A Stitch on Time 5 (17 page)

“I heard that before, but who did he supposedly kill?”

He hesitated before answering. “Four SCC councilors.”

The breath was knocked out of me. “No! He didn’t do that. He couldn’t have.”

“His weapon was found at the scene of the crime.”

I remembered seeing a discarded gun on the carpet in the boardroom. I’d had no idea the weapon belonged to Papan. How the hell had it gotten there? He hadn’t done this. It wasn’t possible for so many reasons—namely that he’d been in a coma. But how would I explain that to the human cops? “That’s not possible,” was all I could say.

“Forensics will verify it,” Burns said, turning around.

I grabbed his arm before he could walk away. “Wait, he didn’t do this. You have to believe me.”

The detective stared at my hand and said, “Listen, Ms. Fox, I have no intention of arresting you as well. But if you don’t let me go, I’ll have no choice—”

“Hurry up, Burns!” Shapiro yelled out the driver’s side window, pressing on the car horn. He already had the engine running. The bastard couldn’t wait to charge an innocent man. The detective had finally gotten his own fantasy scenario.

Some fantasies are more fucked up than others.

“Ms. Fox,” Burns repeated.

I dropped my hand and watched the skinny detective jump into the passenger side. I ran up to the car and pressed my left palm against the window. Papan met my eyes with determination burning inside. “I love you,” he mouthed.

“Me too,” I whispered.
We have an unbreakable bond.

“Step away from the vehicle if you want to keep those pretty shoes,” Shapiro spat.

I backpedaled and my fingers slid from the glass. My handprint glowed neon pink before fading. I didn’t take my eyes off Papan’s as the detectives drove away with my future in their backseat.

As I spun back to face the chaotic scene, I noticed a fire truck parked in front of the building and blocking off the street. Several other emergency vehicles arrived—an ambulance and two more cop cars—as I stood lost and alone. What I needed to do was get to my car and escape before anyone noticed. I headed for my powder-blue car, but I stopped short when I spotted it.

My Ford Fairlane—or what was left of it—was crushed beyond repair. A multitude of red bricks had crumbled onto the roof, flattening it. A large portion of the corridor window lay on top, like a visible punishment for the many times someone had caused it to shatter because of me.

“Fuck!” I needed to get the hell out before anyone noticed I was standing around grieving over the loss of my car. I needed to get to the police station, but certainly didn’t want it to be in the back of a cop car.

So I whirled on my heels, trying to ignore the heavy sensation in my chest at the loss of yet another important thing in my life. I headed up the street seconds before a police officer blocked it off with blue and white tape. He called out to me but I ignored him and cloaked myself. It was careless to make myself disappear so quickly in front of people, but I couldn’t afford not to use some of the tricks I had in my arsenal.

I took a left onto the next street and breathed a sigh of relief, but didn’t slow my pace.

Rain fell in a steady stream and had already plastered my hair to my face and neck. My legs were wet and walking in these heels was getting uncomfortable. At least my coat helped keep the rain off my naked body.

Oh god, I wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothing underneath and hadn’t buttoned it up completely. Not to mention that the clothes I’d stashed in my desk drawer had been blown to bits, along with everything else.

It hit me like a sledgehammer to the side of the head.

Everything inside my office was gone—including Ebony. My heart ached and sadness washed over me all over again. For a moment, I almost forgot the promise I’d made to myself about saving her soul from being eternally bound to Maya. At least I hadn’t lost all of my work records. Ebony had duplicated our paper folders into computer files I kept on my laptop at home. I hadn’t lost any documents, but the office Ebony and I had spent several weekends remodeling was gone.

How did Mace do it? I had no doubt he’d been responsible for turning Lee into a wraith and then setting her after me. He’d probably found out about the land spirits, and was so angry that he decided to destroy my office by turning Lee into a spook bomb. He
wouldn’t
get away with keeping chaotic spook energy beneath the Tower so he could use the potency to shatter the ley line network. I wouldn’t let him. As soon as I dealt with Papan’s problem and got him away from Shapiro, I would stop another one of Mace’s plans.

Tucking my cold hands deep into the coat pockets, I was at least grateful I had my mobile, wallet and keys with me. I wrapped my fingers around my phone and was about to pull it out to call a cab when someone stepped in front of me.

“You really should be more careful.” The man was dressed in black and wore a bowler hat. This was the old guy I’d seen in the diner last week with Mace, but he didn’t need a cane this time. He was also the same man I thought I’d imagined at the haunted house.

As the thought crossed my mind, his name echoed inside my head—
Duff
.

