Page 33 of Love, Nemesis
What secrets could Jasper possibly have?If so, they were recent.
Ana caught the first waft of fish in the air as the wind rolled toward them over the Richter docks. Jasper hopped off his horse as they entered town, both of them quieting as the buildings huddled in around them. They tied their horses up at the town bullpen before walking inside. A small fire burned in a fireplace in the corner, keeping the brisk air at bay.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen Number fatigues,” a man said from the bar, cleaning out a glass with a washrag and squinting through the haze of dim lighting. “Well, well.” He grinned.
Ana smiled back. “Enjoying retirement, Riddle?” she said, scanning the enclosure. She saw several bookcases in the corner and tables with a few guests.
He shrugged. “Things have been all right. Speaking of retirement—”
“I know,” she said.
“We’re looking for someone, a woman named Evira Beaumont,” Jasper interjected, leaning over the bar.
Ana rolled her back against it, watching the windows as Jasper carried on the conversation. Her eyes caught sight of an hourglass at the end of the bar.
Riddle returned to cleaning his glasses. “The two of you seem to be in bad company, but with very good timing. Evira Beaumont is the ringmaster of a circus that tours the Mystic and State border. It’s a well-known cover for a black market. It rolled into town this week for our summer festival going on in the valley just shy of the blacksmith’s at the edge of town.”
“Well-known black market?” Ana asked, and leaned down in front of the hourglass. She’d never seen such bright pink sand.
“Why haven’t we shut it down?” Jasper added.
“Because she sells a very difficult good to price, track, or tax.”
“What does she sell?” Jasper asked.
Ana rested her chin on her hands, staring at the sand. She allowed her eyes to drift over the polished metal of the hourglass, the lines of the fingerprints printed against it like a symbol of a kindred spirit who had also found it interesting. She flipped it over, counting the seconds.
“Secrets,” Riddle replied, “She’s gotten a pretty penny for them. You’ll find the circus in the valley just outside of town. It’s the last day before they move to the next town. I suggest you wait itout at the festival and recuperate before meeting Evira. There is plenty to do. Grab something to eat. Recharge. You’ll want to be on your toes.”
Ana’s eyes darted over toward the window as shadows moved past it. Two kids tried to peek inside. Her eyes moved back to the hourglass, and she observed the thin stream of sand accumulating into a mound at the bottom.
“Thanks, Riddle,” Jasper continued. “Now a second question. It’s a shot in the dark, but thought we’d try it.”
“All right.”
“We’re looking for someone that’s come through here within the past week. This person has a Number’s tattoo on the outside of the right trigger finger.”
“Man or woman? Eye color? Hair color?” Riddle prodded.
“Black eyes, black hair.” Jasper replied.
“Man or woman?”
“Woman,” Ana said.
“Man,” Jasper said.
They both looked at one another.
Riddle glanced between them. “Are the two of you looking for the same person?”
“Could be mistaken for either,” Jasper said as if muttering a confession. “Trigger finger is the key thing. Average height. Theperson blends in, other than a big black case. Do you remember seeing anything? Horse probably had a lot of bags.”
“Sorry. Not that I can think of.”
Ana leaned back, closing more of the space between herself and Jasper.
They exchanged glances.
