I glanced at Nichols and the way she was steadfastly not looking at the woman. Hmm. Suddenly, Nichols presence outside the warehouse at the exact moment I exited wasn’t so surprising.
It seemed someone had watched me go inside.
I frowned as I slipped my driver’s license into my back pocket. How much had the woman seen, and could that come back to bite me in the ass later?
The stranger’s gaze sharpened as I picked up the bracelet. “What’s that?”
“A bracelet.” Nichols eyed the woman like she was seriously questioning the stranger’s sanity.
I hid a smile as I grabbed my phone.
Still, I didn’t like the way the woman was staring at the bracelet like it was a snake that would jump up and bite her at any moment.
It made me wonder if there was something more to the stranger than was obvious at first glance.
A moment later, my smile faded as I glanced at the phone’s notifications.
Two missed calls from a blocked number. No voicemail, though.
Mentally, I shrugged, sliding the phone into my pocket. Whoever it was must not need anything important. Otherwise they would have left a message.
Either way I wasn't too worried. My clients preferred face-to-face meetings when discussing what they needed from me. They rarely picked up a phone to call.
Most of them didn’t even have a phone.
As someone who skated the line between a fixer and private investigator to the supernatural community, I was often the last stop for those with nowhere else to turn. I'd stumbled into the business quite by accident, with one job leading into another, then another, until I was making far more than the minimum wage I'd made as a gas station attendant.
Thankfully, the new business fit a niche not already filled in Columbus's spook community. Jerry, the owner of Hermes and my former employer, had thrown a few cases my way when his people stumbled into a situation outside their expertise.
For now, it worked. More importantly, it paid well enough that I could keep myself in black raspberry ice cream if I wanted to. Sadly, my new diet made eating ice cream a tad challenging.
Nichols held the door to the waiting room for me, her disapproval an almost physical weight. "Maybe next time, start with the truth so we don't have to waste so much time."
I didn't bother asking what truth she was talking about, not wanting to contradict any compulsion Liam would have lain on her.
"Of course, Officer Nichols. You're right. It won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't."
The door slammed behind me as I soon as I stepped into the next room. I hesitated, straining to hear the conversation on the other side of the door. Because I was a vampire which came with increased hearing, I could hear most of what was being said.
“Why are you letting her go? Don’t you see that she’s dangerous,” the woman demanded.
Seemed I was right. The woman had been watching me earlier that night. It was surprising—and concerning—I hadn’t noticed.
“Look.” Nichols paused. “You put down that your name is Pelt, right?”
“My last name, yes.”
“I would be more concerned about your own situation. Right now, you’re the one acting suspiciously.”
There was a frozen sound of dismay from Pelt.
At that, I finally moved away from the door. I’d worried for nothing and getting caught eavesdropping by the stranger would only arouse suspicions again. That was the last thing I needed.
I only made it two steps before I stopped short, surprised at who was waiting for me. I blinked, then blinked again.
"Connor." Not the man I was expecting.