I stepped around him, while chanting a protection incantation so he couldn’t breach the barrier. When I was less than a foot away, I stopped. He was in front of me again, with a smile on his devilish face.

“What do you want,
Duff?
” I wasn’t in the mood for games. My boyfriend had been arrested, I’d lost my office and my car was crushed. The pleasurable afternoon I’d planned was shattered beyond repair. This asshole was a double agent, so he wasn’t here to negotiate.

I glanced up and down the street. It was deserted, which could be because of what had happened only a street away.

“I’m glad you know my name.” He tipped his hat in greeting. “It’s such a shame we haven’t been properly introduced, since we’re practically family—”

“You’re not my family,” I interrupted his self-indulgent attempt at an introduction. “Just tell me what you want.”

“I think we both know what I want. It’s the same thing everyone wants.”

“You’re not getting it.”

“So much needless violence isn’t necessary. All you have to do is hand yourself over willingly.” He lowered his voice. “You know we’ll get you sooner or later.”

“I’ll take the later,” I spat. My pulse raced, but I refused to let this bastard unnerve me. I’d had enough crap thrown my way lately. “Didn’t Mace tell you I already turned down his offer? It was very similar to yours, so why would I choose any different?”

“I can offer you a lot more than he can.”

“Oh yeah, what can you offer that he can’t?” These people were beyond pathetic. Troy and Travis Slevani tried to steal my power via force. Mauricio wanted to kill me because he thought I was a pest. Maya tried to complete the ritual without her fellow freaks. And Jonathan lost his life to darkness in the same pursuit. Now this guy thought he could make me a worthwhile offer? Why didn’t they save themselves the trouble and work as a team?

“I can offer you a relative amount of freedom.”

I laughed. “Yeah, right. Is that before, after, or while Legion’s many numbers are filtering into this patch using my sister and me?”

“Your sister was bred for only one purpose,” Duff said, stepping closer.

“That’s a disgusting thing to say about your granddaughter.”

Duff shrugged a thin shoulder. “My granddaughter, much like my son, was made for a reason. There was no love involved, just a higher purpose.”

“You might see Willow that way, but I don’t.” Anger flowed through me, forcing my hands into fists. How dare he refer to her as if she were only a tool? “She’s my sister and I’m going to protect her from you people. You’re not getting your hands on her, and you’re not getting me either.” I backed up, preparing to call up my dark patch. The street might seem deserted, but there were too many darkened storefronts and alleys. So I could use the magic at my disposal without having to worry about anyone else getting in the way.

“One way or another, you will both serve your destined purposes.” Duff was standing too close.

I willed my dark patch, but nothing happened. Actually, I was stuck, and felt like an invisible hand was keeping me steady.

“I’ve restrained her,” a cultured female voice called from an alley ahead. “Hurry up, bring her.”

I squinted and for the first time noticed there was a car parked there—the same one that rear-ended my ride last night.
I could really use that car service right about now.

I tried to move my feet, but they refused to lift.

Duff’s eyes flashed to magenta. “I can taste your essence and it’s delicious.” He extended a pale hand and his cold fingertips grazed my wrist. “I’ll have to take a sip from you soon.” He was standing too close and I was frozen to the spot.

“Hurry up, Duff!” called the female voice. “Someone’s coming.”

Duff grinned before hoisting me over his shoulder. He was stronger than his scrawny frame appeared. I couldn’t kick my legs so they hung useless in front of his chest, my hands down near his lower back. So much for my tough talk.

An engine sliced through the silence and a black blur appeared out of nowhere, slamming into Duff’s side. It sent his body flying into the air. He lost his grip on me, and I plummeted towards the asphalt. Whatever magical hold his accomplice had over me dropped, so I finally welcomed my dark patch. The walls slithered down around me like a black cushion ready to break my fall but when I hit the road, I felt the full brunt of the impact. Where did my patch go? I hadn’t pushed it away yet.

Someone’s using some heavy-duty magic against me.

Duff had landed on the hood of the vehicle at the mouth of the alleyway.

The door of the Terraplane opened and Diana regarded me from the driver’s seat. “You need a ride?”

I was speechless, trying to figure out how she’d materialized out of nowhere.

“Well, do you or don’t you?”

I nodded.

“Then get off your ass and get inside.”

I groaned as much as my body did with every move, but managed to dive into the backseat without so much as a glance over my shoulder. Discomfort and modesty didn’t matter as much as getting away from these freaks.

