Page 40 of Goblins Don't Count
His expression smoothed. “Of course, just gossip about witches being evil and dangerous. Nothing new there. Are there any good snacks at the coven meetings?”
I blinked at him. “Snacks?”
“Some have terrible snacks. I hope your coven isn’t in such a state.”
“I hardly ever go to the coven meetings, but they do have good sausage rolls sometimes, if Clary’s there.”
“Clary Sage?” he asked, but there was something off about his incredibly casual question.
I squinted at him, reading his aura. It was big. Bold. And very, very intent on me and my information, however casual he might be pretending to be.
I took two steps away from him. “Anyway, I should get back to work. This is Lieutenant Joss’s office. Best of luck with your interview.”
He flashed me another smile with those dimples. “I don’t need luck. Perhaps after I speak with him, you can take me to the coven meeting. They’re still in session, right?”
As if there was something official about Saturdays at the coven grove. Thursday was the civilized day, and they had plenty of frolicking before they’d spent all of Friday drinking home brew. By Saturday, it was absolute chaos. “I’m hardly a member. They don’t even know that I’m a cop.”
“Ah.” His expression cleared. “Because your mother doesn’t approve of female officers. You did mention that. I suppose I could find my own way, but if you drove me, I’d make sure I didn’t use your name as the reason I was there, Miss Rynne Sato.”
I flinched and bared my teeth in a smile. “I’m working. I can’t just take off to introduce some blackmailing warlock.”
“And if your boss invites you to take me?”
I frowned at him. There was something extremely dangerous about him, both his intensity and confidence. “I would appreciate you not mentioning my work,” I finally said.
“Perfect. I’ll see you soon.” He winked at me and then entered my boss’s office without knocking.
ChapterTwelve
When I got to my office, I sat down and opened the first folder. It was the Pix dust dealer’s profile. Could that be relevant to the murders? I didn’t see how. I closed that folder and put it to the side, opening the next. It was a suicide from two years ago, but nothing involving sealed rooms and guns. The girl had slit her wrists in a tub in her apartment and hadn’t been found for a few days.
I grimaced. I remembered that case. I’d been working security, but could still recall the smell of decaying flesh as they carried out the body. Why would Lieutenant Joss look at that file? I went through it again, looking for a note. No note. Family, all deceased except for her mother. She was seventy percent human, with some mixed blood from her father, elven mostly, but also some goblin. That made me sit back and blink. If elves could get with goblins, why couldn’t witches? Of course, the girl had killed herself, probably filled with too many conflicting feelings.
I took a photo of the girl’s face with my phone, not when she was dead, but when she was alive and working for a company. ‘Cellular Beauty.’
I closed the file and then opened the last one, which was in regard to some stray dogs and cats found dead in a summoning circle. That kind of thing might be normal in Song, but in Sing, the upper city, it was very noticeable, particularly when it was in an alley behind a respectable shopping mall. The case hadn’t been pursued, most likely because we were swamped and short-staffed. But why hadn’t I heard about the case? It was only last year, and I should have at least seen it cross a desk. Demon summoning was serious business. We didn’t want a full-scale war on our earth again. No one would survive a second battle like the one two hundred years ago. Give or take.
Why would Lieutenant Joss be looking at these files?
My door opened and there he was, my boss, chewing on a piece of licorice with Winston the Warlock just behind his shoulder, peering at me with too-knowing eyes.
“Can I help you?” I asked, standing and moving so my body would block the desk. Not that there was anything wrong with looking at old case files, particularly ones that no one had done anything about.
Joss thumbed towards the warlock. “He’d like a ride to the local coven meeting. You don’t mind helping him out, do you?”
I looked from my boss to the warlock who was apparently wickedly gifted at manipulating people. “No, that’s fine. Let me grab my briefcase.”
I turned and shuffled the files into my case, and snapped it closed with a breath of relief. They were still standing there, watching me. I flashed a smile at my boss as I passed him. “See you Monday.”
He hesitated, then nodded. I’d get the rest of my weekend if I played nice with the warlock. Joss was aware that the celebrity would have the ability to sway public opinion in whichever direction he chose.
Once we’d left the office, I glanced at the powerful magic-user who was extremely wily. “As a heads up, don’t tell anyone that you want to register them. If you come out directly like you did with me, they’ll try to drown you.”
“They have a lake where they drown all visitors?” he asked mildly.
“In home brew. Far more dangerous. Wah!” I leaped back when a rabid raccoon jumped me from the side, dodging, so he landed on Winston the Warlock instead.
He juggled the raccoon, managing to keep his hands away from the sharp teeth and claws until I stopped acting like an idiot and grabbed Mr. Raccoon by the scruff of the neck, yanking him in the air and staring into those beady eyes.
