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Eli extended his hand and shook the mayor’s. “Miss Crowe is a Jewish witch, mayor. Unmarried currently, so touching men casually . . .” He shrugged in a what-can-you-do way.
Admittedly, I wasn’t the sort of Jew that avoided contact with men, far from it, but I didn’t offer that fact up. The beauty of the fae was that they misdirect as easily as most people blink. Eli had explained why I refused to shake Tres’ hand or the mayor’s hand.
Chief Caisson looked me up and down like the thought of sending me out to face the monsters worried him. “I expect Broussard explained the situation.”
Eli pulled out a chair for me.
When I sat, the mayor, chief, and Gary all did. The pencil pushers followed suit. Only Eli and Tres remained standing. Eli because he didn’t trust Tres, and Tres because he was grandstanding or maybe being a dick. The whole being dead thing hadn’t brought out Tres’ better qualities.
“Gentlemen.” I stared at Tres.
There will be no dick-measuring here, Tres,I thought toward him.Sit.
Once Tres sat, Eli moved so he was leaning against the wall behind me, looking more like a bodyguard than anything else. I didn’t bother arguing. Eli was his own man and having him watch my back wasn’t a bad thing.
“If you need a bodyguard . . .” the chief started.
“What I don’t need is the extra work, chief,” I said with a smile. “And yet here I am. Gary is a friend, so I came to hear you out.”
“We have received a donation—”
“From?” Eli asked.
“An anonymous benefactor.” Chief Caisson tapped a file folder. “There are several terms here. We cannot share the benefactor’s name. The funds stipulate that we can only hire you. And, of course, that we ask you to sign a ‘non-liability’ form holding the department or the benefactor responsible for any injury or death sustained while under contract.”
“And you get a donation if I accept,” I added.
The mayor and chief exchanged looks.
Chief Caisson scowled at Gary. “Did Broussard tell you that?”
I leaned back, smiling at them. “Actually,youjust did. It was a hunch. You were awfully eager to meet me, and there’s only two reasons I can see—powerful benefactor or money. Power, money, and sex, gentlemen, that is what makes our city spin, isn’t it?”
They grumbled, but we all knew I was right.
“Is there a point at which I meet this donor?” I asked.
“No.” The mayor scowled. “Only three people know the donor’s identity. Me. Caisson. The donor.”
“That doesn’t strike you as odd . . .?” I looked at them, thinking a conscience might suddenly sprout. Surely, they realized something was off here! But the bottom line was that they would get funds, and that meant more to them than my well-being.
“Do you interrogate every employer?” Chief Caisson asked. “Or is it that we’re the police?”
“Seriously?” I pointed at Gary. “This man is literally one of my favorite people in this city. I providedraugrbullets to the department. I could sell them to a lot of places for significant upcharge. I don’t. I sell them at an embarrassingly low cost toyou.Do you have a problem with me, Caisson?”
“ChiefCaisson.”
“You’re not my chief, even if I accept the grant. Look, I don’t know what has your panties in a bunch but—”
“I’ll match whatever they’re offering if you don’t take the job,” Tres interjected.
Suddenly, the whole room was staring at him, then arguing amongst themselves, and Eli came up behind me. He leaned down and whispered, “Tell them they have a deal.”
I startled. “Why?”
“We need to lure the benefactor out.” He looked over at the mayor who was pointing at Tres and then at the chief of police. Whatever was going on, they weren’t all on the same page.
“Good point.” I hated it, not just because it felt like a trap. I wasn’t terribly impressed with the mayor or the chief of police.
