Caroline’ssoftcursefilledmy ears as she got a look at the photo’s subject matter.
There was a sense of disconnection as I picked up the other piece of paper, the one I’d discarded earlier as being useless, and scanned it. Caroline was right. Now that she’d said something, I could decipher the scribbles. This was my schedule. Every stop I’d made over the last week was written in black.
From my trip to the pancake house to my time at the club. Even my job at Hoover Reservoir for the naiads was written down.
Caroline grabbed my wrist, being careful not to touch the paper and risk muddying the scents before drawing it closer to her face. Her eyelashes fluttered as she inhaled, sorting through any odors clinging to the surface.
A second later, her face filled with disappointment as she shook her head. “I don’t recognize any of the scents.”
That didn’t mean much. There were several reasons she might not be able to identify the individual who’d handed important information about my daily comings and goings to a hunter.
Caroline was familiar with most of those close to me—but not all. Deborah was one example. There were a few vampires I could think of that she’d never met too. Any of which could be responsible.
There was also a possibility that this information had been delivered via phone or third party. In that event, their scent never would have had a chance to touch this paper.
“That is your schedule, right?” Caroline jutted her chin at the paper I still clutched.
My nod was silent.
Her mouth flattened. “You were the target.”
“It’s hard to say.”
Though it was certainly looking that way.
Caroline slammed a hand on the bar. “Don’t lie to me. I’m not blind. It’s obvious what’s going on.”
“Is it?” I tossed the paper on the bar. “Because if so, I’d really like someone to explain it to me in words a child would understand.”
Caroline’s expression shifted. “Aileen—”
I cut her off with a sharp gesture. “My schedule isn’t lying around for anyone to pick up. I don’t even know where I’m going to be most nights. So how did they?”
It was the question that bothered me the most. My itinerary was unstable. Appointments shifted; my destination changed based on circumstances.
I stabbed a finger at the paper. “I could understand them knowing about my job with the naiads because it was in my calendar. But how did they know I’d be here? I didn’t write that down anywhere. I even forgot about it. Yet they knew exactly where I would be and when. How, Caroline? Can you tell me that?”
Caroline made a soothing motion with her hands. “I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out together.”
The idea that someone had betrayed me was infuriating. I didn’t let a lot of people close to me, so the list of possibilities wasn’t that long. The problem was, everyone on it was someone I trusted implicitly.
“Have you considered Connor?” Caroline asked tentatively.
“It’s not him.”
“He was with you all night,” she pointed out. “He would know your next destination as soon as you did.”
“It’s. Not. Him.” I hissed, flashing my fangs.
Her wolf muscled forward, peering out of her eyes and lifting a lip at me before she reclaimed control. “If you say it’s not him, I believe you. I wouldn’t be your best friend if I didn’t mentioned it though.”
I closed my lips around my fangs, shame making a brief appearance. “You’re right. I’m sorry. You’re just trying to help.”
I didn’t see any anger on her face, only concern, as she touched my shoulder in solidarity.
“I truly don’t think he did this,” I said.
We’d been through too much for me to believe otherwise. Besides, if he wanted to kill me, he didn’t need such a circuitous method. He was the king of heart snatches. He could have just reached into my chest and taken what was there. He didn’t need a hunter for that.
