Black Hat, White Witch

by Edwards, Hailey

  Now that he mentioned it, it did have that new circuit board smell.

  “What were you guys looking at before Colby interrupted?”

  “Maps.” Asa turned his laptop around, which already had a tab open with three red dots pinned to a digital map of the area. “The crime scenes are within twenty-five miles of one another.”

  “You think the killer is local?” I went through the motions of setting up the laptop how I liked it. “There’s another common thread, right? The properties where the victims have been found are off logging roads. The areas are in the process of being clear-cut.”

  “That fits with him being local.” Clay left his laptop shut. “He could be scouting locations on the job.”

  Done futzing, I asked, “How many logging companies operate within a fifty-mile radius of Asheville?”

  “A lot.” Clay snorted as he peeked over Asa’s shoulder. “A quick search pulls up twenty-five.”

  “So, we find out which companies had contracts for each kill site, get a copy of their employee rosters, and see if we have any matches.” For companies, employees, or hopefully both. “Are the Kellies still in research?”

  “They’ll be glued to screens until they die,” Clay said fondly. “And love every minute of it.”

  Arthur Kelley and Kelly Angelo—aka the Kellies—were the Black Hat research team.

  Arthur was an old-as-dirt vampire, Kelly was a fledgling gargoyle, and they were as head over heels with the job as most folks were for their mates. With their light sleep schedules, the pair worked pretty much around the clock. Neither were allowed outside the Black Hat compound. The security feeds allowed the two a view of the changing world without risking human lives by releasing them into it.

  “Do we have video of the scene?” I wasn’t up to speed on current procedure. “Or is that old school?”

  “First on scene films it,” Clay confirmed. “We have vest cams now too, but the director nixed them for this case.”

  “I’ll put in a request.” Asa clicked a few keys. “We’ll have it in the morning.”

  “He didn’t want to risk a leak.” Smart move on his part. “One video is easier to suppress than ten.”

  “That supports our concerns that the killer will take his, to borrow from Rue, art public.” Asa frowned. “I wonder if there’s a secondary reason for the director’s precautions within the Bureau.”

  “An inside man?” Clay tilted his head. “I wouldn’t rule it out.”

  “The Silver Stag files were sealed as soon as we realized we had a serial killer,” I recalled. “An agent back then might have heard gossip around the office. Now, aside from the personal notes of those involved, it would require express permission from the director to access that case.”

  The question wasn’t if one of our fellow agents was capable of committing this Stag-worthy crime spree. That answer was a resounding yes. But if it was one of our own, then why wait a decade? Why the Stag?

  “For now,” I decided, “I’m going to chalk the director’s behavior up to an overabundance of caution.”

  “You don’t like the idea of sizing a fellow agent for a noose?”

  Glancing up from the screen, I found Asa watching me with steady intent. “Not particularly.”

  Most of us had done the crime and the time. Punishment ought to end at some point, in my opinion. But Black Hat was a lot like the mob. Marty was right about one thing. The only sure way to leave the Bureau for good was in a pine box.

  “We’re veering off track.” Clay rapped his knuckles on the table. “Logging companies are a good place to start. The Kellies can have that information to us first thing. We’ll follow that lead from there.”

  I could have contacted the Kellies myself, but I wasn’t ready to talk without hexing them yet.

  They sniffed out intel for agents working cases, yeah, but that was a drop in the bucket of their duties.

  The duo also tracked prey for the director via the internet.

  Prey that now included me.

  The Kellies had been doing their jobs. More importantly, they had no choice but to do their jobs.

  I knew that. I did. I understood. Sympathized even. We were all trapped. Caged within the Bureau’s bars. True, the world was safer with us contained, leashed. But through me, they had put Colby in the director’s crosshairs, and that I had trouble forgiving.

  “Works for me.” I had another thought. “Do we know if the truckers are employed by the company? Or are they independent contractors?”

  “I’ll make a note,” Asa murmured. “The Kellies can dig up that information while they’re at it.”

