Chapter 16
Chapter
Sixteen
Franklin
“I’ll get these bullets to the lab. The crime scene techs are taking casts of the shoe prints around the house,” Officer Ganz said. “I’m not sure if they’ll amount to much or not. Right now, that’s about all we’ve got. There’s a neighbor across the street with one of those video doorbell cameras. They’re not home currently, but when they do arrive we’ll ask for the footage.”
I stared up at Boone’s home. Nothing looked amiss. Warlock Holland’s protective wards worked like a charm, and no one got through. While that was reassuring, it was also frustrating. I couldn’t pull prints or DNA off the magical warding.
“Thanks, Ganz. Did you tell Boone your findings?”
I was staring at Boone’s back as he leaned over his neighbor’s fence. The elderly woman he’d been concerned about, Mrs. Hart, seemed perfectly fine. If the aggressive barks and yips coming from the white ball of fluff in her arms were any indication, Miss Pattycakes was just fine also.
I dragged my eyes away from Boone’s backside when Ganz didn’t automatically answer me. He stood there shuffling his feet while his fingers fisted before relaxing, only to repeat the pattern.
“Ganz?”
“Could you talk to him?”
“Boone? Why?” I had a sneaking suspicion I knew exactly why. Unfortunately, Ganz didn’t disappoint.
“He’s a necromancer.” Ganz lowered his head, his fisted hands now sitting heavily on his hips. “It’s unnatural.”
I bristled. “I’m not certain what your definition of unnatural is, but I assure you, Boone is just as much an inhabitant of this earth as you are.”
Ganz grimaced. “That’s what they say, but I’m not so certain. I’ll go talk to him if I have to, but—”
“I’ll do it. God knows he’s been through enough today without dealing with your speciesist bullshit.” I’d tell the captain that Ganz needed to be put through a few more cultural species sensitivity classes, but doubted it’d make much of an impact. Prejudice was hardwired. It was like an invasive weed. You could cut off the part everyone saw, but the roots were insidiously deep and traveled far through the dark underground.
Stomping away, I pushed down my negative energy. Boone didn’t need me coming at him while carrying the weight of my anger. His light laughter and gentle voice went a long way to disseminating my ire.
Miss Pattycakes growled low when I approached, and her lips pulled back in a snarl. She was tiny enough that she’d never do a lot of damage. Still, I didn’t relish the thought of another wound, especially a dog bite. My head injury felt shitty enough.
“Hush, Miss Patty,” Mrs. Hart admonished. “That’s Erasmus’s young man.”
Boone let out an embarrassed whine while I wondered if everyone thought we were an item. I didn’t always go with the crowd, but in this case, I wondered if the mob didn’t have it right. Interestingly enough, I also noticed that Boone didn’t immediately negate Mrs. Hart’s assumption.
“Mrs. Hart,” I said, “I hear you’re doing well.”
“Right as rain,” she replied happily. “Miss Patty here got her nose out of joint earlier when those men showed up. I could see them sneaking around. They tried being coy about it, but that’s difficult to do when you run into a warlock-made ward.” Mrs. Hart grinned wide enough for me to see her false teeth. “Miss Patty had a field day with that,” she cackled. “My baby will be hoarse come this time tomorrow. She made quite the ruckus.”
“I’ll let Pops know,” Erasmus said while reaching over and scratching Miss Patty on the head. The little dog leaned into this touch and wagged its tail. “He’ll be happy to know I’ve got another layer of security.”
Mrs. Hart beamed. “Your father is such a handsome man.” A dark blush lit her cheeks. “Mr. Hart was so jealous the first time he saw Nikodemus.”
Boone’s responding grin was soft. “Somehow, I don’t think Mr. Hart had anything to worry about.”
“No, that’s true. He was a good man.” Mrs. Hart’s voice thickened and trailed off before she rallied and asked, “Is there anything Miss Patty and I can do for you?”
Boone shook his head. “You’ve already done enough, and I’m happy you’re all right.”
“Oh, we’re fine.” She waved Boone’s concern off. “Those fellas were up to no good and I’m glad Miss Patty ran them off.”
Neither Boone nor I contradicted Mrs. Hart. If she wanted to think her diminutive dog saved the day, then so be it.
“You take care and let me know if there’s anything I can do. It’s good to see you again, Detective O’Hare. You take care of this one. Erasmus is one of the good ones too.” Mrs. Hart reached over the fence and squeezed my hand. Surprisingly, Miss Pattycakes didn’t make a sound.
