Desolate Mantle

by L. K. Hill

  “You’re not someone who’s ever bored or desperate, Kyra.”

  Kyra grinned, glad Jane couldn’t see it. That was true. She wasn’t the bored or desperate type. Too much to be done all the time. Jane would have thrown something at her if she’d been in the room to see Kyra looking proud of that fact.

  “How’s Casey doing?” she asked.

  Jane gave another exaggerated sigh, but didn’t try to change the subject back. “She’s fine. Loves pre-school. Misses her Auntie, though.”

  Kyra rolled her eyes. Here came the guilt. “Tell her I’ll be back before she knows it. I’ll take her out for ice cream or something.”

  “Yeah,” Jane muttered, “because months pass so much faster for kids than they do for adults.”

  Kyra ignored the comment. “How about Mom? How is she?” Kyra caught the slight hesitation, though Jane talked quickly to cover it up.

  “She’s fine. Same old, same old.”

  “Jane,” Kyra said warningly.

  “Oh, all right. Not so good. The doctors swear she’s getting better, but I don’t see it. She never seems very grounded anymore. She does ask for you a lot, though.”

  Guilt in Kyra’s gut. She and her mother weren’t particularly close—her mother had always preferred Jane’s company—but that didn’t change the fact that her mother felt abandoned when Kyra picked up and left for Abstreuse. Kyra didn’t blame her.

  “I’ll…try to come see her soon.”

  “Speaking of which,” Jane’s voice turned bright. “Are you still looking at months longer for this research job of yours?”

  Kyra cleared her throat. “Um, yeah. It looks that way.”

  “So why don’t you come down for Dad’s birthday in three weeks? Just for the weekend. You could see everyone, put Mom’s mind at ease.”

  Kyra sighed. She’d love nothing more than a weekend at home, but she didn’t dare promise anything so far in advance. She didn’t know where she’d be in her search. If she found a good lead—came close to finding Manny—she could hardly just leave and lose her chance. “I don’t know, Jane. I’ll have to see where I’m at.”

  “Oh come on, Kyra. You don’t have to be such a hermit all the time.”

  “I don’t mean to be,” Kyra said quietly. “But this is important work.”

  “Well, if you don’t come for Dad’s party, I’m totally coming up to visit you.”

  Jane had made the threat more than once. While Kyra missed her sister desperately, Jane’s presence might be disastrous, depending on what situation Kyra was in at the time. Kyra could handle Jane, though. If she felt resistance, she’d be in Abstreuse in record time. If she believed Kyra was okay, it wouldn’t be a priority.

  “I’d love that,” Kyra said, making her voice light. “When do you think?”

  “Oh, you know,” Jane said. “I’d have to work it out. The hubby’s got work and there’s Casey to think about.”

  “Of course,” Kyra said reasonably. “If you can ever work it out, let me know. I’ll show you around Abstreuse and we’ll have dinner.”

  “Right,” Jane muttered. “Look, Kyra, we’re just worried about you.”

  “I know,” Kyra said, “but you don’t need to be. I’m fine.”

  “Fine? You picked up and left the state without so much as an explanation.”

  Ah, the real reason for Jane’s call. For all her calls, really. “What do you mean, no explanation? I took a job.”

  “I know, I know. I’ve just never seen you go so far away for a job before. You were always so much of a home body.”

  “Jane, I know you think I’m hiding from my life—”

  “I don’t think you are, Kyra,” Jane’s voice took on a faux-gentleness. “I know you are. Everyone does.”

  “Everyone? What do you mean everyone? Look, just because I—”

  A soft knock came at the door and Kyra clamped her teeth together, wondering how loudly she’d been shouting.

  “Kyra? You still there?”

  “Yes,” Kyra said more softly. “Sorry. Someone’s at the door.”

  “Ooh,” Jane’s voice turned conspiratorial. “It’s late there, isn’t it? Ten or eleven o’clock? Expecting someone, are we?”

  Kyra rolled her eyes. “It’s nine o’clock. And, no. Probably room service,”—another lie— “Hang on.”

