by Vella Day
All of the women nodded, clearly having read about the sad tale. “The high school athletes who overdosed, right?” Marianna asked.
Wendy hadn’t met this woman either, but she was not only a lawyer in town, she was also Rafe Tremont’s sister, the man who had mated with Primrose, another one of the Four Sisters. “Yes.”
Marianna leaned forward. “Not that I know the specifics, but there was something about that whole event that sounded suspicious to me. All young kids do stupid things, but two kids who were just accepted to the top school in Avonbelle to play sports usually aren’t so careless as to overdose. At least in my experience they don’t.”
“That might be true,” Wendy said, “but I suspect they didn’t realize how potent that drug could be.”
“Then the dealer who sold them the drugs should have warned them.” Marianna picked up her drink and chugged half of it.
That wasn’t how the world worked, unfortunately. Something must have happened to Marianna to have caused her to react so strongly but now wasn’t the time to ask. “It was probably harder for the boys’ bodies to metabolize the drug since they were human. A shifter could have handled it better.”
“Maybe,” Marianna said, her tone implying she was willing to drop that line of questioning for now.
“What is your connection to them?” Nan seemed a little uncomfortable with the whole drug issue.
“I never met the boys. Truth is, I was offered a full-time position at the Edendale Herald under the condition I write another big story like the one I did on Malpan. I thought a story about the inflow of drugs into our province would be a good one to tell.” She held up a hand. “Don’t worry. If I do unearth any evidence, I’ll turn it over to the police. They can be the ones to catch the drug trafficker, not me. I’m writing the story in the hopes that some lives might be saved if this dealer is off the street.”
The women all talked at once. The words noble, sad, and dangerous were being thrown out just as the server refreshed their drinks and brought an additional round of snacks. Because Ivy was pregnant, she refrained from indulging in any alcohol.
“You said you went to Thedia because you were offered a job,” Nan said. “Are you going to take it?”
Wendy didn’t glance at Danita, mostly because she could only imagine the look on her cousin’s face. “I’m not sure. They gave me a week to make my decision. Whether I can get this story or find another big one will factor into whether I stay or go at this point.”
Danita’s hand clasped hers. “You’ll think of something good. Does Logan know you might be moving?”
“He knows that I don’t want to take the job if I can help it.”
“I bet he was relieved when you told him,” Danita said.
Wendy stilled. “Did he say something to you?” Her pulse beat hard, though she wasn’t sure what she wanted Danita to say.
“Logan didn’t say anything,” Danita said. “I just think the two of you would do well together. Besides, if you dated my mate’s brother, we would be like sisters-in-law.” Danita smiled.
“That would be wonderful.”
Thankfully, the chatter turned to Ivy’s impending birth, and Wendy had to work hard not to feel a bit left out. She wanted to settle down and have a family, but the timing wasn’t right for that either.
Then you need to get a different job, her wolf said.
They’d been over this before. It’s all I know how to do, and it’s what I enjoy.
Enjoy Logan. I bet he could find something to keep you busy.
The image of lying in bed with Logan all day shot into her mind, but Wendy pushed it aside. Even if she suddenly won the lottery, she wouldn’t stop working. She enjoyed the thrill of uncovering facts that would lead to taking down someone who deserved it.
Logan or no Logan, Wendy would always want to work.
Chapter Eight
Logan could be patient. Or so he wanted to believe. He tapped his fingers on his desk, wondering why Wendy hadn’t called him back last night. Hell, he’d dangled the news about the fire being something other than a careless event, and yet she hadn’t taken the bait. Something seemed off. Wendy, the journalist, should have been interested enough to call him. Or had he misjudged her desire to find the truth?
It was always possible she’d put her phone on silent when she went out with his sister and some friends last night, but shouldn’t Wendy at least have looked at it this morning to see if she had any messages?
It was possible that she had a hangover and couldn’t even think about talking to anyone. Decision made. If she didn’t contact him by later today, he’d stop over at her place. She owed him a dinner date, and he planned to collect.
Thankfully, Greer promised to let him know if Wendy planned to do something dangerous, or if she happened to mention her interest in him, and so far, his sister hadn’t contacted him.
Right now though, Logan needed to concentrate on this drug dealer case. It made sense that the sooner the guy was caught, the sooner Wendy could write her story about the trafficker. Once she did, he’d help her celebrate at the best restaurant in town.
With a renewed desire to stop this dealer, Logan went to work searching the truck manifests of those entering the province. While he didn’t expect to find a truckload full of drug packets or anything incriminating, it would be easy to hide the drugs in something like boxes of food or containers of medical supplies, so he focused on trucks carrying that kind of cargo. He also wanted to compare the weight manifests from one stop to another in case the dealer pulled over somewhere, received the drugs, and then hid them inside the truck. The problem was that the driver would know the weights would be different at the next weigh station. To make things worse, it could take months to figure out who was doing the transporting.
After an hour of research, his cell rang, and his pulse spiked. Damn. It was only Anderson.
