“Where are we headed?” I lifted my brows.
Peter gave a little nod. “Li Fan, a witch who owned a major sweatshop here in the Darkmoon District, was just found murdered in the factory. The foreman found her body.”
A blast of steam shot up from a sewer grate, and I leapt closer to Peter to avoid it.
“Just now?” I blinked up at Peter. “What time is it?”
He consulted his wrist watch with its black leather band. “The body was found just after the first shift started at three. It’s half past now.” He hid a yawn behind his big hand, and I grinned up at him. It was as if just talking about how late it was had made him tired.
I felt the urge and yawned, too. Dognabit, he was contagious.
I frowned, thinking over what he’d said. “Wait. The first shift starts at 3:00 a.m.?” I sniffed. “And I thought I had a lame schedule.” I mean, as an owl shifter, I’d always naturally been fairly nocturnal, but I’d usually be heading to bed in an hour or two. I couldn’t imagine starting work now.
Peter gave me a knowing look. “Apparently the factory only closes for a few hours each night. Li Fan appears to have been killed during that time.” He shook his head, gaze far away. “The hours and conditions give me almost as much concern as the murder victim.”
A couple of bleary-eyed men sauntered past, arm in arm, glowing red potion bottles in their hands. They slurred out a sea shanty.
They looked like they were having a great time—I was half-tempted to join them. I glanced up at Peter and arched a brow. “And you need me because…?”
He lightly touched the small of my back and tilted his head to the right. “It’s this way.”
I swallowed, my back still tingling where he’d touched me. Wow. I shook my head at myself. Guess I was desperate for some male attention if that was all it took.
I followed Peter down a covered mall, all the clothing and trinket shops bright with their doors open. Shoppers slowly drifted down the thoroughfare, gazing right and left at all the wares, while shop owners sat outside on stools or lunged into the crowd, trying to drag buyers into their shops.
Peter stayed close at my side, the crowd parting with wide-eyed looks for the cop and his enormous dog. Peter, a decent, honest man from what I knew of him, was the exception in the Darkmoon District. Most cops I’d encountered were dirty or just looking for someone to abuse their power over. Everyone in the Darkmoon knew to steer clear of them, which made our going easy.
“Li Fan had a giant spider for a familiar.” Peter leaned over, his face close to mine as he spoke. “And Li Fan had a puncture wound and discoloration suggesting a venomous bite.”
I blinked up at him. “You think the witch’s familiar killed her?”
He shrugged. “It’s what it looks like. The spider’s fading fast—I’m hoping you can…” He bit his lip. “Read its mind?”
I nodded, mulling this over as we threaded through the shoppers. Witches and their familiars shared a life force, which made them stronger together but susceptible to injury or death if the other was hurt. If the spider killed her witch, it’d be akin to suicide.
I shoved my hands in my jeans pockets. One finger went through the hole in the bottom. “Well… this’ll be interesting, at least.”
Peter grinned. “So you’re really in?”
I chuckled. “I mean… I’m here, aren’t I?”
He pressed his lips tight together, but his mouth still curled up at the sides. “Good.” His grin flattened, and he picked up the pace. “But we’d better hurry—I don’t think the spider’s got much time left.”
THE SPIDER
Another cop opened the door to the factory for us, and I followed Peter and Daisy inside. I curled my lip as we stepped into the dark, loud space. If I’d thought outside was muggy….
Loose tendrils of hair clung, wet, to the nape of my neck. Guess they didn’t call it a sweatshop for nothing.
The air felt thick as we passed through tall hallways, crowded with spinning wheels and cutting stations. Women huddled over them, eyes down as we passed, their only light coming from tapered candles. The clacking of sewing machines, whiff of looms, and hammering of grommets echoed through the factory’s metal walls.
I sniffed. Cheery. Bet they got full benefits and 401K matching, too.
A middle aged woman in the navy uniform of Bijou Mer’s police force strode toward us and met us halfway down a dark hallway with corrugated metal walls.
“Good timing.” She nodded at Peter. “The thing looks like it’s about to croak.”
He glanced over his shoulder at me, then turned back to his fellow officer. “Lead the way.”
We picked up the pace, pushed through a set of double doors, and then the lady officer rapped three times on a metal door with a small window in the top.
“It’s me. Got Flint with me.” Her pale blue eyes flicked to my face. “And his consultant.”
Something in her tone made me think she perhaps doubted my psychic abilities. I sniffed. She wouldn’t be the first.
With a clang, someone on the inside unbolted the door, and the woman pulled it open for us. She stared at me, expressionless, as I passed by her. Friendly.
I froze once I stepped inside and caught sight of the spider. The thing took up nearly the entire room and had to be the size of a four-poster bed…not counting its hairy legs, which stretched out in all directions.
Daisy’s hackles rose, and she let out a low growl, dark eyes focused on the black, hairy monster.
Peter shot me a half grin. “Told ya it was big.”
I gave him a flat look. “Understatement.”
The creature shuddered, then let out a labored sigh. I grimaced. Since when did
