We kept our break to a quick half hour, then stomped back in.
“We’re back,” I said, a lot more sweetly now that I’d had lunch.
The agent sighed and went back to his paperwork.
I almost felt bad for not offering to pick up something for him. These agents were doing their best to investigate Claudette’s death, which was the least she deserved.
Then I spotted the last bite of a sandwich on the man’s desk. Peanut butter with honey, judging by the smell. I wondered if he’d packed it himself or whether his mom had. Or maybe there was a nice, comely Mrs. Agent Bear who’d lovingly packed his lunch?
A wave of sorrow hit me so hard, I sat down.
Love. Kindness. Two things Claudette had experienced far too little of in her life.
I clenched my fists and stomped up to the desk, seized by the need to act.
“Uh, Gen?” Roux jumped to his feet to follow.
“When can I talk to Officer Dulaire?” I demanded at the desk.
“Mademoiselle,this is an ongoing investigation. These things take time. If you’d like to leave your number, Officer Dulaire will call in due course.”
“Not sure talking to Clement is a good idea,” Roux whispered, pulling me back.
I pushed his arm away. “Because you don’t trust me not to say something stupid?”
“You, I trust,” he said firmly.
I stopped. Oh. Well, that was refreshing.
Still whispering, Roux jerked a thumb toward the office. “But I don’t trusthim.”
“I have to tell him what I saw.” Then I mouthed,No details. No promises.
Roux didn’t look happy, but he stepped back, relenting.
For weeks, everyone had treated me like a child, at least when it came to guarding our supernatural secrets. Now, at least one person respected me. So, doubly refreshing.
I turned back to the agent and gestured to Bene and Roux. “Officer Dulaire took their statements. Doesn’t he want one from me?”
“No.”
One little word, but I might as well have been slapped.
“No? No?” My voice rose. “He doesn’t want to hear what I have to say?”
“Now, don’t get excited, miss,” the bear tried.
“Oh, I’m not excited. I’m pissed off.”
With that, I started hammering on Clement’s door.
“Now, wait a second,” the bear said.
“Clement!” I hollered. “Open up right now! I want to make a statement.”
The longer I knocked, the madder I became. It was one thing for Clem to ignore me for most of my life. It was another for him to ignore me now, when Claudette’s killer was on the loose.
Finally, he opened the door — so suddenly, I nearly smacked his face. I caught myself just in time and used the momentum to stumble in.
