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The mystery would have to wait a while longer, because I couldn’t call him back right this second.
I had a dead body to deal with.
And I had to be the one to tell Callum about it before the lawyers beat me to it.
I keyed in the number for my uncle’s office line and prayed for voicemail. He picked up before it was through the second ring. Go figure he was already up and working. He’d probably been at his desk since five. I wasn’t sure the man ever actually slept.
I was starting to understand why.
“Speak.”
“Uncle Callum, it’s Genie.”
“I know. I said speak.”
Ever the stirring conversationalist, my uncle.
“We’ve got a bit of a situation down here.”
Silence.
I chewed the inside of my cheek, waiting for him to say something, but when no further words came, I went on. “Two of my wolves were involved in a scuffle. Someone…a human someone, that is, was killed. Died.”
He cleared his throat, and even that small sound was loaded with irritation. “Do you have everything in hand?”
“Right now? Yes.”
“Good.” He hung up.
I stared at the phone, the call ended sign flashing at me.
Anger and annoyance chased away any traces of guilt I might have still felt. I’d done my job and told Callum what was happening. He couldn’t lord it over me later on, accusing me of hiding things or being dishonest. At this point it was the best I could hope for.
I dropped the phone on the table in disgust, so totally loathing this situation I wanted to scream. This morning my biggest concern had been distracting the neighbors with my too-hot suitor.
I should have stayed in bed.
Emmett and Mason had heard everything, of course. It was hard to keep a phone conversation private from a werewolf. Our senses were too keen. But Detective Perry, at least, was still oblivious to my uncle’s abrupt conversation ending. As far as he knew I was in total control.
So that’s what I would be.
I fixed Emmett and Mason with a stern glare and pointed at each of them in turn. “Neither of you says a word to anyone until I’m back, is that understood? Not one damn word.”
They nodded silently, and I pushed back my chair and approached Perry, trying to give off an air of absolute confidence. “While we’re waiting for the lawyer, I’d like to see the body, please.”
“Excuse me?”
“The coroner’s van is still here, so I know you haven’t cleared the crime scene yet. I want to see the body.”
“Now, Miss McQueen, I know the law has given you certain privileges, but that doesn’t mean you get to have total control over a crime scene. It doesn’t work like that.”
I squared my shoulders, took a deep breath, and when I spoke again, I tried to be polite but commanding. “Detective Perry, if my werewolves have killed someone, there is a very serious punishment to go along with that crime. But I will not take just anyone’s word about their guilt. Show me the body. I won’t touch it, I won’t mess up your crime scene, I need to see it for myself.”
Perry glanced over to the bear officer, whose nametag I now noticed read K. Fisher. I wasn’t sure what was silently communicated between the two of them, but after a moment the detective said, “You don’t touch anything.”
I nodded, somewhat stunned he was agreeing to this.
He took me to a side door that led into the taped-off alley and stepped out ahead of me. Alongside small yellow tent cards bearing black numbers was a white sheet made of a thin plastic material covering the unmistakable shape of a body.
