Veil of Lies

by Nicky Charles

  “Look Armand,” Lulu paused as well. “Whenever I see red leaves it reminds me of that story you once told me about the bear in the sky.”

  “A bear in the sky?” Roxi turned to look at him. “I didn’t know bears could fly.”

  “It’s an old tale about three hunters who chased a bear into the sky. They eventually turned into the stars that form the Big Bear constellation.” Armand explained.

  “It’s sad, too.” Lucy added. “The hunters shoot the bear and his blood lands on the trees turning the leaves red.”

  “Blood? Eww.” She made a face. “Thanks for ruining my enjoyment of coloured leaves.”

  “Sorry,” Lulu gave her an apologetic smile.

  “But it’s not the end of the bear.” Armand continued the tale. “The bear rises from its bones and the chase begins again, the hunters following him through the sky for another year.”

  “Can’t keep a good bear down, can you?” She slid him a look and was going to comment further but the restaurant was in sight and food took priority over trying to get a rise out of Armand.

  Pietro’s Pasta Palace was a small restaurant despite the name and didn’t look that impressive from outside, but the food more than made up for the atmosphere and those who lived in the area knew it. As usual, there was a line outside.

  “Don’t worry,” she assured her friends as she breezed to the front of the line, ignoring the glares of those she passed. “Hey Bella!”

  Bella was the co-owner and current guardian of the door. “Roxi! I got your text. There’s a table for three in the corner. You know the way.” She ushered them inside.

  “You seem to have connections,” Armand noted.

  “Roxi is always pulling out some relationship or friendship, it seems,” Lulu explained as she sat in the chair Armand held for her.

  “Interesting.”

  Roxi smiled innocently as Armand pinned her with a speculative stare. He was beginning to get suspicious of her. Damn shifters never took anything at face value. And, of course, she wasn’t good at being subtle. What you see is what you get; that was more her style. If people chose not to believe what was right before their eyes, that wasn’t her problem.

  They placed their orders and made appreciative noises as a basket of fresh baked bread was set on the table.

  “Dig in.” She grabbed a slice and slathered it with butter.

  The meal progressed as Armand regaled them with stories of happenings at the bar he ran. She loved his accent and could have listened to him read a dictionary but thankfully the Broken Antler seemed an endless source of entertaining anecdotes. In fact, the whole town was rather quirky. She supposed small places were like that. Chicago had its fair share of characters as well, but they were lost in the mass of humanity.

  “The dog really uses the crosswalk?” She leaned back in her chair feeling pleasantly full.

  “He does.” Lulu took a sip of her wine, her cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling. “Ryne sat down and talked to him one day and ever since then Harley’s obeyed the traffic lights.”

  “This Ryne guy talked to the dog? That’s…fascinating.” Her gaze drifted to Armand. “Isn’t it?”

  Armand’s expression remained bland, but she knew she’d made her point.

  “Do you want more wine?” She took the carafe that sat in the middle of the table and poured more into Lulu’s glass even before she answered.

  “Oh, I really have had enough.” Lulu pushed her chair back. “In fact, I need to use the washroom. Watch my purse for me, okay?”

  Roxi held back a smile. Her plan was working. Lulu would head to the restroom and she and Armand could spend some time getting to know each other.

  “Lulu seems really pleased you came to visit. I’ve never seen her this happy.”

  “Despite the wine you’ve been plying her with?” Armand quirked his brow.

  “You noticed that, huh?”

  “I did. However, I agree she’s changed over the few days I’ve been here. Now she’s more like the Lucy I knew; laughing and relaxed, not so controlled.”

  “She told me once that she’d made mistakes in her life and was starting over fresh.”

  He nodded. “She said as much to me, too. However, Lucy isn’t what we need to be talking about, is it?”

  “Right. We do seem to have a certain something in common besides her.”

  They eyed each other across the table, neither wanting to play their cards first. This is what she sucked at though. She’d never been the patient kind and cracked first.

