I suddenly knew where I'd seen them—they were a news team on the national MagiNews vid channel. I admit I stared for a moment. They usually looked so professional, but I suppose everyone had their non-work personas. Except, perhaps, me. On second thought, I guess I did tonight.
Anyway, this woman looked especially garish standing next to the willowy and beautiful Sandrine Coro. She was sheathed in a fashionable sky-blue transform silk gown, scattered with tiny seed-pearl daisies, that seemed to have been made for her statuesque form. Quite likely it had been. Although she appeared to chat easily with the news anchors, she looked gaunt, as if the skin on her face were stretched a bit too tight. Stress was chewing her up.
"We'd better make our presence known to the Coros," I whispered to Lemur—I mean, Jake. "They might feel a little more relaxed once they know we're here."
Jake nodded. "Right now they look tight enough to twang," he muttered back to me. It was hard to think of him as "Jake," but I was getting used to it.
As we wove our way through the press of guests toward the stage, I made the unfortunate gaffe of stepping on a woman's skirt as I edged around her. She took a step away from me at just that moment, so of course she felt a tug. She turned inquiringly and her washed-out blue eyes met mine.
"Clarice?" I said in surprise. She was probably the last person I would have expected to put in an appearance here.
She started, but quickly smiled and said, "Oh, it's nice to see you."
Really? I thought. Especially after I'd made her confess her secret trysts with Coro to me over the phone, I wouldn't have expected Clarice Valencia to ever be pleased to see me again.
"What a lovely dress," I blurted, completely at a loss for anything else to say. It wasn't, really, a sort of rust-colored, mostly shapeless thing embroidered with forget-me-nots. With voluminous sleeves, a flounced skirt, and a deep décolletage laden with white lace, it would have looked much better on a woman with more meat on her bones.
"Oh, so is yours, it completely suits you," she gushed, but after a brief glance and smile at Jake she seemed anxious to get away. "We'll have to chat again soon," she said with another smile, then saluted me with her empty glass and moved off toward the bar.
"Was that Clarice Valencia?" Jake asked me in a low voice.
"Uh-huh," I said, "Or possibly her non-evil twin. She's either on her best behavior tonight or she's had enough sparkly drinks to put her in a good mood. That was not like her at all."
I realized that I was also miffed that she hadn't looked at Jake in the same predatory way she'd scrutinized Glaive. Jake was so much better-looking.
"But you don't think she's any danger to Coro, do you?"
I shook my head. "No. Whatever she's doing here, she's not involved with the whole Murder Prophet thing. I asked her that straight-out over the phone and she didn't lie about it."
We continued on our path to say hello to the Coros. The news celebrities moved off as we approached, and I felt gratified and slightly alarmed by the looks of relief with which both Coro and his wife greeted us. Did they consider us his bodyguards for the evening? I hadn't thought of us that way, and although I had the Angelrod strapped to my...er, strapped under my dress, it wasn't exactly heavy weaponry. I had no idea if Lemur—Jake—usually packed a weapon or would have thought of one tonight.
Aleshu Coro took my hand and shook it, then held on to it for a rather uncomfortably long time, as if he were holding onto something quite different—say, a life preserver, or a rope at the end of which a knot had been tied.
"Miss Stablefield," he said warmly. "You've met my wife, Sandrine, I believe?" Finally he let go of my hand and I shook Sandrine's.
"Yes, I have," I said. "And this is my colleague, Le—Jake Lynch." More handshakes all around. I felt the heat rise in my face and pretended to glance around for someone. Had I really almost called him "LemurCandy"—here, of all places? When I'd been so desperate only a few moments ago to have an alternative to call him? Despite my embarrassment, my lips twitched at the thought of how hilariously inappropriate that would have been.
"It seems like you have a good crowd," I said, making small talk.
Coro nodded. "There'll be more soon, the ones who like to come more than fashionably late. Please help yourselves to drinks and food. We'll be making speeches in the multi-purpose room in a little while."
"We won't be far away," Jake said solemnly. I imagine he meant to make them feel better, but he sounded so serious he might have deepened their fear. I steered him firmly away and in the direction of the bar.
"We need drinks if we're going to mingle inconspicuously," I said. "I'll have a Mystic Summer."
"Aren't those a little strong?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'll sip it," I assured him. "Get yourself something, too." I heard him ask for a virgin Unholy Delight, and shuddered. An Unholy Delight was even sweeter than a Mocha Insanity. And I'd thought computer geeks subsisted on caffeine drinks and Buzz Bars.
He brought back the drinks and I immediately broke my promise, taking one long, cooling pull on the Mystic Summer. With my head turned, so that Jake wouldn't see. Ahh. That was better. I felt ready to tell him about the anagrams.
I led him over to a quiet corner, from which we could keep an eye on the room and the Coros. "I discovered something I think is interesting earlier this evening," I said.
"What is it?"
I pulled the crumpled piece of paper out of my handbag and showed it to him, smoothing out the wrinkles. "I was looking at all the usernames the Murder Prophet had sent messages from," I said, "And I realized that they're all anagrams of each other."