“How did you know?” I scrambled from the floor and onto the seat, trying to ignore the graze on my thigh. I wouldn’t be wearing a trench coat with nothing underneath anytime soon. “Where did you come from?”

Diana snorted. “Surely after last night you don’t need me to explain how things work.” She peered into the rearview mirror.

“So you heard me wishing for a car service?”

She shrugged.

“Well, thanks.” She might be freaky as hell and seemed to have some sort of telepathic connection to me, but I was grateful. She was in for a hard ride, though. If she could sense every time I was in trouble, she was going to be very busy.

Diana chuckled then said, “You have a boyfriend that needs your help, right?”

I closed my eyes, letting the purr of the engine calm my nerves. “Drop me off at the nearest police station, please.”

“Put your seatbelt on.” Diana was rummaging inside the glove compartment, but never took her eyes off the road. “Here, clean yourself up.” She tossed a white box into the backseat.

I caught the First Aid kit, but doubted it would be enough to make me anywhere near presentable.

Chapter Nine

“Seriously, how did you know to come and pick me up at
that
precise moment?” I had to admit, I’d gotten a sick pleasure out of seeing Duff being rammed by the front-end of this classy car. Just didn’t appreciate that I’d gone for the ride with him. Still, the graze on my thigh was now disinfected. Once I’d cleaned the blood and bitumen off, it really wasn’t too bad. The length of the trench coat covered the bandage, so I did kinda look presentable. If you discounted my messy hair and coat that hadn’t fully dried yet.

“I’m good like that.”

“Do you ever answer any questions?” Sure, she’d come to my aid at two important times during the last twenty-four hours, but at the moment I was short-tempered and totally over riddles—I preferred direct answers.

“Not very often,” Diana said, meeting my eyes in the rearview mirror. Today, she wore blue eye shadow and a thick layer of eyeliner. Actually, with her bobbed black hair, violet eyes, and petite features, she reminded me of Elizabeth Taylor in the old
Cleopatra
movie. Except, I was pretty sure Diana wasn’t a descendant of Egyptian mythology. I’d studied Hecate and she was all about Greek myth.

“Well thank you for saving me from that freak.” If she didn’t want to answer my questions, I didn’t have the energy to pry responses out of her. I was tired, sore and wanted to make sure Shapiro hadn’t locked Papan up and thrown away the key. How had my day gone from totally amazing to utterly shite in just a matter of minutes?

“You needed a lift, and I picked you up. No big deal.” She sped down the road so fast we were almost at the police station. “It’s my job.”

She was a piece of enigmatic work, this one. “So, have you known Burr long?”

“Oh yeah, we go way back.”

“And how did he call you last night?”

She shrugged. “The same way you did.”

“Uh, wishing for a car service isn’t exactly calling you.”

“Actually, it is.”

I rolled my eyes. “I thought about you picking me up. It was all in my head.”

“That’s how everyone calls me.”

I sat up. “Are you saying I’m as connected to you and Burr as I am to Saul?”

Diana nodded. “All of Hecate’s Children are connected mentally.”

“So we can hear each other’s thoughts?” Well,
I
couldn’t hear anyone in my head.

“No, it doesn’t work that way. We can hear when thoughts are projected loudly and in our direction. We can also sense fear and the need for rescue, so we act.” She sped past the intersection as the lights turned amber.

“That’s good to know.” At least I only attracted their attention when I was in trouble. I hoped that meant they hadn’t sensed my mind-blowing office sex with Papan.

Diana giggled.

“What’s so funny?”

“
You.
You’re funny. I’ve never met anyone like you,” she said, peering into the mirror. “You’re impatient and determined. Always seem to get caught up in bizarre situations. I’m very glad Burr introduced us.”

“Glad to hear I’m so entertaining.” We didn’t talk the rest of the way, which didn’t take long at the speed she travelled. I looked out the window when Diana stopped the car in front of the concrete façade of the Serene Hills Police Station. Like hospitals and cemeteries, police stations were usually littered with lost spirits. Some ghosts hung around their murderers long after their death, followed when they were arrested, and even stuck around after sentencing. Most people didn’t realize how often this happened.

“Sierra,” Diana said, a little too loudly. “Are you ready to go inside?”

I nodded. “Sure.”

“Go and see what you can do to help your wolf.” The car door opened. “Our paths will cross again sooner than you think.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“It’s my pleasure.” When she looked over the seat, the Hecate’s Wheel flashed in the middle of her forehead like a third eye. She tapped her temple. “Call whenever you need a fast getaway, okay?”

