Page 47 of The Tracker's Revenge

Chapter 16

We hurried out of myoffice and saw a familiar figure on the other side of the glass door.

It was Em, Liliana’s neighbor. I deflated. Not a new customer.

“What does she want?” Rosalina asked.

I sighed, shaking my head to indicate I had no idea. “I’ll get it.” Flipping the latch, I opened the door, the chime sounding above me as it opened.

“Hi,” I said, putting on a smile that Em did not return at all.

She certainly looked and was posed like a hostile.Huh?

Something told me not to invite her in, but I didn’t want to make her angrier. She looked damn scary already.

“What... brings you to our neighborhood?” I asked in a tone that was meant to sound welcoming but fell short.

She walked in, squared her shoulders, and placed her fists on her hips. “The police won’t believe me.”

Her cloying sweet rose scent flooded the lobby. I rubbed my sniffer and fought not to sneeze. Her green hair sat flat on her head as if she’d been wearing a baseball cap for days. Today, she wore khaki shorts that reached her knees, long socks with colorful stripes, and a Metallica T-shirt.

“Um, you mean about,” I twirled my finger vaguely, “exactly what?”

“About thatthingthat wouldn’t stay dead, about Lilianabeingdead, about any of it.” With every word, Em’s voice grew higher in pitch.

Rosalina blinked slowly, her falsies fluttering and giving her eyes an exaggerated quality of surprise. “What do you mean they don’t believe you about Liliana being dead?”

“There was no body, they said. No sign that anything happened there.”

“Oh, shit,” I said under my breath. “H-how is that possible? The table was smashed, and there was blood all over the walls and floor and furniture. They couldn’t have...”

They couldn’t have erased the evidencewas what I had been about to say, except I knew better. It was perfectly plausible for anyone who had a powerful mage or witch at their disposal, which Bernadetta and Stephen did. A Midnight Witch to be precise.

“You have to come with me to the police station,” Em demanded. “You have to help me convince them. I don’t think they really looked into it. I doubt they even sent a forensic team in there. I mean,” she began pacing the short length of our sitting area, “I don’t know for sure they didn’t, but if they had, they would’ve found something, right? They have Skews that work for the police department and can uncover any sort of magical whatever, don’t they?”

“Em,” I walked up to her and gently laid a hand on her shoulder, “maybe you should sit down, calm down a bit. Would you like some coffee? Or tea? I can go across the street to Cup ‘o Java and get you whatever you need. Even something to eat if you’re hungry.”

She vigorously shook her head, making her green hair swing from side to side. “I don’t need anything,” she said, though she did sit down on the sofa and took several deep breaths, doing her best to calm down.

“I’m sorry.” She rubbed her temples. “I know this is not your fault... I guess.”

I twisted my mouth to one side, not liking her insinuation.

“I assure you,” Rosalina said. “We are not responsible for Liliana’s death or whatever happened afterward to the evidence.”