Page 35 of A Skirl of Sorcery
‘Could I have a look at it?’
Harvey looked confused. ‘Why?’
‘I know Danksville. Maybe there’s something about the part she was in that triggered what happened to her.’
‘I checked out the area myself. There’s nothing out of the ordinary.’
I persisted. ‘I want to help, Harvey. Let me at least have a look.’
He sighed. ‘The man died and his family have taken over the property. There’s nothing to see. But fine, take a look. Maybe you’ll see something I didn’t.’
I certainly hoped so. There had to be a reason why Keres had agreed to stay in Danksville when that was the very place where all her problems had started.
Once I’d madea note of the address and bade farewell to Harvey, Tiddles and I headed for Thane’s swanky penthouse. As we walked, I considered the different versions of Keres I’d encountered so far.
There was taciturn Keres, who’d told me that her problems were none of my business, and there was chatty Keres who’d babbled about villainy. I’d met placid Keres, who hadn’t appeared to care a jot about what others thought of her being a ban sith. I’d also seen grieving Keres mourning the loss of her powers, and patient Keres who had spoken amiably to young Kate. I hadn’t officially met wifey Keres, although she obviously existed, too.
‘People are complicated,’ I told Tiddles.
She snorted derisively in response.
I shrugged. ‘It’s true. We present different sides of ourselves all the time. We’re different people at different times. I can be a cat lady and a killer and a conscientious neighbour and the person who locks you up in the back room for your own good. We’re not one-dimensional. Cats are no different. You can be furry demons one moment and purring puddles of contentment the next.’
She extended her claws and scraped them against the skin of my exposed neck. She didn’t draw blood but the scratch was enough to make her point.
‘Alright,’ I grumbled. ‘Alright. Here endeth my TED talk.’ Honestly; He Who Roams Wide was much better at listening to my philosophical rambling than Tiddles.
We slipped into the building, bypassing the concierge once again. As soon as we reached the staircase, I felt a surge of irritation: there were splatters of blood in several different places. I nudged Tiddles from my shoulder and she immediately went to the nearest bloody splodge, sniffed it and narrowed her eyes. It didn’t happen often, but we were on the same page. We exchanged glances then climbed to the top of the stairs.
I knocked hard on the door, crossing my fingers that Thane was conscious and alert enough to answer.
There was no answer. Tiddles growled faintly as I knocked again. If I’d been hoping that he would appear semi-naked, dripping with water and smiling at me lazily with come-to-bed-now-and-let-me-ravage-you eyes, I was disappointed. The door didn’t open and there was no sound from behind it.
‘This is a posh building – it’s bound to have excellent soundproofing,’ I told Tiddles. ‘He might be taking his time. Just because we can’t hear anything and he’s not come to the door doesn’t mean he’s not there. He’ll still be recovering from the full moon. Thane knew I was coming – he made me give him my word that I’d be here.’
She arched her spine and her hackles rose. I sighed.
‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘That’s what I was thinking too.’ I reached into my pocket and took out my keyring, flipping through until I found my trusty old lockpick.
The lock on Thane’s door wasn’t bound by magic and would be easy enough to pick, but I was well aware that he was a fan of booby traps. I didn’t doubt that there would be some sortof cunning set-up inside that could render me unconscious if I weren’t careful.
‘Lucky you’re here,’ I murmured to Tiddles before I leaned in and got to work.
The lock was fiddly and it was a good two minutes before I heard the satisfying snick that told me I’d been successful. I rocked back on my heels and nudged the door open. It didn’t squeak; it didn’t even whisper. It wasn’t that kind of flat.
Tiddles sauntered inside with her tail held high and her paws sinking into the thick cream carpet. Suddenly she jumped about a foot in the air and twisted her head from left to right before glancing over her shoulder at me.
‘On my way,’ I told her.
She sniffed, wandered off to her right and disappeared from view.
I took my time as I stepped carefully over the threshold. Carpets and cats weren’t a particularly great combination, andcreamcarpets and cats were worse. Although this might only be a temporary address for Thane, I reckoned that carpet was there for a reason. Tiddles had avoided the area directly inside the front door so there was probably a concealed pressure pad that would be triggered if I stepped on it.
I hopped to the side and stayed well away from the danger area, then took a few steps forward until I reached the spot where Tiddles had leapt into the air. Interesting. I couldn’t see any evidence of a tripwire. Perhaps Thane had decided to splash out and buy an expensive invisible version from one of the more well-appointed witchery stores.
I bunched my muscles and jumped, taking care to leave as much air between myself and the floor as possible. I landed a foot away and with a gallingly heavy thump.
There was a sudden loud purr from the far corner. Tiddles was beside a large leafy plant in the corner – and she lookedas if she were laughing. Correction: she looked like she wasgloating. ‘There’s nothing there, is there?’ I demanded. ‘You were gaslighting me.’