  She set the phone down on the chair and tip-toed to the door. Going up on her toes, she gingerly lifted the post-it note she’d taped over the peep hole and peered out. Gabe Nichols stood in the hallway, looking bored. Kyra thumped back down onto her heels, debating. Did she want to talk to him right now?

  It wasn’t that she didn’t, but she felt so awkward around him. After the night she’d kissed him on a whim, she thought she’d never see him again. He’d been good enough not to bring it up again, but every time he gazed at her, her face grew warm. And talking to him involved a whole lot of looking him in the face.

  “Kyra? You in there?” His baritone voice came through the door as he knocked again.

  The sound was so unexpected that she jumped, then berated herself for being jumpy.

  “It’s Gabe, Kyra.”

  She cringed, this time because he kept saying her name. Not that anyone around her would know or care what name she registered under—it was just her paranoia kicking in—but still she wished he wouldn’t keep saying it.

  He knocked one more time and she growled. Throwing the latch, she yanked the door open, snatched his arm and pulled him in. “Will you please stop saying my name so loudly,” she hissed. She put her head out into the hallway and looked both ways. Utterly empty. Not even any cleaning staff.

  She shut the door and leaned back against it.

  “Why don’t you want me to…” he turned to her, a knowing gleam in his eye. “Are you registered under a fake name?”

  She raised her hand above her head and pointed down at herself with an index finger. “Paranoid City, remember?”

  One corner of his mouth rose in a smirk. “You could have told me that.”

  Kyra sighed and crossed her arms, trying to appear calm.

  “What can I do for you, Detective?”

  He took a step back from her and only then did she realize how close he’d been standing. Now he studied her in a calculating way.

  “What?”

  He shook himself. “Sorry. I can’t get used to how different you look without your makeup. It’s kind of amazing.”

  Just like that, the awkwardness arose. Kyra affected a grin. “It’s a good difference, I hope.”

  “Oh course,” he said quickly. “You look much better with, ah, actual hair and,” he glanced toward her arms, “without the track marks.” He took in the hotel room behind her and then her appearance again. “I hoped I’d catch you before you went out.” He raised a questioning eyebrow.

  She shook her head. “Staying in tonight. I have some calls to make.”

  He nodded. “In that case, could I have a minute?”

  “Sure.” She edged around him and led him into the room. All kinds of papers and folders littered her bed. She shuffled them into a stack and cleared them away, plopping down on the un-made full-size bed and motioning for him to sit on the still impeccable one next to it.

  He sat on its corner.

  “Shoot,” she said, and wondered fleetingly if it was an appropriate thing to say to a cop.

  He looked her dead in the eye when he spoke. She found she couldn’t look away, which was no doubt the idea. “Were you at my house last night, hiding in the back yard, before I called you?”

  It wasn’t the question she’d been expecting, and her eyes widened before she could stop them. “How did you…?” Then it hit her. “Your neighbor told you.”

  He nodded and she sighed. Why hadn’t that possibility occurred to her?

  “Why didn’t you tell me, Kyra? You had my full attention in the alley.”

  She shrugged. “I…don’t know,” she said truthfully. He gave her a skeptica
l look. “It’s not anything against you, Detective. Nothing happened to…show I’d been there. Granted,” she muttered. “I didn’t think about your neighbor telling you what he saw.”

  He stared at her for a moment before shaking his head. “You really don’t trust anyone, do you?”

  “There’s good reason for that, Detective.”

  When his eyebrow went up, she wished she hadn’t said it. With him looking at her like that, she felt vulnerable. Damnit.

  “I’m sure there is,” he said. “You’ve got to trust somebody sometime, Kyra. To that end,” he dug into his coat pocket and produced a key. Holding it by the shaft, he held it out to her.

  She took it warily. “What’s this go to?” It didn’t look particularly distinctive. A normal key, not unlike the one to her apartment back home. When she turned it over, she found it had a stripe of green paint across the widest part of the head.

  “It’s a key to my place. Specifically, the back door.”

