She shook her head. “He saw what looked like a wolf running through the park.”
“That’s it?”
“And a man wearing a black hoodie running after it.”
“So you got a description?”
“Not exactly. He only saw the guy from behind. He said the man was tall, had wide shoulders and a trim waist.”
“That might fit several thousand guys in this city.”
“But you got the part about the wolf, right?”
Ethan wondered at her intensity. “So he was an expert who could tell a wolf from a dog?”
“No, but Harold in forensics could. Rather, he could tell that fur we found came from a hybrid. So that’s what our witness saw. An animal that was part wolf, part dog. Most people wouldn’t know the difference.”
But Ethan got the distinct feeling that Isabeau did know the difference. And just from the fur. At the scene earlier, she’d called it. But how?
“And we have a clue. Someone on the forensic team found a black do-rag near the base of a tree several yards from the body.”
“He thinks a gang member killed the alderman?”
“He offered it as a possibility. Prints indicated the altercation included the ground where he found it.”
“There’ll be DNA on the material,” Ethan said. Members of more than one gang wore nylon do-rags around shaved heads, tied at the back of their necks. The Insane Brotherhood—the prevalent gang in Booker’s ward—came immediately to mind. “Whether the wearer’s DNA is on file is another question.” And who knew how long it would take to get that DNA run. The real world didn’t work anywhere as fast as fictional cases on television or in the movies. “What about the autopsy?”
“In progress. But—” Her cell rang. She stopped to check it. Her forehead furrowed into a frown. “I need to take this.”
“Go ahead.”
She nodded. “And you can tell me what you were up to when I’m done here.”
Ethan watched her walk off and listened intently.
“Yes, I’m here,” she said softly to the person who’d called. “Give me a minute to get someplace private.”
Wondering if she’d just gotten a booty call, Ethan aimed his mind back on the case. When she was done he would tell her there had been no wolf sightings on this side of the Wisconsin border this year; that the last sighting had been in 2015. He’d gotten the information off the University of Illinois Extension website. Hopefully it was accurate.
But this question wouldn’t leave him alone. How had Isabeau DeClercq known the attack animal had been a wolf hybrid?
Chapter Five
After sharing the wolf sighting information with Isabeau, Ethan asked her to follow up on a couple of phoned-in leads and to contact their witness to see if the guy remembered anything new. Then he made for the Lakeview apartment that was a five-minute drive from the Area North offices.
His mind was in an entirely different space when he and Skye entered what had been Shade’s apartment early that evening. Boomer, who had been Shade’s dog but now lived with Skye and her cats, followed them inside. For a moment, the scruffy dog looked around as if he was going to be reunited with his master, but then he simply voiced his disappointment as he curled up next to Shade’s favorite leather chair.
“Poor guy,” Skye said, “just can’t accept that Shade is gone for good.”
“He’s not alone.” Ethan’s failure in finding the bastard who’d killed his brother Mike ten years before was haunting him. And while they didn’t have the same blood, Shade had been like a brother, his death magnifying Ethan’s guilt. “I can only imagine how you feel right now.”
“Not good. Like I’m only half here.”
He guessed it might be the twin thing. Even though they had been fraternal twins, she and Shade had seemed to be two halves of a whole with their mahogany hair and green eyes and with their like fixated temperament and fierce loyalty to each other.
“I’ve been through the apartment a couple of times and found a few things that undoubtedly belonged to Nuala. I left them on Shade’s dresser top for her. Assuming she ever checks the place out.”
Ethan followed her down the hall to the doorway off the kitchen. The bedrooms in these two-flats were always pretty small. This one fit only a queen-sized bed and a single dresser. He took a quick look at the objects laid out on the top surface.
“Do you believe this token thing will work?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I’m immune to the problem myself.”
“That’s what Luc said. So he doesn’t influence you?”
“Well, sometimes.” She smirked happily. “In a good way. But not the way Nuala influenced you today.”
“I don’t get it. Why not?”
“Something I inherited through Mom’s line.”
After nailing Shade’s killer, Skye had eventually told him her ancestors were descended from the Powers, a class of angels that kept the corruption of the Nephilim in check, and that the Kindred were descended from the Nephilim. So, she, too was something else. Another hard-to-swallow truth for a mere human. If he hadn’t seen what he had that night in the casino, he wouldn’t believe a word of it.
“Nuala wouldn’t have been able to influence Shade, either,” Skye said. “What makes sense is having something that belonged to him.”
“Luc said it needed to be something important and personal to her.”
Skye shrugged. “Why can’t it be both?”
“You have an object in mind.”
“Actually, I have.” She headed for the door. “Give me a minute.”
Rather than waiting, he followed her up the back stairs to her apartment. Boomer caught up to them and raced them to the back porch. An orange cat was stretched out in an open window, a white one with a black saddle was munching on crunchies. As Ethan followed Skye through the kitchen, he saw the third mostly black cat napping on the bed.
And then they were in her office and she was opening a file cabinet drawer. What had she stored in there that had belonged to Shade? His will? But rather than a file folder, Skye removed a fancy wooden box decorated with planets and stars that made him think of the heavens.
