Page 5

CHAPTER FIVE

I spent the day at the Castle, helping Ray and Claude with the new library. Ray was in a chipper mood, still excited by the prospect of Alicia’s parents reuniting. I’d told the ghosts about the crazy behavior I’d witnessed at the Devil’s Playground, but neither one of them seemed convinced it had anything to do with me.

“You’re not the center of the universe, you know,” Nana Pratt pointed out.

“She’s the center of ours,” Ray shot back. “Without her, we have no orbit.”

“Without her, our orbit is the same as it was before she arrived.” Nana Pratt spread her arms wide. “The boundary of the Castle and cemetery. That’s it.”

“You can’t deny we have a beautiful view,” Ray said.

He was right. The Castle’s hilltop location afforded a sweeping view of the town below, no doubt one of the qualities that appealed to the original owner.

“What did Kane say about the cufflink?” Nana Pratt asked.

“He acted unconcerned, just as Birdie suspected. ”

“What about you?” Ray asked.

“I’m concerned. I asked him to beef up security. In the meantime, I texted Phaedra and asked her if she’d be willing to use a locator spell on the cufflink.”

“What did she say?” Nana Pratt asked.

“She was game until I told her the potential owner. Then she had to think about it.”

“Some friend,” Nana Pratt sniffed, indignant.

“You can’t blame her. If the cufflink belongs to Lucifer and the demon is able to trace the source of the spell, Phaedra will have made herself a target.”

“Had a boss like that once,” Ray said. “We called him the Shark. Best not to make eye contact or you risked a bloodbath.”

The vibration of my phone startled me, and I dropped the shelf I’d been holding. I braced myself for the pain when it landed on my bare foot, but no pain was forthcoming. I peered down to see Claude holding the slab of wood.

“You saved my toes,” I said, crouching down to pat the revenant.

Ray took the shelf from him. “Not all heroes wear capes.”

I retrieved the phone from my pocket to see a message from Gunther. “Gun and Cam want to go out later,” I announced.

“Is that a problem?” Ray asked.

I picked up another shelf off the floor. “I’m your helper today.”

“No offense, Lorelei, but you’re more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to carpentry work.”

I blanched. “You called me a hindrance. How can I not take offense?”

“How would you feel if I picked up one of your swords and offered to help you fight demons in Wild Acres?”

I set the shelf back on the floor. “Point taken. ”

“I’ve got Claude to help me. Besides, I like offering you support. Let me do it in the limited ways available to me.”

A warm sensation spread through my chest. “I appreciate you, Ray.” I smiled at the revenant. “And you, Claude.”

“What about me?” Nana Pratt asked.

I straightened to regard the elderly ghost. “I would probably starve without you.”

“I don’t know how you managed to feed yourself in London,” she said. “Did you have ghosts living with you there, too?”

“No, I had lots of takeout.”

She seemed heartened by my response. “Life is for the living, dear. You should enjoy it while you still can.”

Ray looked at her. “I think that sounded more ominous than you intended, Ingrid.”

“I got the gist,” I said. “Let me call Gun and see what he has in mind.”

“This isn’t what I had in mind,” Gun said, his upper lip curled into a disgusted snarl.

“You said you wanted to go out.” I waved a hand at Monk’s, the local dive bar. “We’re out.”

“If I wanted to drink piss in a shack, I’d visit the old outhouse near the Arrowhead trailer park,” he said.

“There’s an outhouse?”

“Might not be there anymore. It’s been ages since I’ve been there.”

I glanced at him. “Why would you…?” I shook my head. “Never mind.” Some mysteries were better left unsolved.

“There are tables outside,” Camryn said. “Maybe we should sit out here.”

Clasping her hand, Gun dragged her toward the entrance. “We can’t mock people if we can’t see them. ”

“Good point.”

Gun was first through the door, followed by Cam. She sniffed the air. “This place reeks of pot.”

“It reeks of quiet desperation,” Gun countered. “Tell me again why we’re here when there’s a perfectly good hot tub on the balcony of the Devil’s Playground.”

I didn’t want to tell him about last night’s incident, or he’d be even more eager to go. “I like it here,” I said. “There’s a jukebox.”

