Page 35 of Deadly Lineage
“A very top suspect.” Becks pulled some photos from the file. “Do any of these guys look familiar to you?”
I stared. There were three photos total, and only one appeared faintly familiar. “Maybe this one.”
She grabbed the one I’d picked up from my hand. “Understandable. You’re in homicide, not narcotics.”
“Shit.”
Becks nodded. “That about sums it up. Bartholomew Livingston is suspected of having a hand in running just about anything illegal you can think of. Drugs, weapons, exotic animals…humans.” Becks glanced up, her deep-brown eyes wide with worry. “I’m telling you, O’Hare, this guy is very bad news. He’s also deeply in debt, and I don’t have to tell you that makes the situation more volatile. I wouldn’t want to owe the kind of people he’s in hock to. That’s not a recipe for a long life.”
No. No, it wasn’t.
“I know it’s not my business, but how is Erasmus Boone even on this guy’s radar? I’ve met him a couple of times. For a necromancer, he’s not that bad. Not that I’ve met a lot of necromancers before.” Becks’s eyes scrunched while she considered that statement. “In fact, he’s probably the only one. I guess I’m going by stereotypical reputation.” Her cadence made me think she was disappointed in herself. “Anyway, I just can’t see how he’d be involved.”
“Livingston hired Boone to bring his grandfather’s soul back,” I answered.
Becks cringed. “He’s desperate for money. I take it Erasmus didn’t come through.”
I smirked. “No, he didn’t.” I didn’t elaborate and tell Becks the details of Boone’s wise deception. “Bart Livingston threatened Boone, but I believe Boone’s father’s reputation tempered his ire. Things got stirred up again when Boone took another case that tracks back to Bart Livingston. You’re right, the man’s desperate for money. Boone’s latest client was Bart Livingston’s fiancée—a fiancée who Mr. Livingston was pressuring to elope and sign an exorbitant life insurance policy. One guess what was on Bart Livingston’s mind.”
“Fucking hell.” Becks leaned back and blew out a heavy breath. “Please tell me this woman’s not still engaged to Bart.”
“She’s not. To her credit, the woman in question followed her gut. That gut led her to a much-needed conversation with her deceased father. That’s how Boone got involved. After hearing what her father knew, she called off the engagement.”
“And just like that, Erasmus cut off another monetary windfall.” Becks shook her head. “I can see why Bart’s angry. Well, I mean, it probably makes sense in his mind.” Becks shrugged before a shiver wracked her body. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried. Like I said, Erasmus seems okay to me. Probably better than okay, after learning what you just told me. It might be a good time for him to take a vacation, if you know what I mean.”
I did, and I didn’t disagree. However, I already knew that wasn’t Boone’s style. “His father’s tried. Boone’s either stubborn or brave.” Time would tell which word described him best.
“Hiswarlockfather?” Becks grew ashen.
“Nikodemus Holland lives in California.”
Pushing out of her seat, Becks stood and tapped the folder lying on my desk. “As promised, I’ll e-mail you the complete file. None of it’s pretty and all of it’s disturbing. Like I said before, the sooner this guy is outfitted in an orange jumpsuit, the better the world will be. Good luck, O’Hare. Let me know if there are any other creepy-crawly humans you want me to track down.” Becks threw me a wink before she walked away, leaving me alone with a falsely innocuous-looking manila folder and the urge to punch a hole through the nearest wall.
Chapter
Eleven
Erasmus
It was an hour later in Virginia than Mississippi. Compared to the time difference between me and Pops, it didn’t seem like much. The sun was perched on the horizon here, but in Virginia, it should have set. I couldn’t think of a better time to call. Peaches answered on the second ring.
“Hello, Erasmus.” Peaches sounded pleasant, like he was pleased my number popped up on his phone.
“Hey, Peaches. Am I calling at a bad time?”
“Not at all.” I could hear the flutter of his wings. “It’s a beautiful evening here. Lucroy and I were just getting ready to walk through the orchard before heading into Dusk. We’re having a little get-together before Parsnip and Vander head off to film another episode ofInterspecies Habitat. Lucroy,” Peaches shouted, “do you remember where their latest show is?”
There was a pause, and I could barely make out Lucroy’s low tone but not his words. Peaches was back quickly and said, “British Columbia, that’s right. I’m not sure what species they’re filming. I think one might be a sasquatch, but I’m not certain.” Peaches sighed. “They have an interesting life.”
“They certainly travel a lot.”
“Hmm, that’s true. I wouldn’t want to be away from my orchard that long.”
It wasn’t that Peaches simply didn’twantto be away from his orchard. As a bonded nature pixie, hecouldn’tbe away from it for long. He’d fade and die within a day.
“Phil and Sedrick are meeting us there. Leon and Phlox too.” Peaches sounded giddy. I was simply confused.
“Who’s Phlox?” I thought Leon andFrostwere mated.
