eleven

Dorian had stumbled upon the phoenix charm washed up on the edge of the Willamette River on one of his nighttime walks a couple of weeks ago. The beautiful design was evocative of alchemy—a rough lightning bolt behind a phoenix rising from flames, symbolizing rebirth. Viewed head-on, the lightning bolt and flames seemed to be consuming the bird; but from above, she was winning, fighting her way past the elements that fit so perfectly around her. A loop was hidden behind the top of the lightning bolt, which was what enabled the tiny sculpture to be worn as a pendant necklace.

At least, that was the story Dorian told about where he got it. He wouldn’t have stolen it, and he definitely wouldn’t have killed anyone. The question was, would he have lied to me about where he found it? If I trusted what he told me, he must have found it where Logan Magnus’s killer had tossed it, perhaps trying to get rid of evidence in the river

The woman accusing me had attempted to shield her face from the cameras after her husband’s untimely death, but now I knew who she was. She was an artist in her own right. Welder Isabella Magnus.

Underneath the weeping fig tree at Blue Sky Teas, the implications sank in that I was wearing the charm of a dead man. A police officer stepped into the teashop.

“It would be easiest to talk down at the station, ma’am,” he said. “If you’ll come this way with me.”

I tried not to look as panicked as I felt. I wouldn’t have a chance to consult Dorian about where along the waterfront he’d found the pendant.

“Hey,” Brixton called, rushing out from behind the counter. “Where are you taking Zoe?”

“It’s okay, Brix,” I said, as Blue held on to his shoulders. He was impetuous, and I could tell his Converse-clad feet were itching to rush forward.

“She’ll be back soon, honey,” Blue said.

I hated being at the police station without the security of Max at my side. But Logan Magnus’s questionable death wasn’t assigned to him. Max was friends with many of his fellow detectives, but I’d learned detectives didn’t like it when you stuck your nose into another cop’s case.

The phoenix pendant was taken from me, and I was ushered into a room with a noisy vent overhead. It looked to be a cross between an interrogation and a meeting room. A plainclothes officer introduced herself as Detective Vega—the detective Max had mentioned was working the Logan Magnus case. She was about Max’s age, around forty, and wore her long chestnut hair pulled into a pony tail. While her hair was casual, she was dressed formally and stylishly in a sage-green tailored suit.

She sat down across from me and smiled. “Tell me about where you found the pendant.”

“I’m sorry I don’t remember more than that it was along the edge of the river,” I said. It wasn’t helping that in addition to not knowing exactly where along the waterfront Dorian had found the phoenix charm, I was light-headed because I hadn’t yet eaten breakfast.

“How can you not remember where you found the pendant? It’s quite memorable.” Her demeanor remained friendly, but her face registered surprise.

“I walk all over the city. It’s been a couple of weeks since I found it, and I’ve gone on a lot of walks since then.”

“We could go on a walk.” She leaned across the table. “You can take me on your route. That should trigger your memory.”

“I really don’t remember—”

“All right. Then let’s talk about your online business. Elixir, is it?”

I felt the skin on my forearms prickle and glanced up at the clanking vent. “Why are you asking me about Elixir?”

“Just making conversation to try to spark your memory. You sell antiques. You must come across works of art like that pendant, and paintings by artists like Logan Magnus—perhaps some of them have turned out to be forgeries?”

“Forgeries? Why are you asking me about—”

A curt rap sounded on the interior window. A flash of annoyance crossed Detective Vega’s face, but she stood and opened the door. A young officer stood in the doorway.

“I’m in the middle of talking to a witness,” Detective Vega said.

“I wouldn’t interrupt if it wasn’t important,” the officer said. “There’s been a disturbance at Ms. Faust’s house. Someone was trying to break in.”

Detective Vega swore, covering my own gasp.

“Don’t worry,” the officer said. “We caught him.”

My heart thudded, but I remained silent. There was no good answer I could give. My secret alchemy lab was in the basement. I’d taken steps to protect it, but people who meant me ill had broken in before. I didn’t think the men I’d recently defeated would come back to Portland. I also didn’t think they’d arrested a gargoyle; the officer’s face was too calm for that. That left …

“Oh God,” I said. “Please tell me it’s not Tobias.”

The officer’s neck and cheeks slowly transformed from a light tan to beet red. He cleared his throat. “You know him?”

“He’s a close friend,” I said. “Not a burglar.” I hadn’t thought Tobias would take a red-eye and arrive so quickly, so I hadn’t told Dorian to expect him, nor waited at home myself to let him in. “Didn’t he tell you he knew me?”

“Well, yes. But a neighbor reported a suspicious character looking in your windows, so we brought him in. I saw you in the paper, so I know you’re like a local celebrity, so lots of people would know your name … ”

“We’ll get this straightened out,” Detective Vega said, seeing the anger fuming on my face.

As horrible as the situation was, it could also be my out.

“I’ll take you to the general area where I think I found the phoenix pendant,” I said, “after I make sure Tobias is all right. I’m sure you’re right that I’ll remember more once I’m there. But right now I need to get my friend situated. At home.”

Detective Vega gave a sharp glance at the young officer but nodded. They’d screwed up, and they needed my help. I was led to a waiting area and told Tobias would be brought out.

Someone must have alerted Max to the fact that I was there. After I’d been sitting in a lumpy waiting room chair for ten minutes he appeared, looking physically better but still with tired, guarded eyes. “The nettle soup helped,” he said with a hesitant smile. “I’m sorry for the screw-up with your friend.”

“His wife just died, Max. That’s why he came for a visit.”

Max swore, but his second apology was cut short by the appearance of Tobias himself.

Broad-shouldered and muscular, Tobias Freeman had physically transformed himself since I first met him. I hadn’t been a full-fledged conductor on the Underground Railroad, but I’d helped treat men and women who were injured or ill. Tobias had been both, a scrawny young man nearly starved to death with the skin on his back so torn up I didn’t know if he’d survive. When I’d found my friend again this past year, I had barely recognized him—except for his hazel eyes that had always reminded me of gold. Today those eyes were weary.

“You don’t need to burden the detectives with my problems,” he said.

Oh no. Tobias hadn’t been telling people Rosa was his wife. Even people I trusted, like Max.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Max said. “And for this mix-up. I’m Max.” He extended his hand. “We met briefly last year.”

“I remember,” Tobias said, accepting the hand. “On my last visit to see Zoe.”

“On behalf of the department,” Max said, “please accept my apologies.”

“It’s not like it’s the first time,” Tobias said, “and I doubt it’ll be the last.”

A uniformed officer approached Max. “Liu, you got a sec?”

Max nodded and excused himself.

“This wasn’t how I envisioned seeing you again,” I said to Tobias.

“You’re older than me. You should know better than to think you can predict how life’ll go.” Tobias pulled me into a hug.

“I’m sorry I mentioned Rosa,” I whispered. “But you had good ID?” We had to update our identification cards every decade so our outward appearances would match the information.

“I’ve got a good guy,” he whispered back. “Besides, they didn’t process me, just ran the number on my license.”

I should never have revealed that the elderly Rosa was Tobias’s wife. Around Max, I let my guard down. Maybe Dorian was right that Max would be my downfall. Or worse, the downfall of someone I cared about.