  A familiar trilling sent me in search of my cell, which I had left on the bed. “Hello?”

  “The wards blinked just now.”

  Ice glazed my spine, and my fingers curled around the phone. “As in contact?”

  The wards had a few different indicators I rigged for Colby, who couldn’t feel them the way I did when in close proximity. The most common was a blink, which meant that a person or object had made contact. I had the sensitivity dialed all the way up while I was away, which meant anything bigger than a chipmunk would trigger a blink.

  The blink itself was conveyed via a decorative traffic light I mounted on the wall above Colby’s monitor. I fixed it so brief contact with the wards would flash yellow for caution. Prolonged contact turned it red. If all was well, it remained green.

  “It was yellow,” she said in a tiny voice. “It’s okay, I’m okay, I just wanted you to know.”

  “Keep an eye on it.” We both knew she wasn’t going to sleep any time soon without adult supervision. “Tell me if it goes red, and I’ll be on the next flight home.”

  “Okay,” she said softly. “Call me in the morning?”

  “You got it.” I let her hang up then opened the security app on my phone. “Better safe than sorry.”

  The guys, who had no trouble overhearing private conversations, would guess at my panic.

  The first thing I did after purchasing the house was blanket it with security cameras. I wanted a warning to come through to us even if my wards unraveled before they sounded an alarm. I was doubly grateful for that paranoia now, as I flipped from camera to camera, bouncing from the porch view to the various entry points to the empty driveway and then to the tree mount that overlooked the entire house.

  “I don’t see anything.” I exhaled through my parted lips. “It was probably an animal.”

  “There are plenty of rabbits, deer, raccoons, foxes, and smaller prey on and around your property.”

  The rundown from Asa, who had hunted there, made me feel better. However, Clay was unamused for it to come to light that Asa had been on the prowl while he was paralyzed and had chosen my property for his hunt.

  “I get alarms if the camera perimeter is breached,” I told them, “but I’ll turn on motion alerts too.”

  “Maybe we should call it a night.” Asa noticed the time. “It’s been a long day.”

  “That sounds good.” I set down my phone. “I’ll shower and order room service while you rest.”

  “I can stay if you want company.” A wrinkle pinched Clay’s brow. “I can binge Baketopia later.”

  “That reminds me…” I squared off against him. “Your addiction to baking competitions is the reason why I stress bake. I hope you know that.” I jabbed a finger into his hard abs, which had literally been sculpted to perfection. “I could have opened a bakery with all the flour, butter, and sugar I’ve gone through in the last decade all because you got me hooked on sweets.”

  Yet another reason he booked suites. They tended to come with full—if mini—kitchens. If he got bored with streaming videos or reading on his phone late at night, he got out of bed and hit Pinterest for recipes.

  One night, early into our partnership, when my dreams were extra gruesome, Clay invited me to join him at the stove. The rest was history.

  “I could have groceries delivered while you shower.” He wi
nked. “I still remember that cookie recipe.”

  “Kitchen sink cookies.” I wiped my mouth in case I drooled. “Can we bake them tomorrow night?”

  “Sure thing.” He grinned. “I’ll get an order together. I expect we’ll be here another day at least.”

  “That sounds perfect.” I flipped a hand at the equipment. “You guys can leave that here.”

  “Okay.” Clay led the charge back to their room. “See you in the morning, Dollface.”

  Asa was slower to follow, and he paused on the threshold between rooms to toy with my doorknob.

  “We left this unlocked earlier.” He twisted the deadbolt. “I would rectify that.”

  That wasn’t worrisome to hear right before bed. “You carried me in, right?”

  Hand sliding off the door, he lowered his gaze. “I did.”

  “Then thank you.” I joined him on the threshold, placed my hand on his chest, and pushed. “Night.”

  After I shut the door between us, I heard a faint exhale that sounded like “Good night.”

