“I’m right there with you, but someone spotted this guy near Marble Arch and I don’t want to lose the one good lead I’ve had all week. If you don’t want to go, I’ll find someone else.” She paused. “Normally I’d go alone, but as you said, the city is teeming with vampires.”
Guilt washed over me. Of course she was anxious too. Just because I was a dhampir didn’t mean I was the only one threatened by a surplus of vampires. Part of being a knight meant assisting the other members of the banner. We were a team. I’d even sworn an oath.
Argh.
“I’ll help.”
“Thanks, London. Meet you at Monument in half an hour. You’re the best.”
Maybe I needed to stop being the best. Then next time she’d call someone else first.
I was relieved that Stevie wanted to meet at Monument because it kept me away from the heart of the celebration at Buckingham Palace. It also made it easier to arrive in half an hour because there were fewer crowds than normal and the bus was relatively empty. This area was even quieter than I anticipated. There were flags out in honor of the fallen queen, but no specific Britannia Day activity.
When I arrived, Stevie was pacing the pavement. She wore her suit of magical armor and combat boots. The armor’s dark shade of blue complemented the silver undertones of her brown skin. Unlike the last time I saw her, the tips of her dark hair were bubblegum pink.
I gestured to her head. “What prompted the fashion statement?”
“Boredom.”
“You need a special friend.”
She cracked a smile. “From your lips to the gods’ ears.”
I surveyed the street. “Who are we looking for?”
“Caucasian male. White hair. Last seen wearing black trousers, a blue shirt, suspenders, and a bow tie.”
“So we’re hunting for an accountant.”
She smiled. “Not quite.”
We started walking toward the river. Stevie was a water witch so if the target decided to seek refuge in the Thames, he wouldn’t get far.
“What did he do?”
“Stole from a client that owns a pawn shop. Judd’s fallen on hard times so a thief is the last thing the poor guy needs.”
“A pawn shop? What’s valuable enough to get us involved?”
“The thief didn’t take anything from the pawn shop. Judd was fishing with his son at a pond. The guy approached them under the guise of entertaining the kid with magic.”
“And he stole from them right there and then? That’s ballsy.”
“He took the tackle box.”
“He didn’t take the rod?”
Stevie kept her gaze on the crowd, scanning for any sign of the target. “Apparently not.”
“Why take the tackle box?”
“They’re both infused with magic—the rod and the box. Apparently Judd shared this during their brief conversation. A wizard had dropped the items off at the pawn shop not too long ago and demonstrated how they work.”
“And what? The rod guarantees a fresh catch and the tackle box always supplies worms?”
“More or less.”
I grunted. “Sounds like a fairytale.”
“There was a fire in the pawn shop a few weeks ago and he lost a lot of inventory.” She sighed. “His wife died last year as well as his brother, who was his business partner.”
I blew out a breath. Talk about a series of unfortunate events. “What happened?”
“They received a tip on an estate in Mayfair and figured it was worth checking out. That was how their partnership worked. Judd worked in the shop and his brother sourced materials when foot traffic was low. Martha didn’t usually leave the premises because of the children, but the estate sounded too big for Terrell to handle alone.”
“It was a setup?”
Stevie nodded. “Vampire den.”
Vampire dens formed when lower-class vampires were dissatisfied with their rations of blood and took matters into their own hands. They squatted in abandoned homes and banded together in their efforts to acquire blood by any means possible.
“They took over one of those grand houses in Mayfair. Judd said his brother didn’t think twice about it because of the location. The vampires lured Terrell and Martha there with the promise of a treasure trove.”
My whole body tensed. “I don’t suppose Judd reported it.”
“He considered it but decided he didn’t want to draw attention to himself.”
I didn’t blame him. Once you were on vampire radar, it was hard to get off. Judd might’ve ended up in a worse position if the vampires decided he and his son would make good tributes. There’d be no justice for Terrell and Martha.
“So Judd’s been trying to balance the shop with being a single dad and the business has suffered as a result,” Stevie continued.
“The fishing expedition wasn’t for sport then?”
She tucked a strand of pink-tipped hair behind her ear. “No. They were desperate for food.” She pursed her lips, appearing to fight the unpleasant memory. “I know we’re not supposed to make promises to clients, but I’m pretty sure I used the words ‘if it’s the last thing I do.’”
“How’s he paying for our services?” He could’ve applied for a grant, but if he was trying to avoid vampire attention, then he’d want to find other means of payment.
“My choice from the pawn shop.”
“Good deal.” It really was. You never knew what you’d find in a place chock full of castaway objects.
Stevie’s eyes flicked to the right. “Two o’clock.”
I swiveled. A white-haired man stood in front of the building, deep in conversation with another man. They stood close together with their heads almost touching. The second man’s head snapped up and he stared wide-eyed at the white-haired man.
I looked sideways at Stevie. “You didn’t mention he’s a wizard.”
“I didn’t know.”
That added a layer of complication. We had to proceed with caution or we risked a public spectacle. No way would I create a public spectacle on a day when there were extra vampires afoot.
“Let’s not go charging in,” I advised. “Nice and easy.”
Stevie cast a sidelong glance at me. “When do I ever go charging in? That’s your style.”
“It’s more Kami, really.”
The two men shook hands and the surprised man walked away. I wondered how much he’d lost in whatever bet they’d made.
“That’s our cue,” I said. I hurried over to the man before he latched on to another mark.
I adopted a friendly demeanor. “Hey, my friend and I were watching you from across the street. What kind of magic were you doing?”
“What kind do you think it was?” His grin was engaging and I found myself smiling back at him.
“Teleportation of objects,” I guessed.
His gaze traveled from me to Stevie. “Snazzy outfits. Something tells me you’re not here for a magic demo.” He offered a hand. “The name’s Bertram.”
“London Hayes from the Knights of Boudica. This is my fellow knight, Stevie Torrin.” I shook his hand. When I released it, I felt a small object in my palm. Queen of Hearts. “Well played, sir.” I returned the card to him. “We’re here to discuss a tackle box that you took from our client.”
“Can’t say I know anything about a tackle box. Can you describe it?”
Stevie gave me a hard look. “Can’t I just get it through violent means?”
Bertram produced a bag of nuts seemingly out of thin air and offered us a handful.
I waved him off. “We’re not interested in your nuts, thanks.”