Page 13 of Tragic Ink
I grimaced at his casual reference to her “remains,” but then his words sank in, and I blinked. “Released? When? Towho?”
He consulted the scrap of paper again, but it didn’t seem to hold the answers he was looking for. “I, uh, I’m not sure exactly. I was off yesterday, so I would have to put in a request tocheck.”
“A request to... Are you kidding me? I’m her family. There’s no one else you could have possibly released her to!” Well, me and Rhys, but he would have told me. Right? I thought of the unanswered calls and texts from him, but then shoved that thought away. The only thing that mattered was Aelwyn’s last rites and wishes—and the fact that I should have been involved in facilitatingboth.
“All due respect, ma’am, you’re not really her relative. The law dictates a relative isbloodline—”
“I don’t give a shit what the law dictates.” On my arm, Ethan clawed and whined at the heat that crept over me as my temper spiked and flared. I ignored both my familiar and my own conscience that whispered against losing my shit on an officer of the law. In the police station. Especially when it was very likely I was still a suspect. But I couldn’t stop myself. The woman who had been a mother to me was gone. They’d given her body to someone who wasn’t me. And now I would never see heragain.
“Be that as it may—” Deputy Conallbegan.
“She was my legal guardian, and as such, I have every right to her. Including the information about her killer—who, by the way, is not me.” My voice rose, and it was all I could do not to unleash enough magic along with my words to send a real message. Several of the tattoos etched along my skin burned and tingled, practically begging to be used. I noted it absently, and in the back of my mind, surprise registered. Those tattoos had never stirred before. “Now, you run back to Sheriff Kasun and tell him I want a phone call by end of day with whatever information he has on her case and the name of the person her body was released to. Otherwise, I’ll take up the legalities with the Court. You gotthat?”
“I... Yes, ma’am. I’ve got it.” His expression was tight-lipped, but he didn’targue.
I spun on my heel and stormedout.