The cousins exchanged unimpressed glances. “I can play songs on my phone anytime I want. Who needs a jukebox in this century?” Gun asked.

“Your judgy attitude can wait outside.”

“That was my suggestion,” Cam said with a shrug.

Gun shimmied his shoulders to the beat. “Oh, I do like this song. Very well then. Consider me judgment free for the remainder of the evening.”

Camryn smirked. “Now this I have to see.”

I spotted Officer Leo at the far end of the bar and waved. His return wave was best described as sloppy.

“Someone’s deep in his cups,” Gun remarked with amusement.

We ventured over to talk to him.

“I’ve got a joke for you,” Leo said. “A goddess and two hot mages walk into a bar…”

Cam smiled at him. “Right, but which one of us is hotter?”

I took in Leo’s disheveled hair and ruddy cheeks. “How long have you been here, bud?”

“Dunno. Two hours?”

I patted his cheek. “And how many beers have you consumed within that timeframe?”

“What? I’m off duty.” He lowered his voice. “But I have been working. I’ve been watching everybody who comes in and trying to identify the supernaturals. ”

I balked. “Phaedra gave you a potion?”

“Not yet. I wanted to see what I’m capable of on my own. Develop a baseline.” He made a horizontal slice through the air.

“You lack the Sight, genius,” Gun said. “You can’t identify any of us without magical assistance.”

Leo held up a finger. “Au contraire. As a trained police officer, I excel in picking up cues and clues that the average person might miss.”

“All right, Sherlock Homeboy.” Gunther scanned the room. “I spy with my little eye… a werewolf. Tell me which one it is.”

Leo didn’t hesitate. He pointed to a scruffy, lean man in a Metallica T-shirt standing near the jukebox.

“He’s right,” I said. “That’s Xander. He’s in the Arrowhead Pack.”

Leo pumped a fist in the air, nearly clocking Gun in the face as he did so.

“Walk us through your process,” the mage said. To his credit, he actually sounded curious.

“First, with hair like that, he looks like he’s got that extra burst of testosterone. He’s lean and toned, but he doesn’t seem like the type to work out.”

“Maybe his job involves manual labor,” Gun said.

“Both things can be true,” I pointed out. Many of the local werewolves worked as industrial artisans.

“Both can be true,” Leo agreed, “but this guy also downed five beers in about thirty minutes, and he’s still standing upright. His eyes aren’t even glazed.”

“Maybe not, but yours are,” I said. “I’m surprised you don’t see two Xanders.”

“You’ve been keeping tabs on how many drinks each person in the bar has ordered?” Camryn asked.

“Only the ones I identified as potential supers. ”

“Supers?” Gun asked, amused. “Aren’t they the guys who fix problems in an apartment building?”

“Well, you need a better name. Supernatural makes you sound like a bunch of spirits.”

“That’s only a small subset of us,” Gun said. “Can you spot anyone else?”

Camryn elbowed her way in front of me. “Do me now.” She tossed a glance over her shoulder. “Seriously. He should. He’s very attractive.”

Leo grinned; it didn’t take supernatural hearing to catch her comment. “I already know you’re a mage.”

“But if you didn’t, tell me how you’d figure it out.”

Leo’s gaze tracked her from head to toe. “Expensive clothes that look out of place in a town like Fairhaven.”

Cam brushed one of her sleeves. “This is vintage Gucci.”

“People can afford luxury fashion in this town,” Gun argued.

“Not the humans,” Leo said. “I’ve noticed a pattern, and not just on the clothes. The higher the price point, the more likely that the wearer is a supernatural.”

Camryn flipped her hair out of her face. “What else do you notice about me?”

Gun groaned under his breath. “Here we go.”

“Your skin is too perfect. You need a pimple or a freckle somewhere.”

Cam’s laughter was Marilyn Monroe-style breathy. “That has nothing to do with being a mage. Look at the size of Gun’s pores. You can spot them from the moon.”

“Whoa,” Gun said. “I don’t think we want to start naming each other’s flaws out loud, Miss Penis-Shaped-Birthmark-On-Her-Buttocks.”

