by Geonn Cannon
Gwen smiled through the whole speech. When Milo fell silent, Gwen brushed the bangs away from where they had fallen over her eyebrows. She kissed Milo’s forehead.
“I do need you more than I ever expected to, Millicent.”
Milo grinned. “I hate it when people call me that.”
Gwen kissed her again. “I’m not people.”
“No, you’re not,” Milo agreed.
“Millicent,” Gwen said again.
Milo kissed her, and Gwen pulled her closer. It felt good to be taken care of. When this young wolf came into the house, she abandoned her suitcase by the laundry room door, hooked her arm around Gwen’s elbow, and immediately began asking when was the last time she’d slept or eaten. She marched Gwen upstairs, got her dressed for bed, and brought her a sandwich. They had sat together on the bed while Gwen ate it, Milo supervising and brushing away any crumbs that fell on the comforter, and Gwen tried to remember when she’d last been mothered like this. When she finished the sandwich, Milo helped her into some pajamas and tucked her in.
“We should go downstairs,” Gwen whispered against Milo’s lips.
“Why?” Milo’s eyes were still closed. “This is so nice.”
“It is. It’s very nice.” She moved her lips to Milo’s cheek. “But we’re at the point where I can either get up and go downstairs to help the pack, or... do something else. And while something else might be very, very fun, I don’t think it would be a suitable use of our time.”
Milo said, “Hm. You’re probably right.” She kissed both sides of Gwen’s mouth and reluctantly scooted away from her. “I’ll go downstairs and let you shower. I’ll warm up some of the breakfast Tarun made if there’s anything left.”
“I just need coffee.”
“You’re getting eggs and bacon,” Milo said.
Gwen rolled her eyes.
Milo left the bedroom and went downstairs. Paige was at the kitchen table with her laptop, Benji and Mia on either side of her. Tarun was putting away the remnants of breakfast. Milo stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked for the missing members of the household.
Paige said, “Mia took Owen to check out GG&M. Dale went for some fresh air.”
“You let her go alone?”
“She’s a big girl,” Hannah said. “She probably needed the time to get her head on straight.”
Milo resisted the urge to run outside and see if she could spot her. Hannah was right. Dale deserve a little alone time, given everything that was happening. She went to the table and sat across from Paige.
“Okay, so what are you doing?”
“I started out reading whatever I could find about the murder. All the local stations have pretty much the same story, and it wasn’t picked up by the national services.” She tapped her phone and slid it across the table. Milo picked it up and skimmed the article as Paige continued. “The cops talked to the victim’s doorman, who swears Ariadne was a frequent guest at the building.”
Milo said, “Could she have been visiting someone else?”
“Visitors have to tell the doorman who they’re coming to see. Apartment number and name. So it looks like Ari is two-timing Dale, especially if someone finds out that Ari is frequently AWOL from their apartment late at night. Thankfully that hasn’t come up yet.”
Benji said, “I’m sure the media will get an ‘anonymous tip’ about it in due time. This Cecily Parrish person spent a lot of time weaving her net. She’s not going to let a potentially damning piece of evidence go unnoticed.”
“So Ari is allegedly sleeping with the dead woman...”
“Shannon Hardy,” Hannah supplied. “Former receptionist at GG&M. According to Dale, she got fired because of Ari, but she didn’t hold a grudge. At least not that they knew about. Ari hadn’t seen her since the night she lost her job. I did a little digging and found out she got eventually got a job tending bar up in Queen Anne. Her Facebook seemed fine. No depressed posts. She actually seemed pretty happy the past few months.”
Milo said, “Damn, you guys have been busy.”
“You were upstairs canoodling for a long time,” Tarun said.
“Don’t be jealous,” Milo said. “What does Facebook have to say about the affair theory?”
Hannah said, “No relationship status, no pictures or oblique references to a secret girlfriend.”
The back door opened and Dale came inside. “Hey.”
Milo stood up. “You okay?”
“I’m as okay as possible,” Dale said. “What’s going on here?”
“We’re trying to do Ari’s job,” Milo said. “Looking into the victim, the law firm, anything that might give us a foothold in defending her.”
Gwen had come downstairs in time to hear the last part of what Milo said. “I’m going to call anyone I can think of who might have connections in the legal world. I know a lot of wolves who were scared shitless during the war. They’ll want to help if they know Ariadne is in trouble. Our focus should be on figuring out a way to protect her from transforming.”
Dale said, “Oh. We... I came up with a plan for that.”
“You don’t sound very relieved.”
“No. It’s a bad plan. A really shitty plan. But it will keep her safe.” Dale looked at the ground to avoid eye contact with anyone. “Relatively speaking. I’ll let her know about it the next time we talk.”
It was obviously weighing on her that she didn’t know when that conversation would be possible. Milo put a hand on Dale’s shoulder and squeezed.
“How about we get you out of the house for a little bit? I want to check out this Shannon chick’s apartment for myself.”
Hannah said, “You won’t get anywhere near the building, whether you go as yourself or the wolf. The cops are going to have it locked up tight.”
