Page 66 of Secrets of the Eternal Flame

‘She was a murderer, Beatrix.’

‘So are you,’ I said desperately. ‘And wouldn’t you want to be saved?’

‘I think it is too late for that,’ he murmured softly. He turned to go through the door.

‘What do I tell Yanni?’ I shouted after him.

He barely paused. ‘Whatever you like, but the truth is probably a good move.’

With that, he slipped out of the warehouse and let the door clang behind him.

Chapter Forty

Yanni and Dove burst inside the warehouse seconds later. I’d found a light switch and thrown it, and now the warehouse was bathed in harsh neon lights. They both faltered at the sight of the dead body.

‘It wasn’t me,’ I said instantly. ‘It was Lestat. He was hired by the goblin Clutch to catch the thief and return the objects to them.’

‘Thank God,’ Yanni muttered, looking relieved.

‘I totally understand if you have to arrest me,’ I said.

Dove snorted. ‘Beatrix, if you’d murdered her, we would’ve fed her body to the chipper to get rid of it.’

I stared at her. ‘You would?’

‘You’re Yanni’s family.’ She paused. ‘More than some of Yanni’sactualfamily are.’

‘She’s not wrong,’ the bear shifter said. ‘But to be clear, I would have either asked for Ezra’s help with the chipper, or I would have eaten her myself. When I was in bear form,’ she added hastily.

Icrossed the distance between us and hugged my faux-grandmother with all the strength I could muster. Yanni believed in evidence, rules and law and order; that she would have actually helped me hide a body made tears prick behind my eyes. ‘I love you,’ I blurted.

Her eyes softened. ‘And I you.’ She looked at Fran’s body. ‘You’d better get out of here. It’s late and it will take us a while to document the scene.’

I told her about Lestat and what Fran had implied about killing Gwen. I didn’t tell her what Gwen had said about the goblin Clutch hiring someone to kill the Guardian who had failed. Gwen’s neck had been snapped, just like Lestat had snapped Fran’s. With his diplomatic status, it didn’t matter if he’d killed Gwen as well as Fran … but if hewasdating Maddie, Yanni wouldn’t let it go.

I told her about Fran’s pseudo-confession and kept my mouth shut about my suspicions that she’d been lying through her teeth. She wasn’t a sorceress yet and I didn’t think she’d got as far as killing others. But did she want the street cred? For sure. Enough to claim a murder that wasn’t hers? Definitely.

Dove made notes as I was speaking. When I was done Yanni asked, ‘Do you want me to call Maddie to pick you up?’

I shook my head. ‘No, she’ll be sleeping.’

Yanni hesitated. ‘Ernie?’

I smiled. ‘No, but thanks. I’ll ring Fraser. He’s still awake.’ I could feel him somehow, tingling at the edges of what was possible like an extra sense. Feeling him was like being able to see music: it was both extraordinary andother. And I was betting that he’d experienced all those jolts of adrenaline I’d been feeling.

I checked my phone. Sure enough, I had three missed calls. I rang him back. ‘I’m okay,’ I said as soon as he answered. ‘But I could use a lift.’

‘Of course. Where are you?’

I told him.

‘I’ll be five minutes.’

He was there in three, driving his fancy car barefoot and wearing joggers and nothing else. ‘You didn’t bother with a T-shirt?’ I asked, amused.

He blinked down at himself, as if suddenly realising he was half-naked, and his cheeks warmed. ‘I ran out to get you.’

‘Thanks.’ I touched his arm; it was warm and solid beneath my hand. He had a quiet kind of strength that I was truly coming to adore.

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