Page 66 of White Raven (Nevermore Duet #2)

“Keep these scavengers away from the line. I don’t wanna see a toe move past a good five feet from this tape,” he ordered. The uniform gave him an assuring nod and walked off.

As he made his way around to the back door where camera flashes were firing off from inside the building, his eyes caught tagged items just outside.

A spilled cup of something long since dried on the pavement, and a small paper bag with a croissant.

Simple. Human. Normal . The reminder that something so ordinary could be the final act of any unsuspecting person when they face Death…

it was eye-opening. Something he’d never forget for as long as he lived.

A cup of tea, and a piece of bread. Foley sighed heavily and turned to walk into the crime scene.

Wren was still giving her statement, Stratford having her back, and Sarah stood dumbfounded a few feet away by an impressive collection of restored papers.

“You alright, St. James?” he asked, approaching her.

“M.E. said he doesn’t believe it was a homicide. Jenkins was telling me about it a few minutes ago. How can that be true if it was a robbery?”

Foley glanced over to where they were finally bagging the old woman’s body.

“You’re not really supposed to be privy to that information, Sarah.

” The way she cut her eyes at him, pressed him with guilt.

He forfeited. “There weren’t any signs of struggle.

We don’t know the estimated time of death yet, but from what I’ve been briefed on, your friend here may have died of natural causes. ”

“That’s bullshit.”

“I don’t disagree that the circumstances are…questionable. According to you and Vintorri, there are some things missing. But as we’ve got no catalog, other than your very particular memory of what used to be on this wall, we can’t call it a robbery gone wrong, yet.”

Sarah’s brows lowered, and her eyes narrowed as she tilted her head and crossed her arms. “My very particular memory? Are you suspecting me? ”

“I didn’t say that, Sarah.”

“But you’re implying it?”

“That’s not what I’m trying to do. Look, I understand that you’re upset, and I don’t blame you.

But until forensics finishes up here, we’ve got nothing to go on.

Who, or why would someone break in here and kill an old lady, for a select few things?

You both told me that everything in this room was incredibly valuable.

In my years of experience, this seems more like a message, or a cover-up than a robbery.

If it was a robbery, and they were after money, don’t you think this room would be empty? What’s a crippled old lady gonna do?”

“Stop calling her that,” Sarah growled. “You didn’t know her. I expected some level of respect coming from you, Captain Foley.” She dropped her arms. “Do you wanna hear my theory?”

“I’m all ears.”

“Athan was taken. Nell was an important part of his life. She went after him when he left, and when she came back in, she had something of mine in her possession. She was gonna pass it off to some of her appraisers and try to see where it originated. When Wren and I left, she said she wouldn’t be far behind.

Wren even locked up the front for her. Nell didn’t look at me with anything but adoration since Athan introduced us.

She was proud of him. She loved him. But the way she looked at me then…

it was pity. I figured it was because me and Athan had a fight.

But then I remembered her looking at me that way before he’d showed up here to talk to me. ”

Foley let her words sink in for a moment. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, don’t you think it’s a little odd…

that everything we’re looking into revolves around the Black Bird coven, the wolves, The Raven , the vampires?

You know what he is, Captain. It doesn’t seem strange that he gets taken, my blanket is missing, Nell’s catalog, and the one thing missing from this shop are directly related to Poe’s works, and the only witness to it is fucking dead? ”

“You think someone is trying to keep you from figuring it all out?”

“I think that’s exactly what they’re doing. And I think I know exactly who the fuck is behind it. I think you do too.”

“Ryan Sykes.”

She nodded pointedly. “I can only think of one thing, other than John Allan that all these things seem to have in common.”

“But there’s no proof , St. James. Even when there is proof, there’s a million reasons why the pieces sometimes never fit.

” Foley weighed out his next words carefully, and then decided to come clean.

“Do you think I don’t know? About you and Kane, and what went down in that subway tunnel?

” Horror paled every inch of her pretty face.

“Once there’s too many hands in the pot, shit can get a lot more complicated, instead of finding strength in numbers…

sometimes the numbers are the reason for the scramble.

Secrets only help complicate things. What’s not a secret is that none of us have ever truly been on the same page.

We might be on the same side , but it isn’t the same, Sarah. ”

Kane’s fiance stared him down, and then looked over to where Stratford was consoling Vintorri by the open back door as the woman’s body was urged through it to the coroner’s van. “Are you gonna lock me up?” she asked, her tone almost challenging.

He studied her carefully. “Lock you up? For what?”

“For killing the man in the terminal.”

“Killing the—” he stopped short, brows relaxing, and expression falling. He failed. “After everything that’s happened, you think I’d wait for an opportunity to use that against you?”

