Second Skin Part 7

"I'm Donal Bruce Macleod, Priscilla's uncle and legal counsel to the Nocturne City Warwolves," he said.

The Asian man who'd yelled at Bryson gave me a curt head nod. "Ryus.h.i.+n Takehiko. I am pack leader of the Ookami."

I'd never even heard of the Ookami, but Ryus.h.i.+n bore enough resemblance to the dead Asian were that they could have been related.

"Brother?" I asked. He gave me another single nod, his face tight. His eyes burned, though, and I realized he was a lot younger than he presented himself. The victim was his older older brother, then. I was guessing Ryus.h.i.+n's promotion to pack leader had been sudden and unwanted. brother, then. I was guessing Ryus.h.i.+n's promotion to pack leader had been sudden and unwanted.

A silent, black-haired male and female pair so tall and slim they would have made a scarecrow feel fat stood at the back of the group, regarding me with eerily pale eyes. Their irises might have been a really dark shade of snow white, but no deeper.

"Those are Aivars and Aija K[image]avi, of the Viskalcis," said Donal. "They don't speak much. English, or at all."

The Viskalcis smelled of some manner of were, but I'd never met one face-to-face. Aivars and Aija didn't look like they saw daylight very often. Maybe it burned.

"Their pack leader was also murdered in this manner," said Ryus.h.i.+n. "Now you will tell us what you are doing about it."

Have I mentioned I hate being ordered around, especially by men? Comes from another lifetime as a waitress and a girl who always picked out the boyfriend guaranteed to have control-freak tendencies. Not that my track record lately was any better.

"I can't discuss the details of an open case," I said. "I'm truly sorry for your losses . . ."

Donal laid a hand on my shoulder. It felt like an iron vise. "We don't expect an Insoli to understand. Or a plain human, for that matter." He let his eyes drift to Bryson. "But we've come here for answers, missy, and answers we are going to have."

"Look," said Bryson. "I am busting my G.o.dd.a.m.n a.s.s over this case, and it might be a little bit easier to close if you people would give up some information about the vics."

The Ookami weres snarled at that, and Aija's bloodless lips, nearly the same color as her teeth, pulled back. Only Donal stayed calm.

"Laddie, don't be pretending like you care about what happens to a bunch of animals. If you walked like you talk, we wouldn't be here. To you, my niece dying is the same as someone shooting a dog."

"It's not like that." I spoke up loud and sharp, to pitch myself over the rumble of agreement from the wolves.

"Then what is it like?" Ryus.h.i.+n said. He glared at me, and I stared him down. If he wanted a dominate, I'd give him one. Insoli can be dominant or submissive as they choose, and I was willing to bank a kid like Ryus.h.i.+n had never had his life depend on how strong-willed he could be.

"We don't don't know who killed your friends, and your family, it's true," I said. "But we have leads and suspects. David is doing the best work that he can to solve a crime he doesn't really understand. We think now that this might be an internal fight between the Loup and an unidentified party." I was defending Bryson. Somewhere in h.e.l.l, Satan was strapping on his ice skates. know who killed your friends, and your family, it's true," I said. "But we have leads and suspects. David is doing the best work that he can to solve a crime he doesn't really understand. We think now that this might be an internal fight between the Loup and an unidentified party." I was defending Bryson. Somewhere in h.e.l.l, Satan was strapping on his ice skates.

"That sounds like codswallow to me, missy," said Donal.

"Well, tough, because it's my best theory," I said. "And if anyone wants your case solved, it's me. I'm an Insoli were and everyone in this city who's picked up a newspaper in the last year knows my face. Now someone is knocking off off weres, and if you think I don't feel the big target painted on my back, you're wrong." weres, and if you think I don't feel the big target painted on my back, you're wrong."

Donal and Ryus.h.i.+n chewed over my words for a moment, casting glances at the Viskalcis weres. Aivars grunted and then dipped his chin. I got the idea that for him, he was being hideously expressive.

"Mark my words," Ryus.h.i.+n said. "The weres and witches of this city are moving, Detective Bryson. We know we are not safe and we are taking measures to protect ourselves. With or without the police."

"Do your job," said Donal, "and we won't be back. Keep w.a.n.king us about, and you'll wish you'd run when you had the chance."

"You don't have to threaten us," I said. "We'll figure out who did this. We'll lay your pack's spirits to rest."

