Circle of the Moon (Soulwood #4)

“But Mud can’t stay here.”

“Sam Junior is too little to be exposed. SaraBell has him in quarantine. And Mama Carmel’s got her hands full. Sorry, Nell, but you’un get her back.”

“I’m a big girl,” Mud said. “And now that I got me a watchdog, I’ll be right as rain here alone.”

Mud could not stay here alone, but I wasn’t going to argue in front of guests. “And Brother Thad?” I asked.

Brother Thad held out a hand to Sam and introduced himself. I had a feeling that Sam hadn’t known that the Brother Thad I talked about being my friend and who had asked me to attend his church was a black man. “Pleasure to meet you, Sam. Nell says kind things about her brother.”

“Mr. Rankin,” Sam said.

Brother Thad dropped Sam’s hand and extended a folded sheet of paper to me. “Your estimate, with breakdowns. There’s one for the upstairs bathroom and water heater, a separate estimate for a redesign of the downstairs bath, and a third detailed estimate of central heat and air. There’s a labor quote at the bottom to install the solar panels. If you do all the upgrades, there’s a discount, but the estimate doesn’t take into account any problems we might find when we tear into the walls and plumbing.”

“And there’s always problems,” Sam said. “Nell, Mr. Rankin, I’d love to stay, but I need to get home. Nell, let me know if you want me to look over the numbers.”

“I’m pretty capable of looking over numbers on my own, brother mine, despite being female and too dumb to understand basic math.”

Sam caught the sarcasm. “Not what I meant, Nellie.”

“Hmmm,” I said, wrenching my robe tighter. “All I need from you is the cost of the supplies to build the greenhouse Mud asked you about. Then I can go to the bank.”

“Mindy has the estimate of the construction materials in her bag,” Sam said. “I gotta go. You’uns have a good night. Mr. Rankin, nice to meet you.”

“Mud can’t stay here alone and PsyLED isn’t safe right now,” I said.

“Not my problem. The mamas said to bring her.” Sam waved me away and thumped down the steps, the rubber treads of his summer work boots echoing under the porch.

The mamas said to bring her. Pushing me back into a traditional female churchwoman role? Or showing me how hard my plan to keep Mud would really be? No. They knew Mud would always be in danger on church lands. This was exactly what it appeared to be. A kerfuffle.

Brother Thad followed, saying over his shoulder, “You call me when you know something, Nell.”

I stared after them as Brother Thad followed Sam down the steps and the two trucks went down the hill in line. I looked at the dog. And my sister. Thought about a blood-witch in the null room. Wondered if the vampire tree would make an acceptable babysitter.

And hoped Rick LaFleur wouldn’t get all picky about a dog in the workplace. I had to figure this situation out. Soon.

? ? ?

The three of us got to HQ before the start of my shift, when the sun was still high but the daytime moon, invisible at this part of the lunar cycle anyway, had set. The dog was a maniac, racing up the stairs on her adjustable leash. Springers were never yappy dogs, but Cherry was even more silent than most. She was all nosy, nose to the stairs and then the door, sniffing, racing back and forth, up and down, trying to get all the smells. Her nails clicked and her tail wagged like mad, the long tail hair, called feathers, whisking the air.

My arms loaded with my gobags and dog supplies, I used my ID card to open the door at the top of the stairs. As the door opened, Mud dropped Cherry’s leash. I lunged for the strap, but she rushed through like a tricolor whirlwind, dashing silently down the hall. And leaped high into the air, onto Rick LaFleur’s chest.

My boss caught her, his eyes going wide. Cherry wrapped her legs around his neck like a human would and hugged him, that tail still flapping madly, her entire back half a crazy waggle. The dog clearly had no problem with cat scent. Rick’s eyes went soft and he knelt so he could support the dog and pet her too. “Well. Hey there,” he said quietly, one hand stroking her back. Cherry slobbered a half dozen dog kisses over his face and Rick started laughing. “Okay, okay. I love you too.”

