Page 44

Chapter 44

On my way into work, I decided to stop at the diner to get some coffee. The coffee in the hardware store was delicious but today I needed the full-strength, melt-your-teeth coffee that the diner offered.

As I strode into the Garden of Eat’n, I smiled when I saw two familiar faces having brunch together: Hayleigh and Ray. Hayleigh looked relaxed; the austere bun was gone and her mousy-brown hair was tumbling over her shoulders. Her outfit was far more flattering and it was clear that Ray thought so too because he was gazing at her with open adoration. I was glad that the bear-shifter and his estranged wife were working it out. I hoped this time he wouldn’t be so dumb as to offer his wife an ultimatum about her reading habits.

I gave them a finger wave but didn’t interrupt. They beamed at me in return, looking so happy it made my heart smile. I’d done good work there, for all that it had felt like a nuisance case at the time .

When I got to the office, Emma was there with Gunnar and Sigrid. She smiled up at me. ‘Hey, Bunny.’

‘Hi Emma, how did you sleep?’

‘Better than I expected,’ she said honestly. ‘And you weren’t kidding about Sigrid’s food!’

‘I know, right? I’ve eaten at plenty of Michelin-starred restaurants and they’re not a patch on Sigrid.’

Sigrid blushed. ‘Oh hush!’ she objected, but I could see that she was pleased. She pulled me into a hug. ‘Okay, sweetheart?’ she asked quietly. ‘Gunnar said you were shot.’

‘Just a little – a graze on my arm,’ I assured her.

She looked amused. ‘I’m not sure you can be shot “just a little”.’

I grinned. ‘Nothing a little blood didn’t fix.’

‘Thank goodness for that.’ She eyed me critically. ‘Did you get enough rest?’

‘I’m fine,’ I promised, quietly pleased by her motherly fussing. ‘Thank you.’

Gunnar was holding a pad and clearly making notes on a statement for Emma. ‘Sorry to interrupt,’ I said.

‘No worries. We’re just wrapping up.’

‘Cool.’ I turned to the air witch. ‘Can I ask you a question?’

‘Sure.’

‘Did you ever hear your captors talking about someone helping them in the mine?’

She frowned. ‘There was one call but I can’t remember the name.’ She paused. ‘Something that made me think Chipmunk.’

I blinked. ‘Chipmunk?’

‘You know the TV show? Alvin, Simon, Theodore?’ She hummed a TV theme tune.

I didn’t know any Alvins, Simons or Theodores – besides that total wanker, Theodore Thorsen, from the Academy. ‘Theodore Thorsen?’ I offered.

She shook her head, ‘No, that wasn’t it.’

I hazarded a guess. ‘Alfgar?’

‘No. Sorry.’

Abruptly I thought of the elder, Baldred, and his son, Delvin. Delvin, who hadn’t wanted us to raise Alfgar’s body. Delvin, who had red hair, like the strand we’d found on Alfgar. Delvin, whose father was an elder and who would definitely have access to keys and anything else the black-ops group wanted. Delvin. Yeah, that made a whole lot of sense.

‘Delvin?’ I asked the air witch.

Emma clicked her fingers. ‘Yes!’ she said excitedly. ‘That’s it! Sounds like Alvin! That’s who that bastard was talking to!’ She grimaced. ‘It made me sing the chipmunk theme tune for three days straight. It’s funny what connections your brain makes.’

Gunnar looked grim. ‘I’ll call Baldred, get them both in. I’ll make it look like some more routine questions on Evgard and Alfgar.’

I steepled my fingers. ‘Do we have time for that. If we’re raiding Reef Mine today…’

‘I’m still waiting to hear from one of my contacts at the MIB.’

I blinked. ‘Gunnar, is it wise to use them?’

‘I trust Henderson completely,’ Gunnar said gruffly. ‘The same as I do you. He’ll handpick a team he trusts, too. It’ll be small but we still need their help because we’re going to be outmanned and outgunned. So while we’re waiting for them, let’s nail Delvin.’

I grinned. ‘In that case … let’s do it.’ April passed me a freshly brewed cup of tea, the perfect chaser to my gut-burning coffee. I could have kissed her. ‘Thanks!’

