“There’s something Andy didn’t tell you,” the lean man on the step said quietly.
I stopped near him. “And what’s that?”
“They had a fight. Andy has a temper, and it stirred up some rumors when she suddenly died.” The man stood and flicked his cigarette into the yard before opening the back door and going inside.
* * *
As soon asI stepped inside Ruby’s Diner, I knew right away that I needed an Angus burger with extra cheese, and an apple pie. We had a long day ahead of us.
I approached a booth by the left-hand windows, exactly the spot where I’d asked the Relic to meet us. The man sitting there had his head over his plate.
“Hi, are you Graham?”
“In the flesh.”
“Sorry we’re late. I’m Raven, and this is Blue.”
Graham Wiggins’s rotund figure led me to believe he might be a stress eater. He sopped up his gravy with a yeast roll, leaving nothing to waste. To look at him, I’d never guess he was Breed. Just an average-looking guy who dressed like a middle school football coach who substituted as a history teacher. He looked like he was testing out a beard by the whiskers filling in his face.
Graham licked his fingers as we took a seat, and I was suddenly grateful that handshaking wasn’t a Breed custom.
“The food here is spectacular. Spectacular! I’ll have to come here again. I couldn’t decide between the chicken-fried steak and the meatloaf.”
Blue slid into the booth first.
Sitting beside her, I searched for Betty but didn’t see her. “Not many people order the meatloaf, so I think you made the right choice.”
After flagging a waitress, Blue and I ordered our food and waited for her to set our drinks on the table before talking business. It also gave Graham extra time to finish up his meal so he could work on the chocolate cake that just arrived.
I watched a group of teenagers smoking in the parking lot outside.
Graham finally wiped his mouth with a napkin and then eyeballed the cake. “Ren tells me you’re looking into a few deaths. Whenever Packmasters get together in large groups, nothing good ever comes of it. I’m sure your feathery friend can agree.”
Blue leaned back and drummed her fingers on the table. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nobody wears falcon feathers except falcons. If you’re not a falcon, you’re bound to ruffle somebody’s feathers wearing those earrings.” Graham erupted with laughter, and it sounded like a hyena. It was silly enough that I caught myself smiling. He was probably a hit at dinner parties, the guy who had all the best stories and jokes.
“Where’s your partner?” she asked.
“I don’t have one.”
“How the hell do you manage clients without backup? I’ve never met a Relic who didn’t partner up with someone to share the workload.”
Graham tore open a packet of sugar and poured it into his soda. “I only sleep two hours a night. It runs in the family and doesn’t affect our mental state in the least. A slight genetic mutation. I suppose I could find a Relic who specializes in Relics, but what would be the point? Anyhow, less money for me to share.”
I folded my arms across the table. “But it also means you can only be one place at a time. If you had a partner, you could have twice as many clients.”
Graham chortled and set his phone on the table. “This is the twenty-first century. Clients can schedule a conference call on the phone for virtual face-to-face contact. Half the time they’re just consulting me for advice.” He twirled his phone to make a point. “Five years ago it wasn’t as popular, but once they get used to the technology, they realize how convenient it is. Now I have more time to focus on the kids and occasional scuffles the adults get into.”
Blue snorted. “Scuffle is one way to put it.”
He picked up his fork. “Idiocy is another.”
I sipped my soda, wishing it had a little tequila mixed in. “Do you think we’re wasting our time?”
He ran the prongs on his fork across the top of his cake. “Doesn’t hurt to have a second opinion. But I examined some of the victims myself and didn’t find anything suspicious. So from a medical standpoint, I don’t see a connection. It really boils down to what you ladies uncover—if anything.”
“We just visited the Boring pack.”
