Page 71 of Deadly Avarice
I never gave out my home address. That was just asking for trouble if things didn’t go the way my clients wanted. I quickly thought of a few options, discarding most of them. In the end, I settled on a cemetery I knew relatively well. Trinity Holy Cross wasn’t one of the graveyards I frequented on my downtime,but it wasn’t overly loud to my necromancer senses either. The weather wasn’t even too shabby today. It was mostly sunny and in the low sixties. I asked Janet if she needed the address and she told me she’d look it up online.
“I’ll text you when I’m about thirty minutes away,” Janet offered.
“That works for me.”
“Wonderful. We’ll see you soon.” Janet ended the call, leaving me pondering if thewein that statement was her and her granddaddy’s ashes, or if someone on this side of the veil was accompanying Janet Meeker.
I was staring at my dark phone when Captain Loretta Cicely walked by and said, “You look pleased.”
Nodding, I was still grinning when I answered, “My client offered to come to me.”
Loretta’s eyebrows rose. “The one in Louisiana? The one that O’Hare was supposed to go with you to meet today before he was called away to check on a person of interest?”
“One and the same. This way, Franklin doesn’t have to take any time off. I know he’s busy and—”
“And you are very important to all of us. I hope you’re not doing this out of concern for O’Hare’s position here. I assure you, I am fully behind O’Hare’s desire to keep you safe.” Loretta squared her shoulders as she stared up at me. We were almost the same height. Despite her missing my mark by an inch or so, I felt cowed by her gaze.
“No.” I cleared my throat and attempted to shore up my voice. “No, it’s not that. But this way is simpler for everyone.” Maybe not for Janet Meeker, but she seemed eager enough.
Loretta looked me up and down before releasing a sigh. “When are you meeting this client and where?”
Scratching the back of my head, my neck burned from embarrassment. Loretta’s concern was a bit overwhelming. “Myguess is three to four hours from now. As for where, Trinity Holy Cross Cemetery.”
Loretta jotted down the name and tucked the piece of paper into her pocket. “I’ll let O’Hare know. Feel free to text him too. He may not be able to respond right away.” With a frown, she added, “The situation’s not good.”
I swallowed hard. “Is Franklin in danger?”
Loretta shook her head. “Doubtful. But one can never be too careful. Don’t worry. O’Hare’s got backup. You just take care of yourself. Worrying about the ones we love is every law enforcement officer’s distraction. It’s unavoidable, but it can prove problematic as well.”
Guilt stabbed my chest. While I didn’t think Loretta said those words to be cruel or to get me out of Franklin’s life, they were a harsh reminder that in many ways, I was more of a liability to Franklin while he was on the job.
“I’ve got this,” I assured Franklin’s captain. “It’s a simple retrieval on my home turf. Besides, I’m loaded with Pops’s charms.”
Loretta cringed. “Yes…well, Warlock Holland is very skilled.”
Laughter tore its way through my chest, bubbling through my mouth. “That he is.” With a wink, I added, “He’s skilled at a lot of things. Prideful ass-holery is just one of them.”
Loretta’s cringe turned into a smirk. “Too true.” Walking past me, Loretta’s rings flashed in the fluorescent lights as she waved me away. “Take care of yourself, Erasmus Boone. You are far too important to this department and the man that occupies that desk to let anything happen to you.”
I stared at Franklin’s empty chair, wishing more than anything that he were sitting in it. I didn’t like the implications of his chair sitting there, waiting for its occupant to come back. Slipping my fingers along the back of the chair, I whispered, “Be careful, Franklin. You are far too important to me too.”
Chapter
Twenty-Five
Franklin
What in the hell was wrong with Billy’s school? They didn’t even vet the authenticity of the person who’d called in, stating there was an emergency at home and releasing him from class.
True to his word, I’d found Billy huddled on a toilet in a stall in the men’s room. I’d had to announce my presence and Billy’s head ducked under the stall door to make certain it was me before he opened it and came out.
“Franklin?” Billy hesitantly asked. “Did they do something to Candy or the kids?”
I shook my head. “Your family is fine. That was my first phone call after I spoke with you. We already had officers watching your house. They hadn’t seen anything but went inside anyway and confirmed that your father, sister, and her children are all well and accounted for.”
Billy’s eyebrows pinched. “So, it was a lie?”
I nodded. “Just like you thought it might be.” Billy was hella smart. I hated the reason why he was so bright, or at least the way he had to use those street smarts.
