Page 57 of Relics of the Wolf

I was surprised the display was on when there wasn’t anyone inside. Orwasthere? I also tried to see through the window.

“They do.” Duncan held up the card, waving it around the window. “I sneaked over to the driver before they picked up the body. He had this in his pocket. I thought he might.” Duncan moved the card to the frame between the front and back door, and the locks released with a softclunk. “Ah, that’s the spot. I’ve only ever test-driven one, and it was the funky truck.”

“I don’t think you could fit all your equipment in that.”

“Nope. I’ve got to stick to my van.” Duncan opened the door, and eased into the driver’s seat. “Watch out for me, will you?” He nodded toward where the police were trying to calm down the exuberant witnesses.

“Yeah, but you might not want to get your fingerprints on anything.”

He’d been about to touch the glowing display and paused, his index finger dangling in the air. But he shook his head and tapped it. “My fingerprints aren’t in a database anywhere.”

“Off the grid, are you?”

“You know why.” He smiled when he met my eyes, as if pleased we now shared his secret.

For some reason, that touched me. I was glad he didn’t regret telling me his story.

He tapped a navigation bar on the display while I watched the police to make sure they didn’t run over, outraged that we were messing with the crime scene. Since the crime scene sprawled all over the parking lot and front lawn, it was a lot for them to monitor, and nobody had noticed us in the car.

“If they were smart, they wouldn’t have ever inputted their home base,” Duncan murmured as he scrolled, “but they probably didn’t expect their car to crash and be invaded, so maybe…”

I glanced over and caught Sylvan Serenity Housing at the top of the recent destinations. Other recents included a hardware store, a gun range, a charging station, and… I leaned in and squinted even as Duncan muttered a soft and triumphant, “Hah.”

“TBL Luxury Perfumes and Potions?” I read.

The other stops made sense—they’d wanted guns and rope to use onme, presumably—but why that one? Given that TBL Luxury Perfumes and Potions was in the GPS as the name of a public store, I didn’t assume it had anything to do with the paranormal, notrealpotions. Unless that was done on the side.

“That didn’t come up when I was looking for farms, but I’ll bet they have lavender products.” Duncan tapped the destination, and a route popped up on the map. It was up north, near Arlington. “I should have known to expand my search beyond farms, especially considering, as you pointed out, we’re past the season that any flowers would be blooming.”

“Well, those guys didn’t look like the perfume types, so not guessing that was understandable.”

“I don’t think they werewearingany, as the whiffs I kept catching weren’t thatstrong, but if they worked there and passed in and out of the building, that could account for the scent.”

“Why would thugs specializing in stealing and kidnapping work at a perfume and potion store?”

Duncan had tapped in the name on his phone and said, “It looks like the factory where they make the stuff, not only a store.”

“Oh, well, if they work at a perfumefactory, that makes much more sense.”

Duncan gazed blandly at me. “Your snark is more appealing when you’re naked.”

“Really.”

He grinned. “Yup.”

“Iseverythingabout me more appealing when I’m naked?”

“Oh yes. I trust the same is true of me.”

I folded my arms over my chest.

“Youdidn’tenjoy my nudity?” he asked.

“It was all right.”

“I hope to get another opportunity to more thoroughly share its appeal with you.” Duncan leaned over and patted the passenger seat. “Shall we visit this potion shop?”

I stared at him. “In the stolen crashed car of our enemies? After you told the police you’d stay in the area for questioning?”

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