Rowan wasn’t sure how she was managing it, probably more spells. He didn’t question her methods, and he wasn’t sure she’d listen if he did. Every once in a while, she bent down closer tothe Wizard, but other than that, she just stood there, alternating between glancing toward the water or down at the body. He could feel her strength and determination and power crackle in the air like an electric storm over water. This was a side of female Wizards he’d never witnessed before, or maybe he’d never paid attention. His brother was right. You had to admire the style of female Wizards.
A woman in a crisp dark suit emerged from a huddle of police and media. She slipped a yellow notepad into her oversized shoulder bag before heading in his direction. She was good-looking, for a human. Late twenties, early thirties, with an aura of self-confidence. When she drew close enough, she held out her manicured hand toward him.
“I’m guessing you’re Rowan.”
He stuffed his hands in his pockets, avoiding her outstretched hand. “Any leads?”
She seemed annoyed that he’d avoided shaking her hand, but it couldn’t be helped. Because he was so close to Morgan, his core temperature was somewhere between 120 and 125 degrees. The infuriating woman heated his blood just by her presence. In the condition he was in, his body temperature would freak out the human. No sense drawing more attention than he had to.
She furrowed her brows and looked over Rowan’s shoulder. “Hello, daddy dearest.”
Lyons nodded and handed Rowan a disposable cup of coffee. “Hello, AJ. You’re looking good. Did I miss a lunch date?” When she assured him that he hadn’t, he introduced her to Rowan. “I’d like you to meet my daughter, Alexandra Jordon Lyons.” The tone in Lyons’ voice was light and casual, but the pride and love shone through like a beacon. “How’s the new job going?” Lyons said to AJ.
“Fine, and before you start, I was careful and used the name Mildred Zollinger, the same name I used in college.” She leveledher gaze toward Rowan. “My dad insisted I use a fake name because he is paranoid his enemies would become mine. As a result, since all of my school records are in that name, I had to use it when I applied for my current job.”
“Now, AJ…”
Rowan wanted to argue that his friend’s daughter was being smart, but decided it was wiser to change the subject. He wanted no part of this argument, so he asked her, “Are you one of the detectives on this case?”
Lyons laughed and spat out a stream of coffee. “Hell, no! She’s going to law school.”
“Dad, that’s your dream, not mine. I have a degree in political science as well as business, with a master’s in psychology and one in ancient cultures of the Mediterranean. Don’t you think it’s time I stopped being a professional student and got a real job?”
“I just thought…”
Rowan concentrated on his coffee, as the father-daughter argument escalated. Family drama was not his thing. He looked toward Morgan. Mistake. The way she moved should be outlawed. She wore a raincoat over a sweater and slacks that were a couple sizes too big, yet she managed to look like she’d stepped off a fashion runway. There should be a law.
He crumpled up his empty coffee cup and threw it into a nearby receptacle, afraid he’d set it on fire if he held it any longer. She was circling the corpse, her expression focused and intent. What was taking her so long? The argument between Lyons and his daughter had run its course and AJ was on to another topic. Rowan felt trapped.
“Dad, I have a favor to ask. That’s the real reason I’m here. A friend from college called me late last night. You remember her, Sally Schultz. We roomed together my last year. Anyway, she knows you’re a detective and wanted to know if we could help.Her sister, Daffeny, and Daffeny’s boyfriend were found dumped on a landfill in Alaska, both dead of an apparent overdose.”
Lyons’ expression morphed from concerned father to patient cop who’d heard too many of these types of stories. “Overdosing is a tragic end and difficult for the family. I’m very sorry.”
“Except my friend said that her sister never did drugs, nor, to her knowledge, had her sister’s boyfriend. My friend said she and her sister were very close and a trip to Alaska had never been mentioned. Daffeny had just started working for a company along the wharf for an insane amount of money. But instead of being happy about it, Daffeny was really stressed and wanted to quit.”
Lyons put his hand on AJ’s shoulder. “In my experience, the family is either the last to know what a loved one is really doing or is in denial. As far as not liking a job…”
She shrugged out of his reach. “You’re not listening. My friend Sally thinks her sister was murdered. The last text Daffeny sent claimed she’d discovered that the place where she was working made a substance linked to the drug Magic Carpet Ride. Sally believes her sister stumbled onto something she shouldn’t have and was killed.”
Rowan had been only half listening, but the mention of MCR caught his attention. And not in a good way. The coincidence was too strong. Vlad had shown him a sample of MCR on the island. Rowan exchanged glances with Lyons. The man looked pale and sick. He’d made the connection as well.
The detective spat out his words. “Don’t tell me that you’re working for the same company where your friend’s sister was killed?”
The silence was deafening.
“AJ, stay out of this. That’s an order! Let the professionals do their job.”
“Too late,” she said, matching his tone. “I’ve listened to you talk about your cases most of my life. I am not going to stand by and do nothing. I’m very careful. I created a whole backstory, complete with a fake boyfriend.”
All the color drained from Lyons’ face. “Holy crap! So you’re a private investigator now? In this gun-crazy climate, when even computer programmers carry weapons, you won’t last a month. You refused to learn how to use a gun.”
“A month is all I need to prove that Daffeny was murdered.” AJ opened the flap of her shoulder bag and exposed a .357 Magnum revolver. “I’ve been practicing and I’m quite good.”
Rowan clapped his friend on the shoulder to hold him back from strangling his daughter. “Look at that,” Rowan said in a sarcastic tone. “Your daughter has a cute weapon. Five or six rounds. She’ll be perfectly safe in a gang war.”
Lyons stood as still as a statue, his expression changing from anger to concern, then frustration, and back to full-on rage.
AJ latched her purse and slung it back over her shoulder like a messenger bag. “I thought we could work on this case together. I’m doing this with or without your permission.” She snapped a perfect 180-degree turn and headed toward her parked car.