“Hey, you got something?” Logan asked, hoping by some miracle the case had been solved.
“Yes and no. We have no clue as to the identity of the dealer, but the autopsy came back from the kids. We have a problem.”
Anderson’s ominous tone made Logan still. “What kind of problem?”
“The boys didn’t die from an overdose. The drugs were laced with poison. That is what killed them.”
Logan shoved his keyboard off to the side in frustration. That put a whole different spin on the case. Not that the drug dealer didn’t need to be caught, but a murderer needed to be caught pronto. “I can’t believe this is happening again. What poison was it this time?”
“The same as with the truck driver—rat poison, like the kind that can be found in any hardware store.”
“Damn. Who would want to poison two popular kids?”
“That’s what I would like to know,” Anderson said. “Mind if I stop over? I have a few ideas.”
“I’m at my mine office.”
“See you in a few.” His cousin then hung up.
Logan’s mind shot back to Yancy. It was the story Wendy had worked on months ago. When the cops failed to turn up any suspects though, she’d moved on. It might be a coincidence, but it seemed like the two cases could be related.
Wendy, Wendy. She always seemed to insert herself into dangerous cases. If she learned of this new development, it would be just the kind of angle that would appeal to her. However, he was most definitely not going to tell her about it. Knowing her, she would run to every hardware store trying to figure out who’d bought rat poison in the last month. If people learned of her interest, no telling who might try to stop her.
As soon as he and Anderson finished their brainstorming session, Logan planned to make sure Wendy understood the dangers of her investigation. If she refused to listen, he might have to camp outside her apartment and tail her. If she spotted him, it might kill any chance of them actually going out on their date, but he had to chance it. He couldn’t live with himself if someone harmed her, and he could have prevented it from happening.
>
The door to his office opened, and his cousin walked in. “I thought we’d have more privacy here,” Anderson said.
“Definitely. Have a seat. Before we start, I need to tell you what happened in Thedia.”
“I’m listening.”
Logan told him how Wendy had asked her ex-boyfriend to look into any drug dealers who were known to transport across province lines. “That night, Wendy’s hotel was set on fire. At first, I thought she was just in the wrong place on the wrong day, but it turns out the arsonist started the blaze by dousing the area in front of her door.”
Anderson whistled. “How do you know that? I didn’t think the arson investigator would be willing to share that information with you.”
“He didn’t. I asked Josh to look into it.”
“Smart. Did you warn Wendy that she needs to be careful and stop investigating this case?”
“I plan to,” Logan said. “But it will be like asking her not to breathe.”
Anderson’s huff and smile were brief. “Are you certain Wendy only spoke to her ex-boyfriend during the trip? She might have mentioned her thoughts to others.”
“I don’t know. It wasn’t a topic I discussed with her, but I intend to.”
“Do you know her ex-boyfriend’s name?” Anderson asked.
“Deke Darnell. He’s now my top suspect.”
Anderson held up a hand. “Easy there. The friend could have done as Wendy asked. His questions might have resulted in some criminal going to the source.”
“You could be right. I guess I just don’t like the idea that she would turn to him for help,” Logan mumbled. He had offered to be a part of her investigation, but she never took him up on it.
Anderson smiled. “Instead of you? Is there something I should know?”
Well crap. He might as well hire a sky writer to announce it since he’d already told quite a few people—everyone but Wendy that is. “Wendy is my mate, but we’ve yet to go out on a date.” Since his sister hadn’t called to discuss what happened at the bar last night, he had to assume his name wasn’t mentioned. Logan wasn’t sure if he should be happy, or if he should be insulted.
Anderson smiled. “Good for you. Make sure she understands that no story is worth her life. She’ll just have to find a different topic.”
Spoken like a true protective dragon. “I couldn’t agree more. Clearly, we need to learn who killed the kids, or she’ll never let it go. If we do that, we might find the connection to the drug dealer. For that to happen quickly, we need to enlist more Guardians.”
“I agree.”
“You have some ideas?” Logan asked.
“I do.”
Wendy was at her computer the morning after her fun night out, working on her piece about being trapped in a hotel room that was on fire, when her cell rang. She assumed it was Danita wanting to see if she had a hangover—which she did not. When Wendy lifted the cell and spotted Logan’s number, her hand froze as her heart raced.
“Hello?”
“It’s Logan.”
“Hi.”
“Do you have time to do lunch? There is something I want to catch you up on.”
“Did something happen?” He sounded worried.
“Did you listen to my most recent voicemail by any chance?”
“About what room I was in at the hotel? Yes. I answered it.”
“I was referring to my voicemail about the fire.”
Her heart dropped to her stomach. “No. I’m sorry. Last night, I was busy working on my story, and then I was getting ready to meet your sister and some friends. I turned my cell on silent, and I didn’t turn the ringer on until a moment ago. What happened?”
“I would rather tell you in person.”
Her stomach spun. “Okay. Where do you want to meet?”
“How about I pick you up at your apartment at noon?”
She owed Logan so much, which meant she didn’t need to inconvenience him. She was sure he was busy. “How about if I just meet you at the restaurant?”