“Fair enough.” Cam tugged a small box of Nerds from her purse and opened it .

Leo’s eyes locked on the box like a heat-seeking missile. “I can’t believe you have Nerds.”

“They’re my guilty pleasure.” She paused. “One of them, anyway.” She tipped a few into her mouth and then offered him the box. “Want some?”

He held out his hand and she dumped a bunch of the colorful candies into his open palm. “These were my favorite when I was a kid.”

“There’s no age requirement when it comes to things that taste good in your mouth.”

Gun winced. “You might want to rephrase that, cousin.”

Leo chewed the small pieces of candy. “Nostalgic sugar and copious amounts of beer. This has been a great night. A-plus.”

I tapped his shoulder. “Listen, I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, but do me a favor and calm down when it comes to identifying other species. If a werewolf catches you eyeing him, he might decide to give you a closer look at his fist.”

“I can take care of myself.” He patted his shirt where his badge would have been.

“Oh, you sweet golden Labradoodle,” Gun said, pinching his cheek. “More moxie than sense.”

Leo’s face grew flushed. “I think I might’ve had enough for tonight.”

“I’m sober,” Camryn piped up. “I can drive him.”

“You drove us ,” Gun said. “That means you have to come back within a reasonable time.”

Leo raised his beer bottle. “Hail to the chief.”

I turned to see Chief Garcia stride through the doorway. Unlike her deputy, she was in uniform. She took one look at Leo and gave her head a rueful shake.

“I should’ve known I’d find you here.”

“We’re playing a game,” Leo said. “You should play. It’s good practice. ”

“The only game I’m playing now is how fast can I get you home before you make a fool of yourself,” she said, not unkindly.

“You look very busy,” Camryn told the chief. “I can drive him.”

“The bartender called me to pick him up,” Chief Garcia said. “She said he’s leaning more than the Tower of Pisa.”

I whispered in the chief’s ear, “He’s been practicing species identification. He seems eager to develop his sixth sense without the help of magic.”

A wry smile touched her lips. “I should’ve expected that. He’s got achiever written all over him.”

Leo pushed up his sleeve and studied his bare, muscular arms. “What’s written on me? I don’t see anything.”

Chief Garcia crooked a finger. “Let’s go, Kilkenny. I’ve got a passenger seat with your name on it.”

Camryn bit her lip in an effort to hide her disappointment.

“I’ll see you later, gorgeous,” Leo said, booping the tip of her nose with his finger. He blew kisses at the rest of us as the chief guided him out of the bar.

Cam tilted her head as she stared at the empty doorway. “His arms are more muscular than Vaughn’s, don’t you think?”

“Methinks somebody has a new crush,” Gun said.

Camryn nodded. “Yes. It’s obvious he likes me.”

“I meant the other way around.”

Cam’s gaze skated to me. “You two are tight, aren’t you? Would you put in a good word for me?”

“You don’t need Lorelei to play matchmaker. If you’re interested, just tell him.”

“Because that worked out so well with Vaughn.” Camryn’s tone retained traces of bitterness .

“Vaughn is a mage in the guild,” Gun said. “He’s heartless by trade.”

“You two aren’t heartless, and you’re mages in the guild,” I pointed out. “That being said, I’m not sure it’s wise for a professional assassin to try to make a relationship work with a member of law enforcement.”

Cam gasped excitedly. “We’ll be star-crossed lovers like Romeo and Juliet.”

“Yes, because that relationship was such a rousing success,” Gun said dryly.

The door burst open, and a man staggered inside. His eyes were wide and wild, and his face was smeared with what I really, really hoped was red paint.

“Gods above,” Cam whispered. “Is he wearing an animal pelt as a kilt?”

“Not only is he wearing it,” Gun said, “but I think it’s brand new, and not the kind you purchase in a store.”

Not red paint then.

The man planted his bare feet on the floor, his heels together to form a V-position.

“Is he going to perform ballet?” Cam asked.

He released a primal scream.

“Rock opera,” Cam amended.

“This can’t be good,” Gun murmured.

“What’s wrong with Lou?” someone asked.

“I didn’t realize he was a hunter,” another voice chimed in.

