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With a couple of hours before Roderick and Prim would come over for tea, Wynona decided to go by the police station again. If she could slip around the chief and speak directly to Rascal, she had a feeling she could learn a little bit more about the case.
Chief Ligurio might want her to leave things alone, but Rascal had already proven to be helpful by turning the other way to allow Wynona time to question Delila. As Wynona pulled open the front door, she hoped it hadn’t been a fluke. Though it wouldn’t exactly be a hardship to spend time with the handsome Deputy Chief.
“Hello,” Wynona said with her best smile as she approached the front desk.
The officer looked up. “Oh! Ms. Le Doux!”
“Officer Nightshade.” Wynona’s enjoyment became immediately more genuine. “How’re you doing today?”
The female officer looked up. “I’m well, thank you.” She tilted her head to the side, her short dark hair falling across her forehead. “What can I do for you today?”
“I was hoping to speak to Deputy Chief Strongclaw,” Wynona replied, lowering her voice just a touch. She resisted the urge to look around, not wanting to appear suspicious in any way. “Does he happen to be in?”
Officer Nightshade shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. He’s off today.”
“Oh.” Wynona chewed on her bottom lip. Geez, it was hard being without powers. Her mother or sister would be able to track him down with a simple spell. Wynona, unfortunately, had to use old fashioned tactics. “You wouldn’t happen to have a phone book, would you?”
The officer grinned. “He’s unlisted,” she said, knowing exactly what Wynona was getting at.
Wynona’s shoulders drooped. “Oh, well...thank you.” She started to turn around. “Have a nice day.” There had to be a way to get his information. Wynona wasn’t about to interrogate Officer Nightshade. If the vampire had wanted to share, she would have. It was probably against regulations to give out that kind of information.
“Ms. Le Doux?”
Wynona spun. “Did you need something, Officer Nightshade?”
Officer Nightshade smiled and her teeth gleamed under the fluorescent lighting. “I need to run and get more blood coffee. Would you mind keeping an eye on the desk for me?”
Wynona jerked back slightly. “Me?”
The officer nodded, her grin growing.
Wynona looked around, trying to determine if this was a joke, but no one seemed to be paying any attention to them. “Um...okay. If I can help.”
“Oh, you can.” Officer Nightshade stood up and indicated for Wynona to take her chair. “Just sit here and make sure no one digs around in my stuff while I’m gone.”
“Gotcha.” Wynona nodded and looked up seriously. “You can count on me.”
The officer chuckled. “And make double sure other visitors don’t look in that black binder to the left. It contains information on all our officers and we wouldn’t want it to get into the wrong hands.”
Wynona froze. Ooohhhhh....She nodded more slowly. “Right. Keep others out of the binder.” She held her breath.
“Right.” Officer Nightshade turned around and was gone before Wynona could blink.
“One of these days I’m going to have to become a little more sneaky,” Wynona muttered to herself. Once again making sure no one was paying her any mind, she quickly pulled out the binder and flipped to the ‘S’ section. “Strongclaw...” Her finger stopped. “Gotcha.”
Thinking fast, Wynona snapped a picture of his information, worried writing it down would take too long, and quickly put all the evidence away. She was swinging from side to side in the chair by the time Officer Nightshade came back, calmly sipping her brew.
“Ah, nothing like a warm, fresh cup,” she said, saluting Wynona with her mug. “Thank you so much for helping out. I think I can take it from here.”
Wynona stood up and backed away, suddenly feeling extremely guilty. “Right. You’ve got it. I mean, of course you’ve got it. You’re an officer.” She promptly snapped her mouth shut. Not only was she not sneaky, but she apparently was also a rambler when she got nervous. Who knew?
“Thanks for stopping by.” Officer Nightshade effectively dismissed Wynona.
“Thanks, you too!” Wynona stumbled when she realized what she had said. Shaking her head, she mentally scolded herself for being such a nincompoop. This was not how an investigator would act. They would be cool under pressure.
Wynona had learned how to stay calm when others were going crazy, but she’d never learned how to stay calm when she was breaking the law. She wasn’t sure it was something she should get used to.
Hopping on her Vespa, she glanced at her phone and memorized the address. His apartment was on the other side of town and it would take her a good twenty minutes to ride over there. She glanced at her phone, double checking the time. If she was going to have tea ready for everyone by two, she needed to get this errand going.
