“What did you do?”
He shrugged glossy shoulders—withers—whatever. “The only thing I could do. I went through the portal into Faerie. But time’s running a little slower there, so it took me this long to get back.”
I’d said it was like he’d fallen off the face of the Earth. I just hadn’t realized it was literally true. “You didn’t see anything?”
“I glanced back just as I crawled through the portal, to see if anybody was coming after me. And I glimpsed somebody in a dark cloak. But I didn’t see the face.”
“So tell me what you did see. Was he heavyset or skinny? Tall or short? Did you see hair color?”
“I saw the back of a cloak and it had the hood up; I couldn’t tell. And you all look tall to me.” He mumbled something that sounded like “planet of mutants.”
“Scent, then—what did he smell like? Or sound—did he say anything?” At this point, I’d take what I could get.
“I don’t have senses as acute as yours, and that club was too smelly and too noisy to make much out. Besides, I don’t think he said anything.”
I regarded him in utter frustration. I had an eyewitness who hadn’t bothered to use his eyes—or anything else. Perfect.
“You knew I was dhampir before I even opened my mouth,” I reminded him. “You must have sensed something.”
“I can tell species, even under a glamourie. It’s the whole truth thing.” He waved a paw.
“Then what was it?”
He started to open his mouth, and then stopped, frowning. “You know, that’s weird.”
“What is?”
“I hadn’t thought about it. But if I didn’t know better, I’d swear it was a human.”
Chapter Thirty-four
The luduan’s evidence hadn’t helped as much as I’d hoped, since the only human involved in the case was dead. But vamps had human servants, even mages on occasion. And he had provided one tasty little nugget.
I had my phone out before I’d reached the bottom floor. “Geminus,” I told it.
“The master is—”
“Going to be really sorry if he doesn’t take this call. I can talk to him, or I can talk to Marlowe about the smuggling ring he’s been running. His choice.”
Geminus was on the phone in less than a minute, which told me a lot on its own. SOP was to let people like me hang, but then, he was probably afraid I’d do the same to him. One call to the Senate, and Geminus was going to be a very unhappy boy.
“What do you want?” The question was snapped in my ear before I’d even had a chance to say hello.
“I already told you that.”
“I don’t have it!”
“That’s too bad. I’m sure you’ve managed to cover your tracks pretty well up until now. But that was because no one was looking too closely at you. Once that changes, I don’t think the evidence for your smuggling operation will be hard to find. And that doesn’t even count what the fey are likely to—”
“Where are you?” he asked abruptly.
“Chinatown. Why?”
“Stay there, and keep your phone with you.”
“If this is a stalling tactic—”
“It isn’t. I really don’t have the damned stone. But I may know who does.”
“Who?”
“You don’t need to know that. I’ll get it and meet you.” The phone went dead.
I looked up to find Frick and Frack staring at me. “That was Senator Geminus,” Frick said.
“You do talk.”
“You’re blackmailing him?”
I put my phone away. “We’re reaching a mutually advantageous agreement.”
“What about the smuggling?”
It looked like someone had been eavesdropping. Not too surprising—it was probably why Marlowe had sent them along. “I’ll have to keep quiet about that, if he comes through. Of course, what you do is none of my business.”
They smiled.
Half an hour later, I was rooting around in my bamboo dim sum tray, hoping for another little barbecue pork bun, while my eyes scanned the scene outside. Chinatown is always colorful, but tonight was something special. A river of glittering lapis scales flowed by the window in front of me, twisting and turning in the traditional dragon dance, the light of nearby neon signs scattering spots of color on its long snakelike back.
The impromptu parade had been by twice already, a crowd following the dancers like the tide and blocking the entrance to the small restaurant. It was making the owner scowl from his perch behind the cash register, but the waiters and patrons clearly loved their front row seats. The August Moon Festival was a big deal, and everyone was in good spirits.
Everyone but me. Geminus hadn’t called, and his phone went automatically to his mailbox. I drank my beer to wash the anxious heartburn back down and watched the spectacle with everyone else.