Edna’s thin brows jumped, and she beamed at me. “The Jolene?”
My stomach twisted with a mix of pleasure that Peter’d been talking about me and worry that she’d recognize me. I grinned and gave a little wave from my spot a few feet behind the others. “Hi.”
Edna pursed her lips as she looked me over, then winked at Peter. “She’s a cutie.”
My face flushed hot, but Daisy growled and ruined my moment. Lie.
Edna rose from her seat to peer over the desk at the German shepherd. She shook a finger at Daisy. “Must you always be so honest?” She reached down and ruffled the dog’s head as Daisy’s tail wagged, then looked up and grimaced at me. “You just need a little sprucing up—a little motherly love… maybe a haircut. But I can tell you’re a beauty.” She winked at me.
My stomach sank further, and I dropped my eyes to the floor. She wasn’t wrong but… in front of Peter? Growing up in the orphanage, I’d always envied kids who had mothers, but this “Mom, you’re embarrassing me in front of a boy” thing, I could do without.
“Hmm.”
I chanced a glance up and found Edna peering at me, head tilted to the side. “You look familiar. Have we met?”
Snakes. I plastered on a smile. “Uh, no, can’t think of a time we would have met before.”
Daisy barked, which made us all jump. She bared her teeth and snarled at me. Liar! How many times have you been arrested, huh? What were you in for? I knew it! I knew you were a criminal! Come clean, you snake!
I was tempted to correct her—I was actually an owl shifter. Or had been, when I’d been able to, you know, shift, but I couldn’t risk speaking dog with so many eyes on me.
Instead I just fixed Peter, Cid, and Edna with a simpering smile. “I’m sensing she’s a little constipated.”
Daisy barked again, and Edna coughed out a laugh. “I like this one.” She thumbed at me, and Peter’s mouth pulled into a half grin.
Cid threw her head back and huffed. “Can a girl get some coffee around here?”
Edna lifted a brow, then reached across the counter and handed Peter an iron key. “Room two’s open.” She shot Cid a flat look. “Good luck.” She grinned at me. “And nice to meet you, Jolene.”
Face still hot, I nodded. “Likewise.”
We threaded through the bustling station, down a couple of long stone corridors, and through a studded wooden door engraved with the number two. Peter guided Cid into a chair on one side of a metal table, and he and I took the two chairs on the opposite side. Daisy plunked down on her haunches on Peter’s left, and leaned behind him to look at me and growl.
Do you feel at home in here, criminal? It’s only a matter of time before Peter figures out what you are.
I rolled my eyes, too annoyed to hold back anymore. I let out a couple of quiet whines. Oh, go lick your b-hole, Daisy.
She bared her teeth at me and probably would have retorted, but Cid cut her off.
“Urg, seriously?!” She folded her arms on the table and dropped her forehead onto them, pink-blond hair splayed out everywhere. “Coffee. Now.”
“We can make that happen.”
She lifted her bloodshot eyes to Peter, her lids half closed.
“After you answer our questions.”
“Ugh.” She whimpered and jolted upright, then slumped lower into her chair until I wondered if she’d just slide right off under the table. “Fine. What?”
I turned to Peter. “Can I be bad cop? Are we allowed to zap her?” Not that I had powers or anything, I just wanted to know my limits here.
He fought a smile, then turned to Cid. “I understand you and Bel Hahn were having issues that led to her firing you. Is that correct?”
She folded her thin, tan arms, one strap of her tank top sliding down her shoulder. “Yeah. Bel was a real witch. She deserves what happened to her.”
Peter laced his hands together on the table in front of him. “And what exactly did happen to her?”
Cid curled her lip. “Uh—the witch died. Duh.”
Seriously. Could someone with magic zap her already?
“Did you have anything to do with that?”
I admired Peter’s ability to keep his voice level. I was already out of patience with this brat.
Her gray eyes grew wide. “What?” She looked to the side, her voice suddenly less confident. “They said she died of a heart attack.”
Peter shrugged. “We haven’t gotten the coroner’s report back yet. They may find something different—something that suggests foul play. Is there any chance you may have been involved in something like that?”
She scoffed. “I don’t have to answer these questions.”
I leaned forward. “Actually, you do. How’d you get on the runway last night?”
“Uh.” She blinked at me. “With my legs.”
“Super clever.” I shot her a flat look. “Who let you up there?”
She sneered as she looked me up and down. “And who exactly are you? You look like you haven’t bathed in a week.”
My nostrils flared as hot anger flushed across my chest and I avoided looking at Peter. I mean—it was true, but beach, I wasn’t playing. “Have you looked in a mirror lately, Cid? You look like something the tide washed up.”
She glared at me, and I leaned forward, conjuring up my most infuriatingly smug grin.
“Word on the street is your career is over—Bel saw to that, didn’t she? And let me guess, you didn’t take that very well and wanted your revenge, so you crashed the show and killed her. Admit it.” I felt Peter’s eyes on me.
She ground her teeth together. “I’m the top model in Bijou Mer! No one fires me.”
I grimaced. “Except Bel did. And now you’re finished.” I knew how that felt. “Your career’s over, you have no backup plan, and let me guess, you’ve already blown through every last merkle