  9

  I ordered in breakfast before I called the guys and invited them to my suite for updates. It was the least I could do to make up for last night. I still felt bad about Colby disturbing them to reach me, but I felt even worse for neglecting her. This was our first time apart, and I was falling down on the job on day one.

  Yes, circumstances beyond my control were to blame.

  No, that didn’t matter one bit to a scared kid home alone.

  A kid who must have stayed up all night playing with her friends if she was missing her requested call.

  This time, I would leave a message to make sure she knew I hadn’t forgotten about her.

  “You’re not answering, so I assume you’re unconscious. Call if you need me. Or if you need anything. You’re good on food, right? Enough sugar water to last you? How about snacks? Do you need—?”

  A knock on the room dividing door kept me from going overboard with the helicopter parenting.

  Or not.

  Ending the embarrassingly long voicemail, I opened the security app on my phone and jumped indoor cameras until I spotted Colby asleep in her chair in front of her computer. Safe and sound.

  Another knock had me rushing over to twist the lock and let the guys in. “Morning.”

  “Do I smell bear claws?” Clay sniffed as he entered the room. “Did you knock over a bakery?”

  A smile twitched in my cheek when I noticed a gleaming black pompadour perched on his head.

  “Those are apology muffins and bear claws of remorse. There’s also coffee of forgiveness and milk of…” I thought about it. “Okay, I’m not sure what the milk signifies, but it’s whole milk. Your favorite.”

  “How about ‘milk of you didn’t have to do this’?” He sat and claimed a bear claw. “You’re a package deal with Colby. We knew that when we left Samford.”

  The rich tobacco scent I had come to associate with Asa filled my nose as he entered the room.

  He wore his Black Hat suit but had left his hair down, and it flowed in a smooth sheet past his hips. His septum bling was a thick silver barbell, and his earrings tiny dots to match. I briefly wondered if he was pierced elsewhere, but I couldn’t focus, even on dirty thoughts, past the hair.

  The girly girl in me craved to plait it. Like my fingers actually curled in want of a brush. An overwhelming need to touch it made my palms itch. He was lucky I didn’t have any hairbands on me. Otherwise, I might have attacked him with an insatiable lust to style him.

  “Morning,” he said softly. “How did you sleep?”

  “Better than I have in years.” That was the honest truth. “I was too tired to toss and turn.”

  A quick turkey club from the hotel kitchen, which cost twenty-five dollars, made for a decent meal. After I showered the woods and creek off me, I expected to stare at the ceiling until dawn. The earlier nap had been glorious, and I didn’t expect to get lucky twice in one night. With the Sandman, that is.

  The jerk had been holding out on me forever, so I was thrilled he felt like putting out for a change.

  “You bought breakfast.” He took the seat opposite mine. “That was thoughtful.”

  “The call,” Clay explained between bites. “This is edible guilt.”

  After careful consideration of his options, Asa claimed a muffin. He also poured himself a black coffee.

  With my guests both eating, I sat and selected a muffin. To play the game well, I chose one with a similar blueberry to crumble ratio. I couldn’t help myself. It was a compulsive behavior at this point. Part of me had to know what Asa would do. I had a good idea, of course, but I had no idea why he did it. That smidgen of mystery was enough to convince myself I ought to yank the daemon’s tail.

  Not that Asa had a tail. That I had seen. Did he, though?

  Hmm.

  “I got a present in my inbox.” I pulled up the file from the Kellies. “I assume you both received a copy?”

  “The crime scene recording.” Clay sounded about as thrilled as me to view it. “Synchronize watches.”

  “Hitting play…” I hovered my finger over the key, “…now.”

  The first five minutes made me regret the one bite of muffin I had taken to mark it.

  “I can’t see a thing.” Clay rubbed his stomach like the jumpy footage also made him queasy. “Too blurry.”

  The agent wasn’t walking at a fast clip so much as he was sliding down the embankment, which made for a Tilt-A-Whirl ride for his viewers. Namely us. His arm steadied when his feet hit the flat bottom, and I got my first look at the untouched crime scene.

