by K.N. Lee
Pressing the Supreme Nitro+ with Power Boost button, she slid the end of the nozzle into the filler neck. She flipped the lever on the handle so it would pump by itself. Then, she turned to lean on the car, folding her arms over her chest.
“Yes, but still, I’d give anything to own a ride like yours. Wife and kids, you know?” He gave a rueful smile.
“Nope, I don’t know anything about that,” she said.
“Boyfriend? Husband?” He looked at her hopefully.
She shook her head, thinking, loser. She hated cheating spouses. Leaning into the window, she said to Livia, “I’m going to go get a snack. Want anything?”
“If they have any Ben and Jerry’s in those cute little cups, I’d love one of those.” Livia smiled.
“And if they don’t?”
“Ice cream sandwich?”
“You got it.”
Out of the corner of her eye she caught the Prius guy watching her trek across the concrete. Inside the convenience store, she bought a bag of chips and an ice cream sandwich and pivoted away from the checkout stand.
The cute blond guy burst through the glass double doors. “Your friend! She’s lost her mind! She’s standing on top of your car…”
Egan pushed past him and bolted out of the store.
Livia balanced on top of the car, swaying like she did on top of the apartment.
“Livia, what’s going on?”
Liv’s eyes had that same whitish glow as before, too.
She trained her eyes on Egan and yelled, “Don’t come any closer! I’ll shoot!”
She lifted her arm and held Egan’s Glock to her own head.
“Whoa!” Egan stopped, palms out.
The Prius guy halted behind her, a little too close for comfort. “I’m calling the police.”
“No!” Her head whipped to face him. “Don’t. We’re consultants with the police. I’ve got this.”
“It’s burning down. It’s all burning down.” Livia sounded like a B-rated actress from an old horror flick.
Egan turned to face her. “No, it already burned down, remember, baby girl?” She inched toward her. “That’s where we were earlier today. You remember, right?”
“Don’t come any closer.” Livia waved the gun at Egan. Then, she aimed at the Prius guy.
He ducked behind Egan for cover.
What a wimp.
“Honey, you don’t know what you’re doing right now,” she said to Livia. “Put the gun down and talk to me. Tell me what you see.”
She took another step toward the Corvette.
The guy stayed glued to her back.
She turned to him and hissed, “Back up. She won’t hurt you.”
“But I’ve got a wife and kids!” he whined. “And she’s got a gun.”
“It’s my Glock and it’s not loaded,” she lied, knowing a full magazine was in the chamber. “And instead of whining, you can help me. Go around to the other side of the car in case she falls.”
The guy looked at Livia, at the gun, and then back at Egan. He shook his head.
“Please.” Egan gave him her most winning smile. “If I can’t get to her in five minutes, you can call the cops.”
“Okay,” he said, scowling.
“Okay,” she said. She turned back to face Livia. “Honey, you need to hand me the gun.”
Livia shook her head. Her chin began to quiver.
“Yes, you do. You need to give it to me. Hand it over.” She held her palm out.
Livia shook her head more vehemently. Tears streaked her face.
The Prius guy duck-walked around the car as if Livia and the rest of the people streaming by staring couldn’t see.
A crowd gathered on the sidewalk next to the gas station.
Great. We’ve got an audience.
“No pictures,” she commanded to the onlookers. “Put your fucking phones away. Any sudden sounds can set her off. I’m with the police and if I see any photos online I’ll come after you personally. Got it?”
She made eye contact with each person, keeping Livia in her awareness.
Most of them lowered their phones.
One bold twenty-something kept his close to his face.
Egan wanted to let her dark fire loose and burn it from his fingers. She pointed two of her fingers at her eyes and gestured toward his.
The intensity of her gaze must have worked. Slowly, he lowered his phone to his side.
Her attention returned to Livia.
The Prius guy gave her two thumbs up from the other side of the car.
He looked so ridiculous, Egan almost laughed.
“I’m going to do it,” Livia said, placing the gun muzzle against her temple.
