by Lyra Evans
Bile rose in Niko’s throat. He had no evidence against Palm but the photo, and that was hardly conclusive. And it did not address the question of how Preston had managed to collect all the details of Sade’s abuse of Niko. Nor whether he himself killed Sade or got someone else to do it.
“Preston couldn’t have known everything,” Niko said aloud without elaborating. But Cobalt seemed to take his meaning.
“Who would know? All the details,” Cobalt asked.
Niko thought it over. “The judge from the trial, Dr. Aspen, the Crown Prosecutor, Sade’s lawyers,” Niko listed, thinking back over those days he tried hard to forget. The experience of testifying to all the grim details of what Sade had done to him over the days or weeks he spent with him had been almost as exhausting as the undercover mission itself. And everyone had treated him like a victim, a spooked deer or a wounded bird. Even Sade’s attorneys hadn’t dared try to vilify Niko on the stand. But the gentle treatment had made it all worse. He had longed for Sade to say something taunting in court, but Sade had done nothing. It frustrated Niko then and still did. “And me and Sade, obviously.”
Cobalt thought it over. “Who was the judge?”
Niko considered it, but he had no reason to think the judge was involved. After all, Sade had been locked away without the possibility of release on the judge’s orders after that trial. “Judge Basswood. But she’s not a Courtier. The judges who preside over criminal trials are lower court judges, and they start as prosecutors. She’s had a reputation for pursuing justice for sexual assault and abuse victims in particular, and her opinion of Sade, at the end of that trial, was very clear. She viewed me as a victim. No way she’d give up the details of my testimony for anything.”
Thinking hard, Cobalt asked, “Sade’s lawyers?”
Niko shook his head. “The guys for his original trial were big name defense attorneys, and he made clear he wasn’t happy with their work. I think they were pleased to be rid of him when it was done, and when they were questioned by the press after Sade’s release, they said he fired them for a firm that ‘better matched Sade’s character and apparently found it.’ It was not a compliment.”
Cobalt cocked his head to the side. “Sade’s lawyers for his release were different?”
Niko nodded. “Some awful headline-chaser types. The kind of assholes who’d take on any client for a good enough payche—” Niko stopped suddenly, realization breaking through the tired fog in his brain. Cobalt questioned him with a look. “Sade didn’t have any money. All his assets were frozen when we arrested him and seized when he was convicted. All of them. And I know that because I knew every account and secret stash he had.”
Cobalt caught on. “So how did he pay for these money-hungry lawyers?”
“Or rather who paid?” Niko said.
Without waiting a beat, he reached for his duffel and tossed everything into it, running his hands over the straps to trade them for better ones, effectively turning the duffel bag into a large backpack. He did the same with Cobalt’s. Plucking a different disguise cap out of the bag, Niko clipped in a stone that made his hair shaggy orange locks and covered his head with a purple baseball cap. He tossed a small black comb at Cobalt, who stared at it a moment before tentatively sticking it into his silver-white hair. In an instant, he grew a wild, black afro, the comb stuck artfully into it.
“What are we doing?” Cobalt asked, getting to his feet and downing the last of his water bottle. He tossed it aside and shouldered the backpack Niko offered him. “Heading to the jungle-forest?”
Niko shook his head. “I’ve got to speak with Chief Banyan,” he said, and Cobalt immediately stopped, looking at him like he was insane. “We’re going to try and catch her at home. If I can just get through to her without all the pressure of Courtiers and cameras rolling and an army of cops ready to shoot me, I think I can convince her this is a better lead. There’s too much here not to see it. Even if it’s circumstantial…she’s a reasonable person and a good cop. I know it.”
Cobalt seemed unconvinced, but he followed Niko out of his childhood safe zone anyway. Niko quickly replaced the metal door, in the event they needed to return here, and led them out into the sun.