  Kyra froze. “Uh…”

  Gabe put his hands up. “I don’t mean anything weird by it. It’s not an invitation to raid my fridge. Which, trust me, you wouldn’t want to do anyway.”

  Kyra smirked.

  “It’s just a precaution. In case you ever need somewhere to go.”

  “But, you don’t really know me, Detective. Aren’t you afraid I’ll, I don’t know, steal something?”

  It sounded lame, even as she said it, and Gabe barked a laugh. “I’m a good judge of character. I’m not afraid you’ll steal from me. I’m afraid you’ll get hurt because you don’t have a safe place to go.”

  “I have safe places, Detective. Even in the Slip Mire.”

  “Like what?” he leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees.

  “Uh,” she back-pedaled, “Just, hiding places where I’ve stashed things, in case I need a place. And Sadie—the working girl I told you about? We’re friends. She lets me crash with her whenever I need.”

  He shrugged. “Then let this be one more backup place. If anyone ever chases you into my yard again, you can go inside and lock the door to get away from them.”

  Kyra moved her shoulders around, not entirely comfortable with this. “Let’s say it happens—I have to go into your house. What if they come in after me and vandalize your place?”

  “Then I arrest them. I’m a cop.”

  Kyra shook her head and held the key back out to him. “I appreciate the offer, Detective. Really, I do, but you don’t have to—”

  “I insist,” he said quietly. “Look, you’re the first CI I’ve ever had, so maybe I’m overreacting, but I do feel responsible for you. I’d sleep better at night knowing you could go there, even when I’m not home, if you needed to.”

  Kyra dropped her arm, pulling the key back into her lap.

  “Let’s hope you never have to use it,” Gabe said. “That you—” He struggled for words.

  Kyra grinned. “Always run real fast?”

  “No!” Gabe looked scandalized. “That you don’t put yourself in a situation to have to run away from anyone.”

  Kyra chuckled at his expression.

  “It’s not funny, Kyra,” Gabe said.

  “I know.” She schooled her face and held the key up. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

  He nodded. Then he shifted his gaze up, running his eyes over the ceiling and walls.

  What on earth was he looking for?

  “What’s that noise?” Gabe asked.

  As soon as he said it, realization dawned. “Jane!”

  She jumped to her feet and crossed the room to retrieve the phone. “Jane! I’m so sorry!”

  “Where’d you go?” Jane asked. “I thought something happened when you answered the door.”

  “No. I’m sorry. Just got caught up in a conversation and forgot you were still on the line.”

  There was a measured pause. “So who was it?”

  “It’s…um…” she glanced over at Gabe who watched with unfeigned interest. “My…research partner. Can I call you later?”

  Jane’s voice turned pouty. “I’m not done talking to you, yet. Will you call me right back?”

  Kyra glanced at the clock. “It’s after nine, and I have that conference call I told you about at nine-thirty, remember?”

  “Oh. Well, call me after that.”

  “I can, but it’ll be late.”

  “Why?”

  Kyra rolled her eyes at her sister’s petulant tone. “Because I’m conferencing with my VP. I have to approve bonuses and go over the books for last quarter. It’s going to take a while. I can call you after, but it’ll probably be close to midnight.”

  Jane sighed. “Fine. Call me anyway. Mark’s working the late shift so I’ll wait up for him and take your call.”

  “Okay. Talk to you soon.”

  She hung up before Jane could say any more and turned back to Gabe. He looked mildly amused.

  “Research partner?”

  Kyra giggled before she could stop herself. “Yeah. Once again, my family doesn’t know what I’m doing. I told them a publisher approached me about doing a book about Abstreuse City. They think I’m conducting extremely boring research for a non-fiction.”

  He smiled softly with a nod. When he lifted his eyes again, his gaze was still speculative.

  “What?” she asked.

  “You have a VP and approve bonuses? Are you a business owner?”

  She sighed and went to sit across from him again, scooting far enough from the edge so she could cross her legs. “Yes. I own…well, half of a restaurant back home. I run the catering division.”