  “We need to talk about the…Others.”

  “Yes, we do.” He leaned forward clasping his hands on the table. “We’re not always what we appear on the outside, are we?”

  “True for you at least. I believe you have an affinity for…bears?”

  “And you find the caricatures of Halloween witches annoying.”

  “To some extent. My family does. Me, not so much.”

  He cocked his head. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  She scowled then hitched her chair closer to his and spoke in the quietest voice possible. “Screw all this pussyfooting around and talking in code crap. I know you’re a bear and you know I’m a witch. Well, a demi-witch.”

  “Demi?”

  “No longer functioning. I showed a few sparks of promise as a child and then it fizzled into nothing.” She waved her hand. “That’s not the important point. What matters is the contents of the flash drive.”

  “Industrial espionage; that’s what I told Lucy.”

  “Yeah and you lie like a rug. A great big bear rug.”

  “And what makes you think that?”

  “I have a side business. I engage in information exchange, especially the kind that has to do with Others.”

  “I fail to see what this has to do with the USB drive.”

  “Listen, I suspected what you were the moment I met you.”

  He shook his head. “Witches don’t possess the ability to detect shifters.”

  “I’ve spent enough time around your kind to know the signs, though you do seem to have better manners than a lot of them.”

  “My mother insisted her sons knew how to be gentlemen.”

  “Huh. Anyway, I figured if you were a shifter, the friend you contacted was probably a shifter. And then, when you said it was industrial espionage that clinched it. If it really was just human stuff, you’d have handed it over to the cops or sent it to them anonymously in the mail, but you didn’t!” She leaned back pleased with her deductive skills.

  Armand, disappointingly, did not seem impressed. “That’s it? I fail to see the connection.”

  “Well,” she frowned, “there are a few more details.”

  “Such as?”

  Damn, she hated sharing all her information at once, especially when she wasn’t getting paid for it. However, the good thing about information was that it could be sold over and over again with the buyers being none the wiser. “Okay, I’ll spill. Have you ever heard of Club Mystique?”

  “I’ve heard the name in passing. One of my cousins works there as a bouncer.”

  “Let me guess. Rudi?”

  He nodded.

  “Well, in case he didn’t explain, it’s a place for Others to gather, a bar. Nothing special, though the owner is starting to swank it up a bit. Anyway, I hang out there, picking up bits of info.”

  “Eavesdropping.”

  “Information acquisition.”

  “It’s not honourable.” There was a look of distaste on his face that rankled.

  “Honourable, schmonourable, it gets me extra cash. You think I can live on what I make at a dry-cleaners?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Well, I can’t so I do what I have to do, all right?”

  He didn’t reply. Stuffy, judgemental bear!

  She took a deep breath and got her attitude back under control. “I was at the club the other night and overheard something about sensitive information pertaining to Lycan
Link. Someone inside the organization is selling it to the highest bidder. I put two and two together and decided that must be the data on the flash drive Lulu found.”

  “That’s quite a leap; the USB could have come from anywhere.”

  “Yeah, well my mind works in wild and wonderous ways.” She waggled her fingers to simulate her brain waves, then cocked her head. “So, am I right? That flash drive is full of Lycan Link secrets, right?”

  He shook his head. “Ryne said—”

  “That’s the dog whisperer dude, isn’t it? He’s also a shifter. Probably a Lycan if he can train a dog that fast.”

  “You’re quick to jump to conclusions.”

  “Nah, I’m just quick to see links between facts. No jumping involved whatsoever. So, what about the flash drive?”

  He pushed his chair back. “I think I’ll go pay the bill.”

  “Aha! You’re avoiding answering which can only mean the flash drive does contain intel from Lycan Link.”

  “Or maybe I don’t want to impose on the owners of this restaurant. We’re keeping the table longer than necessary while there are others who are waiting to come inside.”

  “This conversation isn’t finished, Armand.”

  “I never assumed I would be that fortunate.”

  “Fortunate?” She scowled. “Hey, that’s not nice.”

