Page 12 of Veiled Justice (The Other Detective #1)

Thinking about justice and lawyers made me think about my younger brother, Rupert.

He was an associate lawyer working at a prestigious firm called KHR Law, and his job was to help Other realmers who got themselves into a Common pickle.

He did a tap dance with the law every day as he looked for loopholes to squeeze through.

He usually had a ready smile, but I wondered if he was okay having found a body the night before.

‘I’m just going to call my brother,’ I said brusquely to Krieg as we got into the car. Loki flittered in discreetly after us.

Rupe answered on the second ring. ‘Yo.’

‘Hey, how are you doing?’

There was a long, pregnant pause. ‘I’ve been better,’ he said finally. ‘Ava is trying to persuade me to go to another shindig tonight, get back on the horse, you know?’

‘The Carnforth event?’ I asked.

‘Yeah, that’s it,’ he said, surprised.

‘I might come. Apparently a lot of the same people will be there.’

He snorted. ‘You bet they will! Ava was telling me there's a huge rivalry between the Carnforths and Quintos, a total pissing contest in party form. That’s the only reason I want to be there. The Arley Hall event was pretty cool with the peacocks and the costumes and the dancers – though I could have done without the death.’

‘As could we all,’ I murmured.

I heard my mother in the background.

‘You and Ava are with Mum?’ I asked, surprised. I’d assumed they’d go back to Ava’s pad. Our childhood home was decent and in a nice area, but it certainly wasn’t the luxury that Ava Grey was used to.

‘Yeah. Jules and the G-man are in the house too.’ Jules was my middle brother, Julian, and the G-man was Rupert’s terrible nickname for Grant, Jules’ husband.

I bit my lip. Jules and Rupe didn’t always see eye to eye, so the fact that Jules was there on a Saturday told me he was worried about Rupert. Maybe I should be worried, too.

‘So, you did tell Mum about the murder over breakfast!’ I challenged him.

‘No!’ he objected instantly. ‘I waited until lunch like a fucking gentleman.’

I snorted.

Krieg tapped my knee lightly and I turned my gaze on him.

‘You want to go see your family?’ he murmured softly so that Rupe wouldn’t hear.

I licked my lips and, on an impulse, I nodded.

The ME wouldn’t see us without adequate notice and I had a sudden urge to check on my baby brother.

Besides, Rupert was a witness – kind of.

It was worth seeing if he recalled anything more.

That was my excuse, and I was sticking to it.

‘Are you still having lunch?’ I asked Rupert casually.

‘Yeah. Are you hungry?’

‘Ravenous,’ I admitted. My lonely banana hadn’t exactly set me up for the day.

‘I’ll get Mum to plate up some for you.’

I slid my eyes to Krieg and he nodded. ‘Make that two. See you in fifteen.’ I hung up.

Without me having to tell him, Krieg turned the car towards Hoole.

The town, often likened to London’s Notting Hill, was packed with indie businesses and cool cafés, and had a great community feel.

My flat was in the centre of Chester, just opposite the cathedral and close to Chester town hall police station, but I’d always have a soft spot for the area where I’d grown up, colloquially called Notting Hoole.

I huffed. ‘You know my mum’s address?’

Krieg kept his eyes on the road. ‘I’m a thorough man.’

‘Meaning you did a deep dive on me.’

His lips turned up at the corners and he sent me a hot look. ‘I’d love to do a deep dive on you.’

Bloody hell: when he flirted, he really went for it.

‘I set you up for that one, so I’ll let it slide,’ I said, clearing my throat awkwardly.

All the same, my cheeks reddened even though I fought the blush with all my might.

His light flirtation was the most action I’d seen in years, a thought that was moderately depressing.

‘You did a deep dive into my background,’ I corrected brusquely. It probably wasn’t real flirtation; he was just joking around, the way people do. I’d given him an opening and he couldn’t resist taking it. It didn’t mean he actually fancied me. It didn’t mean anything.

‘I did,’ Krieg confirmed, his tone businesslike now.

‘And what did you find?’

‘You’re a level-five wizard with high command of the IR. The notes say you don’t even need to use a release word.’ He sounded mildly impressed.

The IR is the Intention and the Release and it’s how a wizard’s magic works. If you want something to happen, you gather your magic within you whilst you imagine the effect you want then you release the magic, usually with a word or gesture.

I shrugged. ‘The Academy trains you not to use release words. Lots of Inspectors can do it.’

‘Level five is rare.’

I had no comeback for that because level five was rare.

Unlike a lot of other wizards, I had a deep well of powerful magic within me.

One recharge a month in the Common realm was all I needed – even less if I hadn’t gone nuts in any given week.

I tried where possible not to use my magic at home, preferring to save it for emergencies.

‘That it?’ I asked stridently.

He slid me an assessing glance before he said, ‘Your dad was an Inspector too. Died in the line.’

I was braced for it so I kept my face neutral and nodded blandly. ‘Yeah. What else?’

‘You like Dr Pepper.’

The absurdness of the comment after talking about my dad’s death made me snort. ‘Who doesn’t like Dr P?’

‘I’ve never tried it,’ he admitted.

‘What?’ I asked, scandalised. ‘Are you for real?’

‘Always.’

‘Huh.’

There was another moment of silence before he offered, ‘My father didn’t believe in fizzy drinks.’

‘They’re not a ghost!’ I teased. ‘They definitely exist.’

‘Not in my diet they don’t.’

There was another small beat of silence then I couldn’t resist asking, ‘You wanna try some?’

He looked amused. ‘This feels like you’re trying to peer pressure me. Since I’m a big boy, I’ll say no.’

When he said he was a big boy my eyes inadvertently slid to his crotch. I tore them back up his fine body, but the damage was done. He’d caught my glance and I saw the pleased smirk tugging at his lips. Fucksticks.

For the second time in the short car journey, my cheeks flamed.