Heidi pointed. “That’s for your hair.”
Ah. I grinned at her. “Thanks again for getting these for me.” I waggled my brows. “I’ll blend right in.”
“So he’s sending you undercover?” Will lifted a bushy brow.
I shot him a flat look. “Peter asked me if I’d be game, and of course I was.”
Will rolled his eyes. “Of course—because you possess not a shred of self-preservation instincts.” He held up both enormous paws of hands. “Did it not occur to you that you have no training or experience in doing this? Why doesn’t he go in himself?”
Heidi kicked her feet. “Only women work at the sweatshop.”
My friend sniffed. “Fine. Then send in a lady officer.”
I’d had the same thought. “Peter said none of the women at the station are familiar with Darkmoon District ways—he thought I’d be the best for the job.”
Will rolled his wrist. “And you need to go undercover at all because…?”
“Because, there’s got to be some connection between Li Fan’s death at the sweatshop and Bel Hahn’s death at the fashion show. They happened the same night, and from the same thing—spider venom.”
Heidi frowned. “But you went to the sweatshop earlier, right? Won’t they recognize you?”
I waved the kerchief at her. “Not now that I’m going in disguise. Plus—” I held up a finger as Will opened his mouth. “The foreman, Xiu, is in on it. She’s going to nominally give me a job, then let me sneak around.”
Will pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yes, but from what you said earlier, you and your precious Peter suspect this Xiu lady of being involved, so that makes you safer how?”
“It gives me a cover. I’ll be able to better snoop into her business, too, when I’m right under her nose.” I reached over the table and flicked Will’s nose.
His face reddened with anger, and he slapped my hand away, shooting me a warning look. “Do that again, and you lose the finger, sister.”
I rolled my eyes. “Relax. It’s probably just for the day, anyway.”
“Well, Jolene, when that foreman poisons you too, don’t come crying to me.” Will flashed his eyes.
I pressed a hand to my heart. “Aw, buddy, your concern for me is touching.”
We exchanged flat looks.
“And Cop Charming is totally fine sending you into danger?” Will fluttered his lashes.
Er… not exactly. I scratched my neck. “He, uh—I guess his inspector proposed the idea, and Peter felt comfortable with it under certain provisos.” I purposefully left out all the wild imaginings my mind had raced to when Peter told me he had something to say to me. It had been work-related. Of course.
“And these provisos are?” My friend crossed his arms and knees and leaned back in his chair, eyeing me.
I gave a dry chuckle. “That I keep an earpiece in and my wand on me at all times.”
Will leaned forward and scoffed. “Oh! You mean, the wand and earpiece you can’t use, because you don’t have magical powers anymore?”
Heidi clicked her tongue at him, but he spun on his assistant, an enormous hand pressed to his chest. “Oh, I’m sorry, was that insensitive of me?” He glowered at me next. “Did I hurt the poor cursed shifter’s feelings? Because that’s what you are, Jolene, a cursed shifter. And I’m sorry if reminding you of that little fact is rude, but I think somebody around here needs to be the voice of reason!”
My chest flushed hot, but I shoved my annoyance and anger down and gave him a saucy look. “Maybe you’re just jealous that my life’s gotten exciting and you’re still stuck patching up cats and goons, Mr. Bijou Mer’s formerly top surgeon.”
Will’s mouth flattened into a straight line, and a muscle in his jaw jumped. My heart sank. I’d gone too far. I felt it, immediately, and though I wanted to take it back… I couldn’t.
Will pushed back from the table. “Well, good luck not dying tonight.” He jerked his head toward the door. “C’mon, Heidi. We’ve got to open our boring ol’ clinic. Jolene can clearly take care of herself.”
Heidi twirled the end of her black braid around her finger, shot me a pinched look, then slid off the counter and followed Will. She gave me a little half wave. “Good luck.” She slung her bag over her shoulder. Loose threads stuck out from the handles, and the leather had lost some of its sheen. Even the gold double Hs had lost their shine. Guess the spider silk charm had already worn off.
I nodded, and the two of them pushed through the curtain, their footsteps fading down the stairs. I folded my arms on the table and plunked my head down onto them. Man, I’d really done it this time. I wasn’t even sure bringing Will his favorite tonkotsu ramen would patch this up.
I sighed and lifted my head. But there was no time to wallow now. My shift at the sweatshop started in half an hour.
16
UNDERCOVER
I shifted on the hard wooden stool and snuck a glance around the huge sweatshop floor. I felt like I was back in class at the orphanage and was the only unprepared kid for a test, trying to sneak answers from the students around her. The woman to my right glared at me before hugging the garment she was sewing closer. She refocused on her work, and I was left trying to find a way to soothe my numb derrière.
An hour into my undercover work, and all I’d discovered was that I was completely incompetent and unsuited for sweatshop work. Guess I could cross one career path off my list. I groaned under my breath and grabbed the seam puller—again—to undo the stitching I’d just mangled on what would become a pair of jeans… or was this a jacket?
All around me, the looms clacked and slid, weaving strands