“Baby girl, you know I’d miss you like crazy,” Egan said, until she was inches away from Livia’s ankles.
Silent tears continued to track along Livia’s cheeks. Her eyes still glowed white. “I can’t do it, Egan. I can’t keep seeing this stuff.”
“I know. I’ll help you. We’ll go see Rion again. He’ll have the answers.”
“Promise?” Color glimmered in Livia’s eyes for one second. Then it was washed out by the white.
“I promise. You know I’ll take care of you. I always have. Now hand over the gun.”
Apparently having had enough, the Prius guy leaped across the car toward Livia.
Livia screamed and fell.
Egan caught her and they both collided on the concrete. The impact knocked all the wind from Egan’s lungs. She tried to push Livia off her.
Livia, whose eyes had returned to normal, scrambled from Egan’s chest and leaned over her. “Egan? Are you all right?”
“I’m good,” she managed to wheeze. “I’m okay.” When she turned her head to get up, the gun was pointed straight at her head…but Livia wasn’t holding it.
No one was.
The gun hung suspended in the air.
She, Livia, the Prius guy, and the onlookers all stared at the Glock.
“Livia?” Egan said.
“Yeah, Egan?” Livia’s eyes looked like they might pop free from her head.
“I’m sorry but…” She lunged to her feet, hauled back her arm as best she could and punched her best friend in the face.
The gun fell, clattering to the concrete with a metallic clack.
Egan
A collective gasp went off as the gun skidded to a stop near the front tire of the Corvette. Then, every smart phone in the vicinity went off, as if on command.
After hustling Livia into the Corvette and tucking her in, Egan told the crowd, “She’s on new medications. Please don’t post those. You’ll violate her patient rights. Please. I’m begging you. Don’t post these on social media.”
“Are you kidding?” the twenty-something said. “These are going to go viral.” He waved his phone in the air. Then, he held it to his face and thumbed through his gallery. “Hey! They’re all blank.”
“Mine are, too!” another onlooker said.
Thank God. Our powers must have messed with the magnetics of their phones. Egan reached for the car door handle.
“I almost got killed,” the Prius guy said, sliding in front of her, blocking her way.
She poked his sternum with her fingernail.
“But here you stand, alive and well. And, you got her to release the gun,” Egan said, tossing her long hair over her shoulder, a fake smile pasted on her face. “You’re the hero here today.”
“Do you think?” His face lit up.
“No, I don’t think.” Egan waved her arms over her head. “You could have harmed her, the gun could have gone off, I could be dead right now,” she snapped, shoving him backward.
“But I…you said…” He pointed lamely at the gun.
“Fully loaded.” She plucked the magazine from the gun and pulled the slide catch back, locking it in position. Holding the magazine with two fingers, she waved it in his face, revealing the bullets. “I lied. Now get out of my way before I show you my other sup
er powers,” she said. “Shoo. Get home to the wife and kids you were willing to fuck me to forget.”
A scowl formed on his face. “Who says I was willing to…?”
Egan pointed at the Prius. “Go!”
He turned and stalked toward his vehicle. “Fucking bitch,” he muttered.
“Douche bag,” Egan called.
Once Egan had the engine purring and the car heading in the right direction, she looked over at Livia.
Liv’s silent tears had turned into full blown sobs. “What’s going on? What’s wrong with me, Egan?”
“That’s what we’re going to find out. New plan. Let’s head to the M.E.s office.” She punched Rion’s number into the console phone display.
“Hey, anonymous.” His voice boomed through the car speaker.
A warm feeling filled her chest. “How do you know it wasn’t your mother calling?”
“Because I memorized your energy pattern the other night.”
Egan glanced at Livia.
She stared out the window like she wasn’t listening, but a slight smirk showed on her face.
She cleared her throat. “Livia’s with me. This is official business,” she said, offering up a big, fat clue so he didn’t say anything else about energy’s or kissing her or…
“What’s up?”
“Can we stop by? I know it’s late but we have more questions.”