I was glad the chief and Officer Leo were gone because this guy was out of their league. I pushed through the gathering crowd to deal with him before anybody got hurt.

“Hey, Lou. I’m Lorelei. You doing okay, buddy?” I tried to catch his eye, but he kept jerking his head from side to side, as though in search of something or someone who wasn’t me .

“He’s already wild,” Gun said behind me. “What’s your plan? Inflict madness to see if it counteracts the natural insanity?”

“I’ve got an idea.” Camryn produced a tarot card from her sleeve and flicked the card at Lou; it skimmed his cheek and fluttered to the floor.

“Oops,” Cam said with a sheepish smile.

Despite the bad aim, Lou succumbed to the card’s magic and tipped forward, falling flat on his face.

“Does anybody have the number for Lou’s wife?” a voice shouted.

Gun clapped his cousin’s shoulder. “Well done. You saved a dive bar full of drunks.”

“I’m bummed Leo wasn’t here to see this.”

“Once in a blue moon, it’s okay to do something because it’s right and not because a hot guy might witness it.”

“This can’t be a coincidence,” I said.

Gun’s gaze flicked to me. “What do you mean?”

“The chief said someone else without a history of mental illness freaked out recently and was taken to a psychiatric hospital.”

“We don’t know that Lou doesn’t have a history of mental illness,” Camryn said.

“Lou’s a surgeon in the city,” a man said, as he passed by on his way to the exit.

An uneasy feeling inchwormed down my spine. “I need to talk to West.” The werewolf alpha would know what, if anything, had come through the crossroads recently. Maybe a creature came through that was misidentified or deemed harmless.

“It’s late,” Cam said.

“He’ll be awake.”

“No, I mean why not call him?”

I thought of Birdie’s comment about not trusting phones at a time like this. “These conversations are best had in person.”

I was out the door and into the forest before they could insist on joining me. West wouldn’t take kindly to three of us showing up unannounced in the middle of the night. One of me was risky enough.

The forest was eerily silent as I traipsed through the woods. The moon was bright, albeit not quite full. The stars winked at me as though we were complicit in a secret. Like Chief Garcia, maybe they believed I was responsible for the wave of madness in Fairhaven.

The Arrowhead trailer park was quiet except for the occasional rustle of leaves and scampering of tiny feet. Light blazed in the window of West’s trailer. I loved it when my instincts were right.

I knocked gently on the door and followed up with a text to let him know it was me. I heard the sound of movement inside, and a minute later, the door opened a crack. West’s brown hair was rumpled and his chest bare. A pair of boxer shorts were his only item of clothing. I knew West was ripped, but damn.

“What is it, Clay?”

I snapped to attention. “There’s a possible situation. I thought I should talk to you sooner rather than later. Can I come in?”

Hesitating, he glanced over his shoulder.

“Let her in, West. It sounds important,” I heard a familiar voice say.

I peered through the crack and waved at the fae. “Hi, Sage.”

With a deep sigh, the werewolf created enough space for me to enter. Sage stood in the living room, wearing one of West’s T-shirts that was long enough to reach the tops of her knees .

“Good evening, Lorelei,” she greeted me. “Or is it morning?”

“Sorry to interrupt. I didn’t expect you to have company.” Sage and West had a complicated romantic history. They seemed to genuinely love each other, but as the pack alpha, West was expected to marry a werewolf in order to secure the bloodline. He was still working on merging his two great loves.

“I didn’t expect to be the company,” Sage said, somewhat embarrassed.

“I just need West for two minutes to discuss the crossroads log.” I pivoted to the werewolf. “Did anyone or anything come through this week? Even if they seemed legit, I want to know.”

West dragged a hand through his mop of hair. “I don’t need to consult the log. It’s been a quiet week. Nothing and no one.”

“You’re one hundred percent certain?”

“What’s going on?” Sage asked.

I told them about the bouts of insanity.

“Yeah, Elena told me about Horton,” West said. “I told her it wasn’t you.”

“I appreciate that you had my back.”

“It’s as much for Fairhaven as for you. If there’s something out there wreaking havoc, I don’t want her focused on the wrong suspect.”

“Do you think it’s an attempt to frame you?” Sage asked.

