“Hey,” I said to him, and he looked over at me, obviously disinterested. “Mind if I ask you a couple questions?”
“What about?” the shifter asked, his eyes narrowing. He was blond, with his hair reaching down to the nape of his neck. A lion shifter through and through.
“Your jerk of a boss.”
“What are you, some kind of narc? Did he put you up to this?”
I shook my head. “No. I’m working with the Enforcers to find who killed the elf a few days ago.”
“Oh, Rudoldir?”
“That’s the one,” I said with a nod.
“You think Andrei did it?” the shifter asked, considering it. “Well, I guess I could see that.”
“I’m looking into him for something else, too. Were you working here yesterday morning?”
“Sure. I’m here every day. He pays well, which is the only reason. I wouldn't put up with his crap otherwise. The vamp likes to yell.”
“Was Andrei on site all day yesterday?”
“Nah,” the shifter said, shaking his head. “He was here at seven when the whole crew rolled up, but around eight-thirty he told us he was leaving and would be back in a while. He didn’t exactly give details as to where he was going. He’s not the type. We’re not good enough to know what the boss is doing.”
“Not a huge fan of him?” I said with a grin, and the shifter shook his head.
“Nope. Frankly, if it wasn’t for the money, I’d walk out of here. A guy like me, with the experience I’ve got, I can work anywhere in the paranormal world. I don’t like the portals, so I prefer working here in Mt. Rheanier, but there’s only so much a shifter can take, you know?”
“I do,” I replied. “I heard he’s been using slurs against you.”
“Oh, all the time. It’s ridiculous. In the end, we’re all paranormals. The fact that he’s a vampire doesn’t make him any better than us. His superiority complex is ridiculous.”
“Well, if it helps, from what I hear, the vampire community here in town isn’t especially pleased with his attitude either.”
“I’m not surprised to hear it. The family that runs the grocery store are just wonderful, and the other vampires here in town that I’ve dealt with have also been great. I hope this moron just gets the message and leaves town sooner rather than later. I know I won’t be going to his restaurant anytime soon.”
“Agreed,” I concurred. “Well, thanks for the info.”
“No problem. Is it bad that I kind of hope he did it? I wouldn’t be sad if he went to Spellcatraz.”
“You won’t find me disagreeing,” I said, giving the shifter a quick wave as I headed back out to the front of the restaurant. I had what I needed. Now I had to confront Andrei.
Chapter 23
The front door of Trattoria Nueva was propped open to make it easier for the shifters bringing in furniture to move in and out.
“Be careful! The glass in that door cost four thousand abras! You break it, you buy it,” Andrei called out to a shifter somehow carrying in four chairs at once. He hadn’t even come close to hitting the glass.
The inside of the space was looking a lot less like a construction zone and more like a restaurant. The once dusty floors that had been covered with paper to protect it now revealed gorgeous glossy dark-stained hardwood, and the wooden tables and chairs being brought in gave the whole place a feel that was both classy and homely. To the right, a large floor-to-ceiling wine cabinet had been built, ready to display about a hundred bottles. As much as I thought Andrei was a terrible paranormal, I had to admit this place looked good.
“This is coming along nicely,” I said to Andrei, and he plastered a smile on his face that didn’t reach his eyes. He had obviously been hoping he would never see me again.
“Thank you, yes, despite having to keep on the shifters like they’re toddlers. If you’re not constantly watching them, they get themselves into all sorts of trouble. Honestly, it’s a wonder they manage to breed without creating abominations of nature.”
Yikes. There was a whole lot I wasn’t about to touch in that sentence, but I had trouble stopping myself from scrunching my nose at Andrei in disgust. Instead, my face contorted into a weird shape that I hoped was a smile but really didn’t feel like it.
“Are you alright?” Andrei asked. “Your face looks strange. Are you having a stroke?”
“Nope,” I replied as cheerily as I could muster. I guess I failed on that attempt at a normal smile. “I’m fine. Anyway, I have to ask you about yesterday: where were you in the morning?”
“I was here,” Andrei replied. “I’m always here. Do you know how much work goes into opening a new restaurant?”
“Sure,” I replied. “But then, I can imagine there are also a whole lot of things a vampire might have to do when getting that restaurant ready that might have to be done off premises.”
“Of course,” Andrei said with a haughty sniff. “This isn’t an easy position. But as I told you, yesterday morning I was here the whole time.”
“That’s funny, because I have it on good authority that you left for a while,” I replied, looking Andrei square in the eyes. I wanted to see his reaction. He inhaled sharply, his eyes widening.
“Fine. Yes, yesterday I left around eight in the morning. I needed to stop at the bank to organize some final details with the partner I’m bringing on board in this venture.”
“Can I ask who that person is?”
“My new partner is a witch and an esteemed member of this community.”
“Oh? Does she have a name?”
“Helena Green,” Andrei replied. “If you must know. By bringing her in, I’ve been able to acquire the liquor license from Fjordir.”
“He gave it to you?”
“Yes, I went to see him yesterday. He told me that now that I have brought in a witch as
