Chapter Nine #2
‘Not yet. Bastion’s on it though. He’ll get results for you soon.’ Pride and affection shone through her voice.
‘Of that, I have no doubt. Can you ask him to send the image to me?’
‘Of course. I’ll do that now.’
‘Amber?’
‘Yes?’
‘Thanks so much for all your help. I really appreciate it.’
‘You’re welcome,’ she said, sounding gratified. ‘It’s certainly nice to be appreciated.’
She hung up and I moved on to the next part of my plan.
I rang Ji-ho.
‘Hey, Shirlylock,’ he greeted. ‘Are you okay?’ His voice was laced with concern. ‘I heard you got attacked on your way home. Do you need anything?’
‘Actually …’ I hesitated. I didn’t want to use him, to risk getting him into trouble, but what choice did I have?
I needed to use every resource at my disposal, and that included the clever, technologically skilled naiad.
‘Yes, yes I do. Can you swing by before work? Maybe with your computer? I’m going to stay off today. Have a day’s rest.’
‘Uh-huh.’ His tone made it clear he didn’t believe a word I was saying. ‘Rest. Sure. You’re famous for resting. Well, I’m owed some flexi time,’ he said. ‘I’ll be at yours in twenty and I won’t leave until I’m done.’
‘You’re the best.’ Just as I hung up, there was a knock at the door. ‘Robbie!’ I hollered from my bedroom. ‘Can you grab that?’
There was no way it could be Ji-ho already …
Robbie must have got the door, because moments later I heard murmuring. I went out and stopped dead when I saw Channing.
The detective wore jeans, a t-shirt and a stubborn expression.
‘Channing. What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at work in ten, and you’re not dressed for it.’
He looked at me flatly. ‘I’m sick.’ He coughed half-arsedly into his hand.
‘So I can see,’ I deadpanned, but a smile pulled at my lips.
Loki gave the detective a welcoming trill and flew around my aide before settling on his shoulder and nuzzling him. Channing seemed pleased by the warm reception.
‘I brought you Dr Pepper.’ He had a pack of six cans in his hand.
‘In case you needed to bribe your way into my apartment?’ I asked in amusement.
‘Exactly,’ he confirmed unashamedly.
I laughed. ‘Come on in, then. I can’t turn down Dr Pepper.’
Robbie took the cans from Channing and put them in the fridge to cool. ‘You want some breakfast, Detective? I’m making waffles.’
Channing eyed the mess in my kitchen and inhaled the delicious aroma wafting from it. ‘If it’s not too much trouble, I’d love some.’
‘Not at all. You talk amongst yourselves.’ My huge ogre mate went back to making us waffles, acting like he wasn’t listening at all, while I knew every word was being engraved into his memory.
I told Channing about our suspicions that Jingo was in Troy. We were discussing what to do about Kate when another knock sounded at the door. I frowned. With the best will in the world, there was still no way it was Ji-ho yet.
What was going on this morning? It felt like Lime Street Station in here.
I moved to answer it, gathering my intention ready as I went. Just in case.
I opened the door to find Elvira dressed in her usual sex-kitten version of the Inspector’s uniform, complete with eyeliner and tumbling hair that was unfairly bouncy.
‘What are you doing here?’ I said as I stared at her.
She brushed past me into the apartment. ‘I had an optician’s appointment. Turns out my eyesight’s fine, but my tolerance for bullshit is worsening. Talking of which …’ She grinned at Channing. ‘How’s that bug going, Detective? You sounded really sick on the phone.’
His cheeks reddened, and he offered another faux cough, making her laugh.
Her smile faded. ‘Listen, I’m not stopping long. I have to be on parade soon. I just wanted you to know, Faraday came by to check you’d closed the file. I showed him you’d covered everything off … but only after I’d already found him in your office.’
A chill ran down my spine. ‘My office?’
‘Yeah. Your office.’
Maybe I won’t poop on her, Loki said into the confines of my mind. He flew from Channing’s shoulder to go and rest on hers.
‘Hey, fuzzball,’ she said brusquely to my bird, but her fingers were whisper-soft as she stroked Loki’s chest.
She dropped her hand and looked at me. ‘Stacy … you need to watch yourself with this one.’
‘Understood,’ I murmured. And I did. She had dropped by with a warning. She hadn’t texted, hadn’t called - she wanted zero evidence of this chat.
Because she thought, sooner or later, someone would come looking for it.
Yeah, I understood all right.
Elvira’s eyes were dark and serious on mine.
‘All right. I’ve got to get going in case anyone figures out that my optician’s appointment is as bogus as Channing’s cough.
I’ll keep one ear to the ground at the station, but you keep yourself safe.
Let me know if you need anything, on or off record.
’ She looked over at Robbie. ‘You keep her safe too.’
He looked amused at that. ‘Have you ever tried to get Stacy to do something she doesn’t want to do?’
Elvira grinned. ‘I said keep her safe. I didn’t say with her permission.’
‘Hey!’ I objected. ‘I keep myself safe at all times.’
‘Yeah,’ Elvira said, ‘but I have a bad feeling all the same.’ She bit her lip. ‘Maybe you should close the Aspen case.’
‘It is closed,’ I insisted.
She snorted. ‘Yeah. Sure.’ She opened the door, and this time, Ji-ho was standing there, a hand raised as if about to knock.
‘I did not see you here,’ Elvira told Ji-ho, and then she hustled past him and away.
Ji-ho’s lips were curled up. ‘Looks like we’ve got a real conspiracy cooking here.’
‘Something like that.’ I sighed. ‘Come in. Shut the door. We’ve got rules to break.’
He grinned and shut the door.