Heart of Malice (Alice Worth Book 1)

by Lisa Edmonds

  By the time Sean parked in his driveway, my handbag was full and the messenger bag was on the floor in the backseat. As we got out, I studied the house.

  It was two stories and all brick, with a three-car garage and a fenced backyard. There was a large black truck in the garage, and the third spot held a pair of jet skis on a trailer. I pictured him bare-chested riding a jet ski and nearly tripped over my own feet.

  Inside, the house had a definite bachelor-pad feel. I smiled at the framed vintage concert posters on the walls.

  “Do you want something to drink?” Sean asked.

  “No, I’m good.”

  “I’ll go change, then. Feel free to look around.” Sean disappeared, leaving me in the kitchen.

  I looked over his posters and music memorabilia while I waited. When I moved to the living room, I found a gigantic television and a state-of-the-art home theater system. I surprised myself by imagining us sitting on the couch watching a movie or playing video games.

  The family pictures in the living room featured an older couple who were probably Sean’s parents, and several other families I took to be Sean’s siblings and their kids. On the mantelpiece I found a family photo. It looked like it had been taken in a park on a sunny day. Sean was standing with his parents while his siblings and their families flanked them. Everyone was smiling.

  I wondered what it would be like to come from a big, happy family. I’d never had any brothers or sisters; my mother had told me once, not long before she died, that she’d always wanted at least three children but feared losing them to her father as she had lost me. I looked at the picture of Sean’s family and felt a little stab of jealousy.

  I heard footsteps behind me, turned, and stared.

  Nothing could have prepared me for the sight of Sean in a silver-blue suit. I didn’t know much about men’s suits, but it looked expensive and perfectly tailored. My brain literally went blank.

  Sean stood in the middle of the living room, one hand in his pocket, and grinned at me. Damn that man for knowing exactly how good he looked.

  Finally, I cleared my throat and got my legs moving to walk over to him. “Well, you look okay.” I brushed some imaginary lint off his lapel.

  Sean caught my hand and raised my fingers to his lips. “You’ve got to stop looking at me like that.” He pulled me toward the door to the garage. “Let’s go, before I say to hell with this real estate agent and ruin our fancy clothes.”

  We got back in the Mercedes. Sean put the Cherry Tree Lane address into the car’s GPS and we took off. I noticed him glancing at my legs as he drove and smiled to myself.

  As we headed toward the east side, Sean seemed to be thinking hard about something. Finally, he asked, “How long have you been in the city?”

  “About five years.”

  “Have you been a private investigator since you got here?”

  “I worked for another MPI for a year and a half before I got my license. I’ve been self-employed ever since.”

  “What kind of work do you usually do?”

  “A little of everything: magic tracing, spellwork and wards, summonings and banishments, tracking of magical objects. I also do mundane work like missing persons, skip traces, insurance fraud, background checks, and cheating spouse/divorce stuff. That’s my least favorite type of case, but sometimes it’s just about paying the bills.”

  “You work with anybody?”

  “Just Malcolm. Other than that, nobody.” I shrugged. “I like working for myself. It keeps things simple.”

  “I can see that.” A long pause. Then: “I’m trying to figure out what I can ask about, and what I can’t.”

  “Anything about the last couple of years here in the city, you can ask, and I’ll probably answer. Nothing from before.”

  “Okay.” Sean navigated through some heavy traffic before we got on the highway to head east out of the city. “This one might be off-limits, but can I assume the reason you can’t go to a hospital is connected to whatever happened before you arrived in the city?”

  I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I’d asked questions of Sean on the way to Natalie’s house and he’d answered them, but I couldn’t reciprocate. He could never know anything about my life before I’d arrived in the city, and there were some things I would not—could not—discuss. It wasn’t fair, but that was how it had to be. My life depended on it.