  “I don’t mean to offend, however you do remind me of the proverbial dog with a bone.”

  “Gum on the bottom of your shoe, that’s what Lulu says.”

  “And she’d be correct. Speaking of her, she’s not back yet.” He turned to look towards the rear where the washrooms were located. “Maybe you should check on her?”

  “Yeah. She was a bit tipsy. I hope she didn’t get stuck in a stall. That happened to me once when I was drunk. Took me forever to jiggle the door free.” She stood up. “You go pay and I’ll get Lulu. We’ll meet you at the front door.”

  She wove between the tables and made her way to the washrooms.

  “Lulu, you okay? Your big, burly boyfriend is looking for you.” Her voice echoed around the small room. She cocked her head but there was no answer. Only the steady dripping of a tap sounded in the sink. An uneasy feeling passed over her and she began knocking on the door of each stall.

  “Lulu?”

  There was no reply.

  Had she somehow missed her?

  She poked her head into the dining area and scanned the restaurant. Armand was paying the bill. Their table was being cleared and new customers were crossing the room, but Lulu was nowhere in sight.

  Maybe Lulu had gone out the back door. She’d had a lot to drink—Roxi skimmed over whose fault that was—and hurried to the rear entrance. She pushed open the door ready to tease her roommate about taking a wrong turn except…there was no sign of her.

  Turning in a slow circle, she pushed down her increasing apprehension, hoping to see Lulu barfing up the extra wine in some dark corner. No such luck. The only sign of life was a stray cat blinking at her from behind a dumpster.

  Her brain began to scramble for explanations. Lulu could have gone home without them. Or decided to go window shopping. Or… She made a face; Lulu wasn’t the flaky type who’d do something like that.

  Oh crud.

  She’d wanted to get Armand by himself so she could talk to him, but she’d never thought it would lead to this. Someone must have nabbed Lulu!

  Chapter 17

  Lucy had been surprised to see Jeff the chef standing near the rear of the restaurant when she exited the washroom.

  “Hi Jeff, what are you doing here?”

  “It’s all you can eat pasta night. After all the cooking I do at work, I don’t want to see another pot or pan.”

  “I can understand that. Where are you sitting?” She glanced over her shoulder looking for an empty table.

  “I haven’t got a seat yet. I was hanging back here hoping to talk to the chef. The King’s Plate is okay, but I want to move up in the world and I thought he might have some info on a place that wants more kitchen staff. The chef world is pretty tight knit, you know?”

  She didn’t, however she nodded in agreement. “Oh, what happened with your car? I didn’t get to see you today to ask.”

  “Yeah, my car.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, would you believe I found it? Someone probably took it for a joy ride and then left it parked around the corner.”

  “That’s incredible. Good luck for you though. It would have cost a lot to replace it.”

  “Right.” He shuffled his feet and glanced beyond her.

  She was keeping him from speaking to the chef, probably. “Well, I’ll talk to you tomorrow at—”

  “You know what was strange?” He spoke over her words. “There was a dent in the hood, like something big had bounced off it.”

  His comment had her freezing in place as an idea began to form in her head. Had someone stolen Jeff’s car and then used it to run Armand down? Hadn’t that been one of the ideas they’d considered and dismissed? Maybe it wasn’t so crazy after all.

  “Jeff, what colour is your car?”

  “Brown.”

  The same colour as the hit-and-run car! She glanced towards her table where Armand and Roxi seemed deep in conversation; it was nice that they were getting along. She hated to interrupt them, especially if her idea was wrong.

  “Jeff, can I see your car?”

  “Um…sure. But why?”

  “Just something I’m wondering about. I…uh…saw a car racing down the street the other day. It was brown. Maybe it was the joyriders.”

  “Really? Well then, yeah, come take a look. I’m actually parked out back in the staff area; there were no spots on the street. This is a really popular place.” He led her to the back door and into the alley. “It’s over there, just past the dumpster.”