“I’ve been keeping this up here, so I could look at it whenever I missed my brother.”
From the box, she pulled a strand of cord from which hung a mesmerizing sea glass pendant.
“Wasn’t that yours?” Ethan asked. “Weren’t you were wearing it when we were looking for your brother’s murderer?”
“Shade gave it to me to protect me, but I didn’t know why at the time. Nuala had given it to him, because she’d stolen his soul back and had stored it in this for him.” She tapped the pendant. “I wore it to please Shade. I thought it had something to do with cop superstition. Something for good luck. I had no idea it was the reason I started hearing human voices when I was around what I thought were normal zoo animals.”
Realizing she meant the shifters, Ethan simply gaped.
And Skye sighed. “That’s why I didn’t tell you that getting his soul back was the key to everything that night in the casino. You asked whether finding Shade’s murderer would let him move on, but I figured you were on woo-woo overload, and TMI might bring you to your knees.”
No doubt she was right. This kind of information had to be digested slowly. Ethan remembered how he’d struggled with what he’d learned that night. What he’d seen had replayed itself over and over in his head for weeks. If only he’d opened his mind when Shade had suggested the case they’d been working on—connected homicides in which the victims looked like they’d been killed by an animal—might involve something supernatural. Ethan had laughed at him and Shade had stormed out of the office only to be killed that same night. Another reason he’d avoided Nuala. She already thought Shade’s death was his fault. He couldn’t disagree but he could never tell her the truth. The only person he could talk to about Shade was his sister, but Skye had been in deep mourning for him. He couldn’t tell her the whol
e truth, either.
Out of respect for both women, he’d left them to their grief and had dealt with his own the best way he knew how. He’d immersed himself in work, sometimes sleeping at the office and going over the murder book for Mike’s case, searching for answers. If only he’d taken the time to find out what had been bothering Mike the night his brother had died rather than going out as he’d planned. Ethan’s guilt had never faded. At least he hadn’t had to go home where he would have been alone and had too much time to brood.
So, Shade’s soul had been secured in the pendant? Huh. Could he believe that? Shade had moved on, and Skye wouldn’t lie about something so important. He stared at the green glass in her hand. She appeared ready to weep as she ran a finger over it. Then she blinked, and a single tear rolled down her cheek as she held out the pendant to him.
“Are you sure you want to give it to me?”
“Loan, not give, and yes, I’m certain.”
Ethan didn’t know what he expected to feel as he took the pendant from her. Some magical kick? Some connection to Shade? The sea glass sat quietly in his hand.
“So you think this will do it?” he murmured.
“If not, I don’t know what can.”
“Then I’ll give it a try.” He was slipping it into his jacket pocket when the doorbell rang. “Expecting someone?” Probably good for him. He’d better get back to the office before his cell phone lit up.
Her expression puzzled, Skye shook her head. “Maybe a neighbor.” She headed for the intercom.
“Hello. Who is it?”
“Nuala.”
Ethan started and Skye appeared slightly shocked as she said, “I’ll buzz you up.” Then she headed for the door, Ethan directly behind her. “This is certainly a surprise.”
“So she didn’t call ahead?”
“No.”
When she opened the door, Nuala was standing there, looking right past Skye.
Ethan noted that she did not look pleased to see him.
*
Shocked to see Ethan Grainger directly behind Skye, Nuala choked out, “What are you doing here?”
“Visiting a friend.”
As if she would believe that. Twice in one day was two times too many. She tried to read him, but it seemed his head was empty of any thought.
“Um, hi, Nuala.” Skye opened the door wider. “Come in.”
“Please forgive my manners, Skye. It’s you I’m here to see.” As Nuala stepped inside the apartment, Shade’s dog whined and sat down beside her. Conflicted—Boomer reminded her of what she’d lost—Nuala couldn’t stop herself from patting his head. “I saw lights on downstairs. I thought you were in Shade’s place.”
“I was.”
Nuala gave Ethan a quick look.
“We were,” he said. “I was looking for something important that Shade might have had.”
“Now? He’s been gone three months. If Shade had something pertaining to a case, why wait this long to look for it?”
“I didn’t say it was about a case.”
And obviously he wasn’t eager to explain the real reason he was here on the very day he’d spoken to her about taking up Skye’s offer. “Did you find whatever you were looking for?”
“I did.”
Again, she tried to read him. Nothing.
Purposely?
Before she could determine how he was able to keep her out of his head, Skye asked, “Have you rethought your decision concerning the apartment?”
“I have. Luc convinced me I should consider moving here for Maeve’s sake.”
“Luc did.” Ethan gave her a smug smile that sent a frisson of annoyance up Nuala’s spine.
“That’s great!” Skye enveloped her in a hug.
Not having gotten to know Shade’s sister, an uncomfortable Nuala tolerated the embrace and was relieved when it ended.
“I’m glad you rethought your situation,” Ethan said.
“I said consider,” she reminded him.