“Sure. I could use the company. Where are you?”
“About twenty minutes away.”
“Okay, see you soon,” Rion said.
“Later.” She disconnected the phone.
“Okay, so, we’ll see what he can tell us about whatever’s going on with you.”
Livia turned and gave her a secretive smile.
“What?” Egan yawned.
“Nothing. It’s nice to hear you finally care about someone besides me.”
“Whatever.” Egan waved her hand in the air. Then, she flipped on the turn signal and got onto FDR Drive, heading toward the East Village, where Rion’s office was located.
A short time later, they pulled into the underground parking lot of NYC OCME, the chief medical examiner’s office.
Egan turned to Livia. “You okay?”
Livia sniffled and wiped her eyes with a tissue. “Uh huh. Do I look okay?”
“Pretty as always,” Egan said with a smile. “Although a little damp around the edges. Rion won’t care.”
“No, he’ll only have eyes for you,” Livia teased.
The thought made Egan’s tummy twist. “Let’s go.”
After crossing the parking lot, they took the elevator up to the fifth floor. It stopped and the doors slid open with an accompanying ting sound. They got out, striding down the hall toward the office of Rion O’Neil, M.E.
“Knock, knock,” Egan said, standing in the doorway.
Rion sat at his desk, his back to them. He spoke to someone, talking heatedly. Pivoting in his chair, he brightened when he saw her. He pointed to his phone, waved them in, and gestured toward a couple of folding chairs near this desk.
“Uh huh,” he said into his phone. “I see. Okay. Got it.”
His office looked like a mad scientist mess. Papers covered the desk. A dented skull, filled with paper clips, rested on a stack of papers. A skeleton hung from a metal stand. Another skeleton sat on one of the folding chairs, wired so that one leg crossed over the other. Its bony hands were clasped around the knee. It leaned forward as if ever the avid listener.
“Uh, let’s sit away from Mr. Bones,” Egan said. She sat in one of the hard metal chairs. Then, feeling as if Mr. Bones stared at her, she got up and turned him away from her and Livia.
“Thank you,” Livia whispered. “That thing gives me the creeps.”
“Right?” Egan whispered back.
“Okay then. I’ll let you know when I have the results.” Rion tossed his phone on the desk. “That was Danvers. He doesn’t like hearing that there’s a supernatural element to the murders. He can’t exactly explain it to his men. So, he’s hoping I can find something biochemical in the tox results we can pin the murder on.” He shook his head. “Humans. They can’t deal with reality.” He placed his palms on his desk. “Anyway…what can I do for you? You weren’t making a lot of sense when you called earlier, Egan.”
“None of this makes sense. We stopped at a gas station. I go in to buy us snacks and when I come out, Livia’s on top of the car talking about burning buildings again. And, she’s got a gun pressed to her temple—my gun. And her eyes….” Egan shuddered. “They were white as snow again.”
Livia seemed to fold into herself. “This is awful.”
“We’ll find answers.” Egan reached out to touch her shoulder. “So…” She turned to Rion. “Are there any other tests you can run?”
Rion stroked his chin which was covered with pale blond stubble. “Yes. First, we need to test her electrolyte balance. And rule out parasites.”
“Ew,” Livia said, pulling her lips back.
“It’s just precautionary,” Rion advised. “There are several exotic illnesses that can make you hallucinate.”
“Can they also make you wave a gun around without holding it in your hand?” Egan said, smirking.
Rion looked incredulous. “Is that what happened?”
“Yep. I had to punch her in the face to get the spell to stop.”
“Who was it pointed at?” Rion leaned forward, putting his weight on his forearms.
“Me.”
Livia lowered her head.
He tugged at his earlobe. “That’s, uh…”
“It’s scary as shit,” Egan said.
“Exactly.” Rion got up from his executive chair. “Follow me, ladies.’
He led them down the hall to a gleaming stainless steel and white tiled lab.
“Sit here,” he told Livia, gesturing to a black-topped stool.
