Page 24 of Waifs And Strays
‘He’s inside.’ She jerked her thumb towards the warehouse. ‘If you’re looking for work, you’re in luck. We’re so short-handed we’ll take on anyone – even the likes of you.’
I didn’t take offence; after all, little about my appearance suggested I’d ever worked in construction. I didn’t possess bulging muscles and my clothes were those of an unthreatening middle-aged woman. We all judge books by their covers whether we admit it or not.
‘Thanks,’ I said cheerfully and ambled inside. So far the Crushers were far friendlier than their name suggested.
The warehouse smelled of sawdust and earthy magic. Despite what the woman had said, there were plenty of people inside marching to and fro, lifting equipment, arranging tools and preparing for the day’s work. The building projected an atmosphere of focused business and I understood why Nick had been excited about working here. This was a company that, despite its name, took its work seriously.
I spotted the small office on the left-hand side. The foreman, the half-ogre called Tommy, would probably be in there so I made a beeline for it.
The door was ajar so I knocked once, pushed it open without waiting for an answer and strode in. I sat on a dusty chair opposite a burly man wearing a high-vis vest who was muttering to himself as he studied a clipboard. He glanced up when I cleared my throat, swept his eyes up and down my body and turned an interesting shade of pale.
‘We’re only two days behind,’ he said. ‘We’ll make up the hours before the solstice. As I told your representative yesterday, I can assure you that the tower project will be completed on time. There’s no need for concern.’
I didn’t say anything.
‘I’ve given my word,’ he said stiffly. ‘I am well aware of what will happen if we don’t meet your targets.’
I remained silent.
He ran a hand over his balding head. ‘We’re not cowboys. We won’t cut corners to meet the deadline either.’
I raised an eyebrow.
‘And I’ll add a discount to your final bill. Five percent – how does that sound?’
His nostrils flared when I still didn’t respond. ‘Alright! Ten percent, but I can’t do any better than that.’
It was rare to witness an ogre – or even a half-ogre – panicking. A thick blue vein was bulging in his forehead and he was gripping the clipboard with such force that his knuckles were white.
‘I’m not who you think I am,’ I said gently and held out my hand. ‘My name is Kit McCafferty. I want to ask you about a young lad who you employed yesterday.’
Tommy’s massive shoulders sagged; his relief was so strong I could almost taste it. ‘You’re not from the church?’
‘No.’
He closed his eyes briefly. ‘You should have said that at the start.’
‘The Church of the Masked God members aren’t usually the ball-breaking sort,’ I said, intrigued by his reaction.
‘Not usually,’ he agreed. ‘But they want this project completed by the solstice. They’re building a new tower as part of this year’s celebrations. We needed the contract so I said we’d get it done by then. I thought we could manage it easily but we’re short staffed and we keep coming up against problems…’
His voice trailed off as he realised he’d allowed stress to get the better of him and said too much. Clearly he’d been over-optimistic with his time estimates in order to bag the church gig and now he was regretting the promises he’d made and the contract he’d signed. ‘We’ll get it done, though. We’ll definitely get it done.’
‘You’ve given them your word that you will?’ I asked. ‘That’s a risk, regardless of the situation.’
He pressed his thin lips together. I’d obviously asked one question too many. ‘My apologies,’ I said briskly. ‘I didn’t mean to pry.’
He offered me a curt nod and got to his feet. ‘We’re too busy to take on any new clients. I can recommend the Busters next door.’
There appeared to be a theme to the names that construction crews gave themselves. ‘I’m not looking to hire anyone,’ I said quickly before he threw me out. ‘I’m only here to ask about someone you employed yesterday.’
The ogre’s expression cleared. ‘You said that already. A young lad? The werewolf kid?’
I nodded again.
‘You’re not from his pack? You’re not a wolf?’
‘He’s unbound. He’s a lone wolf.’
