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Chapter Thirty-Six

Pei was a tall young woman around twenty years old. Judging from the shape of her ears and her delicate features, I assumed she was at least part fae but I wasn’t about to ask. Making a mistake about someone’s lineage could be highly offensive, and considering some fae-folk specialised in curses that wasn’t a risk I was in a hurry to take.

‘You said you saw Toby Brown last night?’ Yanni asked, gesturing for the girl to take a seat.

‘He came in for a drink after he’d been out hunting. He catches hares and things – though not as a shifter. He uses a bow and arrow.’ She sounded really impressed and her eyes went dreamy.

‘Yes, his mother told us the same.’

‘It’s a real skill,’ Pei cooed. ‘Incredibly impressive.’ There was something in her voice that made me think she was impressed by more than Toby’s hunting abilities .

‘Pei, do you know if Toby is seeing anybody?’ I asked. I didn’t know what line of questioning Yanni would take, and I wasn’t trying to derail her conversation, but I had a hunch my question might lead us somewhere useful. If Pei liked Toby so much, there was a good chance she paid close attention to the little things – and little things could mean a lot in our line of work. ‘Does he have a girlfriend?’

‘Not that I’m aware of.’ She blushed slightly. ‘Not since he broke up with his last girlfriend.’

‘And you and him?’ I prompted. ‘Are you friends or something more?’

‘No, we’re just friends,’ she said quickly, her blush deepening.

‘I’ve never met him myself but his mum seems lovely and I saw a photo of him. He’s a good-looking guy, a bit of a catch. I’m guessing you wouldn’t say no to it being more.’ I smiled coyly, trying to give the impression that this was nothing more than a girly chat so hopefully she’d feel comfortable opening up.

‘To be honest, he’s knocked me back a couple of times.’ Pei sighed. ‘And not just me. He even turned down a date with Ciara in the kitchen when she asked him out, and she’s part siren. The only people who can easily say no to a siren are either totally in love with someone else or have really strong magic.’

That was useful information. I tried not to look at Yanni and focused instead on finding out more. ‘You’re telling me Toby was in love with someone?’ I asked.

‘I don’t know,’ Pei replied. ‘There was Jennifer, the water shifter. They were together for years.’ Bitterness crept into her tone.

‘You weren’t a fan of hers?’

‘If you ask me, they were the oddest couple. For a start, she was five years older than him and her family has all this money, but she acted like she was one of us. Just an average Jo – Joanne. Whatever.’

‘She’s a nurse, isn’t she? I hear she’s very good at her job.’ I didn’t know why I felt the need to speak up for Jennifer because I didn’t know her, but I’d liked what I’d seen of her. And I knew what it was like when people assumed that you were rich or powerful because your parents were. From what I’d seen, Warren had made a concerted effort to raise children who stood on their own two feet and I admired that. Five years age difference was hardly a lot; no one would have batted an eyelid if Toby been the older one.

‘I assume you’re aware that Jennifer and Toby broke up several months ago,’ Yanni said. ‘Or at least their families believe they did.’

Pei shrugged. ‘They never came in together after the incident with the mer-guy, so I guessed they’d split up.’

‘Have you seen him with anyone else?’ Yanni added.

‘No, but he was talking on his phone last night. He seemed pretty … I guess you’d say loved up. Lots of grinning and chuckling. He took his drink over to the corner while he chatted and he was still on the phone when he left.’

‘Did he mention meeting anyone?’ I asked.

‘Not that I heard, but he seemed really happy, the happiest he’s been in ages.’

‘And you think it was because of a woman?’

‘I don’t know.’ Pei’s easy manner was fading and it was clear she was no longer enjoying our chat. ‘I’m telling you what I saw. That’s all.’

‘Thank you, Pei.’ Yanni said and gave me a small nod to indicate that we’d got as much as we were going to get.

‘Yes, thank you. What you’ve told us has been very useful,’ I added.

As Pei stood up to leave, Yanni asked, ‘Just to check, what time would you say Toby left here?’

‘It was before closing.’ Pei replied. ‘Probably around half-ten.’

Yanni glanced at me and I knew we were thinking the same thing. If Toby was last seen here at ten-thirty and his mother didn’t notice he was missing until the morning, then he could have gone anywhere in that time.

Our search for Toby Brown had just got a whole lot wider.

Yanni’s phone buzzed loudly. She frowned at screen before standing abruptly. ‘Excuse me, I need to take this.’ She moved across the room to answer the call.

As Pei disappeared, my attention remained on Yanni. I didn’t need to lower my shields to feel the wave of emotion rolling off her; dismay and guilt struck me like a truck. Whatever she’d been told, it wasn’t good news.

As she hung up the phone, I hurried towards her – only for Fraser to step out from the bar. He caught my eye but I shook my head, trying to convey it wasn’t a good time. Thankfully he understood and stayed where he was, leaving me to speak to Yanni alone.

‘That was a shifter,’ Yanni said, her voice trembling as she looked at me. ‘They were out for a run in the forest when they found them.’

‘Found who?’ I asked, already feeling dread in my stomach.

‘There’s been another murder,’ she said grimly. ‘And it looks like a double one.’