Boone and I stood side by side, watching as Mrs. Hart shuffled across her flower-laden yard. Honestly, the property was stunning.
“I really need to talk with Pops. I think we got lucky this time.”
I understood his train of thought. “Miss Pattycakes is likely to get herself into more trouble if she keeps barking and drawing attention to herself.”
“My thoughts exactly. Still, she’s a good warning system. That little dog knows every car that’s supposed to be on this road. Chances are she knew before Pops’s wards that something was wrong.”
The edges of my lips quirked up. “I would love to be present when you tell Nikodemus Holland that a dog outdid his wards.”
Boone chuckled. “Yeah, not happening. Pops might like me better than most, but even I’m not stupid enough to tell him that.”
“Warlock Holland more than likes you, Boone. He loves you.” That much was abundantly clear.
Boone’s head sagged and his voice was muffled when he answered, “I know. I’m one lucky necromancer.”
We could debate that point, but instead I chose to ask, “Have you called your father?”
Boone blew out a heavy breath. “I called him when I was sitting in the back of the ambulance.” We’d both been triaged on the spot. Boone had some reddened areas that would soon turn into multicolored bruises. I suspected we had Aurelia to thank for him not being bloodied anywhere. The gash on my forehead was the worst of my injuries, and for that I was eternally thankful.
“Is he on a plane?”
“No. I managed to keep him in Cali. It’s not that I don’t want to see him, I just want to try and solve this mess without having to call in my Pops. Do you understand?”
“All too well,” I answered easily.
“Momma called while I was on the phone with Pops. She was worried at first. Then I caught an earful for not calling her sooner. Call me crazy, but I don’t think she would have wanted me to call while we were racing through the countryside and being shot at. I think that would have upset her a lot more than waiting to contact her.”
I couldn’t dispute Boone’s thoughts.
“She’ll be by later, once the police leave. Momma wants to see for herself that I’m fine. I’m sure she’ll fuss over me, but that’s what mommas do.”
Again, I couldn’t argue. My mother would have done the same if she were still alive. Unfortunately, she’d passed before I’d left Illinois. Nana outlived her daughter, but still had four grandchildren to corral. Honestly, I’m not sure what would have become of Nana if she hadn’t had us to care for. It had been difficult leaving her. But deep down, Nana understood why I needed to go, and despite the distance, she still managed to make her presence known.
The silent evening was interspersed with closing car doors, reminding me why I’d walked to Boone’s side. “The crime scene techs are finishing up. They’ll be done soon. Unfortunately, there’s not much for them to do beyond documenting the scene.”
“Which doesn’t amount to much more than photographing my property,” Boone rightly assumed.
“True enough. Warlock Holland’s charms worked a little too well.”
“Maybe…” Boone’s gaze drifted while he chewed on his bottom lip.
“ Maybe? ” I prompted, easily seeing there was something on Boone’s mind.
“I’m not certain, but I think Pops might be able to recognize the people that tried to cross his wards.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Do tell.”
Boone chuckled, the low sound slipping through my skin and making me shiver. “It’s difficult to explain and I’m not sure how it works. Pops says everyone’s got a unique signature. I’m not certain what that means. I think it’s hard for him to put into words. Anyway, the point is that Pops says that once his wards come into contact with someone, especially someone who activates them, then he gets a read on that person and can recognize them again.”
Now that sounded useful . “Can he track them?”
Boone shook his head. “No. It doesn’t work that way. We’d need to catch the guys first and then Pops could tell us if we’ve got the right ones.” Boone shrugged. “That might not be too helpful.”
“Maybe not as much as I’d hoped, but it’s something.” I had no doubt Boone’s father would agree to magically check out a suspect or two, especially when it had to do with his son’s safety.
Headlights flashed, sweeping across Boone’s yard and into the street as the crime scene techs left. A couple of lingering officers followed quickly behind, leaving me alone with Boone. Crickets chirped in the background as the sun dropped below the horizon. The sky was hazy with the evening humidity, making the deep magenta of the fading twilight fuzzy.
“It’s peaceful here,” Boone said, his voice barley above a whisper. “It’s one of the reasons I moved here. It was a risk.” Boone swallowed and stared at his hands, his arms still draped over the fence separating his property from Mrs. Hart’s.
