“Don’t worry about it,” she said. The cops drove off, and we started walking back to our car. “They don’t take me any more seriously than they take you. They didn’t listen to a word until you insulted them.”
We reached the car, and Diana drummed her fingers on the roof before getting in. Her voice was lower now, more solemn, as the full reality of the situation slowly settled in our minds. “Four Withered.”
“We don’t know that,” I said, though I suspected it was true. “Maybe he’s hired some human thugs.”
“That’s only slightly less frightening,” said Diana. “Even three human thugs outnumber us by two thugs. I can’t defend everyone at once.”
“Then let’s hope the cops turn out to be more helpful than they look.”
“I thought you didn’t like relying on people.”
“I hate it,” I said. But I don’t mind using them. I stared at the street for a moment, then opened my door. “I got a dog.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
I got in the car without speaking.
Diana sighed. “Hurt it and I’ll kill you myself,” she said. She climbed in her side and turned on the car, cranking the heater to full; it blasted us with cold air as the engine slowly warmed up. “Obviously we tell the others about this, but then what?”
“We talk to the Withered,” I said, looking back at the mortuary.
Diana paused, one finger poised over her cell phone. “You told the cops that getting involved would get them killed.”
“Them, yes,” I said. “Tomorrow afternoon, I need to meet Elijah Sexton.”
6
I had planned to meet Elijah on the street, arranging an “accidental” encounter in a place we knew he’d be, and trying to start up a conversation—I could be the kid down the street, or the paper boy, or any number of innocuous cover stories. As it turned out, I didn’t need any of them.
“He’s here,” said Trujillo. We were on the phone, and I hated phones; it was impossible to know what anyone was feeling without seeing their face. He sounded … excited? Scared? I could never tell.
“What do you mean ‘here?’” I asked, walking to the office window and looking out; Whiteflower was just across the street, seeming as peaceful and quiet as ever. Nathan heard my question and stood up, coming closer to hear better. “Is he on your floor? In your room?”
“He’s downstairs,” said Trujillo. “I told the front desk to call if he ever came in again.”
“We need more people,” said Nathan. “If we had him under surveillance like we’re supposed to he couldn’t sneak up on us like this.”
“He’s here to see Merrill,” said Trujillo, apparently overhearing Nathan’s angry protest. “As far as I know, that’s all.”
“It probably is,” I said. “Or that might be a ruse to get past the front desk. Get in Brooke’s room and lock it, just in case; I’ll come over and try to figure something out.”
“Where’s Diana?” asked Trujillo. “We need backup.”
“She’s with Ostler,” I said. “I don’t know what they’re doing.”
“Why are we alone?” Nathan demanded, for the fourth time that morning. “The one place the Withered know where to find us, and they leave the two scholars and the kid alone without a single trained fighter—we’re dead—we’re—”
“I’m coming over,” I said, and hung up the phone. “Nathan, stop whining and call Ostler.”
“Don’t talk to me that way—”
“Stay here and lock the door behind me.” I grabbed my coat—the knife safe in the pocket—and walked into the hall, pressing the button for the elevator. No one jumped out when the door opened; I rode to the ground floor, and no one was waiting to eviscerate me when I got out. I crossed the street slowly, trying to scan the area without looking like that’s what I was doing; I didn’t see anything suspicious, but I didn’t even know what I was looking for.
This was always the hardest part about hunting for a Withered: we never knew what they could do. The empty street might hold an invisible killer; the old lady on the corner might be a demon in disguise; the woman at the front desk, who I saw every day, might have been replaced by a shape shifter overnight. We had no way of knowing.
I stood in the lobby, trying to think. I still didn’t have a plan. Should I go upstairs and confront him? Should I wait here and catch him on the way out? I didn’t even know how to approach him when I saw him. Most of the Withered I’d dealt with didn’t even know I was hunting them until it was too late. Meshara already knew everything.
The lobby had a few people in it, mostly residents, a handful of visitors. I sat down in a chair near the wall and tried to think. What could I do?