“That’s a neat trick,” I said, pointing at her face. “All I got was this tattoo.” I flashed my hand and my Strophalos symbol lit up, probably reacting to the proximity of her mark.

She smiled. “I picked that one out especially for you.”

“What?”

Diana squinted and said, “What,
what?
”

I glared at her for a few seconds too long, trying to figure out if I’d imagined what she’d said. She just looked back, one eyebrow cocked and her eyes wide.

“Never mind, thanks for saving my butt.” I climbed out of the car and stepped unsteadily onto the sidewalk. I really wanted to take these heels off and get into some boots. Not to mention I felt naked without my blades. Or that I was
actually
naked under my coat.

The Terraplane’s door slammed shut and Diana sped off a lot faster than anyone should in front of a cop station. Like I’d done with Saul’s van the night before, I watched until Diana and her Awesome Car faded away. She might only provide cryptic responses, but after dealing with Oren and Burr, riddles weren’t new to me.

I glanced around, glad to find the hum of human activity continued in this part of town. Duff and his female companion were nowhere in sight. I took the stairs leading to the square, gray building as carefully as I could. I didn’t want to flash anyone.

The automatic doors opened as the scent of sweat and desperation struck me. There were several people seated on the uncomfortable-looking plastic chairs. It wasn’t until I passed by that I realized a few of those individuals were dead. The temperature dropped but I quickened my step to avoid being sucked into any spirit zones.

I approached the front desk, where the officer on duty took several minutes to acknowledge me. If I hadn’t buttoned my trench coat to the top and finger-combed my hair, I’d feel even more self-conscious than I already was.

“How can I help you?” the female officer said, and when she looked at me, her eyes lit up with recognition. “Oh, hey, you’re Gareth’s friend, right? I mean, Constable Crewe,” she added with a wink.

I vaguely remembered her—the badge on her shirt said Constable Sari Rose—from one of the back alleys I’d checked for spook activity during Maya’s killing spree. “Yeah, that’s me. He’s not on duty, is he?”

“Not yet, he’s due in a few hours, though.” She paused before saying, “What’s wrong?”

I took a quick breath. “Jason Papan was arrested, and I need to see him.”

“Oh, right, he’s in one of the interview rooms.”

“Can I see him?”

She tapped her blue pen on the desk a few times. “Well, his lawyer hasn’t arrived yet, and I know he’s been asking for you, so okay. Give me a sec and I’ll take you through.” She turned from the counter and made her way towards another officer. “Can you watch the desk for a few minutes?” she asked.

The man nodded and Constable Rose stepped past the reception counter, heading towards a blue side door. She held it open for me. “Come on, he’s down this way.”

I followed her down the narrow white corridor until we reached another door. This one had INTERVIEW ROOM 3 printed on it. She opened the door and motioned me inside.

“Shapiro’s been keeping a close eye on him and will return for more questioning.” She lowered her voice. “Don’t let him intimidate you. Mr. Papan legally has the right to have someone with him until his lawyer arrives.”

“Thank you, Constable Rose.”

“You’re welcome.” She shut the door behind her.

I turned to face the room and headed for Papan. He stood, his hands still handcuffed behind his back. I wrapped my arms around his midsection and hugged him, pressing my cheek against his chest. His heart beat steady, so at least he was calm.

“Are you all right?” I didn’t want to let go. There’d been too much forced distance between us lately, and this was certainly the arsenic icing on the demented cake.

“I’m fine, what about you?” He kissed the top of my head.

“Someone tried to tempt me to the Dark Side, but what’s new?”

“What?” He tensed in my arms. “I can smell blood, are you hurt?”

I pulled back enough to tilt my head and look at him. “It’s nothing. One of those freaks found me on the street.” I rolled my eyes. “He was going to take me, but I got away.” I didn’t want to get into the whole Diana story, since I hadn’t mentioned her last night either. I might have left the strange woman out of our conversation, but I’d informed him about Gareth and the Tower over drinks last night.

“Oh, Fox.” His eyes darkened and a nerve pulsed in his jaw. “How am I going to keep you safe while I’m locked up?”

“You don’t need to worry about me, okay? I can take care of myself just fine. I did exactly that while you were playing Sleeping Beauty, remember?” I hugged him tighter than before and a growl reverberated between us.

“I know you can,” he said with a sigh. “But it doesn’t make this any easier.”

“Do you know why they arrested you?”

“Apparently, I shot and killed four people.”

“Did they tell you who?”

“Yeah, the four Spook Catcher Council councilors. The same councilors who hired me to spy on you at the beginning of the year,” he said. “I guess the confidentially clause is negated since they’re all dead.”