The day was warmer than the previous week had been, as if Niko’s realizations had opened the sky to the sun. But as Niko rushed along the narrow alleys and side paths toward the more populated areas of Maeve’s Court, he saw just how difficult the battle ahead would be. It was just after sunrise, still so early in the day, but police officers stood in twos and threes along almost every street. Cruisers were parked at the corner of every other intersection, and Niko thought he heard the faint beating of a chopper in the distance. It was like walking the streets of a military occupation. So Niko did the most sensible thing he could. He called for a rideshare car.
Tapping into the burner, he made a dummy account and plugged in Uri’s credit card number, silently apologizing for the fraud. Uri’s accounts wouldn’t be under scrutiny now, and this was the only way he could see getting by all the cops without having to run or give up his fingerprints.
An old blue sedan rolled up eventually, the Fae in the driver’s seat cracking the window to check they were his passengers. He had dark green hair and a sad, pencil mustache that looked more like a caterpillar living on his upper lip.
“You Ludo?” the man asked.
“I guess you’re Lou?” Niko asked in return. The Fae nodded, and Niko and Cobalt got in the back seat, setting their bags on their laps.
“Cool, cool,” Lou said, rolling up the window and checking his phone for directions to their destination. “How you boys doing this morning?”
Reading the details of Lou’s car and clothing, Niko made an educated guess on his personality. “Fucking wrecked, man,” Niko said, lying back against the seat in dramatic fashion, which both helped play the part and obscure his face behind the rear pillar of the car. Cobalt shifted and hunched himself down, splaying his knees wide against the seat in front of him to affect the slouchy pose. He bobbed his head slightly to the deep beat of the faint music streaming through the speakers. “Got so trashed last night we somehow ended up out here and we gotta be at work in like ten.”
Lou raised his eyebrows and nodded along, seeing Cobalt enjoying the music in his rear view. He turned the dial up slightly. “Shit, that’s rough, my dude. What got you so destroyed?”
Niko rolled his head side to side. “Just can’t handle that Witch’s Brew shit anymore, yeah? Like, I blew through cases of that when I was younger, but now it just does me in. I was off my face, I can’t even. Some girl in a plastic bikini kept filling my glass, and then we end up in this fucking dumpster town because who the fuck knows…and to make matters worse, we wake up this morning to a fucking assault rifle pointed between my eyes.”
“Shit, friend, what?” Lou asked, his fist coming up to his mouth as he pretended to bite it.
“Fucking cops on every street asking me what I’m doing and if I’ve seen this killer dude,” Niko shook his head, blinking wildly. “Like how should I know? I don’t know if I’ve even seen a street sign in this place.”
“Tell me about it, man,” Lou said, eyeing the cruiser parked at the corner as he made a left onto the next street. The cruisers would likely be scanning every license plate, but the sticker in the back windshield that marked the car as part of the Ultra rideshare program meant they wouldn’t question it much. “These scary-ass, soldier-looking dudes are set up on every street. Scaring off customers, too. Like this wanted killer is gonna be out here taking a fucking Ultra to get around, anyway, right?”
Niko laughed, a somewhat honest response. “Right?”
Cobalt made a face as though to show amusement, but he kept his head bobbing gently to the music. Niko glanced out the window. A few faces seemed familiar among the cops stationed along the sidewalk. Though he hadn’t seen anyone he worked with regularly, he knew these people. Or had known them. They had been brothers and sisters in arms, s
tanding behind the shield and before the innocent masses. Now he saw just how unsettling it was on the other end of the barrel of their guns.
“So what work you guys do? This address is kinda in a ritzy neighbourhood,” Lou said.
Niko patted his backpack. “House painters,” he said. “We’re supposed to take the van from work to get to the jobs, but…”
Lou laughed. “Club must’ve been fucking lit last night.”
With an amused sigh, Niko said, “Beats me. Can’t remember shit after that seventh Brew. But our friend is gonna cover for us and meet us at the spot with the van and all. Gave her shit last night for not coming out with us, so I know I’m gonna get an earful now.”
