Page 87 of For Dear Life

“By your deductions, me,” I retort. “I hope you’re watching Kai if that’s who Oz intended to kill.”

I need to talk to Violet. Dorian. Somebody. Can Ethan help? His connections with the shifters?

“What about the witches who took Oz from the ER the other night?” I ask. “Isn’t that suspicious? He was seriously ill.”

“Oz was under the influence of illicit substances,” says Wagner. Under the influence, yeah. Drugs? No. “That’s a common problem we have with teens in town, especially shifters.”

I lean forward, forearms on the table. “I’m not a shifter, but I’m beginning to understand why there’s constant trouble between them and humans. They’re not the only violent, drug-influenced part of the town, but shifters are made to feel like they are. I think you’re being incredibly narrow sighted to discount witch involvement. What’s Oz said about that?”

Wagner presses his lips together. “That’s information one of you will share.”

I eye them both. Rory. They’ve barely touched on his death. Where’s his body? Because if the detectives knew the wake never happened they’d say something, surely.

“The witches who took Oz from the hospital!” I urge. “Why would they?”

“Nobody took Oz from the hospital.”

“Jesus!” I hold both palms against my forehead. “Someone in this town is covering things up. I saw the witches take Oz! I was at the hospital. Don’t you have security footage?”

“Yes, Leif, but there are mysterious gaps in the time stamps, as if someone tampered with the recording. No witches on camera, but Rowan Willowbrook and Violet Blackwood were with you. Do you think we need to question them next?” Harding asks softly.

“What about DNA? Mine would be on Wes’s clothes.” I pause. “Or Rory’s.”

“Funnily enough, we struggled to find any DNA.” Harding moistens his lips.

“Because witches were involved,” I half-shout. “Why aren’t you listening to me? Have they screwed with your minds too?”

“Witch involvement? Hybrid involvement. Runes. DNA removed. Tell us how the Blackwood girl is involved and help yourself.”

I fight sneering at them. “You think Dorian would keep out of this if Violet’s dragged in again? Sure. Bring Dorian in now. And his mind-reading witches. Tell them to look into Oz’s empty head!”

Harding tuts again and looks to his colleague. “And Leif says we’re prejudiced against shifters.”

I slump back. “I’m not saying any more. But you have this wrong. Your pieces don’t fit together.”

Silence falls and I rub my perspiring palms against my lap, before sipping from the bottle of water a staff member brought me over an hour ago.

“Leif. Video evidence is a large piece of the puzzle and fits perfectly. Now we need somebody to give us names. Oz couldn’t draw a witch rune as intricate as the one on the bodies.”

“Witches,” I say through gritted teeth.

This is useless.

I know I saw Wes’s murder because Violet helped me find that memory, but I’m also positive I stumbled across the scene when running from my fight with Viggo. Wrong place, wrong time that led to the witches messing with my head rather than killing me? Or am I the one set up?

As the detectives take me back to the small cell to consider if my next home will be the county jail, I picture Violet and her recent responses to unjust treatment of others. There’s nothing Violet can do or say that stands against the evidence on that phone.

I hope to hell that when the hybrid girl descends on the sheriff’s office, Rowan accompanies her.

30

VIOLET

I’m not here to steal evidence and pay a side-visit to the morgue this time, but I am dealing with the same woman, who’s well-practiced in preventing anybody passing. I’m under strict instruction by Rowan not to use a spell on her mind and risk a stay in a cell too, but the temptation rises the more times she refuses to let me see Leif.

“I’m still not sure we should’ve come here, Violet,” says Rowan.

I turn away from the unhelpful woman who watches us closely. “Did you honestly expect me to do anything different?”

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