He scowled at Peter. “So if you’re here to tell me I have to do one more—”
Peter cut him off. “We’re here to speak with you, specifically. What’s your name?”
The guy sneered. “Me? What for?”
I leaned into one hip, quickly running out of patience. “Listen, dude, give him your name and we’ll all get to leave sooner, okay?” I flashed my eyes at him.
He stared me down for another moment, then huffed. “Chad, alright?” He shrugged, and the cable slipped a little from his narrow shoulders. “Why do you wanna talk to me?”
“What can you tell us about Cid Johannsen?”
“Who?” Chad shot Peter an insolent look, but Daisy growled.
He’s lying.
Peter shifted on his feet. “Chad, this is my partner, Daisy. She’s enchanted to smell the truth, and she says you’re not being honest.”
The guy’s eyes darted to the huge German shepherd, and his throat bobbed, clearly shaken. But he took a breath and swiveled back to face Peter. “Yeah, whatever, Cid’s a model—got fired as far as I know.”
“She crashed the runway last night.” I grinned at Chad. “And she says you helped her.”
His cheeks flushed pink. “That’s ridiculous. She’s clearly wasted on potions—can’t believe anything she says.”
Daisy growled again, her hackles raised. Liar.
I mean, I hated to agree with Daisy, but yeah—the guy was clearly lying his teeth off.
Chad edged away from the dog. “Look, I have to get back to work.”
“Did you have any issues with Bel Hahn?” Peter’s tone darkened.
“Who didn’t?” Chad scoffed, his eyes still locked on the snarling Daisy. “But she’s dead now, so whatever.” He slunk past me toward the catwalk. “I gotta go if we have any chance of breaking this thing down in time for the next show’s crew to come in.”
With that, he ducked through a flap in the black fabric skirt that covered the sides of the catwalk and disappeared beneath it.
I glanced up at Peter. “Doesn’t take an enchanted dog to know that guy’s full of detritus.”
His lips twitched as he fought a smile.
I lifted a palm and lowered my voice. “Let me try with him—alone.” I glanced toward the catwalk. “I’m sure he had something to do with that model getting up on the runway, and I have a feeling he’s got a soft spot for the ladies.”
Not that I was in any way close to having model good looks. I thought of Cid’s state, with her wild hair and disheveled dress. Maybe I wasn’t that far from it, actually….
“Will you feel safe… under there?” Peter’s brows pinched together.
I grinned. Man. If only this guy knew what I’d faced growing up, an orphan in the Darkmoon District, and the street smarts I had to employ nightly to keep from getting into trouble.
I chuckled. “I think I can handle him.”
The crease between Peter’s brows remained as he looked down at me. “I’ll be here, right outside.”
I waved a hand. “Thanks for your concern, Officer.” I didn’t even bother covering my yawn as I spun and ducked through the flap.
14
UNDER THE CATWALK
I blinked as the fabric swung closed behind me. My eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness. Lanterns hung from the scaffolding, casting dim pools of light here and there, while crew workers, all dressed in black, moved between metal poles and rigging.
The space was tall enough that I could stand upright, but I spotted Chad, slightly stooped, up ahead. I climbed over a coil of glowing blue cord, then ducked under a low-hanging pipe.
“Hey—Chad.”
He looked up from disassembling some bits of metal scaffolding and groaned. “You again. What?”
I crossed my arms and shrugged. “C’mon Chad. I know there’s more to the story.”
He sniffed. “The cop send you in here?” He narrowed his buggy eyes at me. “Wait a sec—are you a cop?” He looked me up and down, and I resisted the urge to slap him when his gaze lingered in certain places. “You don’t look like a cop.”
“Dur, Chad.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m a consultant for the police.”
He scoffed. “Is that what they’re calling it these days? Want to consult for me?”
I gritted my teeth. Man, this guy was as sleazy as they came. I bit back a dozen retorts, then decided I might actually get some answers if I sank to speaking on his level.
I sneered. “Shell, no. But you wouldn’t believe what I got that cop to fall for.”
He looked up from his task, a brow lifted.
I inched closer and lowered my voice conspiratorially. “The dude thinks I’m a pet psychic—that I read animals’ minds.”
Chad’s mouth slid into a half-grin.
“Idiotic, right? But I’m on the police payroll and everything.” I scoffed. “I just roll in, pretend I’m getting some general reading from an animal, then boom—they drop a bag of merkles in my palm.” I shrugged. “Listen, I’m not here to net you—I’m from the Darkmoon District, a working class gal, just like you. We have to stick together against the man! I just have to make it seem like I’m earning my pay by ‘interviewing’ you.”
What was I even saying? I mentally rolled my eyes at myself.
Chad scoffed and nodded, seeming to have a new appreciation for me. Dear sea goddess, was my lame ploy actually working?
“I bet that cop of yours is a real hard-ass.”
I nodded. “The hardest.”
He rolled his eyes and slid closer. “Bel Hahn, that fancy schmancy designer—ha! She thought she was so far above me. Always shouting at us and constantly changing her plans—we’d get everything rigged up and then she’d decide, oh gee, all of a sudden, now we need the runway six inches higher, and we’d have to start all over again.”
I huffed and pretended to play along. “They all think they’re better than us.”
“Right?” Chad gritted his teeth. “And then on top of it, she wanders
