“Nothing’s happening. Let’s just go to the station and wait there.”
Paige turned her unimpressed gaze to Dexx. “How can you call yourself a hunter when you can’t even survive ten minutes inside a car?”
He dropped his head back against the gray headrest. “Come on. The most exciting moment occurred when the old man’s dog whizzed on the cat.”
“This is how stakeouts work How do you survive in this world?”
“I wait for others to do the sitting and watching for me, then I come in, guns blazing—” He made guns with his fingers and shot off one round each, making “pew-pew” sounds. “—and save the day.”
Men. “I want to meet Malika face to face. Get a read on her.”
Dexx sat up in his seat. “Great idea. Let’s go.”
Really, she didn’t need an escort or a partner on this one. She was going into a store. No biggie. She nearly told Dexx to stay in the car, but then thought better of it. When was the last time she’d had a partner? A real partner she could rely on in paranormal situations?
Never.
“Fine, but play it cool. No crazy backstories. If she really is involved in the case, she knows who I am. Does Jones know about you?”
“Jones?” Dexx frowned. “Oh, right. Mike. You know, civilians use this little thing called first names. There are so many Jones out there, can’t tell which one you’re talking about.”
Paige sent him a look that said she really didn’t care, then got out of the car, leaving her jacket behind. It was too damned hot, no matter the fact it hid her gun and her out-of-jurisdiction badge. She locked the car ,and crossed the semi-busy street.
People actually drove the speed limit here. Amazing.
She quietly slipped inside the shop. Nothing out of the ordinary. Candles, incense, pentacles, books. There was a book about deciphering dreams using the messages of angels on display at the counter.
“How may I—oh, Detective Whiskey.” A lithe woman with clear brown skin stepped up behind the counter and sent her a warm smile. “I’d heard you were in town.”
“I didn’t realize anyone would be talking about me,” Paige baited.
The other woman’s large brown eyes lit up. Her full hair spilled over her shoulders in tight, dark brown waves. “It’s a small town. Everyone’s talking about your arrival. Are you okay? I heard you were poisoned at the crime scene.”
Paige raised her chin, a smile on her lips. Reason number one why she didn’t want to live in a small town. Everyone knew when she’d messed up. “I’m fine.”
“We were all worried. Fanny said you sounded possessed. What kind of poison was it?”
Malika was nosy, but Paige had been warned Fanny was the town gossip, so that wasn’t cause for alarm. She needed something more. “We’re still waiting on the toxicology report.”
“And you were able to counter it without knowing what it was first?” Malika’s smile tightened, bringing out her sharp cheekbones. “That doesn’t make much sense.”
Malika’s smile was a little too tight. Was that her tell? “We got lucky. I guess I threw most of it up.”
“It’s a good thing you brought your own doctor, then.”
Paige held the other woman’s gaze a long moment. “Indeed.”
Malika released an uncomfortable breath and looked over Paige’s shoulder. “Is this him?”
Paige turned.
Dexx took a step forward, careful not to bring down the glass shelf of crystal balls. “Tight in here. Dexx Colt.”
“Doctor Colt?”
Dexx cocked a grin to the side, taking the hand she offered.
“Well.” She turned his hand over, exposing the palm. “Let me see what your hand has to tell me.”
Dexx kept his expression pleasant as he waited. He glanced at Paige, but returned his attention to the top of Malika’s head.
“You are a very driven man, Doctor Colt,” Malika said, her voice soft and silky.
“I do have a nice car.” Dexx turned a smile to Malika
“Love is about to enter your life. As well as a new position at work.”
He raised an eyebrow, pulling the corners of his lips down through his smile. He took his hand back. “It didn’t say who the lucky woman was, did it?”
Malika beamed at him. “No. Tell me you’re looking for something. We have a wide array of candles that just came in.”
“I was just looking for a toad candle,” Dexx said with a laugh.
“Oh. Well, you should check the far corner of the store. I have all kinds of humorous gifts there.”
Dexx gestured with his hand and started to the directed corner.
“What about you, Detective Whiskey? Do you have a first name I can call you by? It seems so formal to call you by your job title.”
“Detective.”
Malika’s eyes pinched around the outside and her smile wavered.
Paige ground her teeth through her smile, reminding herself she was plying the other woman for information. Honey versus vinegar. “Paige.”
“Excellent. What are you looking for, Paige?” Malika stepped around the counter. The light breeze of her passing caused her blue summer dress to swirl around her limber form.
“My sister has a birthday coming up.”
“Oh, the medium?”
Paige narrowed her eyes. She really needed to know how much of this was Fanny’s gossip and how much Malika had discovered on her own. Damn gossips.
Malika scanned her shop, oblivious to Paige’s scrutiny. “I don’t think she’d like any of this.”