Lou laughed again and pulled down a tree-lined street in one of the residential neighbourhoods of Maeve’s Court. This particular section was upper-middle class, leaning toward lower-upper class. The residents were not Courtiers nor movers and shakers in the Court, but they were well off and generally had dreams of grandeur. There were, predictably, no officers stationed along this street; the last of the cruisers was parked at the intersection leading out of the long cul-de-sac.
“Here you are, guys,” Lou said, tapping his phone screen to mark the end of the ride. “Have a good one!”
Niko saluted him and hopped out of the car. “Thanks, mate. You too!”
They pretended to shuffle between their bags a moment, Niko searching through his phone and Cobalt casting a look either way down the street as though hoping to spot their ‘van,’ while Lou pulled a u-turn and disappeared back where he came from.
When Lou was gone and the street deserted, Niko shouldered the bag and made his way down the street toward a neighbourhood path that crossed behind houses and led toward a park and playground. Cobalt followed quickly, trying to look as calm and inconspicuous as possible. It was a feat, given the black backpacks and dark, non-descript clothing. Niko was certain a nosy neighbour would take note of them, but if his plan to speak with Chief Banyan panned out, it wouldn’t matter.
He led them along the gravelly path beyond the houses, then into the park, keeping to the treeline at the edge of it. The centre was cleared out for a large playground and picnic benches, but trees still stood, large and shady, along the circumference. Halfway across, Niko darted further into the trees and hit the fencing that separated the park from private property. Beyond the fence, a large, white house stood stately and clean. The yard was tidy and landscaped like in a magazine, and the dark shutters stuck in a permanently open position accentuated the look of the house.
Niko climbed the fence as best he could without making noise, Cobalt following after him. He asked no questions, which Niko appreciated, though he must have wondered at their route. There was no option to come at Chief Banyan’s house from the front. It was too dangerous. If she saw him in the driveway, she could easily call for backup or shoot him herself if she chose. This was far from ideal, but at least Niko might have a chance to convince her to hear him out before calling in the cavalry.
Crouched low, he darted from bush to bush until he came up under the large windows of the back sitting room. He’d been in the house once before, as part of a large event for the force’s top-performing officers after his undercover case. It seemed long ago now, but as he peered sideways into the window, he caught a glimpse of the side of Chief Banyan’s head. She was seated with her back to him and the window, apparently addressing someone on the sofa opposite her.
Pressing a finger to the window, Niko felt for the warding around the house, trying to identify the specific magical details that might alert her. He carefully untangled the alarms, setting them to neutral, and traded the soundproofing away so he could hear into the room.
“—do understand the urgency, of course,” Banyan was saying. “I’ve got the full force of the department working this case. Everything else is being seen to by a skeleton staff, which the union isn’t happy about—”
“I’ve no interest in union squabbles,” her guest responded. The voice was familiar, but Niko couldn’t see the source from his angle. Cobalt shuffled under the window to the other side, aiming for another angle, but he shook his head. He couldn’t tell either.
“No, no, of course not, I only meant—”
“You meant you are doing your best,” the voice interrupted again. “Only I am not convinced. Need I remind you of the stakes of this case should you fail?”
Banyan fell silent a moment, the atmosphere stilted. “No, I am fully aware,” she said, her voice smaller than he’d ever heard it. She was a formidable woman, even in trying circumstances. Niko didn’t understand what could shake her that way. “I know precisely what there is to lose here, both for the Court and myself.”
A soft humming came from the guest. “And how is Sukhdeep?” Niko caught on the question. What did Banyan’s son have to do with anything?
Banyan paused again, nodding her head. “Well. He is doing well,” she said. After a tense moment, she got to her feet and seemed to offer her hand to her guest. “You have my word, both Niko Spruce and the Selkie problem will be addressed to your satisfaction. And soon.”
“I am pleased to hear it,” the guest said. “I shall leave you to it. I know you have much to see to.”