Something about the scenario seemed a bit … off as it replayed through my mind. And then it hit me. Mud had dropped the leash on purpose.

Mud raced after and took Cherry from Rick. “Sorry, Mr. Rick,” Mud said. “She’s a little excited.” To the dog, she said, sternly, “Cherry, you behave.”

“It’s … okay,” he said, sounding surprised and pleased all at once, scratching the dog behind the ears. “Cherry?” Cherry shoved her snout into his ear. Rick laughed and rearranged, so he could stroke the dog again.

I explained about the dog gift and the stomach bug on church grounds and Mud being with me for the next few days. Rick said, “I don’t like it, Nell. Jason presents a dangerous situation and I’m not so sure but what his sister isn’t just as big a threat, and she’s on premises. And a wereleopard might think Cherry looks tasty. I wouldn’t want her hurt.”

“Me neither, ’cause then we’d haveta shoot you,” Mud said.

Rick spluttered, laughing.

“No one is shooting the boss. I’m sorry,” I said, apologizing for my sister and for me.

Deliberately obscure in front of Mud, he added to me, “Time’s getting close.”

To the new moon. I understood that, but I didn’t know what else to do with my sister. I put Mud in my office and arranged my window plants around the desk to keep her company. Cherry curled up at her feet on a dog bed I brought from the truck. I found a bowl for water and another for dog food. I had forgotten how expensive dogs were. When I had my sister settled, I gave the puppy an oversized, soft Nylabone to chew and went looking for the rest of the crew, none of whom were present except for Rick, who was in his office, the silvered cage in the corner.

“I’m sorry about Mud and the dog,” I said. “I can’t leave her at the church.”

My boss gave me a tired, backhand wave as if it was just another awful on top of a truckload of awful. Rick was distracted, one hand on the amulets at his neck, his fingers worrying them like worry beads or one of those spinner things people use. If I listened closely I could hear a few notes of his woodwind antimagic music playing in his newfangled earbud. It ran on Wi-Fi, was powered by a new generation of batteries, and was smaller than a hearing aid.

Without looking at me, Rick said, “I want you to read and collate all the files on this case. See if we missed anything. Then at dusk, call your fanged friend at the clan home of the MOC and see if she knows anything new.”

“Files I can do. And talk to Yummy.” Since there was a dog and a little girl at my desk, I took my laptop and tablets to the conference room and opened up multiple screens. Instantly, I discovered that Loriann had been released from the null room and sent to her hotel to get some rest. Leaving the witch in pain, without charging her, would have been illegal according to witch law. I figured someone was watching her, either through arcane or mundane means.

I found a note from Occam, which said simply, I wanted to stay and see you, Nell, sugar, but I’m tuckered out. I’ll come in early and bring breakfast. It wasn’t much, but it warmed me inside and out, and made my assigned job seem a little less tedious. Not everything in police work is high-speed car chases or shoot-outs. Most of it is boring paperwork. Very boring. Even with the sun still bright through the western-facing windows, I had to take quick breaks to stay alert, so I checked on Mud and her dog several times, taking the dog out twice to potty, just to have something active to do. Once I caught Rick kneeling at my cubicle, petting the dog, and I remembered the barrenness of Rick’s home. Rick seemed like the kind of man who would have pets, but only cats could survive his hours.

Around eight p.m., which was close to sunset in July, I was standing at the opening of my cubicle while Mud was in the locker room taking a potty break of her own. I automatically reached for the plants on the desk as I waited, and studied the dog, trying to see if she needed to go for a potty break again too. Her tail slapped the floor and her entire body wriggled under my scrutiny. More likely, she needed a run.

My fingers were in Soulwood soil. Touching a small rosemary plant.

I felt the sunset happen, up through my bones. I blinked. I had never—

Through the soil, the earth moved. I tilted, nearly fell, landing hard against the padded edge of the cubicle half-wall. Earthquake? Except the immediate sensation rising into my bones was filth. Foul. Something bad. On/in/through the soil.

Everything happened fast, overlapping. I wasn’t sure, later, in what order it all occurred.