  “How do you do that and be here at the same time?”

  Kyra shrugged. “I told them I was taking a few months off to research a book. I have others who work under me. They take care of the day to day. I’m just a hands-off executive for a while.”

  “That’s…impressive.”

  She barked a laugh. “Thank you, but it’s really not. It’s a small business. Our bottom line is…not impressive.”

  “Yeah but you have a bottom line,” he laughed, shaking his head. “Most of the residents of Abstreuse don’t even know what that is.”

  She punched the air with faux-zeal. “Always lead with optimism.”

  He merely smiled. She shrugged, not wanting to talk to him about her business. He already knew too much about her for comfort. “Sorry. It’s our company motto.”

  “Don’t be,” he said quietly. He glanced around. “You’re using a company card to book the room, aren’t you?”

  Kyra arched an eyebrow at him. He was good.

  He saw her expression and chuckled. “This is a decent hotel. You usually need a credit card for a place like this. I wondered how you were getting away with a fake name here. Didn’t want to ask if you’re also creating fake I.D.s on the side.”

  Kyra grinned. “Well I guess you’ll never know now, will you.” When he gave her an annoyed look, she shrugged sheepishly. “Yeah it’s a company credit card,” she muttered.

  Gabe moved to sit beside her on the bed. Too close to be ignored. “Kyra, who were they? The guys who chased you into my yard.”

  “How do you know they were guys?” She grinned, trying to divert him for as long as possible. She didn’t know why. She didn’t mind him knowing what she’d been doing, but something about his concern made her self-conscious.

  Gabe gave her an annoyed look. “Because my neighbor saw two large shadows in the next yard over.”

  “They were in the next yard over?” Kyra asked, then closed her mouth with a click. Given the worry in Gabe’s face, she shouldn’t have said that. She didn’t realize her pursuers been so close. The hairs on her arms stood up. She hoped he wouldn’t notice.

  Gabe crossed his arms and gave her a don’t-even-try-to-get-out-of-this look. Kyra dropped her face into her hands and rubbed vigorously, groaning. “All right. I guess there’s no way you’ll go away until I tell you.” She sat up and met his eyes. “Something’s
going on in the Carmichael district.”

  Gabe raised his eyebrows in a prodding way. “What is it?”

  “I don’t know, exactly.”

  He gave her an exasperated look.

  “Okay, a few nights ago…” She quickly explained about being outside the warehouse and hearing Manny’s name, being chased away, and going back several times since.

  “So,” he said when she finished, “you believe they were talking about your brother?”

  “I honestly don’t know. I’m sure there’s more than one person in the world with his name, but I can’t just ignore it.”

  “These the same guys who chased you into Marna Haze’s crime scene.”

  She nodded. “Yes. That was the first night they chased me. I went back last night. I just wanted to get a look inside the warehouse, but they saw me.” Gabe’s brows furrowed in worry She plowed on before he could tell her how dangerous it was. “At first I thought they were just handing out drugs. All the people they took in looked like barely-functioning junkies. Now, I think it must be bigger than that.”

  “You mean because the guards chased you?”

  Kyra shook her head. “Because they had guards at all. It’s not uncommon to get away from prying eyes to do drug transactions, but most people just go behind a wall or something. If anyone interrupts the transaction, they get shot. The transaction finishes and everyone goes home. To guard the warehouse like that, though…”

  He nodded, looking thoughtful.

  “And then the chasing,” she continued. “They didn’t just chase me away so I wouldn’t see. Both times, they chased me half-way across the city.”

  “You’d seen something they didn’t like you seeing,” Gabe countered. “Or at least they thought you had. Especially if the same guards recognized you, it’s not surprising they would try to catch you.”

  Kyra shook her head. “Yeah, but think about it. If these guys were just chasing me to…do whatever—beat the hell out of me, say—they would have chased me until I was far enough ahead, or they were far enough from the warehouse that it was no longer convenient to do so. Then they would have given up. Only beat the hell out of me if I ever came back. But these guys didn’t give up. They chased me for hours. It’s so weird.”