Ghost of a Chance (27 page)

Savannah raised her head slowly, her face
not giving away anything, but her eyes—oh, how her eyes glittered
with fury.

“OK, I’m going to sound totally noob here,
but what exactly is a Guardian? It sounds familiar, but… meh.”

Pixie’s whisper was soft enough that only I
could hear it. I answered her in a similar volume, not wanting to
have to explain to everyone why it was that she didn’t know.
“Guardians are basically glorified demon wranglers. They usually
guard portals to Abaddon, and are responsible for taking care of
any problems with beings of a dark nature—the latter having their
origins in Abaddon.”

“Abaddon being hell, right?”

“It’s what the mortal world thinks of as
hell, although it’s not technically the same.”

“So if Guardians are the good guys, why are
all of you looking at Savannah like she’s got herpes or
something?”

That was a good question. I glanced over at
where my father and Adam stood together, identical expressions of
astonishment on their respective faces. Beyond them, Meredith
leaned drunkenly against the wall, his eyes mirroring the surprise
that everyone else seemed to feel. Evidently the fact that his wife
was a Guardian came as news to him, too.

“What exactly is that machine?” Adam asked,
nudging the small white square with the toe of his shoe.

“None of your business!” Savannah snatched
it up and tucked it back into the silk and velvet amulet bag. The
instant she touched it, the electricity that filled the air ebbed
away to nothing. Or almost nothing. By leaning forward, I could
catch the faintest buzz, almost imperceptible.

“Well, at least I’m not going crazy,” I said
with no little relief.

“Eh?” my father asked.

“You can’t hear the noise?” I asked him.

“What noise?”

I turned to Adam. “How about you?”

“From Savannah’s machine?” He shook his
head. “It’s silent.”

“Why am I the only one who can hear it?” I
asked Savannah.

She shrugged. “You’re a TAE. Your perception
differs from the others’. I’ll have to adjust it in the future so
as to take that into account.”

“So, that machine of hers has some sort of a
masking effect?” Dad asked.

“It’s a dampener, yes,” she answered with a
toss of her head, glaring at Adam. “And it doesn’t mean I killed
that wretched man, if that’s what you’re about to suggest.”

“You’re a Guardian. You have incredible
power at your disposal,” he replied.

“Against demons and their ilk, yes. But
apparently it’s escaped your notice that Spider wasn’t a demon, and
I have little to no power over mortals.”

That wasn’t strictly true, but I wasn’t
about to argue the finer points with her.

“You lied to us, in word and in deed, by
hiding the fact that you’re a Guardian. You certainly can’t deny
that you did that to Meredith,” I said, waving at the ward-bound
man.

His eyes bugged out in agreement.

She looked at him, her head tipped to one
side. “No, I don’t deny it, although I think it’s a tremendous
improvement.”

“I second that,” my dad said.

“Why?” Adam asked, taking a step forward.
“Why did you hide the truth from us? Why wouldn’t you want us to
know you’re a Guardian? Why pretend that you’re ignorant of the
Otherworld?”

Her lips tightened, one hand absently
stroking the amulet bag.

“I knew she was evil from the start,” Pixie
said, curling back up on the window seat. “No one who looks
that
much
like a hippie can be anything but evil.”

“You’ll get a bonus point for your insight
later. Right now, I’d like to know just what it is Savannah
wants.”

“What she wants?” my dad asked as I walked
in front of Savannah, peering deeply into her eyes. She met my gaze
without wavering, a hint of smug obstinacy visible in her eyes.

“Yes. No one goes through the trouble it
must have taken to have her husband create a dampening
machine—”

Her eyes flicked over to my shoulder for a
second.

“—to create a dampening machine herself
without having a very good reason,” I corrected myself. A flash of
startled surprise was visible, then her face resumed its normal
placid mien. “You created those machines, didn’t you? The
monstrosity that killed Sergei and this one. That’s what Meredith
meant about you and your machines.”

Adam stepped forward. “And that’s why you
shut him up, so he couldn’t tell us about your ulterior
motive.”

“That little ignoramus doesn’t know anything
about my reason for being here,” she snapped.

“And that would be…?” Dad asked.

