Page 19 of Hextreme Measures

Ofelia grinned. Her father was doing well after his extended stay in the hospital. He was taking his meds regularly and didn’t look to be trending toward a spiral, which was inevitable. Since Ofelia’s plate was full with her wedding and Angelique, she was grateful for it.

“Well, I guess that’s fair,” she said finally. “They did seem pretty angry.”

“And then the police rolled in the way they did and hauled people away,” Oscar mused. “Do you think we’ll ever see those people again?”

“I’m sure we will,” Sully replied. “I’m guessing they’re just getting a special round of questioning.”

Oscar gave Sully a dubious look. “If you say so. One of those cops is here, just FYI. Is he a friend of yours?”

Sully was thrown. “Who is here?”

“The big guy.”

“What big guy?” The question was barely out of Sully’s mouth when his eyes landed on Biff, who cut an imposing figure no matter the company he was keeping. The big man was exiting the hallway that led to the restrooms and moving in their direction.

“Oh, crap,” Ofelia muttered when she saw him.

“Let me do the talking,” Sully warned under his breath.

Oscar split a worried look between his daughter and future son-in-law, but didn’t say anything. He was well aware of what they did on a regular basis. There were monsters in the city, and they fought them. He might not have understood why Sully wasn’t happy to see his co-worker. He knew enough to keep his mouth shut.

“Hey.” Biff feigned brightness as he crossed to them. “Just the couple I was looking for.”

Ofelia had never truly trusted Biff. Most of the time, she convinced herself he was a meathead, essentially stupid but determined to do the right thing. Other times, she wondered if he was dangerous. Today, she was opting for the latter.

“You were looking for us?” Sully rubbed his cheek, as if fighting off fatigue. Ofelia recognized he was putting on an act. “We just got here.”

“I know. I took a chance because you guys are here so often.”

Sully merely cocked an eyebrow. “Is something going on? Do you have news from the party last night?”

“So far, things are holding steady there,” Biff replied, speaking in what he likely considered code. He cast a significant look toward the nearby table, to where Oscar’s friends were sitting, so Sully could read between the lines. “I’m looking for somebody, though.”

“Who?” Sully asked.

“Angelique Fleury.”

Ofelia’s heart skipped 10 beats, but she managed to keep her expression bland through sheer force of will. “What happened to Angelique?”

“That’s what we’re trying to ascertain.” Biff smiled, but there was no warmth behind his eyes. “People are saying they saw her get injured at your party last night.”

“What people are saying that?” Sully asked.

“It doesn’t matter.” Biff’s superior attitude made Ofelia edgy. “What matters is that she hasn’t been back to her apartment since the party.”

“You’re not her keeper,” Ofelia argued. “What does it matter where she’s at? Is this about you being jealous?”

At one time, Biff had tried to woo Angelique with everything he had. Angelique had chosen Ben. Biff had been butthurt about it. He’d been saucy whenever Angelique’s name had been brought up ever since.

“It’s about the public’s safety,” Biff fired back. “I’m here to ascertain if you have seen her.”

“Not since the party,” Sully replied.

“Are you sure?” Biff peered hard at Sully, then flicked his eyes to Ofelia. “Because, and I’m not accusing you of anything here, but people say that Ofelia and Angelique left the party together last night.”

“We walked back together,” Ofelia replied. “She was fine. She wasn’t injured.” The witch would have liked to talk around the injury in case it came back to bite her. She couldn’t think that fast, though. “We said our goodbyes when we got back to Bourbon Street. I assumed she went to her apartment.”

“And her boyfriend?” Biff asked. “I can’t find an address for him.”