  The camera panned a slow circle, taking in the surroundings, before the agent advanced to the creek. He paused there, stood on the bank, and filmed the three lifelike does posed on the rocky outcropping. One sat with her legs tucked under her. Another stood tall and proud at the peak. The last victim balanced on three legs while the fourth leg hovered over the water, as if she were about to jump.

  A sleek crow, perched on the highest doe’s head, cawed for the camera before leaping into the sky.

  The illusion was so convincing, had I come across this tableau on a hike, I would have frozen, breath held, for fear of spooking the deer.

  The video progressed from there. The agent waded into the creek to film the rock from all angles and spent a long time on each doe to ensure no details were lost. When he finished, he backed onto the shore and ended the cut with another framed shot of the entirety of the killer’s handiwork.

  “Who filmed this?” I queued it to play again. “He did a good job.”

  “Billy Kidd.” Clay read off his screen. “Credits are at the very bottom.”

  The word credits triggered a suspicion Billy might have been a film major in college.

  “Nothing stood out to me.” Asa drummed his fingers. “What are we looking for?”

  “Anything.” I was reminded of my conversation with Billy. “Kidd was hesitant to leave me alone at the scene after everyone else had headed back. He brought up a good point I should have considered sooner. That the killer would have been present when the first agent arrived to receive a critique of his work.”

  “You’ve been out of the game.” Clay shrugged. “It’ll come back to you.”

  “Kidd was right.” Asa grew a scowl. “We should have thought of it and ensured you had backup.”

  “Rue is a badass.” Clay reached for his milk. “She didn’t need us babysitting her. It would have sent the wrong message to the other agents. It’s better that we let her to do her thing, as per usual. We were a holler away, so it’s not like she was in any real danger.”

  Except a well-aimed curse would have reached me quicker than they could have, and they both knew it.

  Still, I appreciated Clay’s usual thoughtfulness in helping me preserve the illusion of being all-powerful.

  “The point is—” I waved a napkin as a white flag, “—the killer might be present in this footage.”

>   “Nothing stood out.” Asa leaned back in his chair. “We’ll send it back to the Kellies with your theory.”

  They had the time, the tech, and the tenacity to ferret out any clues the killer might have left behind.

  “That works.” Clay used a pinky to gently navigate his keyboard. “Looks like the Kellies are putting in OT on this one. Check your inboxes, lady and gent. We’ve got confirmation the same lumber company held the contract for all three crime scenes. There’s a list of truckers and machine operators, as well as other employees.”

  “They did the crosschecking for us.” I grinned at that, half wishing I could hire the Kellies for minutia at Hollis Apothecary. “Looks like we’ve got a dozen employees present at all three scenes.” I checked their home addresses. “All male, all local.” I pulled up a map app on my phone. “We can hit maybe half these today. A few of the independent contractors have an hour-plus commute in their trucks.”

  Not that it mattered if you drove a sleeper truck with a bed and other amenities for long-haul jobs.

  “We can cut that number.” Asa rubbed a finger across his bottom lip. “Four employees are human.”

  Supernaturals tended to stick to themselves or their own kind, but humans made good minions.

  We couldn’t rule out human involvement until we had a firmer grasp on our black witch’s identity.

  “Let’s keep them on the list but put them on the bottom.” I made notes of the residences nearest to our hotel. “Do we call ahead, or do we risk rolling up on an empty house?”

  My gut told me the killer would welcome us into his home, serve us tea and cookies, and tell us anything that might help the case. Minus his confession, of course. He was starving for praise, not stupid. But there remained a slim chance he would bolt if he thought we were closing in on him.

  “We risk it.” Asa checked with Clay. “We don’t want to tip off the killer.”

  “I agree.” Clay shoved the last muffin into his mouth. “These girls confirmed his timetable. We have two, maybe three days before he starts collecting again. Past that point, we have a week to find the girls alive before he calls with coordinates for his latest masterpiece.”