She toyed with the amulet bag for a moment,
then shoved me aside and sauntered over to the couch. “You all
think you’re so clever; you figure it out.”

“Oh, it’s not as difficult as you think,” I
said, slowly walking around the couch to face her. “We know you
want this house.”

“Eh?” Dad looked confused.

“Why else would you spin such a song and
dance about wanting to buy it from me?”

“You’re not going to sell, are you?” Tony
asked, leaping to his nearly invisible feet.

I waved him and Jules back into their seats.
“The house isn’t mine to sell; it’s Adam’s, but even if it wasn’t,
I wouldn’t sell. It’s sanctuary… but you knew that long before you
got here, didn’t you, Savannah?”

“Of course she did,” Adam answered for her.
He strode into the middle of the room. “Every member of the mortal
family who lived here knew what the house was. And you’re part of
that family, aren’t you?”

Her eyes all but spat fire. She leaped to
her feet and accosted him, shoving her face into his. “I’m part of
the family from whom you stole this house, yes. And I intend to
have it back! Don’t think I don’t know what you did; you tricked my
great-grandfather into handing the house over to you. You drove him
insane in order to get your hands on the house, but I’m not as weak
as he is, and I intend to get back what’s mine!”

“Oh, really?” I cocked an eyebrow at her.
“If you’re so determined, why has it taken you so long to confront
Adam? Could that be because you know you don’t have a foot to stand
on legally?”

She opened and closed her mouth a couple of
times. “I have every legal right to this house, and I will be
petitioning the Akashic League to recognize my true ownership.”

“She’s bluffing,” my father said. “Take it
from one who knows how to bluff. Karma’s right: if she had any true
claim on the house, she would have acted on it long ago.”

“You people don’t know anything,” she
snarled, and stomped back to the couch.

“I wonder,” Adam mused, stroking his chin.
“It’s true that she can’t get the house from me by conventional
means. But does she want it badly enough to commit murder for
it?”

Her head snapped around to glare at him.

“You mean that she might have killed Spider
to force the League to give the house to her?” I shook my head. “I
don’t see that the one would ensure the other.”

“She might have a case for claiming the
house if I was charged with the murder,” he said in the same slow,
thoughtful voice.

“But you didn’t kill him,” Dad said. “And
there’s no reason to think you did.”

“No, but she might have thought that if I
was discredited enough, it might be easier to petition for
ownership of the house. The League takes sanctuaries very
seriously; they wouldn’t want one in the control of someone who
demonstrates blatant irresponsibility.”

Pixie lifted her chin from on her hand,
where it had rested. “Weak.”

I nodded. “I agree; it’s weak.”

“True, but it does give her a motive, which
we were missing. However, I think we can clear her from the
possible charge of murder.”

“I’m grateful for such kindness,” she said
in a snarky tone.

Adam ignored it. “She wasn’t alone long
enough to have killed Spider. There was only a very small window of
opportunity for the murderer to get downstairs and do the job.
Nita, how long was it from the time you heard Spider and Meredith
enter the basement, to the sounds of a struggle?”

I’d almost forgotten that Amanita was in the
room, so silent and still was she. She hadn’t moved from her perch
on the footstool in the corner, and somehow, without appearing to
slouch, gave the impression that she was curled up in a defensive
posture. She jumped slightly when Adam turned to address her. “Oh,
me? How long? About half a minute. Maybe less. Not very long at
all. I heard the men talking, and then the sounds of breathing and
grunting, and then nothing.”

“As I thought.” Adam turned back to us.
“There wasn’t time for anyone mortal to get downstairs that
quickly. Which basically eliminates everyone who isn’t a
polter.”

I leaned heavily against the nearest chair.
“You’re saying a polter killed Spider?” I looked from him to my
father to Pixie. I shook my head. “I don’t believe it. None of you
had a reason to want him dead.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t have minded bashing his
brains in,” my father piped up cheerfully. “But as it happens, I
didn’t. I knew Karma would never forgive me if I did.”

“We’re going to have a
very
long talk
later,” I told him with a stern look.

“I didn’t kill him, either, although I kinda
wanted to after he hit on me,” Pixie announced.

“He what?” Dad spun around to look at
her.