She tapped Gunnar’s notes. ‘You all done with these?’ He nodded. ‘I’ll type them up before I go for the day.’ She stifled a yawn.

‘You know that you’re the best thing since sliced bread?’ I told her.

She grinned. ‘I do, but it’s nice to hear it all the same.’ She winked and took the notes back to her desk. ‘All done,’ she announced a mere ten minutes later before printing Emma’s statement out for Gunnar to check over. Happy with it, he passed it to Emma to sign.

‘You even got in the Delvin thing,’ Emma said to April, clearly impressed. ‘Now that’s a good secretary. You don’t want to come and work for the Alaska Minerals Commission, do you? I can always use a good secretary. You can work remotely.’

‘Hey!’ Gunnar objected. ‘No poaching the staff!’

Emma laughed. ‘If they’re happy, they won’t be poachable.’

‘I love it here,’ April said. ‘It’s crazy but I love the job, so thank you but no. I’m a Nomo girl all the way.’

‘Damn right you are,’ Gunnar said gruffly. ‘You’re valued here.’

April’s face split with another yawn. ‘Well, it was worth staying late if only for all of the compliments. I wanted to stay for Sidnee, but I’m going to have to go. You all be safe.’

‘We will,’ I promised.

‘And give ’em hell.’

I nodded darkly. ‘We will,’ I repeated.

April left, and Gunnar called Edgy to come and collect Emma. When he hung up he told her, ‘Edgy is a little rough around the edges but he’ll see you safe to Anchorage. I know you’re anxious to see your family and Helmud’s.’

‘Thank you.’ Emma hugged Sigrid and then Gunnar. ‘Thank you all for the kindness you’ve shown me. I appreciate it more than I can say.’

‘You have my number,’ Sigrid said. ‘Stay in touch, let us know how you’re getting on.’

‘I will.’

Edgy’s beat-up truck drew up outside and Emma looked at it dubiously. If she was nervous about the vehicle, wait until she saw the plane. He jumped out of the truck and her mouth dropped a little at the sight of the one-armed man. ‘His plane has been modified,’ I said hastily before he walked in.

‘One arm or not, Edgy Kum’agyak is the best pilot around,’ Gunnar vouched.

Emma pasted a smile on her face. ‘Great.’

None of us bought it.

As he walked in, Edgy shot me a finger-gun gesture. ‘Fanged Flopsy Bunny-o, good to see you.’ The hint of an Australian accent always took me by surprise since he looked native Alaskan, but he’d spent a lot of years Down Under and the Aussie accent still clung to his voice.

Emma stared at me. ‘Okay, now I have to ask. How come you’re called Bunny? ’

Inspired by Edgy, I riffed, ‘I lost a leg once and spent six months hopping everywhere until it grew again.’

The pilot chuckled. ‘Bold one, mate! Not many people can regrow a limb.’ He patted the air under the stump. ‘More’s the pity.’

I grimaced. Okay, maybe that particular story had been in bad taste. ‘Sorry, Edgy.’

‘No worries. I tell everyone I lost my limb to a shark. These bullshit stories help us keep our air of mystery.’ He winked. ‘The ladies love a man of mystery.’

‘I’ll take your word for it,’ I told him.

‘Let’s rock and roll, Emma, and get you home. I’ve checked the weather and it should be plain sailing. Flying. You get me?’

‘I get you,’ she replied.

Sidnee arrived with Thomas following close behind. ‘Hey, it’s a party!’

‘Not quite,’ Gunnar grunted. ‘No shots. No dancing on the tables.’ He looked sternly at the both of us and we studied our shoes. Yep, we’d done that.

‘Bye, Sidnee, Thomas,’ Emma said. ‘Thanks for the rescue.’

‘Anytime,’ Sidnee said cheerfully.

Emma winced. ‘I’d rather not repeat it. Let’s keep it as a one-time deal.’

‘Seems fair.’ Sidnee gave her a gentle hug.

Emma left with the pilot and we all watched as they drove off.

‘So,’ Sidnee said. ‘What’s new?’

I leaned in. ‘You’ve got some catching up to do.’