That doesn’t mean I’m capable of smelling humanity from a great distance or through walls.He paused.Though there are some very strange sounds coming out of that house of strumpets.
“I’m betting those sounds are nowhere near as weird as the ones mating cats make,” I said, amusement twitching my lips.
Hanna! Seriously?he said, in a mocking echo of my earlier outrage.
I laughed and hurried the last few steps across the dual highway as the lights to our left changed, and cars swept toward us. The shades had been drawn down on the double windows that lined the front of the building—likely to keep the sun out, even if there wasn’t much of it about right now—but there was no Closed sign on the door, and it opened when I pushed lightly against it.
A small bell chimed as I entered, and deep inside the darker confines, a cheerful voice said, “Be with you in a minute.”
A second later came the sound of footsteps—retreating rather than coming toward us.
“I’m thinking she’s running,” I murmured.
I’m thinking you’re right, Atticus said.I will scout.
You take the stairs. I’ll take the back room.
He sauntered off. I took a quick look behind the plain wooden counter just to be sure there was nothing untoward hiding there, then hurried across to the door leading into the next area. I pressed an ear against the wood, but the steps had fallen silent, and there was no other sound. I took a deep breath, wound the ever-faithful repelling spell around my fingers, then thrust open the door and quickly stepped back.
Just as well I did, because a fucking arrow hurtled past me and thudded heavily into the door frame.
“Cathy Ryan? It’s Hanna Kang, Black Lantern Society. We need to talk about a recent contract you placed.”
There was a long pause, then, “Show me your badge.”
Her voice came from the back of the room, so she wasn’t going to see much in the way of detail, but I nevertheless dug my badge free from my handbag, flipped it open, and held it out.
“Don’t move,” she said. “Hold the badge right where it is.”
Footsteps came closer, but I resisted the urge to look around the doorframe. I had a bad feeling there was another arrow notched and ready to go.
Upstairs there is accommodation and a locked room I’m presuming is an office, Atticus said.You want me to smite her for you?
No. I can’t get information from a dead person.
I wasn’t going to smite her dead. Just cinder her a little.
The footsteps stopped several feet away from the door. I could have hit her with the repelling spell if I had wanted, but I decided to play it fair.
For now.
Atticus, can you tell Ginny what is happening? And warn her Cathy is armed with a bow.
Not just a bow and arrow, but a silver-tipped one.
And silver was deadly to shifters. It meant she had indeed seen our arrival and Ginny’s subsequent shift; why else would she be armed with such a weapon?
“You can lower the badge,” Cathy said. “What do you want?”
“I want the name of the person who contracted Grant Hopkins and a second man to enter the premises of Luke Marlowe and Monica Ashworth.”
“I don’t?—”
“Yeah, you do know,” I cut in brusquely, “and the person who did the contracting intended them to be meals for the three demons she sent after Monica Ashworth. That makes you an accessory to murder, I’m thinking.”
“What? No, you can’t blame?—”
“We can and will, but we’re the least of your problems right now, because the person behind the contract has a habit of erasing anything and anyone who could lead them to her or him.”