“He hit on me.” She gave a little shrug and
tried hard to be insouciant, but failed. “It’s not a big deal.
Nothing for you to go all eyes bugging out like you are.”

“My eyes do not bug out,” Dad protested.
“And you don’t realize the seriousness of what you’re saying.”

She tipped her head to one side. “I’m not
stupid, you know. I know more than you think. But it wasn’t a big
deal. Karma was there.”

All eyes turned to me.

“Is that true?” Adam asked, his face
unreadable.

“Not exactly,” I said, my gaze dropping. “I
was sick in the bathroom a couple of times. The first time I came
out, Spider was standing next to Pixie, but she shoved him aside
and ran off. I didn’t see him hit on her… although I had no doubt
that was in his mind.”

Adam’s voice was rich with anger. “Why
didn’t you tell me that earlier?”

I lifted my eyes to his. “I honestly didn’t
think it was important. I could see that Pixie wasn’t harmed, or
even overly upset.”

“Yeah,” she said with complacency. “Guys hit
on me all the time. It’s no big deal.”

“Regardless, you should have told me,” Adam
said, his stare continuing to bore into mine.

“I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to involve
Pixie in it any more than she was. If it makes you feel any better,
I’ve been angsting about it all morning.”

His jaw tightened. “It doesn’t. Is there
anything else you want to tell me?”

I shook my head, feeling about as low as a
snake’s belly button.

“Well, I have something to say!” my father
said, his voice loud. “His killer should be given a medal for
bravery! Spider deserved to die! He was having sex with
minors!”

“He what?” Adam asked, looking more than a
little startled.

“He was molesting children,” Dad said,
waving toward me. “Karma said earlier he bragged as much to
her.”

I nodded wearily as Adam turned his gaze on
me. “He admitted upstairs that he was having physical relationships
with teenage polters.”

Adam frowned, mouthing silently,
“Bethany?”

I nodded again, my eyes flickering to
Pixie.

“He wasn’t the only one,” Savannah murmured,
smiling acidly at her husband.

Adam looked between the two of them. “Are
you saying your husband sexually abused children, as well?”

“Not human children, no. Like Spider,
Meredith had a taste for polters.”

I held my father back as he tried to leap
forward.

“Are you willing to swear to that in court?”
Adam asked, his voice flinty.

She brushed an invisible speck of dirt off
her skirt. “I suppose so. His peccadillos can have no bearing on my
situation.”

“So we’ve got two child molesters!” Dad
said, glaring at Meredith as he shrugged off my restraining hand.
“I hope they hang him. But… wait. Correct me if I’m wrong, but
doesn’t that eliminate everyone? If Pixie didn’t do it, and I
certainly didn’t do it, and Adam didn’t do it… that’s all the
polters present.”

“Who says Adam didn’t do it?” Savannah
demanded.

“I say I didn’t,” he answered, glowering at
her.

“That’s fine and well, but just where were
you while he was being killed?” she asked.

“I went upstairs to check on Nita and the
boys.” Her smile was one of profound smugness. “But they weren’t
there. They said themselves that they were in the kitchen,
eavesdropping.”

“It wasn’t so much eavesdropping as
overhearing… Sorry. Lock and key.” Tony’s voice subsided into
silence.

“And you just said that your girlfriend was
in the basement, with the two men. What was to stop her from having
killed Spider? She wouldn’t have needed polter quickness to get to
him, since she was right there.”

Amanita gasped. “I didn’t!” she said, her
voice breathy with fear.

“So you say, but what proof do we have that
you didn’t? For that matter, what proof do we have that Adam didn’t
polter his way downstairs and do it? For all we know, you two might
have been in it together.”

“But… we weren’t! I didn’t!” Amanita looked
truly frightened. For a moment I considered her as a possible
suspect, but dismissed the idea.

“Stop scaring Nita,” Adam said, moving over
to put a supportive hand on her shoulder. “She couldn’t have killed
Spider, for the simple fact that she’s a unicorn—and they can’t
harm mortals.”

She nodded vehemently. “I can’t! Not even if
I wanted to!”

“Oh, that’s an old wives’ tale,” Savannah
said, dismissing it with an airy wave of her hands.