by Vella Day
She told herself she was just going to check out books, but that if she happened to touch one of the employees—by mistake, of course—so be it. What she learned wouldn’t be admissible in court, but it might help Dalton direct his search.
When she reached the store, she paused before going in. Just buy the book and leave. Yes, that was what she should do.
Inside, several customers were milling about the book-packed store. Anna’s biggest complaint about the place was that the aisles were spaced too close together. The benefit was that it allowed for more choices.
As she walked past the front, a slightly overweight man was working the cash register. Off to the side was Linda Darnell who Anna had spoken with on several occasions about books on flower arranging. Anna would have spoken to her about finding a science fiction book, but Linda was talking with an elderly woman.
The manager, Meredith Wilson, came out from the back carrying a stack of books to one of the shelves near the romance section. Anna would ask her.
She painted on a happy face and strolled over to her. “Hi,” Anna said.
Meredith spun around. “Oh, Anna, hello. Let me put these books down. How have you been? I haven’t seen you in a while.”
Anna reached out and touched her arm. “Let me help.”
“I’ve got this.”
Anna held on a little bit longer than was necessary, but in that time she felt waves of pain emanating from the woman. A vision flashed in Anna’s mind of a person who looked like a younger version of Meredith, lying in a hospital bed. An older couple was standing off to the side. From their age and the worry creasing their faces, they might be her parents. A rather dark skinned woman in scrubs handed what appeared to be a baby to the woman in the bed. The woman broke into sobs, as if the baby might have been still born. After kissing and rocking the newborn, she handed the child back to the nurse and looked away.
Anna shivered at the heartbreaking scene. Now she wished she’d never touched Meredith. Anna had hoped she’d have seen Meredith toting a gun or perhaps having a shouting match with Crystal Wedgewood.
“Anna, are you okay?” Meredith asked.
“Yes, I’m fine.” She really needed to figure out a way to hide her reaction to these visions.
Meredith had already set the books on the shelf. “What can I help you with?”
“I’m looking for a science fiction book for a friend of mine.”
“Do you know what kind? Space opera, military, alien invasion, or something else?”
Anna sagged. Here she thought she understood Dalton and could figure out his likes and dislikes, but apparently, she had a lot to learn about him. “I’m thinking military.” After all, he was a cop.
“Come with me.” At the science fiction section, Meredith stopped and ran a manicured nail along a row of books before pulling one from the shelf. “How about Alien Nomad? It’s about a Starfleet commander’s exploration of space. It’s one of our bestsellers.”
It wasn’t her cup of tea, but perhaps Dalton would like it. If he didn’t, he could always return it. “Sounds great.”
As soon as Meredith held the book out to her, Anna’s vision blurred, and her heart started pumping too hard.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Anna placed a hand over her heart and grabbed onto the shelf. “I’m not sure. I just need to rest.”
Meredith looked up and waved to someone. “Tom, could you get Anna some water?”
“Sure,” he called back.
“Anna?” She looked up, and found Rye hovering near, his expression grim.
“What are you doing here?” She hoped nothing had happened to Dalton.
“Izzy sent me here to pick up a book for her. You don’t look well.” He wrapped an arm around her waist, and for a moment she was able to pretend it was Dalton. “Let’s get you some fresh air.”
Anna nodded and placed the book back on the shelf, but not in the correct place. Glad to have someone to steady her, Rye led her toward the exit. As soon as she was halfway to the door, all of her symptoms disappeared, and she halted. “That’s odd.”
Rye let go and faced her, his brows pointing downward. “What is it?”
“I’m suddenly feeling fine.”
Tom, the employee, came over and handed her the water. “Thanks,” she said, and then tipped back the paper cup and drained it. She handed the empty back to him.
Meredith drew near. “You seem better.”
“I’m so embarrassed. I have no idea what came over me. I know I’m not a big sci-fi fan, but that reaction was ridiculous.” Anna laughed, but the sound came out hollow.
The manager smiled. “As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters.”
“I am, thanks.”
Meredith glanced at Rye, nodded, and then returned to stacking her books.
Anna snapped her fingers. “I almost forgot. I don’t want to leave without picking up what I came here to buy. I appreciate you helping me.”
As she returned to the sci-fi aisle and reached the book Meredith had recommended, another wave of lightheadedness assaulted her. What the hell? A brief thought that she might be pregnant crossed her mind, but it wasn’t possible she’d experience symptoms so quickly.
“Anna, let me take you home,” Rye said, suddenly reappearing at her side.
This time she didn’t complain. With the book in hand she let him lead her toward the front again. For the second time in only a minute, her symptoms disappeared halfway to the door. “Rye, I’m sorry, but I’m suddenly fine again. I must be allergic to something on the shelves.”
He glanced around. “So you only felt ill in one spot?”
He made it sound like she was faking it. “Believe it or not, that was what happened.”
“Hmm. Would you do me a favor?”
He was the Alpha. She might not be a shifter—yet—and Dalton wasn’t a member of Rye’s Clan, but everyone looked up to Rye. “Sure.”
“Come with me. You might be able to help me with something.”
