Page 124 of Cold Curses
I glanced at Alexei and Lulu, who were already closing booksand capping pens. “You sure you’re up for this?” I asked Lulu, thinking her mom was going to kill me if she got hurt again.
“I’m good,” she said, and Alexei nodded his assent.
“Get Swift,” Connor told him. “He enjoyed the last round.”
“There might be nothing to see,” I pointed out.
“In which case, he’s off for the rest of the night.” He leaned in, kissed me hard. “We all do what we have to do, right?”
Roger cleared his throat.
“The camera is rolling,” Petra reminded us, and Connor gave her a wide grin.
“Do you want us there?” Roger asked.
“Better idea,” I said. “It seems to me Black’s clean history isn’t coincidental. Maybe he wiped it or had someone do it for him. Maybe that someone works for the court system.”
“Oooh, sealed records,” Petra said, rubbing her hands together gleefully. “That’s a fun puzzle.”
“I’ll make the necessary calls and alert Gwen,” Roger said.
“Have the surveillance team ready to roll if he does show up. They may need to follow him somewhere else.”
“We’ll get it done,” Roger said. “Be careful, and keep us posted.”
* * *
I wouldn’t say the ride back to Black’s neighborhood was uncomfortably silent, but it certainly wasn’t chatty. I could feel Connor’s anticipation and worry. I felt that way, too, and not just because I’d added another layer to my magical jawbreaker.
The main house and the carriage house were both empty when we drove past quietly. We parked a block away, waited outside the vehicle to test the air for magic. The neighborhood was dark and quiet but for the calls of crickets and katydids.
“Anything?” I asked the group.
“No sulfur,” Lulu said.
And when no one suggested anything different, we started for the house on foot.
We met with Swift at the end of the block.
“You see or feel anything?” Connor asked, and Swift shook his head.
“All clear.” He gestured to the vehicle across the street. “There’s your surveillance.”
Connor nodded, glanced at me. “Your dance, Lis.”
A reminder, I thought, of his acknowledgment of my autonomy. I appreciated the gesture, so I brushed my fingers against his. And liked the happiness that sparked in his eyes.
“Lulu, you and Alexei hang under that tree,” I said, pointing to a maple just beyond Black’s property line. “Keep an eye out for Black or demons.”
They nodded, walked to their spot.
“You take the front of the house,” I told Swift. “There’re no trees out there, so stick to the shadows.”
“Got it,” he said, and ambled off.
“Guess that leaves us,” Connor said, and took my hand.
We approached the property from the side. The carriage house doors were open. We crept closer, then with the privacy fence at our backs, we paused to wait and watch for movement. But I saw nothing and felt no magic.
