“Yeah, but before we get to that, I’ve figured out what happened to Sarah Benning. Well, at least up to a certain point.”
I told him what I’d learned without bringing Ashvial into it. When I got to the part about Akiyama Benjiro, Whittaker let out his breath in a loud whoosh. Benjiro was young to be a Family head, but he had taken control three years before when his father unexpectedly died.
“Deputy Commissioner, Findlay thinks Akiyama is trying to make a push. They suspect them of being behind the attacks on my grandmother and me. And I assume you know that Findlay is in discussions with Novak.”
He nodded. “Yes, I’m aware. I’ve been asked to reach out to a couple of unaligned Families where I have friends.” The Whittaker Family was an ally of Novak, and Thomas was head of his Family.
“I should also tell you that Findlay has asked me to resign from the police,” I said.
“I’m sorry to hear that. You may be more valuable to them inside. Have they considered that?”
“That might be true if I wasn’t a magitek.”
Whittaker took a deep breath. “And if you weren’t a James.”
Grandfather Hunter died when he opened the Rift. A definite cautionary tale for all magiteks. He was supposedly a smart man—maybe too smart for his own good. A magikally enhanced nuclear bomb turned out to be a monumentally bad idea. The firestorm had engulfed everything within fifty miles of ground zero, and the shock wave flattened everything for another hundred miles. If the effects weren’t contained by the mountains surrounding the site, scientists speculated the damage and loss of life would have been far worse. As it was, the explosion tore a hole in reality.
It was generally acknowledged that Hunter and my father were the strongest magiteks ever. So, everyone also assumed I was a superwoman. I didn’t know, and wasn’t particularly interested in finding out. I did know that I could replicate anything my father had built, and I’d invented a number of devices myself.
“Well, I haven’t said yes, I just told her I’d think about it. I still haven’t found Sarah Benning, for one thing. Speaking of magitek, what’s this about a private Akiyama phone network?”
“Encrypted. Totally unhackable.” He tossed a chip across his desk. “Had our best cyber security guys look at it. They all agree it’s impossible.”
I picked up the chip and slipped it into my pocket. “If that’s the case, I won’t waste any time trying. Hacking it is probably illegal, anyway.”
“Probably. Interesting how they sealed it off, though. They used magitek.”
“Oh, well, that definitely ends the discussion. No one will ever break it.”
He smiled. “Take care of yourself, James. I’ll pass along the intel on Akiyama.”
Chapter 39
“That trap you set on my shop door works wonderfully,” Kirsten said as we sat down to dinner.
“Someone tried to attack you?”
She shrugged. “Not exactly, but I’m not sure. A demon tried to get in. Shocked the shit out of him.”
There wasn’t anything in her store to interest a demon. They couldn’t use any of the charms or potions she sold, and they wouldn’t have any interest in the herbs, soaps, or other mundane items.
“Did your guardians capture him?”
“They tried, but he pulled a disappearing act.”
“No idea what he wanted?”
“Nope, but demons and I don’t get along that well, and with our current problems, I wasn’t taking a chance.” Kirsten shrugged and passed a small envelope with my name on it across the table. “And in other news…” She smiled. “I got one, too. We’re invited to a betrothal ball. Did you know that your cousin Lila is getting married? The formal proposal is next Saturday.”
I had to concentrate for a moment to bring up Lila’s face in my mind. Grandmother Olivia’s younger sister Dorothy had married John Butler, younger brother of Granduncle George’s wife Denise. Their daughter Janice married Bruce Oliver, and Lila was their daughter. Pretty little dark-haired girl about ten years younger than I was. Recalling all that made my head hurt.
I never understood how I was supposed to remember all my relatives, much less keep them straight. And at first, I didn’t understand why I had to go to this girl’s betrothal. I had successfully ducked plenty of Family events over the years. Then I thought about the ambushes. Olivia probably wanted an ally she could trust, or maybe she thought having me inside the estate might protect me.
“No, I didn’t know.” I picked up the envelope like it was a snake and turned it over in my hand. “I don’t suppose there’s any way I can get out of going.”
“Only if you’re dead, which could happen if I miss such a golden opportunity to snag a wealthy husband. And if you get past me, I’m sure your grandmother would seal the deal.”
“If you have an invitation, you could go without me.”
“Then your grandmother would kill me. I’m pretty sure I’m invited expressly to ensure your attendance.”
I opened the envelope. In addition to the standard invitation announcing the engagement of Lila Oliver to Marco Novak, there was a small slip of paper. Written in my grandmother’s hand was an address with a time and date and the notation ‘Take Kirsten.’ I recognized the address of her personal torturer from previous debacles.
“She’s scheduled time for us with her dressmaker,” I said.
“Us?”
I chuckled. “She’s seen how you like to dress. She probably feels you need some help appreciating proper decorum. Look at it this way. It’s a free dress, and if you don’t embarrass her, she may assist you with a little matchmaking.”
Kirsten took the note from me. “It doesn’t say who it is.”
I told her the name of the dressmaker and saw her eyes light up. She followed all the celebrity news and social scene. I could care less, I’d seen it from the inside and was less than impressed.
I had a dozen dresses by the same designer hanging
