“And then what happened?”
“By the time I finished my call, a commotion had erupted in the nave. I was quickly escorted outside with the other guests. I had no idea what happened—I thought perhaps a fire.”
“A fire?”
“Candlelit chandeliers. Always a risk.”
“Did you see any birds in the church?”
“Cathedral.”
“Excuse me?”
“Technically, it’s a cathedral, not a church. The terms aren’t interchangeable, as many mistakenly believe. A cathedralcanbe a form of church, but it’s traditionally presided over by a bishop, which is obviously not the case in all churches, hence the differentiation. Actually, dating back to—”
“Thebirds, Caldwell,” he prompts, impatience tightening his jaw.
“Birds…” I bring the teacup to my lips and take a long, delicate sip, pretending to give his question the consideration he seems to think it deserves. “Now that you mention it, I did see a few ravens in the rafters. Not unusual in an old cathedral. Lots of cracks and crevices for them to slip through.”
“So you didn’t see Miss Avery leave the premises at any time?”
“No. But there were a lot of people milling about in the confusion. Quite chaotic. Perhaps she saw an opportunity and…” I make a starburst with my fingers. “Poof!”
“Poof?”
“She’s an adult woman. I’ve no reason to doubt Mr. Forsythe’s belief that she’s gone missing under suspicious circumstances, but adult women arenotoriousfor having their own minds and wills. As inconvenient as that may be for the rest of us, it’s a fact nevertheless.”
He paces before me, glancing between Forsythe and me as if this is the first time either of them has considered such a crazy notion. “Are you suggesting she fled of her own accord?”
“Women leave grooms at the altar every day. Perhaps she got cold feet.” Turning to Forsythe, I smack my lips together and say, “This is truly an excellent blend. Where did you say you found it?”
Irritation simmers in his red-rimmed eyes, but the Archmage knows a counter move when he sees it. He set me up tonight, no warning, andthatis a slight I won’t soon forget.
Not unlike the long,longlist of grievances I have about his treatment of my current houseguest.
A tremor of fury rolls through me, making the teacup rattle in its saucer. Pulling myself together, I drain the last of it and say, “I’m sorry I don’t have anything more helpful to share, but if I hear anything about her whereabouts, I’ll be sure to give you both a ring.”
“You do that.” Reedsy hands his empty whiskey glass to Forsythe and heads for the exit.
“Oh, Mr. Reedsy?” I call out. “How rude of me. I didn’t even ask after your family. How are Kaitlyn and the children getting on? And your mother, Vera? I hope her arthritis isn’t troubling her too much these days. I know the change of seasons can be particularly…menacing.”
His face pales, and I send another silent thank you to Rook. He dug up the details on all the agents’ families as soon as they started sniffing around our arseholes, but I’ve been saving up the knowledge for a special occasion.
Without another word, Reedsy disappears.
“If there’s nothing else, Lennon, I think I’ll call it a night.” I rise from the sofa and hand over my teacup.
“Again, I’m sorry for the bait-and-switch.” Forsythe offers a conciliatory smile. “I hope this doesn’t affect our association. I was looking forward to getting to know you and your partners a bit better. I just… I’m really at a loss as to what could’ve happened to her. She’s so young, and her parents are worried sick…” He trails off in a dramatic sigh, and it’s all I can do not to tear out his throat.
Jude and Rook already confirmed her parents left town—Jude found evidence of hastily packed bags at their Brooklyn home, and Rook’s been tracking their vehicle via state traffic and toll booth cameras. At last check, they were somewhere in Oregon.
“I understand your concern for the girl,” I say, forcing myself to keep my voice steady, “but the trickery was unnecessary. I would’ve gladly spoken to the agent if you’d simply—”
“You can’t lie.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Fae can’t lie. So I knew whatever you told him would be the truth, and if I was here during the questioning, I’d know it too.”
