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I laid it out for her. The only thing I didn't mention was that Salina appeared to be the murderous elemental in question and that Kincaid wanted to hire me to kill her. I wanted to talk to Owen about Salina - and a lot of other things - before I dropped the dime on that.
While Bria took notes on a small pad, Xavier crouched down next to the body, pulled up the tablecloth, and peered underneath.
The giant let out a low whistle. "That is one nasty mess. Did you say a water elemental did this?"
Something in his voice made me frown. "Yeah. Why?"
Xavier waved his hand at Bria. "Come take a look at this. "
My sister moved over, and Xavier raised up the tablecloth again so she could see Antonio's body. Bria's face tightened, and she nodded at the giant.
"It looks exactly the same as our other victim," she said.
My eyes narrowed. "What other victim?"
"Katarina Arkadi," Bria replied. "I'm sure you know the name. "
Oh, I knew the name all right. Katarina Arkadi was another one of the underworld movers and shakers, someone who was trying to consolidate her power base of late. If the rumors were to be believed, Arkadi had actually proposed some sort of cease-fire in the city until everything could be divided up between all the folks who had a seat at the table.
I glanced at Kincaid. Another rumor that Finn had told me about linked Arkadi with the casino boss in some hush-hush deal. I'd heard Arkadi had been found dead, but I'd been so preoccupied with Owen and Salina, and now Kincaid, that I hadn't really paid too much attention to the news stories surrounding her untimely demise.
"Arkadi's been dead how long now?" I asked, working through the timeline in my mind. "A week?"
"Four days," Bria corrected me. "Her maid came into her room to clean Sunday morning and found her in bed. Coroner said it looked like she'd died of sudden, extreme dehydration, like all the water had somehow been pulled out of her body. She was a mess, just like this giant is. "
I looked at her. "You don't believe in coincidences any more than I do. "
She gave me a grim smile. "Not in the least. Not in Ashland. "
Bria nodded at Eva, who was still standing with Violet and Sophia. "You want to tell me what Owen's sister is doing here? And Violet along with her?"
I shook my head. "I know why Eva says she's here, but not the real reason why. But believe me when I tell you I'm going to find out. "
"Well, fill me in when you get your answers," Bria said. "I'll have enough problems dealing with Kincaid. You wouldn't want to do me a favor and . . . motivate him to cooperate, would you?"
I grinned at her. "You're getting rather violent in your old age, baby sister. Last year, you never would have even suggested something like that. "
She grinned back at me. "What is it that Finn says? Violence seems to run in our family? Might as well use what we seem to be so good at to get some results, especially when I've got two dead bodies to explain to my boss. "
"Well, then, beauty before age, sweetheart. " I held out my hand.
Bria shook her head, but she was still grinning as we walked over to where Kincaid was standing. Eva hovered nearby, Violet and Sophia a few feet behind her. By this point, Eva had wiped the last of the tears from her eyes and regained her composure, although she kept trying very hard not to stare at Antonio's body. Her blue gaze kept going to it and then sliding away, as though it brought up too many bad memories for her to bear to look at it.
Bad memories were something else I was intimately familiar with. I just wondered how many more I'd make before this was all over.
Bria pulled her badge off her belt and flashed it at Kincaid. "Mr. Kincaid, I'm Detective Bria Coolidge with the Ashland Police Department. I'd like to ask you a few questions about what happened. "
Kincaid stared at her, then his gaze flicked to me. "I know exactly who you are, Detective. Why, I was discussing your tragic family history with your sister just minutes ago. Interesting, the wildly different paths the two of you have chosen in life. I bet it would make for a fascinating psychological case study. "
Bria and I both stiffened at his words, and I stepped forward, meeting Kincaid's cool, smug gaze with an even colder, more murderous one of my own. "Apparently, you didn't hear what I said about putting my friends and family in danger, Philly. Or perhaps you just didn't realize the same rules apply to mocking them as well. So I suggest you cut the wiseass routine, or you'll be too preoccupied with trying to stuff your innards back where they belong to answer Detective Coolidge's questions. "
Kincaid smirked, but before he could open his mouth to respond to my threat, another voice jumped into the mix.
"Eva! Gin!" Owen's voice floated up from the boardwalk.
I stepped away from Kincaid. "Up here!"
Footsteps pounded on the gangplank, and Owen surged into view. The giant guarding the entrance looked over his shoulder at Kincaid, but the casino boss waved his hand, telling his man to stand down.
