“You signed up to be Liam’s Second,” shesaid.
The tendons in Liam’s neck strained against his tanned throat. Even though Sarah wasn’t on speakerphone, his hearing was sharp enough to hearher.
“As crazy as it may sound, I wasn’t ready to see him die,” I repliedsoftly.
Liam rested his forearms on his knees, linked his fingers, and stared so hard at his knuckles that a vertical groove appeared between hiseyebrows.
After hanging up, I placed my phone face down on the coffee table. “I think it would be in good form for you to attend Julian’s wake,too.”
His gaze jerked to mine. “You do realize they’re all Creeksnow.”
“They’re also human.Parthuman. Anyway, it was just a suggestion. Not anorder.”
Slowly, he nodded. “You’re right. I’ll accompanyyou.”
“Good.”
“So, Sillin, huh? You’re really convinced that’s how she defeatedJulian?”
I looked around the bright, clean room with all of its sharp angles and muted colors. Dust motes sparkled in a streak of sunlight. “Any chance your house isbugged?”
“Cole did a sweep of it the other day. No listening devices or hiddencameras.”
“I’m not convinced ofhowshe cheated, just that shedid.”
“Then why didn’t Nora Matz signal foulplay?”
“Sillin is odorless. If Sandra ground it up into her bodylotion—”
“Cassandra.” When I frowned, he added, “You just called herSandra.”
Right.“Sandra’s what she called herself when she posed as a Red Creek Escort pimp.” I ran my lower lip between my teeth. Three little letters that had hidden her identity from me. I couldn’t figure out if she’d chosen the moniker for lack of creativity or in the hopes that I’d figure out who shewas.
“Yourtheory?”
I picked at the frayed hem of my cutoffs. “She rubbed it into her skin, and when Julian bit her, it made himweaker.”
“But Sillin doesn’t make us throwup.”
He was right, but maybe mixed withlotion. . .
“Besides, wouldn’t it have penetrated herbloodstream?”
“Eventually.” I sighed. “I’d like to test my theory. Is the Sillinhere?”
“No.”
“Where did you putit?”
“Somewheresafe.”
“Whichis?”
“Somewhere safe,” he repeated as though I hadn’t heard him the firsttime.
I crossed my arms. “Which you’re going to keep me in the darkabout?”
“It’s better that Ido.”