Anna thought they’d leave the store, but instead, he guided her back to the science fiction section. Really? She loved this bookstore and never had a problem in there before, but she wasn’t in the mood to feel like crap once more. “Why are we going back there?”
“I want to try something.”
“Okay. I want to get to the bottom of this too.”
Perhaps he wanted to test whether the illness was all in her mind. She’d hoped that with Rye by her side, she wouldn’t experience any ill effects, but she did. When they neared the science fiction section, her stomach nearly turned inside out and her pulse soared.
Rye held on tight. “Easy. Just one more thing.”
“What the hell is going on?” she managed to ask.
“I know this seems like a weird request, but can you drop to one knee and place your hand on the floor?”
If he hadn’t been the Alpha, she wouldn’t have agreed, but his urgent tone suggested she needed to obey. She held out the book. “Hold this.”
Trying to act as casual as possible, she dropped to one knee, and her vision turned black for a moment. Had she not reached out to steady herself, she might have done a face plant.
“What do you feel? Is it worse?” he asked.
“Ten times worse,” she managed to choke out.
“Good.” He helped her up.
“Good?” What was he talking about? If Anna didn’t get away from this area, she was going to be sick.
“Let’s go.”
Thank God. Once she paid for her purchase, he escorted her outside. She spun to face him. “So tell me, what was that all about?” she asked.
He nodded to his black SUV. “I’ll drive you back. We need to talk.”
Boy did they.
Once she slid into the passenger side seat, Rye faced her. “How much has Dalton told you about the Changelings?”
“He hasn’t said anything, but James filled me in, more or less.”
; “James—as in the man who lives in the stone house?” Rye asked.
She chuckled. “Yes, James, the immortal who’s married to Naliana.”
“How—?”
She would have thought he’d know. “He was my therapist. It’s a long story.”
“Therapy? Oh, yes of course; to help from when you were kidnapped by that guy Whitlaw who was after Jillian.”
Anna was pleased she didn’t have to explain that to him. “Yes.”
“I’ll try to be brief. Basically, the Changelings get their power from a stone called sardonyx. We’ve fought a few battles with them over the years to keep it out of their hands. If they ever found a source for this rare gem, there’s no telling what would happen to our Clan. I fear they might even be able to wipe us out.”
Chills raced up her arms. “They’re that powerful?”
“Let’s say, they could be if they had enough of this stone. It allows them to steal the Wendayan’s powers. They took Kip Landon’s brother’s powers a few months back.”
“That’s not good.” Though if they wanted to steal her ability to see into the past, she just might let them take it.
“No, it isn’t. Since then, we’ve discovered where some of this stone might be located. The bad part was that the information was obtained from the Changelings.”
Her mind soared. “That’s scaring me, but what does this have to do with me and the bookstore?”
“This stone might be buried underneath it.” He explained how there might have been a mine in the town many years ago, and how once the miners realized that some people wanted to steal it, they buried it around town. “Since then, buildings have been erected over the top of those sites unbeknownst to the developers.”
“So now the stone is safe from these Changelings too.” Her blood pressure dropped.
He shook his head. “I’m afraid not. They’ve already burned down one building to find the treasure underneath. Fortunately, my Clan, with the help of others, was able to foil them. Where you were held captive was on the site of the first discovery.”
She sucked in a big breath. “I had no idea.”
“Hopefully, no one else does either.”
Rye still hadn’t addressed what she had to do with all of this. “So what does this have to do with me being sick?”
“I believe you hold the key to locating this stone.”
Chapter Twelve
‡
Just as Dalton and Kalan were about to clock out, Will Mathers, a rookie street cop entered with Meredith Wilson. Her hands were locked behind her back, and she looked as if she’d been given a death sentence.
“What the hell?” Dalton grumbled. Dalton and Kalan both jumped up and strode over to Will.
“What’s going on?” Kalan demanded.
“Mrs. Wilson had a broken taillight, and I pulled her over.”
“Hardly a criminal offense,” Kalan said.
Will didn’t look pleased with Kalan’s response. Tough. “I asked for her license and registration. When she opened her glove compartment, I spotted a gun.”
“I told you it’s not mine,” Meredith said between gritted teeth.
Will ignored her and straightened his shoulders, as if he needed to defend his actions. “I asked if she held a concealed weapon permit, and she told me she didn’t. The gun did not belong to her, she said.”
Dalton nodded to Merry. “How about taking off the cuffs? I don’t think she’ll be a flight risk.”
“Thank you, Officer,” Merry huffed, her words thick with emotion.
When Will released her, she brought her arms to the front and rubbed her wrists. Dressed in a navy blue skirt, a peach blouse, and sensible heels, she looked younger than when he’d first met her, though he would have thought the opposite given the amount of stress she must be under.
Kalan nodded to Will. “You have the weapon?”
“Yes.”
“How about you log that in and we’ll question Mrs. Wilson?”
“Sure.” Will took off, clearly not pleased with the reception. He was a good cop, or rather, he would be in a few years.
“It’s not my gun, and I have no idea who put it there,” Merry pleaded.