  I decided on part of the truth. “There are some anomalies in my magic that I need to keep secret. I can’t leave my blood anywhere, and I can’t go to a hospital. I need to stay clear of SPEMA and anyone from a cabal, and there’s not much more I can say about it.” I paused, then added softly, “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” Sean squeezed my knee and his touch relaxed me. “I understand. I won’t push you. If I ask something you don’t want to answer, just tell me.”

  “Thank you.”

  We made the rest of the drive in silence. We turned onto Cherry Tree Lane at four twenty-five and found the house with no trouble. Sean parked in the driveway behind a white Land Rover. “Are you ready for this?” he asked.

  “Definitely.” We got out of the car and headed up the walk to the front door.

  The door opened before we even got to the porch. “Welcome!” Kathy Adams called out to us. Her practiced eye looked us over, saw the shiny new Mercedes, and decided we looked the part. Her smile was even more radiant than Eppright’s had been, and that was saying something. She ushered us inside and closed the door.

  I could see the family resemblance to Natalie, though Kathy’s perfectly coiffed auburn hair framed a narrow, almost hawk-like face, and her green eyes glinted with cool calculation. A hint of crow’s-feet put her in her midforties. Her eager smile grew wider as she reached out to shake Sean’s hand.

  I dropped my shields and focused my senses as she turned that big, fake smile to me, hand outstretched. The instant our hands touched, I felt a tiny flare of very low-level air magic and no fire magic at all.

  A sudden wave of dizziness made me stagger and almost fall. With my magic and energy still depleted, focusing my senses so intently was taking its toll.

  Sean caught me by the arm. “Audrey! Are you all right?” It took me a moment to realize he was calling me by my alias.

  I got my shields in place. Everything was a little out of focus and my head pounded, but I gave Kathy my best smile and stepped away from Sean. “I tripped. Such a klutz.”

  Kathy frowned and looked down at the spanish tile in the foyer, obviously trying to figure out what I could have possibly tripped on.

  “New shoes,” I told her, sticking my right foot out to show off my Louboutins, which she dutifully admired. “We’re Sean and Audrey. What a cute little house!” I said, moving past her and looking around.

  Kathy blinked at my “cute little house” comment but was immediately back on her game. “It may be small,” she said agreeably, “but the space is amazingly well-designed. It’s an open plan, so it feels like it’s twice as big.” And she was off, leading us farther into the house, going on about natural light and vaulted ceilings and other realtor-type talk.

  Sean hung back. “You okay?”

  “I’m good,” I told him. “Just feeling a little run-down.” He squeezed my hand and we hurried to catch up with Kathy.

  As the realtor walked us around the house, I let Sean take the lead as he’d done with Eppright, engaging her in conversation and asking questions while I focused on sensing her magic.

  Like Eppright, Kathy was not an exact match to the magical signature in the library wards. Hers was similar, but not as close of a match as her half brother’s. We were in the right ballpark but still not the right person.

  Once I realized Kathy wasn’t our suspect, it was time to bring an end to our tour. My knees were getting wobbly.

  As we walked into the master suite, which was as big as the entire top floor of my house and overlooked the pool and guest house, Kathy beamed. “Well? What do you think?” she asked us,
gesturing at the enormous bedroom.

  “It’s lovely.” I gave her a sad smile.

  Kathy’s smile faded. “What’s wrong?” she asked anxiously.

  “It’s just too small for us,” I said, shaking my head and wishing I could sit down. “I really thought, with the open floor plan, it would feel bigger, but….”

  Sean put his arm around my waist to hold me up. At first, I resisted; it felt possessive, and I didn’t want him to think I was relying on him, but I was cold and light-headed. I reluctantly leaned against him and he squeezed me gently.

  “We did see some other larger homes on your website. I actually liked the one on Pinehurst quite a bit better than this one,” Sean told her.

  Kathy perked up again and led us back to the front door. “Oh, yes! That house is lovely.” And listed for a million more than this one was. “Would you like to see it? I can arrange a walk-through for tomorrow.”

  “We’ll be in Los Angeles for a couple of days.” Sean pulled me tighter against his side as I swayed. “If you’re available when we get back, we would definitely like to see it.”