She sat, spinning in a slow circle as she waited.
“You’re making me dizzy, Liv,” Egan said, stopping her by grabbing her shoulders.
“Just letting off steam without risking lives.” Livia lifted her head and batted her eyes at Egan.
“Okay, okay, okay. I was driving too fast. I’ve got it. I apologize.”
“Thank you,” Livia said.
Rion donned nitrile gloves and walked toward them holding a syringe and several plastic vials wrapped in plastic lined paper. He peeled open the paper and dropped each vial on a stainless-steel tray. After that, he expertly tied off her vein. “I promise this won’t hurt. Deep breath.”
Livia gulped in a breath.
He flicked her arm with his finger and jabbed the needle in.
Blood filled the vial.
Everyone stayed quiet until four vials were filled with Livia’s rich red blood.
“You go wait in my office again, please. I’ll join you after I get the results.”
They shuffled down the hallway to Rion’s office to wait.
“I’m afraid,” Livia said.
Me, too. “Don’t be.” Egan forced a smile. “We’ll find the underlying cause of things.” She stepped up to Rion’s bookcase and scanned the shelf. “Here we go,” she said, plucking a book free. “Read this while we’re waiting.”
Livia took the book from Egan’s fingers. “Studies in the Occult? Don’t we know more than most already?”
“Maybe we’ll find places where we can correct or contribute. We’ll write them. They’ll be so grateful they’ll pay us tons of money.”
Livia let out a chuckle. “You’re trying to distract me, aren’t you?”
“What if I am?” Egan shrugged. She sat on one of the folding chairs and patted the one next to her. “At least it will pass the time.” She eyed Mr. Bones. “Or…” She grinned. “I’ve got a better idea. Let’s see if we can give Mr. Bones a new position.
Several minutes later, Rion strode into his office. He pulled up short when he saw Mr. Bones.
The girls had positioned him with his ar
ms over his head, as if he were under arrest.
Egan laughed. “Don’t shoot, officer.”
“Very funny,” Rion said, resuming his stride. He held a sheaf of lab reports.
“I thought so,” Livia said, giggling.
He rounded his desk and sat down, waving the papers in front of him. “Want the good news or the bad news?”
Livia stilled. “There’s bad news?”
“Only that we don’t know much. There’s nothing to suggest anything is wrong with you physically.” He raked his hair with his hand.
Egan let out a sigh. “That leaves the supernatural. Can’t you consult with your Fae buddies? Won’t they know anything?”
Rion tugged on his earlobe again. “The Fae are a pretty closed mouth bunch but I can ask.”
“You know,” Livia said, scooting to the edge of her chair, “this all started when Renner got free from prison. I think we need to hunt him down.”
“You could be right.” Rion put his palms flat on the desk. “Sounds like he’s rocking the dark arts. That sounds dangerous. Let me help.”
“No,” Egan said decisively. “This is what we’re trained to do. We’ve dealt with worse, I can assure you.”
You’re thinking of PS-3891, aren’t you? Livia’s eyes creased in worry.
Egan nodded.
Rion’s head tilted as he studied their silent communication. “At least let me cook dinner for you. That way you’ll have something pleasant to look forward to. I cook a mean lasagna.” He looked at Livia and said, “Both of you. You’re both invited.”
Livia laughed, waving the idea away. “No. I’m sure I’ll be exhausted after we’re done. You two can dine with one another.”
The thought of dining alone with Rion, at his home, sent chills up and down Egan’s spine. “I’ll, uh, I’ll get back to you.”
He seemed to deflate in his chair, like a balloon pricked by a pin.
Do it! Livia hissed in her mind. Don’t blow this. Give him a chance!
Egan swiped the air between her and Livia. She swallowed and gave him her full attention. “I just meant that…I don’t know when this case will be over. But lasagna sounds great, thank you.”
As quickly as he’d sagged, Rion sat up straight and grinned. “Great! No pressure, you know. Whenever. It’s an open invitation. When you’re done with the case, I mean.”