While she sounded convincing, Kalan held up his hand. “We’ll sort this out. Come with us.”
Once they entered her into the system, they escorted her to interrogation room number one. Because Dalton had been the one who’d spoken with Meredith at the bookstore, he took the seat across from her while Kalan stood.
“Can you explain how that gun could have made its way to your glove compartment?” Dalton asked.
“No, but I don’t lock my car, so I guess anyone could have stashed it there. My Volkswagen Rabbit is over ten years old, and this is the first time I’ve had a break in.”
“Do you own a gun other than this one?”
She scrunched up her face, acting as if that was a ridiculous question. “I’ve never even touched a weapon, let alone fired one.”
Kalan motioned that they confer outside. “Excuse us for a moment,” Dalton said to Meredith. Once in the hallway, he faced his partner. “What do you make of it?”
“She could be telling the truth. If the gun is the murder weapon, and that’s a big if, would she really keep it in her car?” Kalan asked.
“Criminals aren’t known for their smarts.”
“Without evidence, we can’t keep her, but if we find out the bullet is a match to the gun that killed Mrs. Wedgewood, we can arrest her.”
The process of checking the striations on the bullet casing would take time since their lab tech was working solo this week. “I’ll advise her to stay in town, but I doubt she’d run, not with a sick husband at home,” Dalton said. “Assuming she didn’t lie about that.”
“I agree.”
No sooner had they released her, than Kalan received a call from his Alpha. They were in the hallway and out of earshot of anyone. As Kalan paced and spoke in a hushed tone, Dalton’s thoughts turned to Merry. He should be happy they might be close to wrapping up the case, but something seemed off. A killer wouldn’t have pointed a finger at herself and say she had the most to lose—especially when speaking with a cop—and then stash the gun in her car. However, it was always possible she was waiting for the right moment to dispose of the weapon, either by ditching it or planting it on someone else.
Damn. This case was becoming more complicated by the minute. Kalan disconnected, his face drawn. “Rye wants us to meet him at McKinnon and Associates.”
Dalton hadn’t expected that request. “We needed to speak with Connor anyway about a few things, but why does Rye want us there?” His father might have started the firm, but his brother was now in charge.
“Rye called to discuss what would happen if the Changelings got a hold of the sardonyx. He has a plan and wants our input.”
“When you spoke with him just now, I didn’t hear you mention the Changelings.”
Kalan smiled. “Some of the conversation was spoken out loud, but much was communicated telepathically.”
Dalton glanced around. “But you’re from different species. How is that possible?” Now more than ever he missed his dad, as there were so many shifter facts he’d never learned about.
“Once we became the Alpha and Beta, we were able to communicate telepathically. It’s necessary for the longevity of the Clan. How it works exactly, I don’t know, only that it does.” He pocketed his phone. “Come on. We can clock out on the way. I’ll drive.”
As soon as Dalton slipped into Kalan’s Jeep, he pulled out his phone.
“Who are you calling?” Kalan asked.
It wasn’t police business, but he didn’t mind telling him. “Anna. I don’t want her to worry when I don’t call.”
“Don’t bother. She’s one of the reasons why we’re going to Jackson’s office.”
His tiger woke up, switching into protective mode. “What are you talking about?”
“She’s with Rye. Apparently, she
has a talent that could be vital to our existence.”
*
Anna still wasn’t convinced she could detect where this sardonyx rock was located, but after the test Rye put her through, she almost couldn’t deny it.
“Right this way,” Rye said as he escorted her into the building where all the trouble had begun.
She shivered. “This place gives me the creeps.”
“I’m sorry. It’s where the McKinnon and Associates new office is located. Hopefully, the inside looks different.”
When she’d been held captive there, the walls were studs interspersed with pink insulation. Besides being dark that night, she didn’t remember much. Pain and fear had a way of erasing details.
The foyer to the new McKinnon and Associates building was classy. A soft butternut leather sofa and two forest green chairs bordered a glass top table that had a few magazines stacked on top. The warm taupe walls, along with the photos of the Great Smokey Mountains, provided a calming environment. An empty receptionist desk sat at one end.
“They haven’t hired anyone yet,” Rye said, apparently able to read her mind. “Connor is waiting to expand first.”
She hadn’t asked, but the information was interesting. Just past the reception area was a mostly empty large room, but she couldn’t tell what it might be used for. A long wooden table with eight chairs sat across from a kitchen area that included a coffee machine, a refrigerator, and a microwave oven. On the other end were couches and chairs, but nothing to indicate its use. The white walls and lack of wall art implied they were in the process of moving in.
“The meeting is back down this hallway,” Rye said, pointing to the left.
He led her down the corridor devoid of any decoration. Perhaps they were trying to keep what they did fairly secret. It wasn’t as if they’d have photos of themselves proudly standing over a dead Changeling. She chuckled.
“Something funny?” Rye asked. His brows rose as if he’d like to have some cheer.
“Just my imagination going wild.” She’d pictured one of the men from McKinnon and Associates grinning in victory. He’d be naked with blood dripping out of his mouth, and one foot would be on the chest of the dead Changeling.