The music died down, and then a roaring electric guitar blasted through the jukebox speakers.People were rowdier than usual tonight, and Mercy was swatting a man over the head with a notepad.
“I haven’t heard anything new,” he said.“Everyone’s talking about it, but it’s the same old chatter.You can ask Mercy, but she told me the same thing.”
“Thanks for keeping your eyes and ears open.”
I wanted to cringe for saying that when I remembered Calvin only had one ear.Avoiding eye contact, I glanced over his shoulder and spotted Henry Hightower emerging from the back hall with a male companion.When he saw me, he flashed a megawatt smile and waved.
Perfect.
“What’s been your experience with Lucian Cross?”I asked.
Calvin sniffed hard and gripped his leather vest.“He’s a moody fellow.Kind of a smart-ass, but he’s not a troublemaker.Keeps to himself, usually sticks close to his packmates.Mercy’s tore up about it.”
A group bustled in, and someone accidentally knocked me into Calvin, who caught me before I fell.
Calvin scowled.“Jesus Christ!Watch where you’re going, jackass.”
Calvin wasn’t a man who minced his words.
“Sorry, ma’am.”A young gentleman with shaggy hair and soft features blushed fiercely when he realized who he had bumped into.
Poor thing.
“It’s okay.I’m fine,” I assured him.
He didn’t look older than nineteen and quickly rejoined his crowd.
“That’s Rowdy,” Calvin said.“Looks like he’s living up to his name.Local coyote Shifter.”
“Go easy on him, Calvin.”I touched his shoulder.“He’s just a kid.”
“Is there anything else I can do with the case?I’ve given you all the information I have.”
“What’s your experience been with Marcus?”
Calvin rolled his eyes.“Big asshole with a big mouth.Sore loser at pool and started a few fights in here.He was an instigator, so I’m not surprised he wound up dead in a parking lot.That was a long time coming with all the people he pissed off around here.”
“Did he have any specific enemies you can recall?”
Calvin chuckled.“Who doesn’t?I don’t know who he had personal beef with.Didn’t he spend time in jail recently?”
“He sure did.And he clearly didn’t learn his lesson.”
“Huh.Usually after a little time behind bars, a man changes his habits.Or so I’ve heard.Maybe you should talk to Henry Hightower.I think he’s still in the back.”
“Why him?”
“That Seaborn fellow was an employee of his.”
“Is that right?”
Calvin twisted around.“There he is.”He waved his arm to snag the Mage’s attention.“Hightower!Over here.”
Henry wrapped up his conversation and sauntered over with a charismatic smile.“Miss Thompson.What a pleasure seeing you here.”
“You have ten minutes left in the private room,” Calvin explained.“The Councilwoman has some questions for you.”
We jolted at a deafening roar from an animal.An enormous grizzly bear climbed onto a table, which teetered beneath his weight before collapsing.
