by Gina LaManna
“Your involvement is not your decision to make,” Matthew said. “You may stay to hear the information on one condition: You both agree that this is a homicide case and will be dealt with by the assigned team. That does not include you, Lieutenant.”
“He’s watching out for you, Nash,” I snapped. “What don’t you understand? You’re supposed to keep away from narcotics for a very good reason.”
Nash’s jaw worked in anger as he looked at me, and I sensed I’d gone a step too far. I’d brought back a past that he wasn’t ready to face—worse because I’d spoken in front of his boss and partner. I’d let the sister in me take control during the time I needed to be a detective.
“Nash, I’m sorry,” I said. “I shouldn’t have—”
My brother spun on his heel and stormed out of the room without waiting for his former partner to join. Peter stood awkwardly in place as I offered him an apologetic smile.
Matthew ignored the entire situation, turning back to Felix who had popped open a bag of pretzels and begun munching as he watched the drama unfold. “Felix?”
“Right, right,” Felix said, a spray of pretzel descending to dust the front of his shirt. “Sorry. Come on over.”
“I think I’ll, uh, be going now—” Peter thumbed over his shoulder. “Sorry, Detective, Captain. Nash will get over this, I’m sure.”
“Lieutenant,” Captain King said, nodding at Peter. “I’d like your perspective on this. Stay.”
“Alright then.” Peter rocked back onto his heels and gave me a bemused sort of expression tinged with surprise.
I suppressed a laugh, feeling sorry for Peter. He was caught between a colleague and a friend, and I didn’t envy him. As a sister, I knew I could piss off Nash and he’d have to love me again. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but he’d come around. It was the DeMarco family way.
Felix cleared his throat, choked on some pretzel dust, and chugged half a bottle of water before regaining the ability to speak. “Well,” he said, his eyes still bugging out from lack of oxygen and a hint of embarrassment. “Let’s get started then, shall we?”
Matthew, Peter, and I watched carefully as Felix walked us through a complex explanation for the way Kady Bloomer’s medication had been created. I didn’t understand most of the technical jargon, but from what I pieced together, around ninety-eight percent of the pill was pure medicine. Pure, legal, perfectly safe—and even beneficial—for common use as pain management.
The issue came with that last two percent. Upon first glance, it appeared to be an Herbal. By definition, Herbals were organic plants, flowers, and herbs grown without the use of magic. However, in this case, that wasn’t true. Someone—The Farmacist most likely—had mixed in a curse as the plants had grown, lacing them with something dangerous that the street had dubbed Harmony.
“So,” I said, my eyebrows knitting together as I struggled to understand. “You’re telling me that Harmony is not actually a drug, but a combination of organic matter and a curse.”
“Yes,” Felix said, pushing huge, circular glasses up his nose as he gestured to a chart. “In a way I’ve never seen before. The curse has been woven through the Herbals as they’ve grown...making it indecipherable to a true Herbal. That’s why this is such a dangerous narcotic. It’s next to impossible—unless you’re me, of course—to tell from a glance whether you’ve gotten a true natural supplement or something laced with Harmony.”
“Any ideas what Harmony will do to a person over time?” Peter asked. “Because it’s so new, Narcotics doesn’t have facts and figures on drop-off yet.”
I cringed. “I have a source reporting drop-off has already begun.”
“Where’d you find your source?” Peter asked. “We’ve been looking for weeks.”
“I ran into him on the street, actually. In a very literal way,” I said. “I don’t think he knows very much, but he did notice two of his customers haven’t been back this month. Seeing as they’d become highly addicted to the substance, Juno’s assuming it’s drop-off. I think that’s a safe bet, judging by the number of bodies we’ve had landing in the morgue lately with a suspicious, but untraceable, cause of death.”
“You think the morgue disappearances are related to this?” Peter asked. When I looked surprised, he shrugged. “Everyone’s been talking about it at the station. Nash told me you were even looking into Sienna as a suspect.”