"Brave words!" Janet Bledsoe shrilled from the doorway. "But can you deliver, Miss Wilder?"

"Get the Hex out of here!" Bryson yelled. Janet, her cameraman, and his fresh tape fled.

"Perfect. Five bucks says she runs that verbatim on the six o'clock news," I said.

"We'll be in touch, miss," said Donal. "Count on that." He turned and walked out, Ryus.h.i.+n and his posse d.o.g.g.i.ng Donal's heels. The Viskalcis in their long overcoats glided after them, feet never seeming to touch the ground.

Bryson slumped against Sh.e.l.ley's desk. "s.h.i.+t, man. s.h.i.+t. s.h.i.+t."

"Notice anything?" I asked.

"I'm f.u.c.king dead if I don't solve this thing fast?"

I sighed. "Anything else else?"

"Yeah, those creepy Goths. Long coats in the summer. Weird."

I gave him a crooked eyebrow. "You see the strangest things, David. I'd almost think your too-stupid-to-live act was an elaborate master plan to drive me insane if it wasn't quite so annoying. What I meant was-" I gestured after the weres disappearing down the steps. "-nowhere in that little group of concerned citizens was anyone from the Loup."

Bryson blinked at me. "Well, holy c.r.a.p. I knew there was a reason to keep you around, Wilder. Other than the obvious, I mean." He stared pointedly at my chest.

"Just when I think it's safe to talk to you," I said, shaking my head. "Listen, I've got somewhere to go. Can you take me over to Battery Beach?"

He pouted. "I've got a case to work! What's so d.a.m.n important?"

I fingered the root in my jacket pocket. "Bertrand Lautrec started all this. Whoever Laurel Hicks is afraid of . . . someone I know out there might be able to tell me who and what it is."

"You're putting in a mileage report for this," Bryson warned as we walked to the car. "My expenses are over budget as it is."

"I told you to stop buying hookers with the department credit card, Bryson."

"Hex you, Wilder. I get 'em for free."

I sighed. "Just drive. This'll be worth it."

CHAPTER 6.

We drove to Battery Beach, Bryson complaining the entire way, except for when "Keep On Lovin' You" came on the radio. About halfway there, I noticed a green sedan manned by a grumpy-looking were keeping pace with us, always one or two cars back.

"Bryson," I said, looking into my mirror to fix my hair into a braid. Casual as anything, I memorized the plate and the face behind the wheel.

"Huh?" he grunted.

"You might be interested to know that somebody's following us."

"Hex me," he muttered, looking around. I slapped the back of his head.

"Relax. Nothing we can do about it, and he's probably just seeing what we're up to. He's not making a real effort to stay hidden." The sedan almost sideswiped an SUV to keep us in view, and the driver shook his fist.

Bryson hit the steering wheel. "It's those d.a.m.n weres."

"Good guess," I said. Donal must not have as much faith in me as he'd let on. How hurtful.

I guided Bryson to my grandmother's cottage, parked on an unfas.h.i.+onable bit of the cliff near the old fort that looked out into the Pacific and gave the beach its name.

"What is this?" Bryson demanded. "Bridge club and crumpets?"

"My cousin lives here," I said. I didn't add that she lived with my crotchety grandmother, who alternated between Not Speaking and Pure Hatred when it came to me and her.

"So, what?" Bryson said.

"She's a witch. She'll be able to tell me what the charm is supposed to fend off," I told him, and then added when his eyes bugged out, "You may want to just wait in the car."

"That's one weird f.u.c.kin' family you got, Wilder," he said, and then leaned back in the driver's seat, flicking his sungla.s.ses down over his eyes.

"No argument from me," I said, heading for the house. Sunny's little convertible was parked in the open garage, and I knocked, not too hard.

She opened the door with a squeal. "Luna!"

"Hi, Sunny." I smiled. "Is Rhoda home?"

"No." She drew the syllable out. "She's in Cabo for some kind of brujeria gathering. I didn't ask. Not really my thing." She looked past me to the car. "Who's that that? He looks like a Jehovah's Witness."

Bryson belched and adjusted himself. I pressed my fingers to my temples. "It's David Bryson. I'll be sure to pa.s.s on the compliment."