He studied the paper for a moment, frowning. "You're right," he said. "Isn't that Aleshu Coro's username at the bottom?"
I nodded. "I thought of that one later," I said. "Another anagram. It can't be a coincidence."
He frowned and shook his head. "No, it can't. It's more evidence that the whole Murder Prophet thing revolves around the Coro case—what else could it mean?"
"Did you manage to find out anything else about Anzai Namiko's online names?" I asked.
He shook his head. "I had to leave it with FEG," he said. "I'm going to check in with him from my mobile soon. I asked him to try and trackback all the rest of these names, too, but I don't know if he'll be able to do it."
"Have a little faith," I said with a grin. "Don't you believe in magic?"
"Very funny," he said, and started to say something else, but just then his phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket and checked the display. "It's Kiku," he said.
"Oh! She's probably looking for me," I said, snatching the phone from his hand impulsively. "I told her I might not have room for mine in my bag, so she should call me on yours." I held up my tiny evening bag as evidence (which actually was holding my phone. I prayed it would not choose this moment to ring), turned away from his surprised face, and answered the phone.
"Hi Kiku," I said in a low voice, slipping past a rotund couple who were putting their evening wear to a stress test tonight. I slid over toward the wall so Jake wouldn't hear my end of the conversation.
"Kit? Is that you? What are you doing with LemurCandy's phone?"
"Um, look, it's a long story, but I'm with him at MageData."
Silence on the other end, for a long moment. "Does Saga know?"
I took a deep breath. "No. I had to sneak away from Glaive and lie to Jake to get him to pick me up. But it's really, really important to the case, Kiku, you have to believe me."
"You shouldn't be there, Kit, it's too dangerous!"
Ooh, the guilt, stabbing me in the heart. Kiku wasn't upset that I'd let her get all ready for a night out and then made her date stand her up, she was upset that I'd put myself in danger.
"I don't think I'm in danger, Kiku, but Coro might be. Look, will you call Saga or Anna and tell them what I did, and also tell them that all the usernames the Murder Prophet has used are connected? They're all anagrams of each other. And also of
Aleshu Coro's username."
I glanced around and saw Jake heading for me with the tiniest frown creasing his brow. It was kind of cute. Kiku hadn't answered me, but I hoped she understood the import of what I'd told her. "Okay, Kiku, thanks, I'll talk to you later!" I said brightly, and broke the connection.
"Thanks," I told Jake, handing his phone back to him.
"Is everything all right?" he asked.
"Oh, absolutely, Kiku just wanted to know how the dress fit. She helped me pick it out, you know," I blabbered, wondering how long I could keep up this farce. I felt a hand on my arm and turned to see whose it was.
I was shocked to look into the blue eyes of my grandmother.
"Nana!" I exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
She smiled. "I got an invitation, same as everyone else. Aleshu is always very kind in remembering his old employees at times like this. You look lovely, dear."
Nana Nina looked pretty swell herself. She wore an elegant dove-grey jacquard gown, ornamented with tiny gemstones, that I certainly had never seen before. She'd already been to the bar and had a sparkly drink in hand. Nana looked like she could handle hers.
I leaned down and kissed her cheek. "You look gorgeous," I told her truthfully. When I straightened, I remembered Lemur—I mean, Jake. "Nana, this is my friend, Jake Lynch," I said. "You met him online once, remember? Jake, my grandmother, Nina Morow."
He took her hand gently. "I'm very pleased to meet you in real life this time, Mrs. Morow," he said.
"Yes, the last time was under quite different circumstances," she replied with a demure grin.
She'd probably recognized him from his avatar, that time we'd met her in the virtual, since he'd been wearing the one that looked most like his actual face. He didn't have the same advantage, since she'd been wearing that red-headed avatar. I hoped she wouldn't make any references to lemurs or ferrets or squirrels.
"Well, I'm not going to keep you," she said. "I have a lot of old friends to speak with. My fellow shareholders," she added with a sly wink at me.
She took a step away, but I put a hand on her arm and leaned down close to her ear. She smelled pleasantly of lavender. "I don't suppose you've seen Evangeline Coro here?" I asked.
She shook her head. "I've never seen her at one of these functions. She's one former employee that I don't expect gets an invitation. She and Clarice, I suppose."
"But Clarice is here! I already spoke to her."
Nana Nina raised her eyebrows. "She could be here as someone else's guest, I suppose. Are you still suspicious of her?"
"No, not really. But do you think you'd recognize Evangeline if she were here?" I pressed.
"Oh yes, it's not that long since I saw her. I doubt she's changed more in five years than she had the previous ten."
I nodded. "Then just let me know if she turns up, would you?"
"Kit, you don't really suspect—"
"Nana, I don't know what I suspect," I said seriously. "All I know right now is that I have to keep an open mind."
"Okay, honey, I'll let you know," she said, and moved off to speak to the woman in the unfortunate apricot gown.
When I turned back to Jake he had his mobile out again. "I thought I'd check in with FEG," he said.
"Let's go somewhere a little quieter, then."
We stepped back out into the lobby, which had filled up quite a bit since we'd arrived. At the far end, near a bank of elevators, a small clearing had opened up next to a trio of large potted ferns and ficus, so we headed for that.
