Now, their head had been shaved altogether. Neither side of the face had any makeup or stubble. Instead of wearing two outfits sewn together, they wore a saffron-colored tunic and loose-fitting pants. The right side still had masculine bone structure compared to the left’s softer feminine features. But the stark distinction between the Hierophant’s feminine and masculine dualities wasn’t as noticeable.
They didn’t open their eyes when we walked in. “You’re interrupting my meditation.” Their voice was more neutral than it had been in the past when they chose between their female or male sides.
“Sorry,” I said, “but we have some news you need to hear.”
The eyes opened slowly. “Basil is dead.”
I couldn’t get over how calm they sounded. The Aphrodite I was used to was vindictive as hell and loved to play with their prey like a cat. I couldn’t help wondering if this display was just another of the Hierophant’s elaborate games. After all, a person didn’t just go from keeping a revenge garden to practicing meditation overnight.
“I’m afraid so.”
They closed their eyes and whispered something I couldn’t hear, but it seemed like a prayer. Finally, the eyes opened again. “I can’t say I’m surprised. That boy kept rough company.”
Morales cleared his throat, obviously as surprised as I was about their calm response. The noise sounded unnaturally loud in the sanctuary. “When was the last time you spoke with Mr. Valentine?”
They unfolded their legs and stood. Instead of joining us immediately, they bowed three times to the statue before leaving the dais. Their movements were slow and graceful on bare feet that whispered across the reed mats that covered the floor. “Several weeks ago. He asked me for some money, but I refused. I’m afraid he didn’t like my answer.”
Given the stack of cash we’d found in Basil’s lab, it appeared he’d managed to find a more lucrative con to line his pockets.
Aphrodite held out their hands. “Please, let’s continue our conversation elsewhere. My temple is not the place for such talk.”
We followed them out of the room. Morales shot me a confused look, and I shrugged, as confused as he was.
They led us out into the courtyard to a low grouping of couches. Once we were all settled, they said, “You’re wondering if I had him killed.”
“Did you?” Morales shot back.
A smile spread across their lips. “Of course not. Didn’t Gregor tell you? I am ascending.”
“He said you were getting married,” I said.
“Yes, the sacred marriage is an ascension to enlightenment. My preparation requires ritualistic cleansing of both body and mind. That means I can’t partake in any activities that harm another living being.”
“That’s going to make running your business sort of hard, isn’t it?” I asked.
“I am in the business of healing troubled souls through sacred sexual acts,” they said primly. “However, there are certain…aspects of my operation that I can no longer oversee. My cousin Fontina Douglas will be taking those over. She arrives in a couple of days from Atlanta.”
I sucked on my teeth for a minute and watched Aphrodite. This whole enlightened act stunk worse than sulfur. “What’s your angle here?” I demanded.
“Enlightenment is not an angle, Katherine.”
“I’m just saying it seems sort of sudden. Especially since your cousin was murdered last night.”
“I wouldn’t expect you of all people to understand spiritual matters.”
The insult rolled off my back, but Morales sighed, clearly reaching the end of his patience. “Before you ascend, it’d be great if you could give us a list of Basil’s known enemies.”
“You should talk to his new girlfriend about that.” The Hierophant’s eyes sparked with some of that old cunning, but they recovered quickly. “Or at least, I assume he was still dating her.”
“What’s her name?” Morales asked.
“Some terrible name I can never remember. She’s a Votary.” An elegant hand rose to wave dismissively. “Trashy but ambitious, you know?”
“I’m familiar with the type,” he said. “You got a description?”
“Never met her personally,” they said, all coy. Interesting, really, since very little happened in the Cauldron without their knowledge. “Just heard they were together through the grapevine. I’m afraid I’ve been so focused on my spiritual lessons that I’m out of the loop.”
“We’ll look into it,” Morales said noncommittally. Despite Aphrodite’s claims to be leaving the game, it was never smart to believe anything a coven leader said. “In the meantime, if you hear anything about Basil, let us know.”
“Of course.” The agreement came too easily to be sincere. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must resume my meditation.”
“While you’re at it, meditate on what will happen if we find out you’re planning on going after Basil’s killer yourself.”
“Kate, dear, you really should give meditation a try. It might help with your trust issues.”
I narrowed my eyes. I really hated this new Aphrodite. When they’d been proudly catty, they were way more likeable. “Trust, sure. Tell you what. You try that enlightenment crap on someone who wasn’t raised by the biggest bullshitter in the Cauldron.”
They laughed. “Fine, you want the truth? You don’t have a prayer of finding Basil’s killer.”
“So, you know who killed him.” A statement, not a question.
“I have a hunch, is all.” They paused. “Listen, I like you both, so I’ll shoot straight here. Basil was my blood, but karma’s a bitch. He made his choices.”
“You do understand that you have an agreement with the AUSA Grey’s office, right?” Morales said. “If you refuse to cooperate as an informant, you’re going to jail.”
All pretense of mindfulness dropped as a mean laugh escaped their mouth. “Then lock me up. Just wait until after my wedding.”
Something about the bravado seemed too forced. “You don’t seem too concerned about the fact someone murdered your own blood. Doesn’t that bother you?”
They didn’t flinch. “Damned straight. Lots of things bother me, though. Like how there used to be rules in this town, order. Honor among thieves and shit. But these young wizes?” They shook their shaved head. “No honor at all.”
“Which young wizes?” I demanded.
The courtyard door opened and Gregor marched in. He took one look at Aphrodite’s stiff posture and stepped between the Hierophant and us. “Time to go,” he said. “Now.”
“We’ll come back with warrants if we need to,” Morales said. “Or you can tell us what you know and save everyone a lot of trouble.”
“Help us bring Basil’s murderer to justice,” I added.
Aphrodite’s eyes filled with the deadly determination that had helped them rise to the head of the coven. “Justice,” they spat. “There’s no justice in this town. There’s only power and money.”
“Why are you giving up?” I demanded.
“Because this game is rigged, sweetheart. You want my advice? Cut your losses now.”
Before we could shoot back any questions, Gregor hustled the Hierophant off to the sanctuary room. He closed the door and stationed himself in front of it. He didn’t speak, but his expression made it clear that our invitation had been revoked.
Chapter Three
After leaving the Temple of Cosmic Love, we decided to knock off early. Until we got labs back from Mez, we didn’t have a lot to go on, anyway. Besides, I was pretty sure I’d be putting in plenty of overtime soon enough.
The meeting with Aphrodite was further proof that the case was going to be a pain in the ass. On top of my instincts that Duffy was setting us up, I was now also grappling with a growing sense of dread. Aphrodite’s dire words about karma had the stink of trouble all over them. Morales didn’t seem to share my concerns and, before he dropped me off back at my Jeep, suggested we start early the next morning tracking down Basil’s girlfriend.
As I walked into the kitchen that evening, I left those troubles outside. I rarely made it home before dark, so it was nice to get there with a couple of hours to spare before Pen arrived for our girls’ night.
I stashed my backpack by the door in case a call came in the middle of the night and I had to grab and go. A few minutes later, Danny wandered in while I rifled through the mail.
When he saw me he paused and shook his head. “What’s wrong?”
I frowned at him. “Nothing—why?”