West spun to look at her. “Why would anybody want to do that?”

“Revenge or to sideline her,” Sage said.

I shrugged. “Or it could be a complete coincidence.”

“I don’t believe in coincidences,” Sage said.

I groaned. “Me neither. I want to, but I think you’re right. This is connected to me somehow. ”

“The Corporation?” West suggested.

“Not sure what they’d hope to gain.”

“I’ll have my wolves on the hunt,” West said.

“On the hunt for what, though? I wouldn’t even know what to tell them to look for.”

West hitched up the waistband of his boxer shorts to cover his V-cut abs. “We’ll start with anything suspicious and go from there.”

“If we could have one week without a crisis, I’d appreciate it,” I said.

Sage was more blasé. “Fairhaven’s gonna Fairhaven.”

“I’ll speak to friends and relatives of the afflicted men and see if I can find a commonality,” I offered.

“Or you could try delegating that task to someone else, like the police,” West said wryly.

“The chief and Leo are too new.”

“They aren’t new to investigations, only to supernaturals,” West argued. “Offer the extra information that will help guide them and let them do their job. This is one of the reasons we brought them into the fold, remember?”

“You’re right. I’ll talk to them.”

“On second thought, let me deal with Elena.” West walked me to the door. “Thanks for bringing this to my attention.”

“We’re a team, remember? That’s what teammates do.”

Sage yawned. “Stay safe, Lorelei.”

When we reached the doorway, he leaned over and whispered, “And I’d appreciate your discretion about Sage. We’re still figuring things out.”

I pretended to zip my lips. “Consider it in the vault.”

I left the trailer park feeling as lost as I did when I’d arrived. All I wanted now was a sound sleep, which I wouldn’t get at the Devil’s Playground. It was karaoke night, for starters, not to mention that one look at Kane and I’d forget all about the desire for sleep in favor of another desire. The demon was far too enticing.

I forced myself to turn toward the Castle. The sooner I was asleep, the sooner I’d stop fantasizing about another deeply satisfying night with His Highness.

A loud, insistent clicking sound drew my attention to the blue-black sky. The birds flew so close together that their silhouettes looked like a giant inkblot spilling across an even darker canvas.

Crows.

There was only one reason a murder of crows would make a desperate bid for my attention, and she lived reasonably close to here.

Heart pounding, I broke into a run.

A plume of smoke appeared on the horizon, rising above the treetops. It reminded me of a spirit departing. I shoved aside the dreadful thought and ran faster.

Birdie’s house came into view. From a distance, it looked like an abandoned mill. The wooden structure leaned to the left, as though the elements had been nudging it over and hoping no one would notice.

Right now, the element seemed to be fire. Smoke billowed from the left side. I yanked my phone free of my pocket and dialed emergency services as I skirted the building. The heat of the flames warmed my skin even from this distance.

“Ma’am, you’ll need to slow down,” the operator said. “I could only understand the word ‘fire.’”

I shouted the address one more time from the back patio, the place where Birdie preferred to enter and exit because of her wheelchair. The door to the kitchen had been torn off its hinges and lay on a patch of grass. There was no sign of the home’s occupant.

I pulled off my sweatshirt and wrapped it around my nose and mouth, tying the sleeves behind my head. I raced inside the house, yelling her name. The smoke was thick and noxious as I stood in the kitchen and tried to get my bearings. The fire seemed to emanate from a room on the right.

Birdie’s computer lab. It was the room where she housed the equipment that she used to keep tabs on activities in Fairhaven.

“Birdie!” I choked out another scream. For one hopeful moment, I thought the house might be unoccupied. Then I spotted the edge of a familiar blanket. The one she often wore to cover her legs.

I cut through the kitchen, bumping my hip against the corner of the counter as I ran. Birdie was sprawled across the living room floor, six feet away from her toppled wheelchair. If she’d fallen, she would’ve been right next to it, unless she’d been trying to crawl to safety.

Flames licked the doorway between this room and the lab. The ceiling could collapse at any moment.

I dropped to my knees beside her. “Birdie, it’s Lorelei. I’m going to get you out of here.” Although my voice was muffled by the sweatshirt, she should’ve been able to hear me.

