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I kept scooting past it. “Third oneover.”
My fingers ached from holding up my body weight, and my forearms were quivering by the time I reached my balcony, but I hopped down successfully. Dimitri waited until I nodded and gave him a thumbs-up. He must have found the gutter too flimsy for his greater weight, for he pulled himself all the way up on the roof. He crawled over on his hands and knees, then plopped down with agrunt.
“There’s a rooftop deck up there,” he said. “This is a coolplace.”
“Especially for the fancy apartments that have access to it.” I pointed toward the other side of the building. “They have views of the water.” I gestured at my own view of the brick wall across the alley, including a neighbor’s bathroom window, which he unfortunately didn’t have curtains for. Nonetheless, I’d been happy to get an apartment with a balcony, especially one with room for the little table andchair.
“This balcony is larger than my van. It’s stillnice.”
“I’m not positive that’s true, but thank you.” I tried the sliding door, even though I’d locked it before I left lasttime.
It was unlocked, so I wasn’t surprised when I opened it, pushed aside the curtains, and stepped on something. A lot of somethings. Books. Clothes. A couple of canvas grocery bags from the store downstairs… My belongings were strewn all over the combination living room, dining room,kitchen.
“Maybe a hotel would have been better after all,” Imuttered.
“Did you leave it like this?” Dimitri stepped in afterme.
“I’m not a neat-freak, but I’m not this much of a slob.” I pulled the curtains closed behind him before picking up a small lamp that had been knocked on the floor and turning it on. In case one of the agents watching the place wandered down the alley, I didn’t turn on any brighter lighting that would give us away. “The question is whether the government guys did this or someone else has beenhere.”
“What would the government have been looking for besidesyou?”
“Lieutenant Sudo is doing an investigation. Maybe he had some agents come in to see if I have enormous wads of cash stashedanywhere.”
“Doyou?”
I lifted the big glass wine jug by the door that held several years’ worth of change. Amusingly, it was still sitting in its spot on the bookcase, probably because it had been too heavy to knock off without effort. Copper was the dominant color inside, and I doubted there was more than a hundred dollars incoins.
“Enough for a few pizzas,eh?”
“Soft drinks too.” I checked the bedroom and found it in a similar state of disarray, with the top mattress flipped and all the bedding on thecarpet.
“Sindari,” I whispered, touching my charm. “Will you come back for abit?”
I wasn’t sure he could so soon, not after I’d had him out for hours, including a fight and a chase, but I wanted his assessment—his keen nose. Also, I wouldn’t mind having him guarding the door if I was going to get naked and take a shower. Assuming I could find my loofah andsoap.
When the mist coalesced into the familiar silver tiger, Sindari was on his back with his paws in the air and his eyes closed. By luck or design, he’d ended up in the middle of the comforter on the floor with his head on apillow.
“Is that your way of telling me it’s bedtime where you are?” Iasked.
Yes. I am healing from the wounds those vile dark elves gaveme.
I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called you so soon, but as you can see, someone ransacked myapartment.
He opened an eye and rotated his head, taking in the comforter.You did not prepare this bed forme?
Sorry, no. Would you sniff around and see if you can figure out who washere?
He yawned, displaying his fangs, and his nostrils twitched. No, theysniffed. He was taking my requestliterally.
I assume you know about Dimitri. Older lingering scents that I detect… someone was chewing cinnamon gum. Odious. There’s also the faint odor of a pine-scented shampoo or soap. Coffee—you don’t drink that, doyou?
No. And I doubt dark elves do either.These sounded like the scents of a government agent, or at least ahuman.
I know little of their culinary preferences, but I do believe the two intruders were human and came at least twelve hoursago.
I glanced at the clock radio currently dangling off the bedside table. It was almost four in the morning.So, after we peeled out of Bend. There’s at least one agent keeping an eye on this building tonight. Will you stand—or lie—guard while I take a shower? Then I’ll let you go back to your realm for a nice longnap.
Very well.Eyes closed, Sindari looked like he would do precisely as asked. Lieguard.
