“Well, we think he might have something to do with an attack on a girl,” I said.
I saw her face harden. The information didn’t surprise her. “If that’s the case, the girl should report it and we can investigate.”
“I’m afraid that isn’t likely to happen.” It would be hard for a dead woman to file a report.
Kate sighed. “Guys like Reynolds have enough money and good enough lawyers to keep them out of jail and let’s face it, if he is responsible, he probably had someone else do his dirty work for him. She really should talk to us.”
“So there’s no way to get him?”
“Not unless he suddenly decides to confess. Good luck with that.” She headed toward a car and climbed in.
If Reynolds had form, that made it more likely that we were looking at the right person, but a confession seemed unlikely.
I headed back to the office, grabbing some food on the way. A heavy rain started to fall as I arrived back. Hurrying inside, I wiped water from my face.
“How is it going?” I asked Jade.
She sat at her desk, her head resting on her hand as she stared at the laptop in front of her.
“John Reynolds seems like the second coming the way the tabloids write about him. But I’ve also found plenty of haters online who say he cuts corners, mention of bribery, corruption and a lot more.”
I plated up our food and placed Jade’s food on the desk beside her. “Thanks,” she said, grabbing her sandwich and taking a bite. I settled for soup myself. I grabbed a spoon from the drawer and settled into the chair beside her to eat it. By now I’m sure I had sampled everything New Orleans had to offer at least once.
As good as the food was here, I needed to stop eating out. Since we had arrived, I hardly ate anything home cooked, only takeout. It was easier and to be honest I did miss it after all the years in Crestwood. Every summer, when I would go home to England, the first thing I would do was order my favorite meal from the local Chinese takeaway. I wondered what I would do next summer. I couldn’t exactly leave for two months when we had a business to run. Maybe a short trip home and then maybe I could tell my mother that I no longer worked at Crestwood. It didn’t seem like a good conversation to have over the phone. She would have a lot of questions, but I had no intention of telling her the truth. Not after everything that happened with Janine. She would only report it and Janine would retaliate against us. My mother was a representative on several boards, there was no way she wouldn’t report it. Even at her age, she stayed active in the magic wielder community and she held a lot of sway. It was one of the reasons Janine agreed to look at my application for the job, although I got the job based on my own merit. Or so she told me.
“I spoke to Kate again. She said that unless we get a confession from him, there isn’t a lot they could do.”
“You went to see her again?” she asked.
“Yes, I think she could be a useful contact to have and we’re going to run into her from time to time. Better to be on good terms with her.”
Jade shook her head. “I think it’s a mistake.”
“Noted.” I understood her reluctance but I couldn’t ignore the fact that we needed her.
“What about using magic to make him confess?” Jade suggested.
“That would be unethical.” There were certain spells which could force someone to tell the truth, but there were side effects. We didn’t know what Reynolds was, so I couldn’t predict how it would affect him, if at all. If he turned out to be innocent, he could report us to the SPA. They themselves used the spells from time to time, but only in dire circumstances. We would be arrested for such an act.
“Screw ethics, if this guy is a killer, we have to stop him.”
“We don’t know for sure that he is involved. Perhaps Kol could do something,” I suggested.
Kol’s Fae powers made him very powerful when it came to mind magic. When he first arrived at the school he told Janine that he had given up on his magic, but it didn’t go away. Low level telepathy would be relatively easy to use and it could be a big help.
“Like use a potion on him?” she asked.
“I was thinking more about his telepathy.”
“Wait, what? Kol can read minds too?” Jade looked shocked. Didn’t Kol tell her what he could do? They spent so much time together, I just assumed she knew his history.
“It is one of his gifts, yes, but he can do so much more than that. I’m surprised he didn’t share that information with you.”
Kol and Jade were close but apparently, he wanted to keep some things to himself.
“Yeah, I am too,” she muttered, pushing the remainder of her sandwich aside, a sour look on her face. “So we get close to him, read his thoughts and figure out how he is involved. Then what?”
“One step at a time. Ask Kol for his help first and we’ll go from there.”
“Good idea. I’ll go ask him. Right now.” She snatched up her purse and stomped from the room. I hope I didn’t cause problems between them.
Pulling the laptop toward me, I continued the search myself. Despite what Jade liked to think, I did know how to use it, I just preferred speaking to actual people. Too much on the internet was made up and I didn’t want to rely only on it.
As I scrolled through the search engine results, my eyes strayed to the date at the bottom of the screen and I stopped. November 22nd. I didn’t realize the date.
Putting my soup down, I leaned back in the chair. It was the anniversary of Marion’s death. And our son’s birthday. With everything going on, it completely slipped my mind. Normally I would take the day off and commemorate them in some way, but I forgot about it.
Guilt gnawed at me, how could I not realize? Twelve years. I tried not to imagine how my life would have turned out if they had both survived, how different it would be. It was that kind of thinking that led to me drinking in the first place.
