Chapter 7
Seven
King was on the radio with dispatch for a while and, with him distracted, I used the time to convince most of the ambient water out a nearby window.
I even went back up to the attic and dragged a large bucket under the leak.
My client wasn’t going to be happy, but at least the water damage wouldn’t be as bad as it could have been.
King caught me as I was coming down the steps. He said, “Paranormal Crimes is on their way.”
I nodded. I figured I had a few minutes before someone with more knowledge about witchcraft than King saw the carnage I’d made of the bedroom and started asking some pointed questions.
“While I go downstairs to make sure the scene is secure, you’re going to be up here all alone,” he said.
My eyebrows crept up. Officer By The Book was telling me something, and I didn’t want to ruin it by making him be explicit.
“So, I’m going downstairs now,” he said. “But the ambulance will be here soon and PC won’t be too far behind them.”
I watched him turn to the stairs. He didn’t look back at me, and I rushed to the bedroom. It was worse than I’d thought.
My magic was low. I’d wasted the surplus I’d started with taking out Bowman. Still, I had some. Digging deep, I coaxed the wood back into place.
It was unhappy, but the familiarity of being a plank, instead of a tree, won out. Wood groaned and sighed, and when I had just the barest sliver of magic left, I opened my eyes. The floor was back to normal. Even the circle looked more like I’d just taken a crowbar to it.
I could claim that was an explosive spell. I’d seen my sister do worse when she found out about new city ordinances limiting how much spellcraft could be practiced in public without a permit. Collapsing back against the foot of the bed, I heard King’s voice on the stairs.
“He’s up here,” he said. “In the bedroom on the left.”
King was through the door first and his eyebrows went up, mouth dropping open. He gave me a narrow look, but just directed the EMTs to Richmond, who let out a loud snore. As they got him on the stretcher, I slipped out into the hallway and back into the master bedroom.
Looking around for my bag, I sighed, realizing that I’d left it in the entryway. There were footsteps behind me and King said, “You’ll need to give a statement to PC. An accurate statement.”
He came close behind me and dropped my duffel on the bed. He’d zipped it closed. When I turned, he’d retreated a few steps and held his cop notebook in one hand. He spun his pen in his fingers. “At least as accurate as you can be.”
“Hey,” I said. “You’re the one who says there’s no such thing as ghosts. At least I’ll have facts in my statement.”
He made a non-committal noise, and I snorted.
After a beat, my curiosity burst out. “You left me alone at a crime scene.”
“Did I?” he asked. “Why? Did you do something?”
He was playing the straight man to a T. I let it go, figuring that he could make good with his own conscience. Maybe his conscience told him that turning in the guy who’d helped him survive a nightmare didn’t square. Without any evidence of my magic to tip off Paranormal Crimes, we were good.
I took a step forward. “You know, I should give you my number in case you have any follow-up questions.”
I’d seen the way he looked at me, side glances and a bitten lip. But, still, I wasn’t going to push. He was the guy with a gun and dirt on me.
“I’ll probably have a few questions.” He closed the remaining distance, and the air between our bodies electrified.
I licked my lips and then leaned forward, pressing a fierce kiss to his lips. For a moment he was still, and then he surged forward, one of his warm hands coming up to cup my face. Groaning, I nipped at his mouth.
After a heated moment, he stepped back and cleared his throat. The hand that had been on my face drifted back to his side. He pulled out his cop notebook.
“Number?”
“805-555-8742,” I said. My lips still tingled. He nodded.
“King!” someone called from out in the hallway. “PC is here.”
“I’ll be right there,” he responded. He turned and walked out of the room. At the doorway, he turned. “I’ll see you around, Parker.”
I raised my hand in a half-wave. He nodded and left.
Bringing fingers to my lips, I pressed at the sensitive skin. Oh, I’d definitely be seeing him again, even if I had to commit a crime to guarantee it.