With a deep breath and a push, Wynona took off, weaving seamlessly into traffic. Rascal’s apartment building must have been a family affair, because children and adults who looked like they were also shifters were pouring out of the place as if it was a pack den.
Wynona frowned and checked the address once more. Nope. No mistake. This was it. Pasting on her best smile, she nodded politely and greeted everyone she walked past, doing her best to ignore the fact that every single one of them stopped and stared. It would appear that witches were not common in this community.
Putting her head high, Wynona tried to pretend like she belonged, but as the noise gradually died down, leaving a pregnant silence in its wake, she felt her knees begin to tremble. Marching up to Rascal’s door, she raised her hand, clenching her fist tight to keep it from shaking, and gave a firm knock.
Rocking back on her heels, Wynona waited, but no one came to the door. She raised her hand to knock again, but suddenly felt foolish. What was she doing? Chasing down a police officer in his own home, just to see if there were any updates on the case? Rascal was going to think she was crazy. She was crazy!
Spinning on her heel, Wynona was determined to get out of there before someone could figure out who she was.
A door opened behind her and voices filtered into the hallway. One in particular made Wynona pick up her pace.
“Wynona?”
She hesitated, but didn’t turn around.
“Ms. Le Doux?”
Crud. Wynona stopped and squeezed her eyes shut. Taking a deep breath, she turned and smiled. “Hello, Officer Strongclaw.”
He was grinning at her as if he could see exactly how embarrassed she was. “Funny seeing you here,” he said, wiping his hands on a paper towel. He turned back to the tiny, older woman beside him. “Just let me know if that drain gives you any more trouble, alright?”
The woman stopped glaring at Wynona just long enough to look up at Rascal adoringly. “You’re such a good wolf,” she said, patting his cheek. “Don’t be a stranger.” With one last glare at Wynona, she slammed the door, leaving Rascal in the hallway.
He continued to grin while sauntering toward her, only to stop at his door. “Would you like to come in?”
Wynona opened her mouth to say “no”, but forced herself to stop. She wasn’t some young teenage girl. She was an adult and perfectly capable of doing hard things....like asking police officers for help. Nodding instead, she walked back. “Yes, thank you. I was hoping to ask you a few questions.”
Rascal chuckled as he opened his door and ushered her in. “For you to hunt me down at home, I have a feeling it's more than a few.”
Wynona shot him a look, but that only seemed to amuse him more.
“Have a seat,” he said, indicating the couch.
Wynona sat down gingerly, doing her best to maintain proper decorum.
He headed to the kitchen. “Drink?”
“No, thank you.”
Coming back with a glass of water, Rascal apparently hadn’t had the same manners tutor as Wynona and threw himself into an arm chair sideways, so his legs were hanging off the side. He drained the glass and set it aside. “Now, Ms. Le Doux—”
“Wynona.”
He nodded. “Of course. We’ve played this game before.” He smiled. “Wynona. What brings you here?” He frowned. “And how did you even know where I live?”
Wynona pursed her lips. “I probably shouldn’t tell you that.”
“What? Why you’re here? Or how you knew to come here?”
Wynona tried to hide her smile, but she was pretty darn sure Rascal could see it anyway. “I’m here because I’m hoping we can discuss notes on the case.”
One thick eyebrow went up. “You really don’t plan to give up, do you?”
She shook her head. “No. I need to see this through.”
He brought his legs forward and then leaned with his elbows on his knees. “Why is this so important to you? Why are you willing to risk getting hurt in order to solve the case?”
Wynona considered her answer. She didn’t want to dig into everything, but so far Rascal had proven that he was trustworthy. Perhaps she could level with him a bit. Copying his stance, she leaned forward onto her knees. “I need to open my tea shop,” she said softly. “I’ve already had trouble with patrons cancelling appointments because they think I’m a murderer. And if the shop doesn’t open on its planned date, the odds of it ever happening are slim.” Her hands intertwined and she wrung her fingers. “This is all I have, Deputy Chief Strongclaw. If I don’t make this work, I won’t have anything. I barely managed to break ties with my family as it was and going back would be the worst thing I can do, so before you suggest that, just know it’s not an option. I’d rather be homeless and living at the creature shelter than deal with them again.”
He narrowed his eyes, studying her, and Wynona held still for the look. This wasn’t a man sizing up a woman, it was an officer sizing up the truth. Finally he nodded. “You realize we don’t usually let civilians help us?”
Wynona nodded in return. “Yes. And as much as I hate to ask for exceptions, your boss seems in no hurry to help clear my name.”