  Sean took Kathy’s card. She encouraged us to call her when we returned to the city. We promised we would, shook her hand again, and made our escape.

  Sean helped me into the passenger side of his car. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes.

  Sean got in, and I felt him throw his suit jacket into the backseat. “Are you all right?”

  It was a moment before I could respond. “Yes.” My voice sounded wispy.

  Sean sighed. “Why do I bother to ask?” He touched my hand. “You’re cold again.”

  I took a deep breath. “I’m just tired.” He put the car in gear, pulled through the circular driveway, and accelerated away down Cherry Tree Lane. “It took a lot of energy to check the library this morning, and I’ve been running on fumes ever since. I just need to rest for a bit.”

  “It seems like you were asking too much of yourself to do all this today.” Sean cleared his throat. “Not that I would have told you that, of course.”

  I snorted.

  Sean drove in silence. Once we were on the highway, he asked, “Where are we headed?”

  I thought about that, then sighed. “We need to check in with Malcolm and Natalie. I wish I felt up to tracking down Deborah and/or Elise today, but I don’t.”

  “So swing by Natalie’s house and pick up the ghost, then what?”

  “After that, I need to go home. I’m just too worn out to think about doing anything else today.” The rhythm of the tires on the road made me sleepy, and I let myself drift.

  “What about tomorrow?” Sean asked suddenly.

  “What about it?” I murmured, half dozing.

  “I could take another personal day.”

  I opened my eyes and looked at him as he drove. It was rush hour, but we were driving back toward the city and the traffic wouldn’t be bad until we got into town. The outbound lanes were bumper-to-bumper with folks headed home at the end of the day. “I appreciate it, but I’ll be fine, and I’m sure you need to get back to work. I did enjoy having you along today. It’s been fun, and that’s not something I get to say very often during an investigation.”

  Despite my earlier misgivings, I had liked working with Sean. We’d fallen into an easy, comfortable partnership. He was a natural at undercover work, and I had no doubt having him with me today had made it easier to get access to both Peter Eppright and Kathy Adams. The thought of tracking down Elise and Deborah on my own tomorrow suddenly seemed unappealing.

  Sean was talking. I turned my attention back to him. “I’ve got a lot of PT built up. Hell, now that I think about it, I haven’t taken a vacation in over a year. Today was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. I’d much rather do undercover work with you than coordinate bodyguards for a client, or supervise the installation of a camera system at a law office, which is what I had on the schedule for tomorrow. Someone else can do that shit. I want to put on a disguise and help you find a secret mage and a MacGuffin.”

  I had to laugh, despite the turmoil in my head. “I’m still not clear on what a MacGuffin is exactly, but it seemed to make Malcolm’s day to let him call it that, so I guess we’re sticking with it. Seems like the least I can do after…after yesterday.” And just like that, the mood went from light to serious.

  Sean squeezed my knee. “Why don’t we pick up Malcolm and go from there? We don’t have to decide anything right this minute.”

  I sighed, leaned my head back, and closed my eyes again. “Okay.”

  For five years, I’d feared if I let myself depend on someone else in any way, I would lose the edge that kept me alive long enough to escape the cabal. After spending the past few days with Malcolm and Sean, however, I was starting to think that maybe having colleagues—or whatever Sean and I might be to each other—could be a strength rather than a weakness.

  Or maybe I was just tired of being so afraid all the time. The problem was, after a lifetime of fearing everything and everyone around me, I wasn’t sure I knew any other way to be.

  Chapter 14

  I sent Natalie a text that we were on our way, and Sean drove us to my client’s house while I dozed in the passenger seat. When we arrived, I was able to get out of the car and walk up to her door on my own power.

  Before we could knock, Natalie opened the door. “Come on in. Malcolm’s in the living room. Would you guys like anything to eat or drink?”

  “No, thank you,” I said as we stepped inside. “Sorry it took longer than I thought to get here.”

