Chapter 2
Chapter two
Aquiet evening with her roommate, and Rosalia’s amazing cooking, had done wonders for settling Hallie’s mood after her mother’s unexpected visit.
She’d sent Cotovatre photographs of the document Wilona had left, along with photographs of the severance document for good measure.
The original of the severance document was safely tucked away in a bank, along with the other documents she didn’t want to lose, like the title for the house and her original ID certificate from the city.
Cotovatre had sent a message back almost at once: All received, thank you. It’s in hand with the lawyers. We will prevail. Try not to worry, and keep living your life. Blessings.
It made Hallie’s eyes sting that her many-times great grandmother could convey more genuine warmth and affection in characters on a phone screen than Wilona Talbot had ever done in person through Hallie’s entire life.
And Hallie knew that Cotovatre’s advice was sound.
Even so, it didn’t feel comfortable to be leaving her future in the hands of Cotovatre and Wilona.
Or, more accurately for now perhaps, in the hands of Cotovatre and Wilona’s lawyers.
She’d only recently got her freedom from the vine.
It was still strange to think she was no longer in Wilona’s control.
She didn’t want to go back. Not ever. And while she had faith that Cotovatre - and her lawyers - would get Wilona - and her lawyers - to acknowledge that Hallie was no longer part of the Talbot family or the Talbot vine, she thought it might take a while.
Until then, she would try to take Cotovatre’s advice and live her life. Which meant accepting a call from her employer and aunt, Gin Talbot, the next morning with a job for her. There was a law enforcement bounty out for a wanted man in low city.
Looking forward to getting caught up in the familiar routine of work, it was almost a disappointment when Hallie found her skip in the second place she looked - the abandoned car garage his family had once operated.
Even if he didn’t surrender quietly and she had some difficulty getting him into custody and then into the nearest police station, it was barely noon when she dropped the paperwork off at her aunt’s office.
With nothing more to do for now, Hallie was heading out into the gloomy winter day again when her phone rang. Her brows lifted as she recognised the caller. Peredur Roth, the director of the Conclave Investigators, and Girard’s boss.
“This is Hallie,” she said, skirting around a puddle as she walked in the direction of home. Her aunt might not have more work for her, but she was sure she could find something to do around the house.
“Miss Talbot, good afternoon to you. This is Peredur Roth. I wonder if I might have some of your time, whenever you are next free?”
“Ah, well, I’m free now,” Hallie said. “I’ve just delivered a skip and there are no more warrants out right now.”
“Excellent. Can you meet me at the Sunrise Café in, say, an hour?” he asked, naming a well-known spot in midtown. The café had a stellar reputation, catering for the expensive tastes of hochlen and the wealthiest karlen. Hallie had never set foot inside and had never expected to.
“I can,” Hallie said, curiosity spiking.
She couldn’t imagine what the director wanted with her.
But she definitely wanted to find out. She changed direction, turning towards the nearest bus stop instead.
It would take her longer than an hour to walk the distance, but the cross-city bus would get her there in plenty of time.
“If you need more time, just let me know, otherwise I will see you there,” he said.
“I will, thank you,” Hallie said. It was only when she ended the call that she wondered if she should have asked why he wanted to see her or if there was anything she should bring to their meeting.
She briefly thought about calling him back, but decided against it.
If he’d wanted her to have more information, he would have let her know.
It wasn’t until she was on the bus, with no time to go home and change, that she glanced down at herself and saw the stain spreading across one knee and up her thigh.
She’d had to wrestle the fugitive through the abandoned garage and she was quite sure the stain was some kind of oil that most likely wouldn’t come out.
Irritation spiked. The jeans were old and faded, but they were superbly comfortable and replacing them was going to be difficult.
Not only that, but she’d have preferred to at least look clean and tidy for meeting the director.
There was nothing to be done now. It was a small comfort that Peredur Roth had seen her in a far worse state before.
She was reasonably sure he’d forgive a little wear and tear.
The bus got her to a midtown stop in plenty of time and she headed up the hill to the café.
As she pushed open the door, the bright sound of a bell let everyone inside know that someone had just entered the building.
One glance around and she almost turned and left, back out into the biting winter cold.
This wasn’t her normal haunt. This was midtown, where the residents mostly considered themselves far superior to the common folk that lived and worked in low city.
The Sunrise Café, famous for its coffee and baking, was less than half-full, but everyone in there was wearing far better clothing than she was, all of them in finer fabrics.
No one else was wearing oil stains, she was quite sure.
She didn’t normally think about her appearance, not in low city, where she was used to blending in with the wide variety of people, human and non-human.
Before she could give in to her discomfort, she spotted Director Roth getting to his feet, half-raising a hand to make sure she had seen him.
Before Hallie could move towards him, one of the waiting staff approached her, her bright blue uniform pristine, expression on her face an almost comical mix of curiosity and horror.
“Can I help you?” the waitress said, voice sharp-edged.
Hallie wasn’t sure if she should be offended or amused by the younger woman’s obvious attempt to imply that she was in the wrong place. Hallie couldn’t argue with that.
“No need, the person I’m meeting is already here,” Hallie said, choosing to be amused, keeping her voice light.
She stepped around the waitress and made her way through the café to where Peredur Roth was still standing, a slight crease between his brows as he looked between Hallie and back at the waitress.
“Everything alright?” the director asked.
“Perfectly fine,” Hallie said. She glanced down at her jeans and grimaced again. “I doubt they get many people in here wearing engine oil, but I came straight from work. Skip tried to hide in an old garage.”
Peredur gestured for her to sit and settled in his chair as Hallie took the one opposite.
“Hazards of working,” he said, amusement in his face and voice.
“I remember turning up late to a dinner at my parents’ house covered in mud from head to toe.
I’d been out with the dogs and one of them had slipped down a hill into a river, so, naturally, I went down to rescue her.
Only she managed to get out on her own and I was left to scramble up the river bank. My parents were not impressed.”
Hallie laughed, somehow able to imagine a much younger Peredur. His now-greying blond hair would have been vivid, streaked with mud, and the lean and serious face that he now wore would have been a little rounder and far more earnest.
She glanced up in surprise when a mug of coffee was placed in front of her along with a plate of small, fancy cakes that filled the air with the scent of warm berries.
“I took the liberty of ordering for you,” Peredur said. “Black coffee, no milk or sugar. And the cakes are the house special here, definitely not to be missed.”
“Thank you,” Hallie said, avoiding his eyes for a moment. She hadn’t realised he’d been paying attention to her coffee preferences. Then she saw he had the same order and relaxed. It felt less like scrutiny and more that he’d noticed a commonality between them.
“You must be wondering why I asked to meet,” Peredur said.
Hallie nodded and sat back, eyes on his face, a nervous knot tied in her stomach, wishing now that she had called him back and asked for more information about why he’d wanted to meet.
On the bus journey she’d managed to imagine a dozen scenarios, none of them good.
She’d worked alongside the Conclave Investigators a few times now.
The last case had taken her out of the city, along with Special Investigator Girard Abbott, the investigators’ medical examiner and team of forensic technicians, to Lady Cotovatre’s home.
They’d solved that case, but in the course of it, Lady Cotovatre had acknowledged Hallie as her descendant and heir.
As much as it warmed Hallie to her core to know that her ancestor valued her and welcomed her presence, the term heir had very definite meaning for hochlen, one that Hallie was still puzzling through.