There was no response. Not even the flicker of an eyelid.

I slid my arms underneath her body and rose to my feet. The back of my neck broke out in a sweat as the fire continued to spread. Even if the firefighters arrived right now, the old house wouldn’t survive.

I hoped Birdie still had a fighting chance.

My eyes stung as I stumbled outside, carrying the older woman in my arms. Once we were a safe distance away, I lowered her to the ground. I tore the sweatshirt from my head and made a desperate attempt to administer CPR.

“Birdie!” I pumped her chest again, but my efforts were in vain.

Her lifeless eyes stared at the sky, as though waiting for one last glimpse of her beloved birds .

My shoulders shook violently as I wept. I was still hunched over her when I heard the sirens in the distance. They were too late.

I was too late.

Sooty tears streaked my face. When I finally looked up, I noticed dozens of crows had formed a protective circle around us, a ring of polished obsidian gleaming in the darkness. They ruffled their wings, agitated.

“I’m sorry,” I croaked. “There’s nothing I can do.” I closed my eyes and tried to sense whether her spirit had lingered.

A sharp cry pierced the stillness. “Please.”

Birdie’s voice.

My head snapped up. “Please,” I heard again, but there was no sign of her spirit.

The word repeated, in stereo this time.

Not Birdie.

Birds.

The crows were mimicking her voice. Whether it had been her last word, I wasn’t sure, but the pleading note suggested it might have been. My chest felt hollow.

All at once, the cries stopped, as though an unseen conductor had closed their palm. I dragged a sleeve across my cheek to wipe away a fresh crop of tears. “If you know who is responsible for this, I want you to find them and bring them to me.” The steely command was undermined by the crack in my voice.

The crows cawed in unison and took off. Without their protective circle, I suddenly felt exposed.

“Lorelei?” Chief Garcia cut through the shadows, followed by a crew of firefighters.

I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn’t get my voice to work.

The chief crouched beside me and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Hey, you’re okay. ”

Still mute, I gave an adamant shake of my head.

“I’ll take care of Kristabel.” She whistled. “Somebody bring me a blanket.”

“I don’t need a blanket.”

“Oh, I see you find your voice when it’s time to be contrary. There’s an ambulance out front. We should get you checked out.”

I gave her a pointed look. “Not necessary.”

“Right. Any idea what happened?”

I described the scene inside the house.

The chief observed me. “Which part are you leaving out?”

A lump formed in my throat. I wasn’t sure if I could repeat the experience with the crows without bursting into tears again.

“I think she was murdered,” was all I managed to say.

“And the fire was meant to cover up the crime.”

I nodded. “The crows came looking for me … to get help.”

“The crows? Like actual birds?”

“Yes.”

“Did they…? I don’t know how to ask this question. Did they tell you what they saw?”

Please .

“I told them if they know who did this to bring them to me.”

“To me , Lorelei. I’m the police chief, remember?”

“Whoever did this, trust me, you don’t want to meet them.”

“Any chance this could be connected to the influx of insanity cases? Maybe she learned something she shouldn’t have.”

I noticed the stains of smoke on my hands and wiped them on the grass. “Can’t rule it out. I think the fire started in her computer lab, so there’s a likelihood the killer was also trying to destroy information. ”

An emergency worker appeared with a blanket. Two medics with a stretcher trailed behind him.

The chief lowered her voice. “Is there anything else you want to do before they take her away?”

There were countless things I wanted to do, not that any of them would matter. Kristabel Danvers was gone; time to accept it.

“No, but thank you for asking.” I resisted the urge to close Birdie’s eyes. It seemed only right that her final gaze be directed at the open sky.

I moved farther away from the house to let the emergency workers do their job. The man with the blanket followed me.

“You’re shivering,” he said.

I hadn’t noticed.

“Here.” I didn’t object as he placed the blanket around my shoulders.

“Thanks,” I rasped.

“Fire’s out,” a voice said in the distance. I didn’t bother to look. What was the house without Birdie in it?

I knew I needed to call Kane, but I wasn’t ready. The news would shatter him. I needed to put on my own oxygen mask before I could help with his.

