Page 19 of Smokescreen (Knight & Daywalker)
“I’d do the rounds after the dinner hour, if I were you,” I offered, and frankly, I was shocked with myself. Was I actually trying to help a cop?
Eh, Tobias Cain was a good guy, so I guessed I was.
Miller frowned at me. “Visit people after dinner? I want to be home after dinner. We’ll go right now.”
I ignored him and met Cain’s eye. “Think of them like Victorian English nobility. They’re not going to be awake till two or three at the earliest. And if you go while they’re eating or dressing or worst of all, still asleep? Then you’ve already made your name mud before you’ve even been introduced.”
Cain nodded, considering, then reached over and took the bag with the list away from Miller. “Anyone in particular you’d start with?”
“If you’re asking which one hates my mother the most, I’d start right at the top. Gerald Forsyth dislikes my mother a lot more than Charles ever did. If I remember correctly, he also disliked Charles quite a bit, so I’d say he’s also a solid suspect, if anyone is. On a list full of rich arrogant assholes, he’s the assholiest, and I include my mother in that estimate.” I slouched back in the chair even farther, trying to mitigate the impact of the words, even though the uncushioned wood didn’t lend itself to comfort in any way.
The words were probably truer than anything I should be saying to the cops, but...dammit, I really liked Cain. I didn’t want to lead him wrong, even if I didn’t think there was any chance the person who killed Charles was going to end up facing human justice.
No, much more likely they would end up facing my mother’s ruby red claws and complete disinterest in mercy for people who tried to make trouble in her city.
“Seriously, though,” I said, meeting his eye and holding it. “Be careful. These people, if you get too overzealous, are the kind of people who could get you reassigned to front desk duty at a precinct in Skid Row. You’re a good guy, Cain, and I’d rather that didn’t happen to you.”
“Are you threatening—” Miller started, but Cain cut him off, standing up and brushing off his suit while standing right between us.
“You don’t think I’m going to let one of them get away with murder, do you?” He asked when he finished and righted himself.
I scoffed at that, because no. I didn’t think Cain was going to let this go, especially not if he thought he’d figured it out. He seemed a little like a dog. If he got his teeth around a bone, no one was taking it away, at risk of his own bite. “Not saying that. Just saying...be careful. I don’t want any of them to fuck your whole life up. You’re a good guy, and people like this? They ruin lives without caring. Without ever thinking about it again. I’d rather that didn’t happen to you.”
The corner of his lips turned up. “How the hell did this aquarium full of sharks spawn a kid like you, Knight?”
I shrugged, because...well, I didn’t know where I’d come from any more than he did.
“Maybe nature is strong in this DNA,” I suggested with a faux-nonchalant shrug. “But I also don’t suggest asking my mother who my father is. I, for one, learned that lesson the hard way.”
He winced at that, and for just a second, I wondered exactly how old Detective Tobias Cain was. If he were a little older than he looked and he’d been a really precocious high schooler, maybe...but no. My mother would never sleep with a teenager. Bad enough that every human alive was basically a child to her.
I shook my head, pushing up from the table and pretending to dust myself off as well. “Was there anything else? I’d be happy to help with anything I can, but I should get back to work, since I can’t meet with Charles as planned.” Cain shook his head, and even though Miller kept glaring at me through narrowed eyes, I turned to Jennings. “I’ll talk to Mother about finding a will andgetting everything in motion. Don’t worry. Just”—I broke off and turned back to Cain—“can they stay here?”
“They can,” he agreed. “As long as no one disturbs the scene until we’re finished with it, which will be a while.”
“The servants live in the cottage behind the main house,” Jennings told him, calm and matter-of-fact once again.
“Then you’re fine,” Cain said, dismissing the issue.
So I nodded again to Jennings. “Okay, so you stay here. I’ll talk to my mother and we’ll get this all sorted out. No one is going to blame you for anything.” It was the most I could say in front of the cops, hoping they would assume I meant for Charles’s death, when really, I meant no one would blame him for the maid calling the cops. That wasn’t his fault, and I wouldn’t let him get blamed for it.
He nodded to me, and it was odd, but as I left, the maid still sobbing behind me, I thought that Jennings was looking at me like I was the answer to all his problems.
CHAPTER 7
Istopped for more food on the way home, at the same fast food restaurant. “Sixteen chicken sandwiches, please. Fourteen of them with no buns or?—”
“Seriously? Again?”
I paused a moment, then shrugged. “Yep, again. But with an extra sandwich this time.” I looked down at Twist, and remembered her demand for more mayo. “But I guess this time you can keep the mayo on the plain chicken? She liked the mayo. So two regular sandwiches, one with extra mayo and tomatoes.”
“And the rest just chicken with mayo,” the woman on the speaker said, sounding a little disbelieving.
I couldn’t blame her, since chicken breast with mayo didn’t sound great to me, but I wasn’t a hyper-carnivore who needed all the protein. “Yup. And two orders of fries.”
“Okay then,” she agreed, then gave me the total. When I pulled around to the window and offered her my card, she poked her head out and looked around, then back at me. “Who’s eating all these plain chicken breasts?”
“I mean, they have mayo now,” I hedged. “But honestly, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
