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I wake up in the morning feeling terrible. When I check the clock on my wall for the time, I get a shock. It is late morning on Thursday already. What the hell? I grab my phone to make sure the wall clock is right, but it is switched off. The battery is dead. Rubbing my bleary eyes, I get up out of bed to plug it in to charge. I go to look out of my window. It is bright outside, and the street below is quiet, only one person walking up it. I cannot tell what time it is.
I only came home yesterday for a nap because I’d felt so crappy. I had meant to go and visit India again at the hospital yesterday evening. She will be worried that I left without saying goodbye.
Yawning, I strip off and step into the shower. I have a slight headache. I never wake up with a headache. My healing ability usually kicks in when I sleep. In fact, I feel like I’ve slept hardly two winks. I touch Theo’s amulet which is dangling on a chain around my neck. First my psychic powers, then my tiredness, and now my healing ability. How am I supposed to ask Theo if it is interfering with my healing ability, when I don’t want to tell Theo about my healing ability?
After showering I grab my phone and switch it on to call Theo. I am still yawning. My shower didn't do much to wake me up. I expect to have to leave a voicemail but Theo answers within a couple of rings.
“Hey Theo. Sorry, I’ve overslept,” I say. “And I’m so sorry I never picked up Beastie yesterday. I meant to but I conked out.”
I wince, expecting him to be displeased, but he says, “Don’t worry. You sound like you needed the rest.” He lowers his voice as if concerned that Beastie will hear him. “She’s fine. She hasn’t had time to sulk. Mozz has been carrying Beastie around under her arm everywhere she goes since yesterday. I’ve done my very best not to laugh.”
I chuckle. “Poor Beastie. Did she hate it? I doubt she’d put up with it if she didn’t secretly like it.” The mental image of Beastie dangling from beneath little Mozz’s arm makes me laugh some more.
Theo is not much for chit chat. “Let me guess,” he says. “You need to work on your other job today?”
I bite my lip. I had been working out how to broach the subject. It’s not exactly professional to notify Theo at the last minute like this. “Do you mind? I wanted to spend more time with India today.”
“That’s fine with me. You can have the whole day off if you like.”
I thank him profusely before hanging up. I notice I have a voicemail, and I brush my teeth as I dial it. I am surprised when the automated voice tells me there are four messages. I put my phone on loudspeaker to listen to them.
; The first message is from Storm. That smooth deep butterfly-inducing voice of his makes me smile the second I hear it. He asks me to call him back asap. I make a face. Too late now. He’d left the message yesterday. I hope it wasn’t urgent.
The second and third are from Theo wondering where I am and if I’m coming to pick up Beastie or not. I detect a tinge of concern in his voice that he fails to fully disguise. Poor Theo. He was probably worried that Wolf-Claw had got me. It’s sweet. I’ve never had someone worry about me in that almost parental way before.
I rinse out my mouth and pour myself some cereal as I listened to the fourth. It is from Remi informing me that India Lawrenson has gone missing from the hospital.
Feeling panicked I hang up and call Remi back immediately. She answers within a couple of rings. “Agent Remi Bronwyn.”
“Remi, what happened with India?” I say in a rush, my heartbeat still rocketing. “Is there any news? Do you want me to come down to Agency Headquarters? I can’t believe this. I should have stayed with her. What happened?”
“We don’t know all the details yet,” says Remi. “There is a search underway. I called to see if you could help.”
“But weren’t her guards there? What did they say?”
“A magical potion was used to knock out the Agency officer and the police officer posted on her door. They’ll be fine, but they were unable to tell us what happened.”
I feel a tinge of guilt. I had assumed that DI Zael’s police officer must somehow be at fault. “So the killer didn’t harm the guards,” I say. “That’s good news right?”
Remi hesitates. Her pause is long enough for me to worry she thinks India is dead. Either that or she thinks India might have something to do with her own disappearance.
“It can’t have been India,” I say stubbornly.
Remi sighs. “Nothing is clear cut in this case. We are operating under the assumption that Remi is a victim for now and trying to find out who ordered the tainted pizza.”
“And are there any other new leads on the killer?”
“We do have a lead,” says Remi hesitantly. “And we’re following up on it. But as Storm hasn’t formally hired you on this case, I can’t discuss it with you.” She sounds regretful.
“I don’t care if he’s hired me or not. How can I help if I don’t know? Please Remi!”
“I’m sorry, Diana. I’ll keep you updated If there is anything I can share.”
“Was it the landlord?” I ask sharply. “Jacob Jabari said that the landlord had followed Rachel and India to the bar. That’s your lead, isn’t it?”
“Sorry, Diana. I really can’t discuss it. But I was hoping that you might have dreamt something useful last night maybe?”