“Sure. The Highlander’s Steakhouse?”
That was really expensive. Knowing Logan, he’d insist on paying, and it was she who should pay. “What about the Hillside Café?”
“Works for me. See you there at noon.”
Logan disconnected before she had the chance to question him further. That was just as well. She had less than an hour to get ready, and Wendy’s questions could wait. Besides, seeing his expression in person was a lot better than hearing his voice over the phone. She’d be better at detecting the truth that way.
While this wasn’t their official date, Wendy wanted to shower and put on a little makeup. The last time he’d seen her, she had been a hot, smoky mess.
But first, she checked her phone to listen to the voicemail. Her stomach seized when he said the fire hadn’t been an accident. Now, she couldn’t wait to hear more.
Get moving. We don’t want to be late, her wolf said with too much cheer in her voice.
I’m hurrying.
Wendy showered quickly and then carefully applied some light makeup. Next, she picked out something simple to wear. For some reason—fear maybe—she wanted Logan to think this was what she wore around the house. It wasn’t true, since she mostly lounged in her pajamas when she was writing, but he didn’t need to know that intimate detail of her everyday life. And only she’d know she had on her best underwear beneath her short-sleeve shirt and jeans.
Because the restaurant wasn’t far from her apartment, Wendy opted to walk. If she had driven, no telling how far away she’d have to park. She swore Edendale was growing by the day.
Despite her best estimate though, she walked in five minutes late. She glanced around the busy place but failed to spot Logan. That seemed odd. Of all the people, she would have thought he would have been early, if only to grab a seat.
Just as the hostess showed her to one of the last empty tables, Logan rushed in.
“Sorry, I was late. I got a last-minute phone call.”
Wendy could relate. “No problem.”
He slid in the booth across from her. “How are you feeling?”
“About what? Almost dying or possibly drinking and eating too much at last night’s girls’ get together?”
He laughed and her stomach fluttered. “I’d love to hear about your night out, but I was more curious about your mental state. I know I would still be shaken if I woke up in the middle of the night to a smoke-filled room.”
“Thanks for reminding me.” She held up a hand and chuckled. “I’m fine, but I appreciate you asking.” Wendy didn’t even have to think about her response. It was her standard refrain. The truth didn’t enter into the equation.
“I’m happy to hear that. I hope you are being cautious now and not asking a lot of questions.”
She was a journalist. Wendy was about to say that he had no right to tell her what to do, but then she remembered Deke had been the one who always tried to control her actions—not Logan. “Questions about what?”
“Remember I asked you what room you were in at the hotel?”
“Yes. What about it?”
“The investigator concluded that the fire was arson. In fact, he found accelerant right in front of your door and no place else.”
She shook her head, not wanting to believe what he was saying. “I told no one where I was staying. I couldn’t be the target.”
“I figured it out. It would have been easy to either follow you to your room or ask at the front desk which room was yours.”
“The hotel was classy. They wouldn’t just give out that information. How did you figure out where I was staying?” She’d taken an airplane to Thedia. As a dragon shifter, he wouldn’t have been able to follow her.
“It was the closest hotel to the newspaper office where you had your interview. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone went to the desk, claimed to be from the newspaper, and told the clerk that he had a job offer for you or something.”
“That w
ould work?” What was she saying? She’d used a line like that before, and it had gained her entry.
“Sad to say, yes. Hotels aren’t always careful about what kind of information they give out.”
Her mind spun. “If Deke had been asking questions about drugs, maybe the dealer figured something out. It’s possible he mentioned I was a reporter doing an exposé on the drug trade. Deke could have believed he was speaking to a cop, but that cop could have been dirty.”
“Wendy, it doesn’t really matter right now how they found out where you were staying. The bottom line is that they found you. You were lucky you woke up when you did.”
“I know.” She snapped her fingers. “Mr. Landry.”
“Who’s he?”
“The editor of Thedia Provincial. He was the one who interviewed me for the job. He supplied my airline tickets and my hotel room. If anyone knew where I would be staying, it would be him.”
“Or his secretary. I seriously doubt a busy man like Landry would make the arrangements.”
She sighed. “You’re right.”
“How sure are you of this Deke fellow?” Logan asked.
She didn’t like what he was implying, but she could understand why he asked. “Deke is a decent guy, though he sucked as a boyfriend.”
“Would you mind if I do a little background check on him?”
At first, Wendy wanted to say that she did mind, but in truth Deke had deserted her. What kind of man does that? “Sure. Go ahead. His name is Deke Darnell. His father owns a large furniture manufacturing company that Deke works at. While he never said if he would take over once his father retired, it was kind of implied.” She had no idea why she offered all of that information, except that she wanted to let Logan know that Deke wasn’t hard up for cash.
“How did you meet him?” Logan asked in a neutral tone.
This was not where she wanted to go, but she had nothing to hide. “I met him at a bar.”
“In Edendale or Thedia?”
“Edendale.”
“How long did you date?”