  “It’s okay, no problem.” Natalie waved her hand and took us to the living room.

  Malcolm looked up from where he was studying a chess board with a game in progress. He looked at me closely and frowned. “Hey, you guys look nice. What did you find out?”

  “Neither of the people we talked to are who we’re looking for, but the mage is definitely in the family. Both Peter and Kathy’s magic felt very similar. It must be either Deborah or Elise. Did you get those spells set up in the library?”

  “Yep. You want to see?”

  “Definitely.”

  We all went back toward Betty’s bedroom. This time I was more prepared for the sight and smell of the burned floor and was able to ignore it to focus on the library wards.

  “Wow. Beautiful work,” I breathed, looking at the spellwork. I could see the spells that would contain Natalie’s magic, as well as the spells that would drain it into the perimeter wards. “Well done, Malcolm.”

  “Thanks. It took a little while, but I’m pretty happy with the result.”

  “Did you tell her what the spells do, and that she needs to avoid touching the walls so she doesn’t null the wards?” I sidled away from the group to sit on the edge of the bed.

  “Yes, he did,” Natalie said. “And I really appreciate that you’ve done this for me. Knowing I have a ‘safe room’ to go to if I lose control of my magic makes me feel so much better.”

  Malcolm and Sean were watching me. “Alice, you look exhausted,” the ghost stated.

  “I’m fine,” I said, at the same moment Sean said, “She’s barely able to walk.”

  I glared at Sean. “She’s right here, and perfectly capable of speaking for herself.”

  Malcolm looked unhappy. He floated over to me. “You should have asked me to share some energy with you before you left,” he told me, holding out his arm. “Here.”

  “No.”

  Malcolm blinked at me. “What?”

  “I’m not going to keep draining you every time I’m depleted,” I told him flatly. “You’re not a battery, Malcolm.”

  “That’s not—”

  I didn’t want to have this argument in front of Sean and Natalie. “Malcolm, we can talk about this later. I appreciate the offer, but no.”

  Natalie’s expression was dark. “You’re still hurt from yesterday.” She bit her lip. “I’m dangerous.”

  “No.” I started to get up.
<
br />   She held up her hands to stop me. “Yes. I’m dangerous, because I don’t know how to control my magic. I wish my grandmother was here to explain why she did this to me, but I guess it doesn’t matter now. I’ve decided I want training.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked.

  “Yes. I’ve been talking to Malcolm, and he told me about the things you can use fire and air magic to do. Plus, I was so scared when my magic got loose yesterday. I need to be able to control it so I’m not afraid of that happening again. I’m done being afraid.”

  “Okay. It may take a little while, but I’ll start looking for a teacher.” I turned to Malcolm. “Did you test the containment spell?”

  “Not yet.”

  Sean growled quietly. “We’re not waiting around for that. You’re going home.”

  I stiffened. “I’ll go when I want to go. The containment spell—”

  “Does not need to be tested tonight,” Malcolm interrupted. “You can bring me back here tomorrow and we’ll do it then. Nat’s fine in the meantime. Sean’s right; you need to rest. You look like roadkill.”

  I crossed my arms. “You realize you are scoring no points with me with comments like that.”

  “Totally rude, Mal.” Natalie frowned in the ghost’s general direction.

  “Sorry,” Malcolm said to me. “But seriously, you do.”

  I pushed myself to my feet. “Fine. I’ll come by in the morning to drop off Malcolm so he can test the containment spell, if that’s okay. When he’s done with that, you can start looking through your grandmother’s files while I check on Deborah and Elise.”

  “Thank you, Alice.” Suddenly, Natalie launched herself forward to give me a hug. “You’ve been so awesome.”

  I patted her awkwardly on the back and extricated myself from her embrace. “No problem. I’ll be back in the morning.” I glanced at Malcolm.

  He groaned. “Earring time, huh?”

  “It’s the safest thing to do for now.”

  “Okay,” he said, sighing. “See you soon, Nat.”

  “See you, Mal,” she said with a smile.