This was very, very bad. Roe’s dealer was another councilman’s Bonded. What did that even mean, though? Was Councilman Ackroyd the one smuggling the shit in, using his Bonded to handle distribution among a select few? And all this soap, tea, and vending machine. I’d had no clue about any of it! I was beginning to wonder just how out of touch I might really be with the local communities under my legal jurisdiction.
“Well,” I said, pushing back my chair to stand up, “that was a wonderful breakfast.”
Mal nodded. “It felt wrong to serve sandwiches or leftover roast for your first meal of the day. Come back later when you’re ready for your dinner and we’ll plate you up some roast goose and potatoes.”
The back door opened at the same time that Pilar pocketed his notebook and pencil. He pushed his chair back and, damn it, I have never seen anyone who looked so damned graceful doing something as simple as getting up out of a chair. His movements were economical but fluid, inhumanly so. There, I admitted it to myself.
Because he’s not human, dumb ass.
He cocked his head, indicating the back door the kitchen workers had just come through.
“You can count on that,” I told Mal.
“I’ll add the blood to the gravy for you this time, sir,” he called out after Pilar.
Pilar smiled at him, keeping his fangs hidden. “Much appreciated. If this meal was anything to go by, I am sure it will be stunning.”
“I brought a pineapple in from the greenhouse,” one of them said to Mal.
I heard him reply, “Good, marinate the ham in the juices and add peppercorns and nutmeg to its skin,” as we left. I had to give the door a hard tug to get it to close properly. “He wasn’t kidding when he said it stuck. You’d think Roe would have it fixed as part of general maintenance.”
“You would, wouldn’t you? You’d also think a man with enough funds to launch not one, but two lines of new retail products and pay to have vending machines built would also have money to take care of heirloom furniture, though wouldn’t you? Yet neither that old game table nor the banisters were polished. Cleaned and dusted, yes, but not fed and polished. And his drapes need replacing. They are so worn in some places, they will soon have holes.”
I mulled over what he was saying as we followed the path to the stables.
“Maybe he sunk all of his capital into this new venture.”
“Maybe,” he agreed. “Or maybe not.”
“You think something else is going on?”
“I hope not.” He tugged at a lock of his hair. “There’s just something there, I don’t know what it is, but it tells me that these things are all related somehow.”
“Gut instinct.” I nodded. I was a big believer in that, and truth be told, my own was saying something hinky was going on below a facade of gentility. I didn’t like it, not one bit. “I’m with you on this, but it begs the question: if all of this is related, why did he ask the Council to send for you?”
“He must really love his sons,” Pilar said, his voice soft. “And he might genuinely believe his colleagues are innocent of the killings and that some random crazed killer is out there.”
”Huh. Well, he should have realized we’d uncover the drug use.” I sighed. “He probably thought we wouldn’t notice or let it slide, because of who he is.”
“Exactly.” Pilar shot me a bright smile, an inhibited one showing his teeth. “See, I knew you were a great investigator. We make a great team. Our prey will not elude us for long.”
I hated that. Not catching the bad guy bit, because hell yeah, I wanted him in cuffs right damned now, damn it. No, it was the closing of the case and him leaving bit I despised. I was falling harder and harder into like with him, and not just lust. What the hell was the matter with me? I was never like this over guys!
“Someone is watching us,” he said. “I can feel it, that itching behind my back.”
The path here turned right, giving me an opportunity to glance sideways back the way we came. “Someone’s at an upstairs window,” I said. “By the long dark coat and gray hair, I think it’s Jarrett.”
“The butler?”
“He’s in charge of the house, so more like a butler slash housekeeper along with Harley who is his Bonded, but it's not him. Harley is much more portly and bald.”
“No doubt he’s been told to keep an eye on us after we destroyed his cameras and microphone.”
“Oh, I’d bet on it.” We reached the stables. “Ready?”
“Yes. I brought some pastries from my home to share with the stableboy.” He patted a pocket at his waist gently as he spoke.
“Bribery! I like it,” I laughed.
“Just trying to make a friend,” he rejoined..
I don’t know what made me do it, but suddenly, my hand was there on his forearm and I was looking deep into his eyes. “I know. I wish you didn’t have to try so extra hard because of the whole stupid monster thing, and I want you to know that I see you, Pilar of House Ruhjillyake.”
He bit his lower lip before glancing away. Gently disentangling my hand from his arm, he said, “R’jil’yae’k, but close enough.”
It’d do. In all this shitstorm of illegal drugs, murder, James Does, and political maneuverings, we’d somehow been thrust together and found something in each other. Something that might be worth risking everything for; two hearts and souls bridging the distance between cultures and species and beyond politics. My imagination was soaring with the possibilities, fueled by my heart, when Pilar managed to bring me back to ground with a metaphorical thump.
“Um, don’t you think we should go inside? I’m pretty sure the kid is in there and not out here.”