll make sure he gets a nice uncomfortable place to sleep it off in. Are you pressing charges? I saw him throw a punch at you.’

Ernie grimaced. ‘He’s the mayor’s son-in-law. There’s no love lost between them, but I don’t want to add to Mafu’s troubles. Hit Svestri with public drunkenness and that will be good enough for me.’

‘If you’re sure?’

He nodded briskly. ‘I am.’

‘All right. Well, in that case… Any chance I could get a couple of chai lattes before I leave with the rubbish?’

He flashed me a grin. ‘Sure thing. On the house.’

Donovan was out for the count; even with my vampire strength, carrying him, my duffel and the lattes would be next to impossible. ‘Make it three?’ I asked Ernie.

‘You got it.’

I looked at Fluffy. ‘I need a spare pair of hands. Can you help, Reggie?’ I deliberately used his human name as I entreated him to help me. A beat later, Reggie was standing where Fluffy had been.

‘Huh,’ Ernie said, eyes wide as he looked up from the coffee machine.

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