“Go ahead,” Erik told him. “I’ll close up here and reset the alarm. We can get Alessia to fully re-establish the wards tomorrow, but I can do enough tonight that anyone who makes another try will be sorry.”
He checked the door for damage, reset the locks and alarm, then trundled up the steps. The warm glow from their earlierlovemaking had dimmed, leaving anxious exhaustion in its place.
“Take a deep breath,” Ben coaxed when he slipped in beside Erik. “You’re safe. I’m safe. The store wasn’t damaged. A cop really was looking out for us. Maybe we’ll get some clues about who’s after us. At the very least, that’s one guy who isn’t likely to make a second attempt. Try to let it go and get some sleep.”
Erik kissed Ben. “I’ll do my best, no guarantees. Stay close.”
“Always,” Ben promised.
They had barely gotten through their morning bathroom routine the next day before Erik’s phone rang.
“Hendricks here,” the chief greeted him gruffly. “I’m downstairs. We need to talk.”
“I’ll be right down,” Erik told him. “Don’t try to open the door before I turn off the system.”
“You gonna tell him?” Ben asked as Erik ran a comb through his still-wet hair.
“I will. Doesn’t mean he’ll believe me. Depends on whether he thinks magic or spontaneous intestinal distress is harder to accept.”
Erik hurried downstairs and disabled the security system. He opened the door and found Hendricks standing on the sidewalk, well off the steps.
“It’s safe to come in.” Erik stood aside to let him enter.
“Officer Calvin said he saw a man approach the door and move to pick the lock. Just as the officer was going to intervene, the man doubled over and started throwing up, followed by him losing control of his bowels,” Hendricks recapped. “He didn’t recover until this morning. Want to explain the timing on that?”
“Magic.”
Hendricks gave him a skeptical look, although Erik thought the chief had to have anticipated the response. “Come again?”
“In addition to a top-grade security system, the building is heavily warded, protected with sigils and spells to keep out intruders with ill intent,” Erik said, as if nothing about his answer was unusual.
“You’re saying that was magic?”
“It’s a non-lethal way to incapacitate someone who clearly meant us harm.” Erik shrugged. “It will wear off in a couple more hours. And while I imagine he’ll feel lousy and be dehydrated, there are no lasting effects. Although I suspect he won’t be quick to try again—which is the whole idea.”
Hendricks regarded him for a moment as if trying to make sure Erik wasn’t playing with him.
“Magic,” he repeated, clearly wrestling with the idea.
“You don’t have to include that in your report,” Erik supplied helpfully. “Just chalk it up to severe, spontaneous intestinal distress. Something he ate really didn’t agree with him and picked a bad time to create a reaction.”
Hendricks gave a non-committalhumpfh. “You think he was after that damned window?”
“Damned” might be the right word for it,Erik thought.
“We haven’t had any new acquisitions since I bought the window, given how bad the weather’s been, and nothing else we bought recently has been out of the ordinary—definitely not magical,” Erik replied.
Hendricks twitched at the “M-word” but didn’t object. “Any idea who might have sent the thief?”
“Guesses, but nothing solid,” Erik replied. “Do you know who the thief is?”
Hendricks sighed. “Rudy Cosentino. He’s got a rap sheet as long as my arm. Not local talent; usually causes troublein Wildwood. Bit player, thug-for-hire. Definitely someone who would be considered disposable if they hired him for a job and it went wrong.”
“Like last night, if the magic had played for keeps.” Erik hadn’t considered that the attempt might have been a dry run to see how good their protections were.
“Could be,” Hendricks admitted.
“Shit, no pun intended.” Erik ran a hand back through his hair. “We can increase the protections and still keep it non-lethal, but it would be better for everyone if I had specialists move the window to a much more secure facility.”