A message from FallenElfGeek blinked, waiting for Jake, and FEG answered right away when Jake messaged him. I read over Jake's shoulder. He smelled distractingly good, but I tried to keep my mind on the conversation.
Jake sighed.
Jake must have heard my sharply indrawn breath when I read that part, and he half-turned to me, flashing me a knee-weakening grin. Then he turned back to his mobile.
Jake broke the connection.
I breathed, "You think it's Anzai Namiko?"
"Definite possibility," he agreed. "Maybe she was angry enough to hold a grudge after all."
"There's still Evangeline Coro's name on the MagicBase corporate papers, so it could be her, too."
"Or both of them."
I hadn't considered that possibility before.
"How did you know that FEG would be able to find something?" Jake asked.
I shrugged. "Just a hunch. Sometimes magic is useful, you know?"
"Sometimes?"
"Most of the time," I said with a grin, "I think it sucks. But I suppose there have to be exceptions."
"Should we go and report to Aleshu Coro?" Jake asked.
"I think so. It might put his mind at rest a little to know we think we have it pinned down. Not much we can do tonight, so we might as well tell him and then enjoy the party," I said. I meant it, too. There was no way I'd spent this much time getting ready, only to turn around and leave now, and I wanted Jake to know that up front.
"Why leave when things are starting to look up?" he agreed.
We threaded our way back through the crowd in the lobby, making for the doors that led into the multi-purpose room. The crowd had swelled now, filling both rooms with a rainbow tidal wave of silks, satins, taffetas, lace, beading and crinolines, punctuated with black tuxedos. We had the door in sight when Jake grabbed my arm. Hard.
I shot a look at him, but he wasn't looking at me. I turned to follow his gaze. His eyes were glued to an older woman in the doorway ahead of us. She was short, no more than five feet tall, wearing a vaguely Oriental-styled gown in red and gold damask. Her black hair, streaked with grey, hung just to her chin in a somewhat unflattering asymmetrical bob that still managed to look professionally styled. I couldn't understand why Jake would be staring at her when he could be looking at me.
He pulled me to the side of the crowd as the woman vanished into the room beyond, and whispered four words into my ear. The warmth of his breath should have thrilled me, but instead I felt a chill.
"Anzai Namiko. She's here."
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Short of Breath and Options
It took me only a few seconds to assimilate what Jake had just said and visualize several scenarios in which Aleshu Coro came out dead and we came out looking very, very bad.
"We have to get in there and warn him!" I whispered.
He gripped my arm tighter. His green eyes had gone very dark. "What if she knows what you look like?" he asked. "If it's her, she's threatened you, too."
I shook off his restraining hand. "I've never looked like I do tonight," I said, "So the chances of her recognizing me are slim to none. And she only threatened me because I might get in her way. It's Coro she wants."
He caught my hand again. His skin felt very warm. "Then don't get in her way. Don't take a chance. I can go in there and warn Coro. She definitely doesn't know me. I only saw her picture online."
I looked him in the eye, at once touched by his concern and irritated because he was slowing me down. "Do you have any weapons on your person right now?" I asked him pointedly.
"N—no," he stammered. "Not, er, weapons as such."
"Well, I do," I said. "And I don't know what that woman is planning." I saw Jake's eyes do a quick head-to-toe survey of me, but I wasn't going to tell him what I was packing or where. I also did
n't mention that it would be exceedingly embarrassing for me to have to publicly haul the little laser Angelrod out of its present location. I was still willing to hope it wouldn't come to that. "So if you're coming, come on."
I didn't wait for him to say anything else, just jostled my way back into the crowd. He muttered something under his breath but I didn't turn back and ask him to repeat it.
The temperature in the multi-purpose room had risen by about ten degrees and now held at least three times as many people as it had when Jake and I left it to contact FallenElfGeek. The overheated air was thick with too many cloying perfumes and liberally-applied aftershave. I craned my neck, trying to see where Anzai Namiko had gone. Coro and his wife were still in evidence, although they had moved closer to the podium, so I suspected the speeches might start soon. I felt Jake's arm slip around my waist and he leaned in distractingly close.
"Do you see her?" he whispered into my ear. I suppressed a brief urge to turn my head and sniff his neck.
"Not yet. At least she's not anywhere near the Coros," I muttered. Then I spotted her. She stood at the bar, getting a drink, and chatting with a tall, heavyset man with greying hair. His tuxedo seemed barely up to the task of staying closed across his barrel-shaped torso. I heaved a sigh of relief. That didn't seem too sinister. Of course, the drink could be just a prop so that she wouldn't look suspicious.
Jake saw her at the same moment and nodded in her direction. "Now what?" he asked. "Should we still tell Coro what we found out, or just keep an eye on her?"
Damn. Jake was right. I'd been anxious to tell Coro that we'd figured out the link between MagicBase UK and the Murder Prophet, but he was rattled enough this evening. To tell him that, and then tell him that Namiko was actually in the room—that would be nothing short of cruel. And what we had so far still wasn't enough proof to go up and confront the woman.
The Murder Prophet Page 22