“We should still try,” Dale said. “Ariadne didn’t kill this poor woman, but someone did. Maybe a wolf will pick up something the cops all missed. I’ll get my keys and drive you.”
Milo said, “Great. So we’ve got a shitty plan and not a lot of information, but it’s a start. It’s only been one day, but we’re already making progress. At this rate, we’ll have her out of jail by the end of the week.”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, four wolves and one human all reached out to rap their knuckles against the nearest wooden surface.
Chapter Ten
Ari was surprised by how boring her first full day in prison ended up being. Her arms burned from shelving books, and Gladys assigned her to take the cart so she could hand out books from the hold-list. The work was so monotonous and exhausting that, by the time she returned to her cell, she could almost forget where she was. Ironically, being in jail was like being forced to take an office job she didn’t want. When her shift ended at three, she hesitated at the circulation desk and looked toward the door.
Gladys said, “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not exactly sure what to do now. Where do I go?”
“Go back to your cell. Stay here and read.” She shrugged. “No one cares too much what you do with your free time.”
Ari said, “My free time in prison. Seems like that should be an oxymoron.”
“Call it what you want, but your time here is done. See you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow, then.”
She half-expected a guard to be waiting outside the library to escort her back to the cell, but the hall was empty. She already knew that Gladys’ respect was something she definitely wanted to have, so she didn’t want the older woman to see her lingering like a grade schooler waiting for permission to go to the bathroom. But what was she supposed to do? Socialize? She supposed she could take a shower. She hadn’t bathed in far too long and was afraid she was beginning to stink.
Ari arrived back at the semi-circle of cells at the same time Segura approached from the opposite direction. They both altered their course to meet up next to one of the tables in the center of the space. Segura nodded for Ari to follow her.
“Hey, Segura. I thought you’d be hanging around with Vogel.”
“She only works nights. I had an idea. C’mon.”
“Where are we going?”
“Trust me, you’re going to kick yourself for not thinking of it yourself.”
Ari said, “Is it a shower? Because trust me, I can smell it, too.”
Segura laughed. “You can do that after. Hurry up. We gotta get there before there’s a crowd.”
Ari, intrigued, followed her.
#
“I love Seattle.” Milo was sitting in the passenger seat with her head against the window, looking up at the trees that formed a canopy over the street.
Dale said, “It’s a beautiful place to live. I grew up in Pennsylvania. It’s pretty in a different way. A lot flatter.”
“Why’d you decide to come here?”
“Originally, I wanted to get some distance between me and my parents,” she said. “Then my mother died and I felt guilty for thinking that. But I still wanted to get far away from anyone who knew me or my extended family. I wanted to succeed on my own. It didn’t work out well. I failed pretty hard. Of course, that failure led to meeting Ariadne, so...”
Milo said, “I’d call that a solid win.”
“Me too.” She brushed the hair away from her face.
“So you don’t regret the move?”
Dale shrugged. “I had to come here to meet Ari. What’s to regret?”
Milo sat up straighter. “I’m thinking about moving here.”
“Really?” They were at a stop light so Dale looked over at her. “Did Gwen...?”
“No, I haven’t brought it up with her yet. To be honest, I haven’t really thought it through. It was just... when I got the call from Gwen about everything that’s going on, I was almost five thousand miles away. Do you have any idea how slow planes are when the woman you love is five thousand miles away? The only thing that kept me from clawing up the plane seat was knowing you were with her. So I spent the flight thinking about maybe if I’d just been across town or something, it would’ve been so much better.”
Dale said, “It’s a big step. Are things between you and Gwen... I mean, I know it’s been going on for a couple of years, but I didn’t think...”
“I love her, Dale. We’re in love. And yeah, maybe things will go haywire, but this is the first relationship I’ve had where I’m not even looking for the exit.” She glanced forward. “By the way, the light’s been green for a while.”
“Shit.” Dale pulled forward and continued down the street toward Shannon Hardy’s apartment. The address was right on the edge of the Bailey Peninsula, just beyond where it joined up with the mainland. “If it factors into your decision at all, I know Ari would love to have you here. Once she got used to the idea of you being her mother’s girlfriend. I think she accepts it in her head, but accepting it and being forced to see it every time she goes to see her mother are two different things.”
“True. I’m not going to make any decisions until this is all over, but I’m glad to know you’re on board, at least.”
Dale was about to pull into the parking lot of the building when her phone rang. It was plugged into the charger and resting between the seats.
“Can you get that?”
“Sure thing.” Milo unplugged it. “It doesn’t have a name.”
“Answer it anyway.” Milo swiped the screen and poked the speaker button as Dale pulled into a parking spot. “This is Dale Frye.”
Ari said, “God, it’s good to hear your voice, babe.”
“Puppy.” Dale tightened her fingers on the steering wheel, somehow managing to prevent her foot from slamming down on the gas. She parked perfectly and took the phone from Milo. “Hi. I... I don’t...” She put her free hand against her forehead. “I don’t even know what to say. ‘How are you’ seems stupid given the circumstances.”
Milo gestured at the door. “Privacy.”
Dale nodded and let her leave. “Are you okay, though?”
“I’m... relatively fine,” Ari said.