I didn’t know how much time had passed when the chief reappeared. Despite the warmth of the blanket, I felt numb. She joined me on the cold, hard ground.

“This is going to aggravate my arthritic hip,” the chief complained.

I snorted. “You’re a bit young for that.”

“Starts early when you’re in charge of keeping people safe in this town. You should see the white hair under all this dye.” She ran a hand through her brown hair. “Enlighten me. Why would anyone kill Birdie?”

“I think it has something to do with an object she found. ”

“What’s the object?”

“A cufflink. One of the crows found it and brought it to her, then she gave it to me.”

“I’m not following. What’s the big deal about a cufflink?”

“Birdie thought it was evidence that an undesirable was on his way to town or was already here.”

“An undesirable human?” she asked, her voice rising in hope.

I grunted. “I wish.”

Leo rounded the corner of the house, looking worse for wear as he marched across the yard. Before either of us could speak, he held up a hand. “I’m stone-cold sober now, I swear, although I will say that one night at Monk’s was enough for the next month.”

Chief Garcia snorted. “Lightweight.”

Leo turned to observe the condition of the house. “What a shame. Looks like it was a cool place to live. Weird and wonderful.”

“It was,” I said. She was.

“I heard there was a fatality.”

“Kristabel Danvers,” the chief said. “Lorelei found her inside and carried her out.”

Leo gaped at me. “Dude, you ran into a burning building?”

The chief tilted her head to regard him. “This surprises you, why?”

“Fair.” Leo dropped into a cross-legged position beside us.

The chief looked at me. “Did you see how easily he did that?”

“Like a yoga instructor,” I agreed.

The chief pulled a face. “I’m not bitter. Nope. Not even a little.”

Leo offered a mock groan. “Ouch. My glutes are killing me. ”

“Because of all those squats you do,” Chief Garcia pointed out, “not because of your aging body.”

Leo looked between us. “Are we done avoiding the pink elephant in the room? Can we talk about the situation now?”

“You know, in the before times, I would’ve known the pink elephant wasn’t real, but now…” The chief splayed her hands. “Could be an actual monster that wandered through the crossroads.”

I inhaled deeply. “Okay. I’m ready.”

Leo rubbed his hands together. “Great. What do we know so far?”

“Lorelei thinks this is her case.”

“Some kind of fire-breathing monster? A dragon?” Leo’s gasp suggested more excitement than fear.

“Not a dragon,” I said. But definitely a monster.

“Do we know the cause of death?” Leo asked. “Was it asphyxiation from smoke inhalation?”

“More likely from strangulation,” the chief said. “There were marks on her neck. They were faint, but they were definitely there.”

I silently chastised myself for failing to notice.

“So someone choked her to death and attempted to cover up a murder with arson.” Leo scratched his head. “I’m not hearing the paranormal part.”

I pointed to the broken door on the grass. “That was here when I found her. I don’t know any human strong enough to tear the door off its hinges and toss it across the yard, do you?”

Leo observed the door in silence.

“Birdie collected information,” I said. “I think she discovered something important about the wrong creature, and he or one of his minions came here to silence her before she could share it. ”

The chief eyed me suspiciously. “But you already know some of it.”

“Like I told you, the crows brought her a cufflink the other day. It’s possible that whoever killed her was unaware she’d already passed it along to me.”

“Hang on,” Leo said. “If Birdie had information, that’s unfinished business. Why wouldn’t she have stuck around in ghost form to tell you? She knows who you are, I assume.”

“Only Birdie can answer that, and as we’ve established, she isn’t here to explain.”

“Maybe she hasn’t separated from her body yet. Is that possible? Should we chase the ambulance?”

I shook my head. “It doesn’t work like that. Anyway, I think she was gone before I arrived.”

“I want to know why you’re tiptoeing around the identity of this undesirable,” the chief said. “It isn’t like I’d recognize the name. I’m not as knowledgeable as you when it comes to this stuff.”

“You’ll recognize this one.”

“Tell us,” Leo said. “Whether you take the lead or not, we still need to know what we’re up against.”

I rubbed my cheeks. “You won’t like the answer.”

