The witch frowned. “Not a lot. It’s a small coven. Maybe eight or nine members. They’ve been around for a couple of generations but they’ve never made waves.” She drummed her fingers on the table. “It’s the kind of coven that keeps its head down and minds its own business.”
I pursed my lips. “So, the kind that’s easy to pressure.”
Didi’s frown deepened. “You’re right,” the witch admitted reluctantly. “A small coven with no powerful allieswouldbe vulnerable to coercion.”
A muscle jumped in Samuel’s jaw. I turned to Gavin
“And Melody Flowers?” I asked the dragon newt. “Did you find anything unusual about her coven’s finances? Or any connection to the Ashgrove witches, maybe?”
Gavin’s nostrils sparked. “I haven’t had time to check.”
Samuel put his hands flat on the table and rose.
20
WRONG CONNECTIONS
“This is bigger than we thought,”my alpha said. “Somebody has spent over a year dismantling the Lincoln sisters’ finances and paying off a coven to do God knows what. This is no longer just about a kidnapping. This is a plan with significant financial repercussions that will have a negative impact on healthcare of the supernatural community in Amberford.” The mate bond hummed with the sharp focus that meant his protective instincts had fully engaged. “I’m taking this to the Alliance. Cornelius and the others need to know.” Samuel’s gaze settled on Gavin and me. “Keep digging into those shell entities. I want to know where that money trail ends. And Didi?”
“I know.” The witch was already on her feet, her face grim. “I’ll start working my coven contacts and look into the Ashgrove witches.” She left the room.
Samuel pulled his phone out of his pocket and started dialing as he headed out. The call connected.His voice dropped into the low, clipped tone he reserved for pack business and Alliance meetings.
Gavin and I exchanged a look.
“Looks like it’s the two of us looking into that Delaware company.” I studied the bags under his eyes. “You should take a nap first.”
The dragon newt blinked fuzzily. Now that he’d told us about his findings, the energy seemed to have drained out of him.
“You sure?”
I made a face. “How many Abbys do you see?”
“Five,” he said promptly.
“I rest my case.”
I spent the next few hours chasing the Delaware holding company through a labyrinth of financial records. Gavin soon joined me, a coffee in hand.
Bo poked his head out from under my desk.
“Should he be drinking that?” he said in a stage-loud whisper.
Gavin pretended not to hear him.
I hesitated. The dragon newt was famous for his volatile and dangerous relationship with caffeine. The fact that he was already well over his weekly allowed quota should have worried me.
“The situation warrants it,” I said finally.
Bo wagged his tail and looked at me with limpid eyes. “Does the situation warrant me coming off my diet?”
“No.”
The Husky huffed and disappeared under the desk, tail drooping.
My gut tightened the deeper Gavin and I delved into the shell entities. Whoever had set them up understood corporate law and financial obfuscation at a level that made my former employers look like amateurs. Each layer peeled back to reveal another and the trail grew colder with every step.
Samuel returned at lunch time, his expression steely.
