Evie raised a hand, and a door slammed. Several cops shifted on their feet, clearly spooked by the casual use of her power. But I could no longer hear the cop throwing up, so that was a win.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.” Her face was so pale, her freckles stood out on her skin.
“Rookies,” Nelson muttered.
I forced myself to look down once more. Someone had bludgeoned his face with such force, his mother likely wouldn’t have recognized him. And thinking about this guy having a mom was definitely not helping me keep my mental distance.
How did cops do it? How did they deal with all this pain and death all the time?
I forced myself to look lower. Whoever those claws belonged to had taken their time with this guy. His arms and legs all had deep tears in them, just like his back. Someone had tortured him.
But there was something about the claw marks that seemed familiar.
“The claws must have been curved, almost like an eagle.” I closed my eyes. I’d slid many drinks over the bar to someone who had claws just like that.
“Mere?”
“I think I know someone who can help. She has similar claws. But she wouldn’t have done this. I swear.”
Evie nodded. She knew who I was thinking of. “She’s got too much to lose to indulge in killing humans. She may know someone who did, though,”
I straightened, grateful to be able to look at anything but the body. Nelson’s eyes met mine.
“I think a harpy did this. The claw marks look similar.”
Nelson’s expression was grim. “Who is it?”
“Let us talk to our contact first,” I said. “She’s the harpies’ unofficial leader. She’ll know who is the most likely to work with humans and witches.”
Nelson’s face said he didn’t like it, but after a long moment, he nodded. Then he lifted a brown wallet, his gloved hand coated with blood.
“Guy’s name is Keith Wills.”
“Douglas’s brother?” Evie asked, and Nelson nodded.
She went to push her hair off her face and froze, slowly peeling the gloves off her hands before she smeared blood and other unrecognizable fluids through her curls.
Nelson glanced at one of the cops. “Show them.”
The cop held up a laptop in a sparkly pink case. It stood out so much in this house of death and blood that it took a moment for it to sink in.
“Something tells me that’s Ilayda’s,” Evie said.
My hands itched to touch it, to let my magic explore it and see what I could find. I opened my mouth and glanced at Nelson.
He was already shaking his head.
“You know we have to take it in for evidence. As soon as it has been processed, you can take a look.”
I nodded. “I’m assuming Ilayda’s laptop must have been in the car with her. This guy’s brother is lying barbecued in the street, and he’s busy going through the car and stealing anything he could find?”
Nelson merely shrugged. I guess he was used to seeing the worst of humanity.
Evie studied the laptop. “That thing sticks out in this place. Clearly, whoever tortured Keith here wasn’t looking for it. He would’ve handed it over if only to get the harpy’s claws out of his guts.”
I winced. Evie shrugged at me. I took a deep breath. She was right. “So, it’s unlikely whoever kidnapped Ilayda took her because she knew something or had some kind of information they needed.”