“One of my people has been murdered, Lorelei,” the chief said. “I already don’t like the answer no matter who it is.”

I swallowed the lump that was still in my throat. “Lucifer.”

Chief Garcia started to cough, prompting Leo to pat her between the shoulder blades. She shook him off. “As in the devil?”

“That’s one name for him. He’s a demon from hell.”

Her gaze slid to the spot on the lawn where Birdie’s body had been. “Why would he want to silence an old, defenseless woman? What could she possibly have known about Lucifer that he deemed a threat?”

“That he’s on his way to Fairhaven,” Leo offered .

“Or worse,” I said. “That he’s already here.” If he’d been counting on a sneak attack, Birdie would’ve ruined the element of surprise.

“Who does he want to attack?” Leo asked. “You?”

“Kane.”

Leo tipped his head back, processing the answer. “Right, that makes sense. Two demons from hell. They probably butted horns back in the day.”

“Something like that,” I said.

The chief waved a hand at the charred house. “Well, this isn’t exactly subtle. If I was trying to avoid detection, I’m not sure I’d kill the witness and set fire to her home.”

“According to Kane, he has a flair for the dramatic.” After all, he’d declared himself the supreme ruler of hell at a time when the highest rank had been ‘prince.’

Chief Garcia typed a few notes on her phone. “Should we speak to Kane about this?”

“I’ll handle it.”

“If you’d like a word with me, I’m right here.”

The sound of his voice triggered a fresh flow of tears. I jumped to my feet to embrace him. “I’m so sorry, Kane.”

He held me tight. “How did you know to come? The smoke?”

“The crows found me. I’m sorry I didn’t call you. I’ve been trying to find the words…”

He pressed his cheek against mine. “You don’t need to explain. I understand.”

“How did you find out?”

“Same as you. The crows. Josie was ready to break their necks. I went outside to intervene and heard Birdie’s voice.”

Please .

Another lump formed in my throat. That single word would haunt me until my dying day .

“I suppose you weren’t able to communicate with her?” Kane asked.

“No. I tried, but she was gone.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, Kane,” the chief said.

“Not just my loss. Birdie’s death is a loss to the entire community.” He gazed at the crumbled, ashen walls. “This isn’t your jurisdiction anymore, Chief Garcia.”

“Lorelei and I have been discussing that…”

“There’s no discussion,” Kane interrupted. “Birdie is my responsibility.”

“Should we call a council meeting?” the chief asked. “If you’re right about Lucifer…” She winced. “I can’t believe I’m talking about the Lucifer. Anyway, I feel like West and the others should be involved too.”

“If Lucifer is here, it’s because of me. And Birdie is dead because of me.” Kane clenched his hands into fists. “I won’t put anyone else’s life at risk.”

“I’m the chief of police. I’ll decide whether I put my life on the line.”

Kane seemed to realize he had inadvertently started a pissing contest. His hands unclenched.

“With all due respect, Chief Garcia, I would like to handle this,” the demon said in a soothing tone that could charm the skin off a snake. “The two of you are already dealing with an investigation.”

“Which may also be your territory.” The chief closed her eyes and released a frustrated groan. “I’m beginning to see why you wanted to keep us in the dark. Your work is nonstop.”

I would’ve laughed if I’d been physically capable of it, but Birdie’s death was too raw. The only emotion I could produce right now was complex grief.

The chief glanced over my shoulder. “The house is cleared for entry. If there’s anything you two think you can learn from a quick scout around, I’ll look the other way.”

I shot her a grateful look. “Thank you.”

Kane regarded the house. “The computers in the lab won’t be much use.”

“Steven might be able to retrieve information from them,” I said. Steven Pratt was handy when it came to anything technical. “The fire may have been started there on purpose, to destroy whatever information Birdie had recorded.”

“What kind of computer lab did she have?” Leo sounded intrigued.

“She was the eyes and ears of Fairhaven when it came to things beyond your ken,” Kane replied. “She also monitored the police scanner and passed along any information that seemed like it required my involvement.”

“She sounds awesome,” Leo said.

Kane took a long look at the house. “Birdie was one of the best. It was an honor and a privilege to have known her.”