“They heard our MLE office is one of the best, and they reached out to me to get my opinion. I told them about you. You’re a natural.”
“I’m not a natural. I’ve only studied magic. Any good mage will be better, since they actually practice magic.”
“Like I said, their MLE office is at a standstill. When the murderer struck in New Orleans, our MLE office didn’t get very far either. That was before you joined them. But then, we didn’t have much time.” I heard the determination ringing in his voice. He didn’t like leaving things unresolved. “Anyway, I agreed you’d be a good addition to the investigation.”
“Bad news. I don’t work for Magical Law Enforcement anymore. I was fired. Ish.”
“I heard. Which is why I am calling you directly. The people in Seattle didn’t want to stop at Captain Lox’s no.”
“I’m afraid I’m a little lost.” I took down a coffee filter.
“Seattle PD would like to contract you as a consultant. All expenses paid, of course. Given your track record, I’d ask you to give it a few weeks, tops. If you can’t solve it by then, it probably can’t be solved.”
I scratched my head. “You didn’t work with me much, so you probably don’t know that I’m not great at investigative work. I can figure out if magic was used, sure, but I’m not a true crime detective. I’m more along the lines of a…you know, bounty hunter. I didn’t fit in so well with the MLE office. Hence my being fired.”
“Even with your proposed handicap, you’d be a real asset. I’ve been working with the MLE for years, and I’ve never seen anyone as knowledgeable, or who works as quickly as you. Give it a few weeks, and if it doesn’t work out, at least you got to travel.”
I rubbed my eyes. It was too early for this. “What is the nature of the crime?”
Rustling sounded over the line, paired with voices drifting in and out of focus. Then a door closed and silence fell. “The victims appear to have been skinned alive,” Sean said. “The killer struck twice here in New Orleans. Now, we had a great local magical team look into it…”
“Callie and Dizzy,” I said. Callie had told me about this—a magical casing I’d found while working with Darius had looked similar to one she’d found while consulting on that case. “She said the perp was skinning the victim in order to get large amounts of energy to call a demon.”
“That’s what they concluded, yes. I will furnish you with the file and their findings. We found a few clues—hair fibers, fingerprints—but everything came up empty. The fingerprints weren’t in the system. Whoever did this is off the grid. Or, at least, not in our databases.”
“And the scenes in Seattle are the same?”
“They have found two bodies, which fit the killer’s MO exactly, and one of the crime scenes, which also matches up. They haven’t found the second scene, since that body was just dropped, but we can assume the perpetrator used a similar circle.”
That might mean the mage had found a home for his or her circle—a place where it could be reused. It was safer not to start from scratch if you knew your circle worked. The problem was, it would make things more difficult.
“I honestly don’t know what help I’ll be,” I said. “Like I said, I’m a lackluster detective, at best.”
“And like I said, you’re a natural. I’d love to get your two cents if I could. I want this case solved as much as the people in Seattle do.”
I scooped coffee grounds into the machine. “What’s the weather like in Seattle this time of year?”
A few hours and a talk with the captain at the MLE office later, I’d decided going to Seattle would suit me just fine. The hourly wage would be double that of my old job, with a bonus if I solved the case. They were calling it a bounty, but it was more of a contractor position, like Detective Smith had said. Whatever worked. Besides, I got to travel to a place I’d never been. With mild weather. Why not?
We’d agreed that I would fly out the next day, but as evening approached, I was sent new travel plans. It seemed they wanted to get a move on.
I packed a bag with my scuffed black leather pants and my non-scuffed red ones that Marie had gotten for me. A ton of tank tops, one of which was leather, and my toiletries, and I was ready to go.
The doorbell rang as I was checking the time. Six-oh-six. I had to get moving if I hoped to catch my new flight.
Wondering if Mikey needed another swearing session, I pulled open the door. Dizzy and Callie, dual mages, which meant that together they formed a unit that amplified their power, stood on my doorstep, their faces etched with worry.
“Hey, guys.” I frowned. “You okay?”
Callie pushed past me. I stepped aside to let Dizzy in.
“I have a contact at the MLE office,” Callie said as she paused near the kitchen entrance. Clearly she didn’t much care for small talk at the moment. “I heard they’re giving you our old case.”
It wasn’t like Callie to be territorial where it concerned me.
Unease rattled my heart against my ribcage. “Yeah. Hey, sorry. I didn’t realize I was stepping on your toes. I recently worked with the detective, and he thought maybe it would help to have a fresh pair of eyes in Seattle. If I’d known you’d be upset, I would’ve passed. I still can, if you want.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s not that.” Callie waved me away, adopting her bulldog expression that meant she was about to start bullying someone. I had a feeling it would be me. “Reagan, the mage you’re dealing with is powerful. From what the police were able to deduce, he somehow kept his victim alive for over half of the crime. You know what the crime was, right?”
“Skin removal,” Dizzy supplied.
Callie grimaced. “Yes, Dizzy, thank you. This mage harvested the blood and energy from a still-living victim. We think they might’ve used that technique to summon an extremely powerful demon. Do you hear what I’m telling you?”
“Why is my life crowded with demons these days?” I checked the time again. We needed to hurry this up. “All this time I’ve been able to avoid them, and ever since the vampires stepped into my life, it’s been demon after demon.”
“This is no time to play the martyr.” Callie put a fist to her hip. “You’re gaining power, sure, but a strong demon might overpower you. Your only hope might be to banish it. You shouldn’t get involved.”
“Hey, did I tell you that I managed to move yesterday when I levitated? And I picked up the big rock with my power.” I lifted my brow and threw her a thumbs-up. “Cool, right?”
“That’s great!” Dizzy clapped. “Well done. I knew practicing would really help.”
“Now is not the time,” Callie said to Dizzy.
“This is why no one will work with you!” he shouted. That was how he dealt with his wife’s bullying. Yelling. “You don’t appreciate people’s efforts.”