“I don’t know you well enough. Athan might trust you, but I don’t.

I killed somebody. If it weren’t for Athan, it could have been somebody like Nell .

Could have been somebody like Lindsay. I don’t care what any of you think.

I don’t care what pieces don’t fit. I’m gonna find him.

I’m gonna find her . Maybe my warning to Foster wasn’t clear enough.

I’ll bulldoze anybody that stands between me and my mate .

I really hope you’re not planning to be one of them, Captain. ”

She stood poised, and ready to strike as if any move to take her from this spot would earn him a swift death.

Sarah St. James was a killer. Worse, she was a killer in love with a seasoned murderer that wouldn’t die.

No matter his affection for any of his crew, he couldn’t deny that truth.

Even if he was one of them. He turned slowly, shock still etched on every part of his face as he pieced together everything he thought he’d been sure about.

Wren and Stratford had walked outside. The medical examiner flipped his notepad shut and turned to follow them out.

It was like everything was moving in slow motion.

By the time he opened his mouth to speak, and attempted to turn around, St. James had disappeared.

“Well,” a familiar voice said from the open doorway, “you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Rachel Foster stood, arms crossed, and wearing an annoyed expression as he turned to meet her gaze. “Tell me it wasn’t Kane’s body leaving in the back of that van.”

Foley mindlessly shook his head. “No.”

“Alright then. Where’s St. James?”

He looked over his shoulder, finding nothing but a vacant spot where she’d been standing only seconds ago, and then returned his attention to Foster.

“I have no idea.”

It surprised her…how fast she could move without a sound. She was able to slip out of the front of the shop and move unnoticed around the cops at the sidewalk, disappearing into the throng of people that were thirsty for drama, and a headliner. She phoned Wren first.

“Hey, why are you—”

“I’m not inside. I want you to listen to me, and I want you to pretend we never had this conversation. Understand?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m taking the battery out of my phone. I’m gonna stash it under the bench at the bus stop across from the hardware store a block down. You know where I’m talking about?”

“Yes.”

“I have Athan’s phone. I don’t know if I can trust Captain Foley. Rhaena once said that she thought she couldn’t trust him at one time, and I still think even though that bridge is being mended, there’s still shit he isn’t telling us.”

“I can’t disagree. Some hot agent showed up here. They’re talking at Nell’s back door.”

“Where are you?”

“Still in the alley with Brent.”

“Foster. Let them keep each other busy, and if they come looking for me, stay on them. I’m not trying to be found until I’ve figured out where Athan is.”

“Sarah, why are you trying to do this alone?”

“I’m not doing this alone. But Foley’s got dirt on me, and Foster will find some too if she digs deep enough.

If they arrest me to try and keep peace, God knows what could happen to Athan.

Bide your time and go get my phone. Don’t tell anybody that you talked to me. If you need me, call Athan’s number.”

“Where are you gonna go?”

“I’m gonna test that blood and map out my next move.

I still need you to get information from Leigh if you can work yourself up to it.

Wren, I know it’s been a hard day, but if Sykes had anything to do with Nell’s death, then Foster was right, and we need to make sure Leigh’s safe, and that somebody puts the bitch down before anybody else gets killed. ”

“I’ve got you. I understand. I’ll give you a running start, and then I’ll grab your phone. I’ll text you whatever I find out. Just…please be careful.”

“I will. I love you, Wren.”

Wren sniffled and blew out a heavy breath. “I love you too, you reckless asshole. Give ‘em hell.”

Sarah ended the call, and dismantled her phone, rushing to the bus stop as she pulled Athan’s cell out of her pocket. She found Nick’s contact and rang him.

“Kane?”

“No, it’s Sarah.”

“Sarah? I guess my sudden breath of relief is short-lived. So, you haven’t found him then?”

“No.” It ground on her every nerve. “Look, I need another place to test this blood. Are you at the lab?”

“Yeah, I got here half an hour ago. Why does it sound like you’re running?”

“Because I am. I’ve hit a little speed bump, Specter. Can you get the shit we’ll need and meet me with it somewhere else?”

“What the hell are you getting me into now, St. James? My wife is gonna murder me.”

“Then let me be the voice of reason. Take everything to your house. I’ll talk to her there.”

“Are you insane?”

“Some would argue it’s one of my best qualities, Nick.”

“Fuck. Fine. You remember where I live?”

“You gonna lose sleep over it if I tell you I know what brand of tampons your wife uses?”

“Jesus. I get it, okay? Meet me there in thirty minutes. Bring your sample.”

“Glad to know you’re still seeing things my way, boss-man.”