Page 18 of Veiled Justice (The Other Detective #1)

Krieg put the mace in the boot of the car but kept on his leather vest. It was annoyingly sexy.

I dug out my phone and saw a message from Channing: Ji-ho said the phone was a burner. All it had was a text message with the time and address of the party. He traced the number that it came from and that was from a burner too. Both phones were bought with cash. Dead end.

And Einar? I replied.

Working on it. He’s Krieg’s contemporary, in his early forties. He has a less than savoury reputation – had charges raised and dropped against him on multiple occasions.

What type of charges?

Battery and assault, including GBH with intent. GBH stood for grievous bodily harm and was a more serious offence than ABH – actual bodily harm.

Channing’s text went on, Use of offensive weapons, stalking and harassment, arson.

I grimaced. Einar sounded like a keeper.

What sweet young Helga was doing dating a man like that, I didn’t know, but I could see why Krieg hadn’t been thrilled about it.

I could also understand why Helga might have used Aron to hide the budding relationship from her parents.

We definitely needed to speak to Einar but Krieg had already confirmed he was out of town on a contract, so we’d have to wait.

Krieg and I stayed silent as the car left Volderiss’s underground car park and the silence dragged on as we drove.

I didn’t want to break it because I knew the conversation that followed wouldn’t be pleasant.

When we weren’t too far from Chester, I shattered the quiet with a necessary but invasive question.

‘Can you confirm if Squiggins, Katz or Montague hired another ogre that night?’

He grimaced. ‘I’ve already checked the contract book. Helga’s contract wasn’t in it. If there was a second ogre, there’s no guarantee their contract will be in there either.’

‘What about Einar?’ I asked.

‘His contract is logged. He’s in Southampton until it expires on Sunday morning.’

I grunted. Southampton was as far from here as you could get, but at least he would be back tomorrow afternoon or evening for questioning.

‘Okay, so Helga’s contract isn’t on the books, but you said that she wasn’t allowed to take contracts of that type yet.

Presumably that’s why she didn’t log it. ’

‘It’s not as simple as that. The moment an ogre enters into a written or verbal contract – any contract – it appears in the register. It’s part of our magic.’

‘So “off the books” contracts like Helga’s—’

‘—are incredibly rare,’ he finished for me. ‘And they involve blood magic to circumvent the register. Very few ogres know how to do it.’

‘And you?’ I asked curiously, studying him.

His jaw tightened. ‘What are you asking?’

I wasn’t asking if he’d killed Helga; I’d seen him cradle her body and the flash of raw grief he couldn’t contain, and I knew he hadn’t harmed her. I kept my tone even, ‘I’m asking if you know how to keep contracts out of the book.’

His hands tightened on the steering wheel. ‘Obviously.’

‘Who else knows?’

‘Very few,’ he repeated evasively.

‘Krieg, someone evidently told Helga how to do it.’ I waited a beat. ‘Her parents?’

‘No.’ He shook his head firmly. ‘Neither of them has ever done work off the books.’

‘Then who has?’

‘Only my most trusted,’ he said tightly.

‘Einar?’ I asked.

‘No – I don’t trust him as far as I could throw him.’ He paused. ‘I’ll ask some questions. I’ll drop you home. Get some sleep and I’ll pick you up at eight.’

‘Eight?’ I asked, mystified.

‘For the Carnforth party. We can pin Quintos down there and question him about what he saw in a relaxed environment rather than bringing him in. Hopefully he won’t be on his guard.’

‘Good idea.’ And it was – but what the hell was I going to wear? If the whole point was to blend in under the radar, I couldn’t exactly rock up in my Connection uniform.

Worryingly, I think Krieg read my expression. ‘I’ll send you a dress.’

I glared. ‘I have my own dresses!’

The faintest smile touched his lips. ‘I’m sure,’ he said mildly.

‘But Louisa Carnforth has already told us that our presence will not be welcomed by the host, her father. We can’t afford to get thrown out until we’ve spoken to Quintos, so everything must be just so.

’ He slid me a look. ‘Besides, it will give me pleasure to think of you dressed in something I bought you.’

I looked at him in exasperation. ‘What is that?’

‘What is what?’

I wagged a finger in his direction. ‘The flirting thing.’

‘The flirting thing?’ he sounded amused. ‘I believe you have accurately surmised that my behaviour is flirtatious.’

‘Yes, but why?’

‘Is it so rare for a male to flirt with you?’

I blinked. ‘Yes.’

He chuckled. ‘No it isn’t, Inspector Wise. You are many things, but unobservant isn’t one of them.’

‘And what am I?’ I challenged him.

‘Spiky. Clever. Fun. Caring.’

‘Spiky?’

‘You have cactus energy,’ he said solemnly. ‘You don’t need much, you don’t overly care for flowers and you could definitely hurt someone.’

I stared at him. ‘I’m not sure if you’re being insulting or complimentary.’

He grinned. ‘The latter. But if you’re still not sure whether I’m flirting with you or not, I’ll try to be more obvious.’

If he was any more obvious my brain – or other parts of me – would implode. I couldn’t quite comprehend the fact that the rich, handsome and indescribably sexy king of the ogres seemed to fancy me. ‘I’m not into casual sex,’ I blurted.

‘Good. Me neither.’

Oh hell. Now I had no idea what to say. Luckily, we arrived at my flat. He parked up, and I jumped out of the car like it was on fire. The sound of his laughter – and Loki’s – followed me out.

I shut the door to my flat with relief while Loki sulkily fluttered around and turned his back on me at every opportunity.

I ignored the bird’s antics and called Channing to give him the rundown of my interviews with Krieg and the results from Kate’s autopsy.

She’d send her own report across soon, but I asked him to type up a quick summary and forward it to Thackeray so he’d know we were onto it.

I hadn’t secured an invite for Channing to the Carnforths’ big bash so I didn’t tell him about it; I could fill him in after the fact. I told him to finish the report and clock off for the day.

I’d barely had four hours’ sleep; if I was going to be sharp for the party later, I needed more. I made myself a sandwich and gave Loki some ham. He took it but he was still visibly sulking. I sighed. ‘What gives, bird?’

‘What?’ he snapped.

‘Why are you mad at me?’

He made a huffing sound and turned his back on me again. I wracked my brains but I was totally coming up empty. ‘Honestly, Loki, give me a clue.’

‘You say “friends”.’

‘What?’ I was now totally bemused.

‘You say “friends” but not Loki.’

I stared at him. ‘You’re mad at me because Krieg asked me who my friends were and I didn’t include you on the list?’ He bobbed his head a little. ‘You call me Pigdog,’ I said a little inanely. Loki ruffled his feathers in agitation. ‘We don’t even know each other that well yet,’ I continued.

‘You feed ham and leave light on,’ he said.

I fed him ham and I left the light on for him at bedtime; it made my heart hurt that those two pathetic things were enough to qualify as friendship in his book.

How badly had others treated him that his bar was set so low?

‘You’re right,’ I said slowly. ‘I do. I guess we are friends. Next time, I’ll make sure you’re on the list. Okay? ’

Loki flew to my shoulder and pressed his soft head into my neck. ‘Friend,’ he murmured.

It was definitely only exhaustion that made hot tears spring to my aching eyes. ‘Friend,’ I agreed.

He nuzzled me. ‘Pigdog,’ he murmured.

And this time I smiled.