“Yeah, well, let’s not repeat that,” I said under Matthew’s watchful gaze. “There’s absolutely no solid evidence yet at this point, and I’d hate to drag her name through mud for nothing.”
Peter gave a good-natured sort of nod and even Matthew looked slightly pleased that I’d followed his advice. I gave Matthew a snarky sort of glare that silently told him not to get used to my admitting he was right, and he gave a subtle grin, turning away from the conversation to hide it.
“I think what happens,” Felix said, returning to the conversation, “is that at first, the medicine acts as it normally should. That’s the beauty of it. Nobody can tell whether it’s Herbals or Harmony, or even some sort of placebo. Everyone knows that Herbals in their pure form are nothing but a load of junk with a fancy label on it. Safe and harmless, but also a waste of money.”
“Right,” I agreed. “But then the Harmony kicks in.”
Felix nodded. “The curse is a slow moving one. From what I can tell, it seeps into the bloodstream. It’s unique in that there doesn’t seem to be an invocation needed to go along with it. I believe the curse is active and invoked as it’s grown, which would mean the curse is active at all times.”
“From the very first instant that a person swallows the pill,” I said. “They’re hooked. And they thought they were getting nothing more than a few vitamins.”
“Exactly,” Felix said. “I have to wonder if you’re correct in thinking that the bodies missing from the morgue are related. You said none of them had signs they should actually be dead?”
“Yes,” Matthew said. “According to both Sienna’s reports and my own observations, all three bodies that are now gone were perfectly healthy at the time of death. Except for the fact that their hearts stopped beating.”
“I didn’t get there in time to see any Residuals,” I said. “At first, it wasn’t even clear that there was anything fishy about it. We didn’t even assume it was homicide. And even if I did reach it in time theoretically, I’m not sure there would’ve been Residuals. I usually only can see them after a fresh spell has been cast. If the curse was invoked days before, or even weeks before, the Residuals might have faded to the point where I tuned them out into white noise.”
“Yep,” Felix said simply. “You’re all correct. Which brings us to the fact that bodies are missing, and I think I know why.”
“Oh, yeah?” Peter asked, glancing between us. “Sorry, but I need someone to spell it out for me.”
Felix, pleased to have an excuse to explain again, gave a broad smile. “Not at all, young Padawan,” he said gleefully. “It’s my opinion that the bodies were taken away by the perpetrator or one of his minions because he knew we were getting close to discovering the Harmony laced Herbals.”
“And there must be a way to compare the composition of the bodies with the Herbals,” I said. “Without bodies, they can’t be ruled a homicide—and we’re left in the dark. Once it’s a homicide, the body count goes up. This guy’s not only dealing in narcotics at that point, he’s also a murderer.”
“He or she,” Matthew corrected quietly. “We have no idea who it might be, and I urge you to keep open minds.”
I blew right past Matthew’s warning as an idea hit me. “Juno!” When Matthew’s eyes stared blankly at me, I hurried to continue. “He said he had a drop-off of two people this month. That’s only a small sample size. What are the chances they’re the same two people whose bodies disappeared from the morgue?”
“Slim,” Felix said, catching on. “You think that there are plenty more bodies, but they weren’t looked int
o as suspicious deaths.”
“Exactly! Take Willa’s mum for example,” I said, pointing toward her medicine splayed on the table. “If—or when—she passes away, it’ll be deemed natural causes. She’s already ill. Dammit, that’s the filthy beauty of his whole schtick!”
Matthew’s eyes blinked with understanding. “There have probably been handfuls of deaths already. We just need to find out who was taking laced medicine, what the link between them was—or who, rather—and we’ve got ourselves a trail to our guy.”
“I know it’s not my place to offer input here,” Peter said, raising a finger. “But I really think it might be beneficial to loop in Narcotics at this point. There’s nobody better at tracking down an elusive drug dealer than the men and women in that unit.”