Sunny blinked once, twice. "I'm not even going to ask ask what you're doing riding with the man you once described as 'my smelly, obnoxious kryptonite.' " what you're doing riding with the man you once described as 'my smelly, obnoxious kryptonite.' "

"Probably a good plan," I said. "I have something I need you to look at, Sunny. It's important."

"Well then come in, in," she said, her face lighting up. "And I'll pretend not to notice you only visit me when you need something."

"That is patently not true," I said. "I sat through four hours of Jane Austen movies with you not two weeks ago. This is only a fraction fraction of the payback I'm owed for that experience." of the payback I'm owed for that experience."

"Luna, every woman loves Mr. Darcy."

"Mr. Darcy is a construct designed to make women feel bad about the partners that they're capable of attracting versus the fantasized image he presents."

Sunny gave me a look as she shut the door. "You scare me sometimes, Luna."

"What? I didn't spend all all of high school sleeping off beach parties." of high school sleeping off beach parties."

She led me into the kitchen, her preferred environment, and I drew the root out of my pocket. "It's this charm. I need to know what mojo it's supposed to work."

Sunny put cookies-homemade, of course-on a plate and served me a gla.s.s of iced tea with a twist of lemon. Only then did she pick up the charm. She dropped it again immediately. "G.o.ds! It feels like dipping your hand in boiling water. Where did you get this?"

"From the girlfriend of a murdered man," I said. "Is it evil?"

"No," said Sunny, regarding the twisted thing balefully. "Just strong. strong. Very raw, focused magick. Not a caster witch, or a blood." Very raw, focused magick. Not a caster witch, or a blood."

"Then what? What other kind of magick is is there?" there?"

Sunny went over to my grandmother's sewing basket, shaped like a puffy pink satin heart, and took out a metal tin of pins. "You'd be surprised where it came from, at the beginning. Hold out your hand."

"Why?" I demanded suspiciously.

She took out a hat pin and grabbed my fist, uncurling my fingers. "Don't be such a baby." The point pierced my finger with a fuzzy stab of pain.

I yelped as a pearl of blood welled up on my fingertip. "Hex me, Sunny!"

"Hold still!" she demanded, turning my finger and squeezing blood droplets down onto the root.

Nothing happened for a few long seconds, my blood gleaming against the dark fibers of the charm. Then it began to shriek, thras.h.i.+ng on the table like it was alive.

h.e.l.l, maybe it was was alive. What did I know? alive. What did I know?

Sunny leapt away from the charm as it lashed out, the pitch rising high enough that my ears gave me nothing but a feedback hiss.

"Do something!" I yelled. "Make it stop!"

She dashed into the kitchen, filled a deep iron skillet with cold water from the tap, spilled half of it on her way back to me, and shouted, "Throw it in!"

I picked up the root, feeling its magick bite into my skin as my body tried to Path it, and flung it into the water. The shrieking stopped immediately, revealing that someone was pounding energetically on the door. "What the f.u.c.k is going on in there?" Bryson bellowed.

"We're fine!" I hollered back, even though I felt like a particularly s.a.d.i.s.tic old lady had jammed her knitting needles into my ears.

"Let me in!" Bryson demanded. "I heard a bunch of screaming!"

"Sunny, watch that thing. Make sure it doesn't move again," I said. She nodded, biting her lip and prodding the charm a few times with her finger.

I opened the door on Bryson's sweating face, his tie askew and his cheeks red. "Aw, David. You were afraid I was in peril."

He flushed even redder, bordering on maroon. "Was not."

"Come on in." I stepped aside and gestured for him to hurry up. Bryson stepped over the threshold, shoulders hunched as if he expected Sunny to swoop down on a broom, shrieking about him and his little dog, too.

"Luna?" she called. "I think I figured it out."

"Good, because if you stabbed and deafened me for kicks I'd be a little upset."

Bryson followed me back to the sitting room, eyes roving warily in every direction. "Stop that," I hissed.

"I . . . just . . ." He swallowed and gave Sunny what might have been a smile, on Bryson. "Nice place, er . . . Luna's cousin."

"It's so nice to see you again, David," she said, beaming at him. She was full of c.r.a.p. Bryson grated her nerves into little pieces as much as he did mine, but my cousin is a lot politer about life's little aggravations than I am. People try to kill her a lot less often, so she might be on to something.

"Yeah," David said, looking anywhere but Sunny's face. "Say, what the Hex are you doin' to that thing? That's evidence."