“A risk?”
Boone tilted his head toward the street. “Not everyone was thrilled having a necromancer move in next door. There was even a petition trying to keep me out. Some people in the area were afraid my presence would drop their property value.” Boone blew out a deep breath. “I have equal housing opportunity to thank for my current home. Legally, I was in the right. I’m not gonna lie though. When I heard about the petition, I almost backed out. No one wants to live where they’re not wanted.”
My chest ached. Boone’s tone was wistful, as if he were speaking of someone else’s misfortune, not his own.
“What changed your mind?” I asked.
Boone nodded toward Mrs. Hart’s house. “The Harts. I wish you could have met Calista’s husband. Although, having met her, it’s almost like meeting him. They were so like-minded. Mr. Hart told me in no uncertain terms that they’d love for me to move in and not to pay attention to all the busybodies in the neighborhood. According to Mr. and Mrs. Hart, everyone has a few skeletons in their closets, and the people who protested the loudest were just afraid I was going to open those doors and let out all their secrets.” Boone hung his head, a tender smile pulling his lips. “I told them that’s not how my abilities work. Mr. Hart told me he knew that, but his neighbors didn’t—and not to enlighten them. Mr. Hart got a chuckle out of that and said it would be fun watching his neighbors fret and squirm.”
“You’re right. I wish I could have met him.”
“She hides it well, but Calista misses her husband. I don’t know what she’ll do if something happens to Miss Pattycakes. That little ball of white fluff is her lifeline.”
“With you across the yard, Miss Patty’s not her only one.”
Boone raised his head, his deep green eyes all the darker with night settling in. His skin was moonlight-pale and his sweaty hair flopped haphazardly across his forehead. My eyes tracked his tongue as he licked his lips. “Does it bother you?” he asked.
My brain fritzed and it took me an embarrassingly long time to compute Boone’s words. “Does what bother me?”
Boone’s cheeks flushed. “That she thinks we have a more-than-professional relationship.”
My response was immediate. “No. Does it bother you?”
Boone ran his fingers through his hair. “No, but I think our reasons are different.”
Leaning against the fence, I settled in for a conversation I had a sneaking suspicion was overdue. “How so?”
Boone jerked like I’d slapped him. “I think you know the answer.”
“I really don’t, but I can guess what you’re thinking, and you’re wrong.”
This time, when he jerked his head, his eyes were wide and searching. There was a glimmer of something that looked suspiciously like hope, and the very fact Boone didn’t think I could feel the same way he did made my chest hurt.
“I…I’m typically direct, but don’t know how to be about this. I consider us friends, Franklin. I don’t want to change that.”
“So don’t change it,” I answered and realized I’d fucked up and worded that all wrong when Boone pulled away. Reaching out quickly, I grasped his shoulder and held him in place. “I said that wrong. I didn’t mean that I didn’t want anything in our relationship to change, only that no matter what happens, we can still remain friends. I’d like to explore the more aspect with you, but above all, I don’t want this to change.” I oscillated my finger between the two of us. “I don’t want you to change. If you hadn’t noticed, I kind of like you the way you are. I kind of like you way more than I should.” The words came easier than I thought they would.
Boone turned his head. “Because I’m a necromancer?”
“No, because you’re someone I work with professionally. You’re not officially on the force, but you are occasionally on the payroll.”
That flicker of hope was cautiously back. “That’s the only reason?”
I shrugged. “It’s the only reason I can think of and I’m damn tired of it cockblocking me.”
Boone’s gasped chuckle lightened the heavy weight squatting on my chest. “ Cockblocking ? Really?”
“It’s probably a little early to go that far, but the sentiment’s valid.” I moved closer, taking a chance and sliding my fingers against the nape of Boone’s neck, pulling him toward me and tilting his head upward. Boone’s lips parted and his warm breath ghosted across my skin.
I stared into those stunning eyes and felt fear grip my heart. I could have easily lost this today. If it weren’t for Aurelia, Boone’s spectacular eyes might have been shuttered for good. That thought was wholly unacceptable. “You scared me today,” I said. “I don’t like people trying to break into your house and shooting at you.”
“I’m not fond of the thought myself.”
I grunted my agreement. “I really want to kiss you.”
“I don’t see anyone stopping you.”
I grinned and answered, “Neither do I,” before closing the distance and getting a taste of those stunning lips.