Peter nudged me with his shoulder, and I craned my head to look up at him. “You’ve got some impressive interrogation skills. I didn’t know you had it in you.”
I smirked. “I’ve got many secret talents.” The words soured as soon as they left my lips. Like being a shifter.
Peter’s blue eyes focused on my face, and a rush of energy surged through me, until I had to look away, slightly embarrassed at the effect he had on me.
“You’d make a good cop, for real.” He chuckled. “Or a lawyer… a scary lawyer.”
I gulped, my throat dry. “You have no idea.”
23
BOUDOIR BY BIM
Peter treated me to a quick dinner of gyros at one of my favorite Darkmoon food carts. He claimed it was part of the perks of being a consultant, but I had my suspicions that he’d only done it because he knew I had no money.
While I didn’t enjoy pity pitas, I certainly wasn’t going to turn one down when it was placed in front of me. Even Daisy got an order.
After I licked my fingers clean of the salty, tangy tzatziki, Peter cast a locator spell, and we followed the glowing blue light toward the address on Bim’s business card. We wound through the narrow, dirty streets of the night market. The usual suspects flashed wide eyes at the officer beside me and his enormous dog and gave us a wide berth, or took off running up fire escapes and down side streets.
I lifted a brow. Ordinarily, I’d have been one of those crossing to the other side of the street to avoid the cop, but here I was—a police consultant now. It wouldn’t be the weirdest twist my life had taken.
We followed the blue light of the spell under a rickety bridge and past a yard full of shipping barrels. We’d nearly reached the docks when the light stopped and bobbed in front of a four-story brick building.
I pursed my lips and let out a low whistle. “She’s a real charmer.”
Peter smirked, but Daisy just glared at me.
A creaky pirate ship weathervane spun, lopsided, in the sea breeze on the roof, while smoke poured into the dark night sky from several chimneys. Metal fire escapes and pipes crisscrossed the crumbling brick facade at odd angles, and at least a dozen metal trash cans butted up against the wall closest to us, overflowing with garbage and fish bones. Rats scurried among the debris.
I lifted my eyes to Peter. “Shall we?”
He nodded and swept his arms forward. “Ladies first?”
“I’ll let you take the lead on this one.” I gave him a flat look.
He grinned. “I was actually addressing Daisy.”
I gasped and slugged his arm.
“Ow.” He winced and rubbed the spot where I’d hit him.
I glanced down at my right hand. I mean, I hadn’t exercised in years, unless you counted lifting a heavy bowl of ramen to my mouth. But maybe I was stronger than I thought. Geez, now I felt kinda bad.
I dipped my chin and grimaced. “Sorry.”
He dropped his pained expression and winked. “Just kidding.”
I gaped at him. Who was this guy? Most cops I knew would’ve had me in handcuffs for punching them, but Peter had turned it into a corny joke? I bit my lip. Though if he wanted to put me in handcuffs, I wouldn’t mind….
“You okay, Jolene?” That little line appeared between Peter’s brows as he searched my face. “You look a little flushed.”
I shook myself mentally. “Uh, yeah. Just—” I gulped. “Annoyed that you got me.” That flush had nothing to do with the racy train of my thoughts. Nothing at all.
Daisy barked. Lie!
I flashed my eyes at her. Shut up, Daisy! I waved it off to Peter.
After another moment of hesitation, he spun and led the way up the broken steps to the graffitied metal front doors and yanked one open. Daisy and I followed him inside a dim hallway. A flickering pale lantern hung from the ceiling, giving us brief glimpses of the graffiti-covered walls and the stairs that led up to the next story.
Peter pulled the red-and-black business card Amelie LeBec had given us from his trouser pocket and held it close to his face. “The address says suite 2B.” He glanced at the stairs. “Must be the next level up.”
He put away the card and exchanged it for his wand. A ball of white light flashed bright at the end of it, and he used it to light our way up the creaky stairs. I shuddered as we hit the landing and turned up the second flight.
Were there any other people in this whole building? Except for our footsteps and the creak of the stairs, the place was eerily silent.
I followed Peter and Daisy down the long, windowless hall on the second story. More flickering lanterns hung overhead among the rusted pipes and peeling paint.
I curled my lip as we stopped outside the door marked 2B. “Some place for a photography studio.”
Peter smirked. “Not much in the way of ambience.” He knocked at the door, and I huddled closer to him as the raps echoed down the hall. Still nothing and no one stirred.
After we got no answer, he tried the brass knob, rattling it. “It’s locked.”
I shrugged. “Guess we’ll have to come back then.” I couldn’t get out of this creepy place fast enough. Not that I wasn’t used to seedy locales, being born and raised in the Darkmoon District and having spent the last few years back in the warren of alleys full of shifty people. But this was different.
I thought back to my Walkman on the couch. It was the only way I could sleep. When every creature from the tiniest gnat to the dog barking down the street was shouting words you could understand, it was hard to get any peace. But this place? Nothing peeped—nothing. And frankly, it freaked me out.
“Come on, let’s go.” I tipped my head toward the stairs.
Peter’s lips tugged toward