  A few yards away, she could see the bumper of a car. It looked to be the right shade of brown and the correct model. “Jeff, I think that’s it!”

  She was going to take a closer look when something hit her in the back, knocking her to the ground. Landing hard on her hands and knees, her cry of surprise barely passed her lips before a rag was shoved in her mouth. What felt like a foot pressed her flat as her ankles and wrists were tied. When she struggled, her head was pushed down against the pavement. There was a snapping sound and she felt her glasses slipping on her face, then she was jerked upright and something, maybe a pillowcase, was pulled over her head.

  No! She silently shouted, squirming as hands ran over her body.

  What was going on?

  Where was Jeff?

  Or was he the one frisking her?

  Questions streamed through her mind in rapid succession as panic muddled her thinking and survival instincts had her continuing to struggle to free herself, tossing her head, screaming through the cloth in her mouth. She hit something hard with the back of her head, perhaps a chin or a cheekbone for her captor swore.

  “Dammit, that hurt. Hurry up, I can barely hold her.” It was Jeff speaking!

  “It’s not on her. Shit!”

  And the other voice belonged to Kathy! Shocked, Lou stopped struggling for a minute. Kathy and Jeff were in cahoots? She’d never suspected the two of them!

  “You should have just told her it was yours when she showed it to you at the diner.” There was accusation in Jeff’s tone.

  “Well, why didn’t you speak up then?”

  “Because of that guy she suddenly had sniffing around her. We needed to be cautious. Seems pretty strange that he showed up right after she got her hands on it.”

  Kathy sniffed. “And yet you complained when I tried to take him out.”

  “Only because you used my car. It was like painting a neon sign on my back. I kept expecting the cops to arrest me.”

  “I made sure the plates were too dirty to be read.”

  “I don’t care. You still should have used a different car.” There was an edge of anger in his voice.

&nb
sp; “Your keys were available.”

  “You—”

  Kathy interrupted him. “Give it a rest. We have more important things to worry about, like the fact we’re running out of time.”

  “Yeah, we need the info and we need it now.” Jeff’s fingers tightened, digging into her flesh. “Where is it?” His voice sounded by her ear. “Tell us and you won’t get hurt.”

  “And don’t play dumb. You know what we want.”

  She mumbled through the rag in her mouth.

  “I’m taking the rag out. You scream or make any noise except answering our question and you’ll be sorry, you understand?” Kathy’s voice hissed in her ear. “You know how Jeff likes to play with knives.”

  Jeff? Sweet harmless Jeff who wanted to be on TV? It was hard to fathom but the deadly sincerity in Kathy’s voice sent an icy chill through her. She nodded, the bag was pulled from over her head and the rag removed. She quickly worked her lips, trying to moisten her mouth so she could speak.

  “Now where’s the memory stick?” Jeff gave her a shake.

  “My dresser. It’s on my dresser in my apartment.” Telling them what they wanted to know might not have been the best move, but in her mind, she was envisioning Jeff dicing carrots in the kitchen, his knife almost a blur. She wasn’t hero material, at least not for something like industrial spying. No lives were at stake except hers. The plans for the latest gizmo weren’t worth dying over.

  “Good girl.” Kathy wasted no time shoving the rag back in Lou’s mouth and once again blinding her with the bag. “Shove her in the trunk. We keep her alive until we have the data back, just in case she was lying to us.”

  “Right.”

  “I’ll take your car—”

  “My car again?”

  “You expect me to use the bus? Don’t be stupid.”

  There was a moment of silence and Lou imagined them glaring at each other before Kathy spoke again.

  “Anyway, I’ll search her apartment. Use the scent mask to cover our tracks and we’ll meet back at the diner.”

  “We’re almost out of the mask. Maybe we should save it. Didn’t your supplier say he couldn’t get you any more for at least a week?”

  “Yeah, we’ve been using tons of the stuff to keep under the radar of the local pack but if the bear picks up our scent here, he’ll connect it to the diner. We can’t afford to have him tracking us now.”