“Yes, of course,” Banyan answered. “Thank you, Ms. Juniper. I’ll be in touch.”
Chapter 13
Niko’s ears were ringing. He waited in the shadows of the roots of a large mangrove tree. Cobalt lingered behind him, his bare feet submerged in the shallow waters at the base of the tree’s roots. His pant legs were rolled up to mid-calf, and his eyes were closed. Niko had removed his boots too, not wanting to soak them needlessly, but he didn’t enjoy the cold salt water against his skin as much as Cobalt did.
Watching between the narrow roots, Niko tried not to let his mind run away with him. It was a struggle, not to think too much, because he spent every waking moment working through puzzles on cases. The effort of will it took him to focus only on the immediate task at hand was immense. But every time his mind wandered back to the hornet’s nest of the case, his body succumbed to a paralyzing panic and uncontrollable rage.
Chief Banyan was involved. Whether she was an active participant in the Woods or simply a pawn, controlled by their influence, she wasn’t to be trusted. Which meant none of the police force was trustworthy. Except, maybe, one.
Uri appeared from a narrow passage between two rocky crags. The cave he’d entered on the other side was small, but it lead off from one of Maeve’s Court’s public beaches. It narrowed further back, deeper into the cave, and appeared to close off entirely. Only it didn’t. Niko had discovered it during one of his first patrols as a rookie officer. He’d seen some kids run into the cave, but they didn’t come out again. He’d been after them for some petty vandalism, and only realized how he’d lost them when he pushed further into the cave himself, despite his misgivings he wouldn’t fit.
Wearing only a pair of green swim trunks, Uri jogged over to their agreed meeting spot with some difficulty. The soft sands of the public beach gave way to a rockier shore on this side. The mangroves held to the earth with their network of elaborate roots, but loose sand had been washed away long ago. Uri picked his way through, his face clearly broadcasting his displeasure at the roughness on his feet, and Niko popped out to meet him.
“Probably should have kept your flip-flops,” Niko said, watching him struggle. Uri shot him a look, but it faded quickly. In its place, relief glimmered in the early sun.
“You’re okay,” he said, looking very much as though he wanted to grab Niko and clutch him tight. He didn’t though. People seemed to have this issue with Niko a lot, he realized. Instead, Uri lowered the bag from his shoulder and pulled it open. “I got everything you asked for, I think.”
Niko nodded as Uri placed the open bag on the ground. Crouching down to sort through it and swap out items from his own bag, Niko began to take count of what Uri had brought him. There were two lightweight but effec
tive tarps, lightened via magic, in camouflage tones, a reusable water bottle with a filter like the one Starla had purchased for Cobalt, two ultra-slim camping sleeping bags that squished down to nothing, some Fae-made rope, hunting knives, extra socks and underwear, some camping rations and easy-to-carry meals, a small pot, a fire-starter, and a small first-aid kit. There was also a bar of soap, a few sets of handcuffs, and a device that could both charge electronics and boost cellphone reception slightly.
“Thanks,” Niko said, shifting some of the items into Cobalt’s pack as well. He got rid of anything unnecessary, including the used disguises and less practical clothing. Cobalt made his way over to them, though he kept to the shallows of the water rather than step onto the sun-warmed rock.
“Officer Fern,” Cobalt said, nodding to Uri. Uri stared him down, his expression wary. He bit his lip, then ran his tongue over it, then nodded shortly.
“Been a while,” he said, which Niko was certain would not be the last subtle dig Uri took. Cobalt said nothing to that, so Uri turned back to Niko. “I chucked in a compass, just in case, and managed to print out a topographical map with the general locations of the properties I found.”
Niko located them and scanned the property map again. There were only a few properties in the jungle-forest that seemed plausible as Preston’s hideaway. One of them was a rather large estate, with an outlined perimeter. It belonged to Maeve herself, and while it was technically identified on the map, in reality it was much more difficult to find. The warding around the property ensured anyone passing by would instinctually move around it or away from it without even realizing it.