Rascal scratched his chin. “Yeah...I’m not quite sure what he has against you. Although, it’s not like your family doesn’t have enemies.”
She splayed her hands to the side. “I know, and believe me, I understand why, but he’s never even met me.” She sighed and leaned back. “It’s probably hate based on association and for that, I’m sorry. But I can’t help who I was born to.”
“True enough.” Rascal relaxed against his seat as well. “So, you spoke to the wife?”
Wynona shrugged. “Yes. But since then I’ve come up with more questions.”
“Such as?”
“Such as what’s in the will? I didn’t particularly feel like she was the killer, but I think it’s possible she had the most to gain.”
Rascal grinned and shook his head. “And there’s where you’d be wrong.”
Wynona’s eyebrows shot up.
“The wife doesn’t get a thing if her husband is killed.”
Wynona gasped. “Are you serious?”
Rascal nodded. “It’s all in the prenup. He was wealthy when he married her and it says she doesn’t get a dime. Basically, she’s free to go back to her family, but that’s about it.”
“Oh my goodness...” Wynona’s gaze moved around the room, but she wasn’t seeing any of it. Her mind whirled. Without the will, there was no reason for Mrs. Droxon to kill her husband. None. Except for the abuse, but the question still was, why not just leave? “Who does the money go to?” she asked, refocusing herself on Rascal.
A slight reddish tinge crept into the shifter’s brown skin. “Well...now...we don’t actually know.”
“What?” Wynona jerked upright. “You just said it doesn’t go to the wife. How would you know that if you haven’t seen the will?”
He gave her a look. “Because we have seen the prenuptial agreement. The conditions were very clear that she wouldn’t get anything.”
“Then why haven’t you seen the will?”
“Because no one can find it.”
“No one can find it?” Wynona repeated the words, trying to make sure she was hearing correctly. “Rascal, excuse me if I’m wrong, but Chef Droxon is still very much alive. The murder might have been aimed at him, but he’s still living. Why not ask him where the will is?”
“We have,” he said defensively.
“And he just refuses to share it?”
Rascal shook his head. “No. He said it’s not in the safe where it’s supposed to be.”
“It’s...missing?”
Rascal nodded slowly. “Yep.”
“Oh my...” Wynona deflated into her seat a little. “That does put a kink in things, doesn’t it?” She quickly leaned forward. “Did you ask Chef Droxon who the will talks about?”
Rascal chuckled. “Boy, you’re tenacious.”
She grinned back at him. “Sorry. But I’ve told you more than once that my entire life is hanging on this murder being solved.”
“Yeah...I get it.”
Screaming children from outside his window caught Wynona’s attention and she automatically turned at the sound.
“Ignore them,” Rascal said easily. “It’s always noisy around here.”
“And that doesn’t bother you?”
He shrugged. “Shifters, especially wolf shifters, tend to like being in groups. Our animals are social creatures.”
Wynona made a mental note to someday ask about his wolf. She was fascinated by the idea of shifting and if she and Rascal remained friends, maybe she could ask him some personal questions about it. Of course, if she had her powers, she might be able to shift herself. That was the beauty of being a witch. They could do almost all the same magic as the other magical creatures, but with fewer consequences, like being pulled by a full moon. “Good to know,” she responded.
He grinned. “Not a fan?”
She shrugged. “I like my quiet house, but then again, this is the first time I’ve actually owned my own space, so that might have something to do with it.” Or the fact that she grew up alone and it was what she was used to. Glancing at the clock on the wall, Wynona jumped to her feet. She needed to get to the tea shop. “Thank you so much for answering my questions,” she said in a rush. “I have an appointment, but I hope to chat with you again.”
Rascal stood and escorted her across the room to the door. “Anytime,” he said, pulling on the handle. “Now that you know where I live, feel free to come get updates whenever you need.” He winked, a move Wynona was coming to realize was his signature, but that didn’t stop her from blushing.
He really was very handsome. Maybe even more so than Roderick, though they were on complete opposite ends of the spectrum from each other. It probably just depended on one’s preference.
“Thank you,” she said. “I appreciate that.”
“And I’ll be waiting.” Still grinning, he closed the door and Wynona headed down the hall.
It wasn’t until she was on her scooter that she realized she’d never gotten the answer to her last question. Squinting up at the building, she smiled and shook her head. She had a strange feeling he did that on purpose. Well, if he wanted her to come back, she just might take him up on the invitation.