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out Marion’s white gold engagement ring. I carried it with me, something to remember her by. After she died, her family wanted to bury her on their land, my son too. I should have fought them on it, but I could barely function. They succeeded and then banned me from ever visiting. If I ever set foot on their land, they would kill me.
Why wouldn’t they? It’s my fault she died.
I forced that thought away. If I didn’t, I knew it would only spiral and I’d end up looking for a drink. It was probably a good thing to keep busy, now that I didn’t have things at the school to distract me. Or Janine to keep me on track. Despite everything, there was a time when she was a good friend to me.
I put the ring back and carried on searching for information about Reynolds. I should focus on solving this case.
Tonight, I could make a nice dinner, using one of her recipes, that would be a nice way to remember her.
13
Jade
I entered the shop to find Kol behind the counter, playing a game on his phone. Business still hadn’t picked up it would seem. Slamming my purse onto the counter, I glared at him. “Why didn’t you tell me you could read minds?”
He glanced up from his phone. “Because it’s not something I do anymore.”
“So you haven’t read my mind?”
“No, of course not. Why? Is there something I should know?”
He grinned at me but I wasn’t in the mood. If he found out about Harry, he might tell him. Then my life would be over.
“Jade, seriously. Yes, I have that ability, but I’ve always hated it. Its invasive and a violation as far as I’m concerned. Its why I use potions. At least then people are choosing to use them.”
“Oh. Well, good.” I felt relieved, he didn’t know anything. I have thought about telling him a few times, only because it would help to have someone to talk to, but I keep chickening out. Saying it out loud made it real and I didn’t want him laughing at me.
“Is that why you’re here? To yell at me?”
“You want me to read his mind?”
“Yes…”
“No, Jade. I told you, it’s a horrible thing to do.”
“The guy is a murderer, most likely.”
“That doesn’t make a difference. I’m sorry.”
I sighed. “Fine, I understand.” It was his decision and I couldn’t force him. Especially when I didn’t like the idea of him reading my thoughts. No, if we were going to get Reynolds it would mean some next level investigative work. Perhaps we could figure out a way to get into his building or even his home. There had to be something incriminating lying around. Like a plan entitled how I killed Kandy. Maybe not.
Kol disappeared into the back while I tried to think of an alternative plan.
The bell rang behind me and two guys came in. The smaller one sauntered toward me while the other stood by the door like he was guarding it. The wolf sensed trouble.
“Can I help you?” I asked.
“Kol around? Our boss wants to send him a little message,” the smaller one said, grinning to reveal a row of yellowed teeth. I couldn’t smell anything off him other than sweat and strong aftershave. Which made him human.
“I’m sure it’s nothing he wants to hear.” They didn’t want to talk, they wanted to rough him up. Well they would have to go through me first.
The guy leered at me. “You his girl?”
“No, I’m his bodyguard.”
He laughed. “Really? You think you’re tough, baby?” He reached out a sweaty hand to my face. I grabbed it, twisting it then grabbed his head and slammed it into the counter. “Yeah, I do.” That move came courtesy of Harry. we had continued out self defense lessons since we moved here. It became a good way to pass the time as we waited for customers to show up.
The other guy took a step toward me. I twisted the first one’s arm further up his back. “Move again and I’ll snap your buddy’s arm off.”
The other guy stopped, not sure what to do.
Kol emerged from the back. “Who are you…? What’s going on?”
“These gentlemen were just leaving,” I said. “And you can tell your boss he’ll get his money when we have it. Got it?”
I added more pressure, making him scream. “Yes!”
Yanking him up, I spun him toward his friend. He stumbled, but the other guy managed to right him. “Get out.”
“We’ll be back,” the big one snarled. They left the shop, slamming the door behind them.
Kol stared at me in shock. “Are you crazy? They meant what they said, they’ll be back.”
Why was he yelling at me? Did he want me to let them hurt him?
“And they’ll get more of the same. Those guys were human, they’re no match for me,” I said.
“Jade, the loan shark has humans and supernaturals on his payroll. Which means he’ll send something much worse after us. Lewicki never makes an appearance himself. He has human and supernatural clients so I guess he sends the relevant henchmen depending on who he is dealing with. I guess he doesn’t think a Fae is that dangerous. Should I be insulted at that?” He seemed to be babbling, but I guess that was understandable under the circumstances.
“I was only trying to help, Kol. Would you rather I let them beat you up or mess up the shop?” I doubted he could afford to lose the stock or pay for any damages they might make.
He groaned. “No, but I really need to find a way out of this or I’m in big trouble.”
“And I’ll help you. I mean it. I’ve got your back.” This was my home too.
“I appreciate that. Thank you for taking care of them. I just hope it doesn’t have to come to this again.”
“No problem. And now that you owe me one…” I trailed off. I knew I was pushing my luck, but he was our best shot at getting answers and I’ve never been known for my patience. A deep dive into Reynolds life could take weeks and I don’t think Regine would wait that long for answers.
Kol narrowed his eyes at me. “What do you want?”