Matthew considered the request. “I think a joint partnership will be best in this matter. I do not believe Nash is the man for the job. He’s still—it’s too soon.”
“I have to agree with Captain King,” I said, turning to Peter. “I know I’m speaking as a sister, but Nash isn’t ready. It’s too much of a trigger for him, and I know he’ll hate to hear it.”
“I would like you to be on the task force, Lieutenant,” Matthew said. “Seeing as Marcell seems to trust you. There’s a link somewhere, I’m sure. Hopefully we can exploit it.”
“I’ll get started,” Peter said. “I’ll have to clear it with my captain first, of course.”
“I’ll take care of Captain French,” Matthew said. “Consider this case your top priority, Lieutenant. I trust you don’t need further direction?”
“No sir.” Peter gave a slight bob of his head. “I’ll have my initial report in before midnight.”
He gave us a tense smile as the urgency in the room ratcheted up a notch. We were getting close, all of us could feel it. Entering the final stage of the hunt where everything would fall into place like dominos or explode in our faces like a suitcase full of dynamite.
“As for you, Detective,” Matthew said, turning to me with a business-only look on his face. “I believe our next move is obvious.”
“We have to get to the doctor,” I said. “Surely Johnston can point us to his supplier. If the doctor is prescribing laced Herbals, he’s not a low man on the totem pole. He’s getting a cut from somewhere...and that’s the key to unmasking the man behind the curtain.”
Chapter 17
Both Matthew and I had things to take care of before we launched deeper into our investigation of the doctor. We parted with a distinct chill in the air, though somehow, I’d already forgotten the reason for it. I only knew that something had shifted between us, and the warmth I’d felt last night had become twisted and tangled in a complex web.
While Matthew went in search of Captain French, head of the Narcotics Unit, I turned my attention toward Nash. I knew when I owed someone an apology.
As I hurried through the hallway toward Nash’s office, I passed a conference room with huge glass walls that functioned better as windows than doors, and I remembered Sienna’s warning that Ursula was at the station today for training. The Narcotics quarterly update, I thought, glancing at the instructor—a lieutenant from the team.
There was a commotion through one of the window-walls as I walked past. It wasn’t until a voice called my name that I realized Chief Newton had spotted me through the glass pane and let himself out of the training to find me.
“DeMarco,” he called after me. “A word?”
“Chief!” I turned, standing at attention to the orc. “How are you, sir?”
“Fine, Detective. May I have a word with you for a moment?”
“Certainly.”
I followed him as he pointed a scaly finger down the hall. We found a small breakroom that smelled like stale coffee and rubber. I didn’t think too much about the rubber scent. Instead, I took the proffered Styrofoam cup from the chief and held it as he filled it with sludge.
I swallowed a sip, gave an appreciative smile to hide my grimace, and sat across from him at the table. “Can I help you with something, sir?”
“I hope so,” he said, giving me a tight smile. On an orc, a smile was a weird thing. While he meant it to look friendly, the effect of his stubby sharp teeth was downright terrifying. “I have a request for you. I do believe Matthew has his concerns, but I have no doubt I am doing the right thing in extending an offer to you this afternoon.”
“An offer? I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”
“NYPD wants you, Detective. Come work full time for the Sixth Precinct again.”
“Call me Dani,” I said. “I’m retired.”
“You’re wearing a badge, aren’t you?” He glanced pointedly at my side where I’d clipped it to my leather pants. “You’re not one of those who can retire, I suspect. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come back.”
I swallowed, gave a conceding tilt of my head. “What are you implying?”
“I’m not implying anything. I’m asking if you have any interest in returning to law enforcement on a more regular basis.” He raised a finger to preemptively stop me from interrupting. “Before you give an answer, I should assure you the terms are flexible. We know how much a Reserve contributes to the Investigative Division, and we are prepared to make it worth your while.”