She was sitting in a windowless room with walls made of cinderblocks. They were painted white, but they hadn’t gotten a fresh coat in at least a decade. There were two wooden tables with three phones each, the stations separated by short wooden partitions. Ari had chosen the one farthest from the door where a guard was leaning. He looked bored, but she was certain that not much would get past him.
“I’m more concerned about you. And Mom. Are you eating? Sleeping?”
“Don’t worry about us,” Dale said. “We’re okay. We have some people taking care of us.” In the rearview mirror, she could see Milo leaning against the trunk of the car. “Milo is here.”
“What? When did she get to town?”
“Early this morning. Your mom called her, and she came running. Most of her pack came, too. They set up camp in your mom’s house. They fed us this morning and we’ve all been brainstorming how to help you.”
Ari said, “That’s fantastic. Wait... you’re all... where is Milo sleeping?”
Dale rolled her eyes. “Seriously, puppy? That’s what you’re worried about right now?”
“No, you’re right. I’m sorry.”
“How are you even calling me right now? I thought there were rules and things for inmates using the phone.”
Ari chuckled. “Yeah, I’m looking at the list right now. I’m not allowed to call collect to a cell phone and I don’t know any landline numbers. But my cellmate is letting me use some of her prepaid account to touch base with you.”
“That’s so nice of her.”
“She’s been amazing. Her name is Shae Segura. I feel like I’m racking up a pretty sizable debt to her already, but whatever price she asks will be worth it. I’ve missed you so much, Dale.”
Dale realized she was crying. “It’s great hearing from you, too. I’m going to figure out how to get you one of those prepaid accounts so we can talk as much as possible until you get out of there.”
“Sounds good to me. I feel useless just sitting here waiting for all of you to do something.”
“How many times have you saved us, puppy? Let us do the saving this time.”
Ari closed her eyes. “It’s a deal.”
“How much time do we have?”
“Not long, I’m afraid. I don’t want to use up all of Segura’s time.”
“I understand.” She worried her bottom lip with her teeth. “Puppy... w-we... we thought of a way you can stop the transformations.”
Ari sat up straighter. “That’s great.” She tried not to look at the guard, but he didn’t seem to be paying any attention to her. “I was worried that the stress would make me transform in my sleep. What do I have to do?”
The tears came in earnest now. “I’m sorry, puppy.”
“Dale? Baby, what is it?”
“You have to hurt yourself.”
Ari frowned. “What do you mean?”
She sniffled and wiped at her cheeks. “Milo’s pack said the only way they knew to stop it was pregnancy. And I realized that it was... if a body... your body changes, the transformations would stop until you were better. If you got hurt. A broken arm or...” She smacked the heel of her hand against the steering wheel. “I fucking hate this idea!” she yelled. “I hate that it was my idea, and I hate that I’m telling you this. But you have to be safe, puppy. I want you safe, and for that to happen, you have to get hurt.”
“Dale,” Ari said softly.
“What?”
“I love you.”
Dale whimpered and covered her eyes. “Don’t say that. Not right now.”
“I’ll say it whenever I think you need to hear it. I love you. I love you for thinking of this, for protecting me even though it’s tearing you apart. I think it will work.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.”
“I know. I know, baby. But as scared as I am about what’s coming next, I also feel relief knowing that I’ll have one less thing to
worry about. This is one more thing I don’t have to be afraid of in here. That’s worth... that’s gold to me, Dale.”
“Ariadne,” Dale said softly. “I barely ever just say your name anymore.”
Ari said, “I know. But I love being your puppy.”
“I know you do.” She sniffled and blinked the moisture off her eyelashes. “I’ll talk to you soon, Ariadne.”
“I can’t wait. I love you, Dale.”
“I love you, too.”
She hung up and took a moment to compose herself before she got out of the car. Milo slowly straightened up and turned to face her.
“I wasn’t sure if I should come check up on you during the little, ah, emotional moment you had in there. Decided it wasn’t my business to stick my nose in.”
Dale said, “You’re right. But thank you for considering it.” She touched Milo’s arm. “I told Ari about our plan to stop the transformations.” Her stomach rolled a bit. “It better fucking work.”
“It’s the best idea we had. I don’t think Ari getting pregnant would be in anybody’s best interest.”
“No.”
She sniffled again and looked at the building. There was no visible police presence outside, but she knew there was most likely to be at least one police officer inside watching the crime scene. It was a three-story building with a nice shield of tall evergreens blocking the ground floor from the sidewalk. It looked like a private home which had been split up into apartments. There was a lush wooded area on the lot behind the building, and Dale tried not to think about how close Ari had gotten to escaping. If she had changed just a little faster, the wolf would’ve been gone before the cops had any idea what happened. She pushed away those thoughts and focused on the building itself.
“What do you think?”
Milo shrugged, unimpressed. “I was expecting a much nicer building when I heard there was a doorman.”
“Same,” Dale said. “What do you need from me?”
“I need to know which apartment was Shannon’s. If it’s not listed on mailboxes in the lobby, you should be able to just walk through and see which door has a cop standing guard. I’ll stay out here and wolf out. Hopefully the real killer left a trail I can pick up. You up for this?”