“Please help me with this case and I swear I will never ask you again,” I said. I meant it, I would never ask him to do anything like this again.
He glared at me. “You are really asking a lot of me. You have no idea what it’s like.”
I put my hands together like I was pleading with him.
“Fine. But just this once and you never ask me again,” he said. “I mean it, Jade.”
“Absolutely. You have no idea how much I appreciate this.”
“Enough to make dinner tonight?” he suggested.
“Not that much, but a lot.”
I gave him a hug and headed back to work.
14
Kol
We sat in my car across from a fancy building, waiting on this guy to show his face. “What’s his name again?” I asked to break the silence. Not that it mattered, I just wanted to get this over with.
“John Reynolds. He’s some real estate mogul. Regine didn’t say what kind of supernatural he is though,” Jade replied, piling chips into her mouth. I didn’t like her eating in my car, but we needed something to pass the time.
“Shouldn’t matter, I can read most of them.” At least in theory. I know my grandfather used his ability on all manner of creatures, abusing it and forcing them to do his bidding. Jade really didn’t know what she asked of me. I never wanted to end up like that man. I figured the less I used that kind of magic, the less likely I would be to end up like him. My father said that he was once a kind man, beloved by his subjects, but when war came to our land, he used any means necessary to get what he wanted.
“I met a telepath the other day. Guy called Noah,” Jade said, stretching her legs out. I knew she didn’t like sitting in one place for so long.
“And you couldn’t ask him to do this?” I asked. If I knew she had another telepath on the payroll, I wouldn’t have agreed to this.
“He says he can only really read humans.”
“Lucky him,” I muttered. Humans weren’t as bad as some supernaturals. Mostly because a lot of humans weren’t murderers or psychopaths, although their species did have them too.
Jade sighed. “Look, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want.”
“I’m here now.” I grabbed the chip bag from her and shoved a handful into my mouth.
She stared at me for a moment, before turning her attention back to the building. “Are mind reading abilities common in the Fae?” she asked.
“Not really. Everyone varies. My brother…” I trailed off realizing I had said too much. I never intended to tell her or anyone about my family. That led to questions that I didn’t want to answer.
“You have a brother?” Jade asked.
“Yeah, two of them.” Or I did.
“Wow, what are they like?”
“I really don’t want to talk about it,” I said.
“What is it with you and Harry? You never want to tell me anything about your lives.”
“Maybe because it isn’t easy to talk about,” I snapped. Sighing, I put my head in my hands. “I’m sorry.”
“No, I am. I didn’t mean to pry.” She fell silent.
Taking a breath, I said, “My little brother, Linley, died a few years ago.”
“Kol I’m so sorry,” Jade said, reaching out to take my hand. It was the first time I had said it out loud to anyone. Even when I joined Crestwood and Blake wanted to know how I came to be there, I never mentioned my brothers. I told her I ran away from a bad home situation. Which had some truth to it. My stepmother did vow to make my life a misery.
“What was he like?” Jade asked. I thought she would ask the obvious question, but she didn’t.
“Funny, full of life. He was a brat at times, but I loved spending time with him. Our older brother, Rex, was a tool.”
“I’m s
ure you miss him,” she said.
I nodded. “Yeah, I do.”
We fell back into silence. I felt like a weight had been lifted off me in telling her. I haven’t said Linley’s name in so long. I did miss him, terribly. My father too. Rex I could take or leave.
“Wait, that’s him,” Jade said, pointing to a man who had exited the building. He wore a navy suit and was talking on his cell phone. I don’t know what I expected when she said he might be a murderer, but this guy looked like a lawyer or something.
We got out of the car. “What is the plan?” I asked as we crossed the street.
“Well, if we get close enough can you pick up what he’s thinking?” she asked.
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean it will be anything useful.”
We stepped up onto the sidewalk beside him and tried to act casual, as we moved up beside him. I pushed out with my mind, trying to read his without making him aware of it. I would only be able to pick up a few stray thoughts.
“Just get it done,” Reynolds said into his phone. He hung up and immediately made another call. I gleaned a few words including ‘stupid idiot’ and ‘can’t do anything right’. Hardly incriminating. I shook my head at Jade to show her that I didn’t have anything. She sighed, then she signaled for me to try again. Pulling her phone from her pocket, she brought up a photo of that girl, Kandy.
“Excuse me, sir?” she said, approaching Reynolds.
What the hell was she planning on doing?
Looking annoyed, he lowered his phone. “What?”
“Sorry, but I’m looking for my missing friend. Have you seen her?” She held up the phone to show him the photo.
His gaze lingered on it for a second before he shook his head. “Never seen her before.”
Smart move, I thought. I tried again and this time I picked up a lot of anger from him. ‘Glad she’s gone, what a bitch.’
Jade left Reynolds and we headed back toward the car.
“Well?” she asked, once we were out of earshot.
“He did not like her, I didn’t get anything about actually killing her, but he’s glad she is gone.”
The Werewolf Queen of Bourbon Street: City For Lost Souls Series Book 1 Page 7