Page 7 of Relics of the Wolf

“It’s almost as if you knew paranormal items would be there to find.”

“I… did possibly have that information. About the wolf case, though, not anything else.”

“Maybe Chad thought it would be skeezy and creepy to admit he put cameras in the bedroom of his ex-wife to spy on her.” I didn’t have verification that he’d been the one to do that, but, given that he’d placed the case, it seemed likely. “Next time you chat with him, let him know he’s a douche, will you?”

“I wasn’t planning tochatwith him again. As I said, I told him I wouldn’t take further actions against you or send him that case, should it reappear.”

“Okay. Good.”

Duncan’s handsome face, his jaw outlined by his carefully cultivated three days’ beard growth, held an earnest expression.

A little twinge in my gut, or maybe mysoul, made me want to believe him, but too many years of life being hard and people lying to me made me wary. If I had a nickel for every time a tenant had told me the rent wouldn’t be late again or the check was in the mail, I could have bought my own apartment complex by now. At the least, I wouldn’t be carefully divvying up my paychecks under the guidance of a strict budget to make sure there was money left to eat at the end of the month.

“Do you think it’s possible your lovely cousins could be associated with that fellow?” Duncan pointed to the paused video on my phone.

“It is possible. I asked Augustus if he was responsible, but it was after I shoulder-butted him off a train trestle and into a raging river. He wasn’t cheerfully inclined toward me at that moment.”

“He did seem the sort to hold a grudge.”

“Absolutely.” I eyed the blond guy in the video. “I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if Augustus lied to me, but… it’s also not very werewolfy to go outside of the pack for help. Assuming things haven’t changed since I was a kid, Mom wouldn’t even call a handyman to fix a leak in the roof. She expected Uncle Carlo to handle all the maintenance.”

“Was he who taught you how to wield your big wrench?” Duncan leaned into his van and pulled out a carving fork and knife.

“I did assist him numerous times.”

“I could ask Rue, the alchemist who made your potions, if she knows of anything that could give a regular human greater than typical strength. And I can poke around the paranormal pawn shops and check if anyone has seen your case.”

“If you get any leads, I’d like to come along.”

“Because you don’t trust me not to take off with the case if I find it by myself?” Duncan sliced off a piece of the brisket, more juices dribbling out and making my stomach growl.

“I don’t trust you, no. You keep bad company.”

“I met him randomly, chatting about treasure hunting on a dock on an island in Costa Rica. We didn’t keepcompanyfor an extended period of time.”

I wanted to snap that Chad’s evilness and sleaziness should have oozed off him and informed Duncan about what a loser he was, but that was silly. Chad could be quite charming and cordial. After all,I’dfallen in love with and married him. It hadn’t been until years later that I’d learned about the deceitful, double-timing, thieving side of him.

“Okay.” I lifted a hand, as much of an apology as I could muster. “It’s not personal. I just… after being…” I couldn’t bring myself to usedupedto describe myself, at least not out loud. “After he did me wrong, I’m not quick to trust anyone. Like I said, it’s not personal.”

“I can accept that.” With a smile and a flourish, Duncan extended a piece of meat toward me. “Please accept this small token as a further apology for my poor behavior.”

“It’s almost as if you knew a werewolf would visit you today.” I plucked the brisket off his knife, my rumbling stomach demanding that I accept his offering.

“I’m ever hopeful. I’ve felt bereft without having someone to show my day’s finds to.” He pointed to a box of grime- and seaweed-covered metal whats-its, proof that hehadbeen magnet fishing earlier.

“Don’t you record yourself and share all that with your YouTube followers?”

“It’s not quite the same as sharing with a real person. I—” Duncan paused, cocking his head to listen to something.

Once he stopped talking, I heard it too. Night hadn’t come, but the howl of a wolf floated across the ship canal toward us.

It sounded like it originated out on the point in the largely wooded Discovery Park. Since the area was surrounded by busy neighborhoods, it would be an unlikely place for anormalwolf to show up. I had a feeling my family was still keeping an eye on me.

“Did you ever find out why your cousin was trying to kill you?” Duncan gazed in the direction of the howl.

“My mom is dying and planning to leave a family heirloom to me.” I almost described the magical medallion, and how it had glowed when I’d touched it, apparently a sign that I was a proper heir for it, but that wasn’t information that I could trust Duncan with. Maybe he was telling the truth that he was done hunting for treasures located under my nose—or my bed—but he might be lying to me. I dared not let myself be fooled twice.

“And he’s irked because he’s not in the will?”

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