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I kissed her on the cheek. I was about to text Bree, to tell her about the day, when my phone rang. It was Daisy. Worried that there had been another murder, I answered.
“Elphyra? Are you busy?”
I sighed. “Not really but I don’t think I can try to talk to another spirit right now, if there’s been another murder. I’m exhausted?—”
“No, no…that’s not why I’m calling.” She paused, then said, “We caught the killer, thanks to the information that Sarah gave you.”
My heart jumped a beat. “Youdid? And you’re sure it’s him?”
“Yeah, we found all the evidence we needed. But…”
“There’s a but?”Please, don’t let him get off on a technicality, I thought.
“Probably not what you’re thinking. I guess Sarah’s father was listening in on a police scanner or something. We’re not sure. When we arrived at the police station with the suspect, Dell was waiting, hiding behind the big sign in front. As we walked the suspect toward the doors, Dell shot him. Killed him dead.”
I gasped. “Dellkilledthe serial killer?”
To be honest, though I was shocked, I was also relieved. It would save the county a huge amount in court fees and prevent him from ever escaping or being released back into the populace. But I didn’t want to say that aloud, and also—Dell could have made a mistake and shot someone else by mistake.
“Yeah. We’re positive he was the killer. We found souvenirs in his possession from each kill. We identified the suspect as Heinrich Stephenson. He’s a rogue shifter who was abandoned when he was a child. He’s not like most wolf shifters. He doesn’t turn into a wolf when he shifts. He’s actually one of the rare true lycanthropes. He shifts into a monster between human and wolf.”
I froze. “Lycanthrope? Werewolf, you mean? I didn’t know that was an actual thing. I thought it was some scare story shifter-haters used to stir up trouble.”
“Oh, it’s a real thing, all right. Lycanthropes are dangerous. They’re sterile themselves, but they’re a genetic mutation, born to wolf shifters on about a one in five thousand instances. They usually live outside the cities, and are most often nomadic. We are checking into his background now. But at least we caught him, thanks to you and to Sarah. I wanted you to know.”
I thanked her and, seeing that the kittens were down for a nap, I wandered into the living room, shutting the door behind me. Fancypants was on the coffee table, playing a slide puzzle game on my tablet.
“So, they caught the killer,” I said.
The dragonette looked over at me. “That’s a good thing, right?”
“Yeah, it is,” I said, deciding to leave it at that. “What do you want for dinner?”
“I don’t care,” he said, absorbed in the game.
In the kitchen, I poked through the fridge until I found a frozen pizza. I unwrapped it and placed it on a baking sheet, and then put it in the oven. Then, while I waited for it to bake, I called Bree.
“How’s it going?”
“I sure appreciate Leif and Claudette being around. I feel safe. I hate not feeling like I can take care of myself.”
I told her what had happened through the day, from Sarah’s ghost, to the cord cutting ritual, to Daisy catching the killer, to Dell assassinating him. “I feel like I’ve been through the wringer, Bree.”
“That’s a lot to take in. Are you okay?”
Rather than automatically respond, I thought about her question for a moment. “I think so. I’m exhausted. I wish I could unsee so many things. But the cord cutting, while hard, was necessary.”
“Your great-grandmother is a gem.”
“Yes, she is. Oh! I didn’t tell you, speaking of gems. I brought home Sarah’s kitten, along with a playmate.” I told her about Gem and Silver, until the doorbell rang. “Someone’s here. I’ll call you back in awhile.”
I answered the door to find Faron standing there. He leaned against the door post, wearing a pair of leather pants and a low V-neck sweater. His hair was loose, flowing over his shoulders, a rich cascade of brunette waves. He had a scruff of a beard, and his eyes sparkled.
I felt suddenly shy and I realized it was because now, I couldn’t use Rian as an excuse. Cutting the cords forced me to be honest with my decisions. If I was interested, I couldn’t stand behind his memory and use it as a barrier. If I decided I didn’t want to get involved, I had to be upfront and honest and—again—not use Rian as an excuse.
“You look wiped,” Faron said. “What happened? I’ve been in meetings all day.” He reached out and stroked my cheek, ending with a finger running across my lips.
“I am. Grams is asleep, I don’t want to bother her. Come in. I have a pizza ready to come out of the oven and I’m starved. You hungry?”