The area Malika referenced was filled with stuff Paige would never see in a west coast occult shop. If she had to wager a guess, she’d say it was probably Voodoo, but she wasn’t going to open her mouth and insert her foot. “No. She’s more…”
“She’s white,” Malika said with a smile.
Paige returned it. For as uncomfortable as the conversation was, there was a lot of smiling going on. “Very white.”
Malika meandered toward the front of the store. “Do you know what you want to get her?”
“Mrs. Fort had a tarot deck I thought Les might like.”
“Ashley?” Malika frowned and a second later, grief crept through her eyes. “Mike didn’t tell me you’d had a chance to review her things.”
Delayed reaction. “I saw it in a photo.”
“That’s odd, but anyway. She had two.”
“I don’t remember what they were called. The one was very colorful, though.” Half of the decks on the market could be classified as colorful.
“Oh, I know which one you’re talking about.” Malika’s expression darkened minutely as she turned away. “I like that one. Very simple, yet very deep.”
“That sounds like something Les would be into.”
Malika stooped to look at the decks located on the bottom shelf.
“How are you holding up?”
The other woman stood, a tarot box in her hand. “With the craziness that’s hit our tiny town?”
“With the fact your friends are being killed one by one.”
Malika’s shoulders tightened.
“Aren’t you scared you might be next?”
“The coven was something we tried to keep hidden from the public.” Malika looked out the storefront window. “This is a very Christian town, Paige. Even in the twenty-first century, we have to be careful.”
Paige nodded. “I’m well aware of that.”
“You would be, wouldn’t you?” Malika moved away from the window to face Paige.
“Yes.”
“I’m doing fine, I think. I mean, I hope you catch him.” Something flashed across her features, too fast for Paige to register. “Whoever he is, so I don’t lose anyone else.”
“Do you know who might be targeting you? Anyone have a grudge against, or maybe someone who wants to, I don’t know, do away with the witches?”
“Do you realize what a breath of fresh air you are, Detective? Someone on the force who understands what it means to be a witch?”
Was she being diverted because she was getting too close or because her quarry was bored with the line of questions? “I’m here now. I can help if you help me.”
“You’ve met the people here, Paige. They might be Christian, but they’re good people.”
“Even good people can do stupid things when they’re scared. Anyone threaten you? Is there anyone who’s a little extra pushy on the Bible thing?”
“No. For the first time, I’ve found a place that actually feels like home.”
Could this be the reason so many magickal people were in one place?
“Besides, who do you know that would ‘convert’ us, then spread ceremonial symbols everywhere?”
“Point.” Paige dipped her chin in agreement, though her mind wandered down channels that gave reason to those very actions. Like the man who started fires so he could become a fire fighter, the person who kidnapped his daughter so he could save her.
“Who do you think this person is trying to summon?”
“What do you mean?” The hairs stood up on the back of Paige’s neck. How much did the other woman know and how deep was she on the murders?
“It’s not a god or a demigod. It doesn’t feel like they’re trying to raise the fae.”
Who still believed in fairies? What next? Unicorns, vampires and shapeshifters?
“What about a demon?” Malika’s eyes rounded, everything in her expression said sincere.
So, why were Paige’s Spidy senses tingling? “Demon. What makes you think that? All the symbols are benign.”
“I’ve heard about this stuff happening before.”
“Demons don’t need sacrifices.”
“They don’t scoff at them, either.” Malika shrugged. “It was just a thought. The magick seems hurtful, ugly, dirty.”
Blood magick often did, but how did she know that?
“Oh, hey,” Malika said, her voice filled with concern. “That’s Mia. It looks like she has her daughter this weekend.”
A blonde-haired woman and her daughter crossed the street in front of the store.
“It was awful. About a year ago, Ron was sent to jail and his mother filed for custody. Took her away from Mia, claiming she was unfit. What’s the girl’s name? Lenore?”
Paige turned away, waiting for Malika to slip. She just needed the other woman to slip one time.
“Leah?”
Paige trembled with the wave of rage that slammed into her.
“Leah?” Malika stepped into Paige’s line of sight, obvious interest splashed across her face.
Regaining control, Paige set the candle on the glass shelf with a clank so loud it sounded like the shelf might break. She had what she’d come for. Malika really was in on it. Any further questioning, though, would get her nowhere. The maniacal gleam shining through her eyes. That’s what she’d seen before and could put her finger on.
“No. LeAnn. That's it.”
“I think I’m done here.” Paige gestured to the box in Malika’s hands. “Leslie will like this.”
The other woman smiled, something dark slithering behind her gaze.
Oh, yeah. Malika was her suspect. As much as she hated to admit it, in this case, the witch was the guilty party.
Now, all she had to do was determine what Lieutenant Jones knew. Was he in on it? He had to be. It was the only thing that made sense. He’d be tough to crack though.
Challenge accepted.