“I’m sorry, chief. Though I’m flattered, I should let you know that I retired for a reason. A very good reason, and I have no intention of returning.”
“You retired because you dated an asshole,” the chief said blandly. “Nobody blames you for what happened—least of all me. I believe you thought you were doing the noble thing by stepping down from your position, but I also believe that was the cowardly thing to do.”
“Sir, with all due respect I heartily disagree.” It was all I could do not to let my anger show. “It is not your place to assume you know what I went through.”
“No, but it’s my opinion, and it wouldn’t bother you so much if I wasn’t right.”
“Sir, you’re wrong.”
“Why’d you come back?” The chief looked intently at me. “Matthew crooked his finger, and you came running. I can’t imagine it’s because of your overwhelming love for him, since it seems to me the two of you are no longer an item.”
“You are overstepping your boundaries, sir,” I said. “You have no clue what is happening between Matthew and me.”
“Excuse me for my confusion then,” the chief said, folding his hands on the table before me. “But I spoke to Matthew before I even considered asking you to join the team.”
“Why would you do that?”
He blinked, gave a bark of laughter that sounded like a seal. “Because you’d be reporting to him. I couldn’t pursue that chain of command if the two of you were still together, and I’m not saddling you with Commander Thomas.”
“He said we aren’t together?”
“Is that not true?” The chief gave me a curious look. “He assured me he wasn’t holding out hope for any sort of romantic relationship. It’s impossible to deny that you and King have some sort of unique chemistry, but that’s the exact reason I figured this could be great. The two of you working together would be an unstoppable force.”
My lips felt cracked and dry, my throat parched. For some reason, the fact that Matthew had spoken to the chief before conferring with me stung. Even worse, it cut deeply into my ego, my heart, and my love for him to know that he didn’t hold out hope for anything between us. After everything that had been said last night, and he didn’t have a single measly hope?
Crushing disappointment fell on my shoulders, collapsing my resolve to remain stoic and firm. I could barely shake my head and nod for the chief to continue his explanation in a drawn-out drone I couldn’t decipher.
“What do you think of the terms?” the chief asked a few minutes later, watching me carefully. “Full time pay and benefits, though we will only call you in for special cases. You’d essentially be a consultant with a continuous full access pass and all the perks of an emp
loyee. We want you, Dani. We’re willing to work with you on the terms to make it appealing for you.”
“I don’t know, sir. I’ll need time to think about it.”
“Of course,” he said, “though I’ll need an answer by the end of the week.”
“I understand.” I stood, my fingers trembling. I was still stuck on the bit about Matthew’s hope for us fading, and I wondered if he’d viewed last night entirely different than me. Had I seen it as the beginning of something fresh and new and beautiful, while he’d seen it as a sunset to all we’d been? “I’ll, ah, let you know.”
“You’re certain that working with King wouldn’t be a problem?”
I gave him a false smile. “Perfectly sure.”
“Fantastic. Well, I must get back to my training sessions, but I want to assure you that we would appreciate having you back on the force, Dani.”
“I do have a new business venture to consider, and...” I trailed off, the argument sounding weak.
“DeMarco,” the orc said, his voice soft and understanding. “It was a distraction. You are not meant to be slinging pizza slices, however noble of a profession it might be. You are destined to be great. You are destined to save lives.”
“Why does saving lives get so complicated?” I blurted out. “Since when are there a hundred shades of gray instead of simple black and white?”
“It’s always been like that, Dani. Some things never change.”
“But—”
“Think about it,” the chief said gently. “I believe after careful consideration, you’ll find our offer more than fair.”
Then he exited the room, leaving me alone with a pile of sludge in a stupid white cup. I tossed the liquid into the sink and crushed the Styrofoam between my fingers. It felt good, this small act of destruction, as the conversation with the chief replayed in my mind. The offer of a prestigious job with the NYPD? Most people would kill for it. Reporting to the best captain of Homicide the department had ever seen? The best of opportunities.