I pressed my face into his chest. This was bad. Of course, I’d known this thanks to Burns, but hearing the words again made everything worse. “What did you tell them?”

“That I didn’t do it, of course.”

“Did you tell them why you
couldn’t
have done this?” I lowered my voice. “Papan, Henry was killed last week, and I think the other three were killed at the same time by the same person.”

“I can’t tell them that,” he said. “We don’t have any evidence to back it up.”

“You can’t take the fall for this.” I had to do
something.
“I was there when Henry was shot. That makes me a witness, so I should come forward. There was also a waitress, and two other guys who can vouch for what happened.”

He shook his head and looked away. “I can’t let you do that.”

“It’s the right thing to do. I’m not going to risk losing you again.” The lump in my throat made me pause. “If I can make a difference, I will. And these other people were there too. They helped me.”

“Someone set me up.” Papan was looking at me. “If you or anyone you know comes forward with information, Shapiro won’t even consider it. Then we’ll both be in deeper shit, and take those people from the diner down with us.”

“So what do we do?”

“We have to find the killer.”

“We both know who killed them,” I said. There had to be some sort of CCTV inside this room, so I didn’t know how much we could discuss. “And she’s dead. But I’m sure Mace had a hand in this too.”

“You think Mace is responsible for my arrest?”

“Who else could it be?” I licked my lips. “I watched Vixen shoot Henry, but I didn’t know it was your gun she was using.” Just as I hadn’t known it was his gun discarded on the boardroom floor. If I’d grabbed the weapon when I spotted it, they wouldn’t have been able to pin the blame on Papan. Either way, I was positive Mace was involved. He’d warned me, told me he would remove everyone I cared about.

“This isn’t good,” Papan said with a sigh. “It’s my word against the evidence.”

“We’ll figure it out,” I said, hugging him so tight he groaned.

The door opened and I jumped back, like I’d done something wrong.

“How the hell did you get in here?” Shapiro stepped inside, his face red. “I want you out of this room at once.” He glanced at Burns. “Why didn’t anyone arrest this flake?”

Burns opened his mouth to respond but Saul rushed past him. “On what grounds are you going to arrest her?” the demon asked, glaring at the shorter, fatter detective.

“She knows something about the explosion—”

“You can’t prove that. Besides, if Jason Papan wants her here, she can stay. You, however, need to step outside so I can speak to my client.”

“What the hell?” I whispered.

Saul caught my eye and I couldn’t help but stare at his black tailored suit, blue shirt, and tie. The outfit fit him so well he looked like he’d just stepped out of an Armani commercial. He was clean-shaven and his messy hair was gelled away from his face—he even carried a leather briefcase.

Shapiro blocked his path and said, “He’s not getting out of this one, Sear. Not even a hot-shot lawyer like you can get him out of this mess.”

“Ah, Detective Shapiro, it’s always such a pleasure to hear your cheerful views.” Saul held out his right hand, but the flabby detective stared and didn’t make a move to shake it. Saul shrugged and dropped his outstretched hand. “I’ll need you and Detective Burns to step outside.”

“I think we’ll stay.” He sneered. “This guy is a murderer—”

Saul stood so close Shapiro had no choice but to step back. “Do I have to remind you of Mr. Papan’s rights? Because I won’t hesitate to take legal action—”

“Come on.” Burns grabbed hold of his partner’s arm and led him towards the door.

“You have five minutes,” Shapiro called from the corridor. “But the freak needs to come with us.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” I said.

“She stays with me, and you’re going to remove the cuffs from Mr. Papan before you leave.” Saul didn’t look happy, but at least he seemed to be in control of the situation.

“I don’t think so!” Shapiro’s face was so red he seemed close to exploding.

“Do it now. There’s no reason to have him cuffed while trapped inside this room.”

“Sear, he’s a murderer.”

“Just do it, Detective.”

Burns dropped his grip from his partner’s arm and encouraged him forward. “Remove them, he’s not going anywhere.”

Shapiro made a song and dance about it, murmuring about dangers to society and hot-shot lawyers who thought they could push their way out of anything, and how he was going to
show him
. But in the end, he removed the handcuffs.

Papan took my hand while glaring at the detective. “Where am I going to go, huh?”

Shapiro glanced at our joined hands and a slimy smile curved his lips. “What’s wrong, Papan? Are you afraid she’ll give us a show outside?”

A growl tore from him, so deep in his throat I felt the rumble up my arm. I laced my fingers around his, hoping to keep him grounded. This asshole knew how to push all the wrong buttons.