Even though Nuala had already made up her mind about moving before talking to her brothers, she wasn’t about to give Ethan the credit for convincing her to take Skye’s offer seriously. She didn’t know that she could ever forgive him for not realizing Shade was hiding an important part of his investigation. The part that got him killed.
“Let’s go downstairs so you can get a more in-depth look at the place,” Skye said, “so you can check everything out.”
“I have been there before,” Nuala reminded her.
“But your circumstances are different now. You can see if you have any concerns or questions.”
“Of course.” Not knowing how she would react to being in the midst of Shade’s things, Nuala simply didn’t want an audience. Skye was grieving, too, she reminded herself. Ethan was the audience she could do without.
Skye led the way down the stairs until Boomer shot in front of her. Shade had so loved that little beast and the feeling had been mutual. Nuala had never had a pet. A small, sweet animal wouldn’t have lasted long among predator shifters. Truth be told, she wouldn’t mind having Boomer around. A friendly fuzzy beast to keep her company when she was lonely or sad.
It wasn’t until they were at the bottom of the stairs that she realized Ethan was directly behind her, barely giving her room to breathe. Even though he wasn’t physically touching her, she could feel the heat of his big body sear her back. She glanced over her shoulder to get a look at the face more rugged and the expression more uncompromising than Shade’s. Did he really think he was invited to tour the apartment with her?
You need to excuse yourself and leave.
The thought she planted in his mind didn’t seem to take as they stepped into the vestibule. Skye was opening the door to Shade’s apartment, but Ethan wasn’t making that excuse to leave.
Irritated, she tried again. You have something else you need to do. It’s urgent. You need to leave now.
“I’ll just wait here,” he said, planting himself in the outer vestibule.
Nuala realized Skye was waiting for her inside the apartment.
“Aren’t you going home?” she countered.
“Wasn’t thinking about it.”
What was that all about? Suddenly her ability to influence humans wasn’t working?
Shaking off the weird feeling that gave her, Nuala followed Skye from the living room into the dining room. At least Ethan didn’t follow.
“If you don’t have enough furniture,” Skye said, “you can keep everything that’s here.”
“Well, some of it, maybe.” Shade had been a man’s man and this was definitely a man’s apartment, not really to her taste. Leather living room seating, a beat-up table and mismatched chairs in the dining room, a mess of an office and sparse bedroom with a bed and a single dresser, nothing decorating the walls to make it feel like a home. Not that she actually had much in her suite at The Ark. But shopping for new things would provide a distraction. “Am I allowed to paint?”
“Of course,” Skye said. “You can change anything you want. I’ll even help if you like.”
“I’ve never painted before, but I can do anything I set my mind to.”
Other than influence Ethan Grainger to do as she wanted at the moment. He was still standing there in the vestibule. How had he resisted her thoughts? It had to be something about the building. Or perhaps Skye’s presence interfered. Shade had told her about their mother being descended from the Powers. That had to be it.
But would it be a problem for her and Maeve?
It suddenly hit her that her daughter would be more than half Kindred and half human.
Like Skye and Shade, Maeve would be something else.
Chapter Six
Nuala felt her father’s dark stare as she packed meaningless possessions that had been scattered around her quarters in a cardboard box. Part of her wanted to take nothing but her clothes and the baby clothes and silver rattle with its sleek cat she’d already bought, but she feared leaving things as th
ey made it too easy to return to a personal prison. Her stomach roiled and a slick of nervous sweat trickled down her back.
“Who put this ridiculous idea of leaving your family into your head? Luc?” Pop stood facing her, his expression closed, his fingers flipping the casino chip he’d had bronzed over and over as he always did when he had something on his mind.
“I can think for myself, Pop. And it’s not ridiculous. And I’m not leaving you. I simply don’t want to raise Maeve in a place where she can’t breathe.”
“You mean in a place where you can’t breathe?”
“Yes, sometimes.” Even though he would be angry, she said what she’d kept to herself for years. “There has to be more than this.”
“There will be. When my plans to take over this city come to fruition, we can choose to live anywhere.”
Plans she wanted no part of. She didn’t understand why he couldn’t just be content running The Company and The Ark. And from someplace other than a cloaked underwater deck of a casino boat.
“We can choose where we live now, Pop. I choose that now.”
She swallowed hard and waited for the condemnation that was sure to follow. Her father stood there, tension vibrating from him. To her surprise, he kept whatever he was thinking to himself so tightly she couldn’t read him.
“You’re set on it, then?” he asked.
“I’m doing this for Maeve.”
A half-truth. The idea of being on her own was something she’d wished for in the deepest recesses of her being. Something she’d ignored her entire adult life, because it had warred with her sense of family. And with her need for her father’s approval. And it had worried her for other reasons even as it did now. She’d never lived openly among humans. Why did the thought faze her when she’d longed for it, had waited for it, and when she could influence any human she’d ever met to her will?
Except maybe for one man…
Damn Ethan Grainger for invading her thoughts at the worst time when she wasn’t alone.
Pop seemed oblivious to what she was thinking. “Maeve. My granddaughter,” he growled. “My first grandchild, and I won’t even get to know her.”
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