Page 10 of Deadly Deception
I walked Momma to the front door, and before she left, she turned and asked, “Does Aurelia know you’ll be gone?”
“Not that I know of. I haven’t seen her since yesterday.”
Momma’s eyebrows pulled into a deep V of concern. “Will she know where to find you?”
I shrugged. “Seems that way. She pops up when I’m out and about and haven’t told her where I’ll be on those occasions.” I didn’t mention that Aurelia found me when Dr. McCallister held me in that horrid basement. “Aurelia has a knack for knowing where I am.” That wasn’t the most comforting thought.
Momma didn’t see it that way. If anything, Momma was fond of Aurelia. She had a soft spot for my stalker-djinn and was determined to treat Aurelia just like any other mortal creature.
Leaning in, Momma brushed a kiss along my cheek, a soft, “Take care. I love you,” falling from her lips as she walked out the door.
Some hated flying. I was mostly indifferent. The flying part was okay, but the rigamarole leading up to boarding and takeoff were the irritating parts. Franklin’s grumbling told me he agreed.
“These seats are too small,” Franklin groused as he shifted. I’d given him the aisle seat in consideration of his taller and broader frame. Franklin’s legs did look scrunched.
“When we take off, you can stretch your legs into the aisle,” I offered. Franklin grunted but didn’t say much else.
The plane was still boarding. The vast majority of travelers were human. All the major airlines had to provide accommodations for other species. Brownies and fairies didn’t need airplanes to travel across country like the rest of us. With the exception of trolls and ogres, the airlines hadn’t needed to adapt much. Airplanes had much wider seats and more room between rows in troll- and ogre-designated areas. If they didn’t have a troll or ogre passenger to fill them, some lucky person got a hell of a lot more space to stretch out.
I helped Franklin fish out his seatbelt before I did the same. With that done, we were in a holding pattern while waiting for everyone else to board. Franklin’s fingers danced across the armrest. He’d been distracted and distant on the drive to Mobile. I’d tried letting sleeping dogs lie, but Franklin’s quiet contemplation amped up my own anxiety.
“So,” I started, “I don’t suppose Shane Tompkins filled in any gaps while we were apart.”
Franklin’s lips pursed and he gave a shake of his head. “No. He’s being incredibly stubborn. I’m not sure what’s going on and why he’s not comfortable talking about it over the phone. It’s frustrating.”
“Is that where your mind is?” I tapped Franklin’s temple for emphasis. “You’ve been awfully quiet.”
“I’m sorry,” Franklin apologized, contrite.
“Nothing to be sorry about. I wasn’t sure if you were nervous about flying or about going back to Chicago, or, well… There are a lot of possibilities.” Deep down, I was afraid what was reallybothering Franklin was introducing me to his family. He’d told me not to worry, but was that only for my benefit?
Franklin’s hand found mine and our fingers intertwined. Bringing our combined hands to his lips, Franklin kissed my knuckles. “Again, I’m sorry. I’ve been lost in my head. When I get like that, I—”
“Lose focus on anything and everything around you. I know. It’s one of your more charming traits.” I grinned up at Franklin and was rewarded with a light chuckle.
“I’m glad you think so. I doubt others would agree, but your opinion is the only one I care about.”
I swear my heart skipped a beat, and I wondered if I’d ever get used to hearing Franklin say things like that. I wasn’t even certain I wanted to get used to it. Trying to cover my flushed cheeks and stammering heart, I said “I’m sure I’ve got a few quirks that take some getting used to also.”
“No doubt, but that’s half the fun.”
Seriously, this man… We needed to change the topic before my stiffening dick made the plane trip terribly uncomfortable. Clearing my throat, I asked, “What do you think it’s about?”
“Captain Tompkins’s request for us to come to Chicago?”
“Yeah.”
“Considering he wants you there, I’m guessing they’ve got a deceased victim in need of an interview. Then again, Captain Tompkins is retired and the one thing he did say was that he was afraid an innocent is about to go down for something they didn’t do.”
I nodded while my brain ran through the other bit of information we had—the individual’s name. It was something I hadn’t been able to let go of. “We’ve got something else. Navarre.”
Franklin blew out a breath. “You caught that bit?”
“I caught a lot of it toward the end.” I hadn’t been eavesdropping intentionally. I hadn’t even activated one of Pops’s sound amplification charms. I’d simply been close enough to hear the name.
“Warlock?” Franklin asked.
It certainly sounded like it could be. You could tell some species by their names. Some had a single name, others two, some three, and others more. There was also a feel to a name, and warlocks certainly had a knack for naming their kids.
