Page 37 of The Dark Hiss of Magic
I looked around: a barber’s shop, a coffee shop, a quiet-looking pub, a witchery store and… I stared at the red and white flag positioned above the awning of an old stone building on the corner. ‘There.’ I pointed. ‘They’ve gone in there.’
Thane followed my finger. ‘Turkish baths,’ he breathed. ‘A hammam. They’ve gone to clean themselves up.’
I nodded. ‘And steal some clothes left lying around in a locker room.’ I smiled. ‘Let’s go.’
We marched grimly towards the building. When Thane pushed open the front door, I was assailed by heady smells of essential oils: jasmine, musk, orris. It would be difficult even for a werewolf to distinguish the scent of blood amid such strong perfumes, but Thane’s eyes flicked to mine, confirming that we were in the right place.
There was nobody behind the marble-topped front desk and I had the horrible thought that our killer was continuing their deadly work and the hammam staff had also been murdered. Then a narrow door to the left of the desk opened and a woman strolled out carrying a steaming mug of tea. When she saw us, she blinked in surprise. ‘Oh! I’m sorry!’ She hastily put down the mug and plastered on a warm, professional smile. ‘Have you been waiting long?’
Thane opened his mouth to speak but I knew that questions from a stressed werewolf would probably startle her intosilence. Smiling brightly, I broke in. ‘Not too long! Have you been taking a well-deserved break?’
I sensed Thane bristle at my side but I knew what I was doing. We needed the staff on our side if we were going to locate our target.
A trace of guilt crossed the woman’s face. ‘Yes. I shouldn’t abandon the desk but I was desperate for a brew.’
That meant she could have been away from her position for up to ten minutes, more than enough time for someone to slip in unnoticed. ‘I completely understand,’ I said warmly. ‘I’m a tea jenny myself.’
The woman relaxed slightly and pointed to a small silver object on the desk. ‘There’s a bell,’ she said helpfully. ‘Next time you can ring if there’s nobody here.’
‘We’ll be sure to do that.’
Thane was hopping from foot to foot; his impatience was getting the better of him. ‘Why don’t you go through,’ I suggested to him. ‘I’ll sort out everything here.’
He moved before I finished my sentence and walked quickly to the door marked with the universal symbol for men.
‘I’m Kit,’ I said, continuing my attempt to keep the woman engaged.
‘Alara,’ she said.
‘That must make you a water fairy,’ I said. ‘From Lake Baikal.’ Fairy, as opposed to fae; there was a distinct difference.
She looked surprised. ‘Yes, my family came from that region. Not many people here know of it.’
I smiled serenely. ‘I’m well-travelled – though I’ve never visited a hammam before.’
‘Oh, you’ll love it. We use some specially formulated oils that we buy from a Turkish witchery in Istanbul. They make all the difference. It’s a very relaxing experience.’
Maybe it was under normal circumstances but I doubtedthis visit would be relaxing. ‘Your changing rooms,’ I said. ‘Just women and men? Nothing gender neutral?’
‘Unfortunately not,’ she said. ‘Our baths are gender neutral, but not the changing rooms. However, if you have specific requirements, I can…’
‘No, no. I just wondered.’ It was good to know that our killer’s routes were limited. I leaned forward. ‘And is there a back door?’ Alara stared at me. ‘I have a fear of being trapped in a building,’ I said. ‘It’s an old phobia that I can’t seem to shake.’
She nodded as if she’d heard far stranger things. ‘Then you’ll be fine here. We have three separate fire exits, all located on this floor.’
Three? Damn. ‘Great,’ I said cheerfully. I took out my wallet and handed her some money to cover both my and Thane’s entry into the hammam. I’d learned all I needed to know.
‘If you wait a moment or two, I’ll get your change,’ Alara said.
‘That won’t be necessary.’ I beamed. ‘Use it to buy more teabags.’ And then, before she could say anything else, I darted towards the women’s changing rooms.
There were only two people inside, both in a state of undress, and they paid me no attention. From their casual chatter, they knew each other and weren’t murderers on the run. I double-checked the cubicles and headed through the opposite door that led towards the interior of the hammam.
I spotted Thane immediately. His expression was stony. ‘Anything?’ I asked.
He shook his head. ‘Not even any abandoned bloodied clothing – but he’d been in there. I could smell Knox’s blood.’
Well, at least we could assume our killer was male given that he’d chosen the men’s changing rooms. It also meant, however, that our murderous bastard was taking his clothes with him. It was a smart move, what I would have done if theclothes could somehow have been traced to me. I wondered if that meant something about his clothes could identify him.
