Chapter 9
Mrs. Peabody gave a little snort at Liam’s words, though her eyes glimmered with something softer.
“Well, I should hope not. I’d be bored to death if I were perfect.
” She tapped the box once, as if sealing her decision, then rose from her chair with surprising agility.
“Come along, both of you. No one leaves my house without a proper cup of tea.”
Liam glanced at Lina, who arched a brow in faint amusement. Together, they followed the older woman down the hallway into a bright, tidy kitchen that smelled faintly of lavender and lemon. A teapot already waited on the stove, steaming gently, as if it had anticipated her command.
“Sit, sit.” Mrs. P shooed them toward the oak table in the corner, covered with a cheerful quilted runner. She moved with brisk efficiency, pouring amber liquid into mismatched china cups, then adding a plate of shortbread biscuits that seemed to materialize from thin air.
Lina took the offered cup, inhaling the fragrant steam. “Thank you. It’s nice to sit and relax for a moment.”
Mrs. P’s gaze softened as she regarded her. “You carry yourself well, Agent Goodwell. I can see why Sam thought you’d be of use. But be warned. Mrs. Entwistle won’t hesitate to test your resolve. Keep your wits about you.”
“I will,” Lina promised, her voice steady.
“And you.” Mrs. P turned to Liam, her look narrowing just slightly. “You’re brave, yes, but don’t let your protective instincts cloud your judgment. Sometimes, the hardest thing is letting your partner fight her own battles.”
Liam inclined his head. “Understood, ma’am.”
For a few minutes, they drank in silence, the clink of porcelain the only sound.
The tea was strong, spiced faintly with something Liam couldn’t identify but found oddly comforting.
His lion eased, the warmth of the tea chasing away some of the chill that talk of demonic monstrosities had left in its wake.
Mrs. P’s gaze moved between them, thoughtful and assessing. “You two seem to work well together,” she observed quietly. “That’s rare in a partnership so new, you must realize. Most partners take months to find their rhythm.”
Liam felt Lina glance at him, and he met her eyes briefly. Something unspoken passed between them. It felt like acknowledgment, maybe, or agreement.
“We’ve been lucky,” Lina said, her response maddeningly neutral.
“Luck.” Mrs. P’s mouth curved slightly. “Perhaps. Or perhaps it’s something else entirely.” She didn’t elaborate, but the knowing look she gave them both suggested she saw more than they were ready to admit.
Finally, Mrs. P pushed back her chair. “That’s enough sitting. We’ve all got work to do. Take your next steps quickly, but wisely. And should you find anything else unusual, bring it to me. I’ll help in any way I can.”
Liam and Lina stood, thanking her sincerely. At the door, she pressed a little bag of biscuits into Lina’s hands. “For later. Hunters need their strength.”
The FBI agent blinked in surprise but accepted with a small smile. “Thank you. That’s very thoughtful.”
“Go on now,” Mrs. P said briskly, though her eyes held warmth. “The world won’t save itself.”
Liam and Lina stepped back into the morning sunlight, the little bag of biscuits tucked into Lina’s handbag, the weight of Mrs. P’s warnings still echoing in their minds.
Outside, the morning had warmed considerably. Liam pulled out his phone to check the time. It was just after ten. They had most of the day ahead of them.
Lina’s phone buzzed as they walked toward the cars.
She pulled it out, read the screen, and her expression shifted to focused intensity.
“Perfect timing. My postal contact just came through with an address. The application was filed under Penelope Atwood, just like the receipt said. She listed an address in Center Moriches as her residence.”
Liam pulled up a map on his phone, studying the location. “It’s another waterfront property on one of the inlets. She really likes her ocean-going escape routes.”
“Can you blame her? It’s a strategy that’s already worked for her. She’s obviously a woman who plans ahead.” Lina looked up at him, her green eyes serious. “We need to be more careful with this one. After what happened at the Bayshore house…”
“Agreed. We scout from a distance first. No approach until we know what we’re dealing with. If it even hints of a trap, we call in backup before making a move.”
“Who’s our backup? Rich and Meg?” Lina asked.
Liam shook his head. “No. They’re backing us up strictly from afar on this mission.
They can help with research, but they’re newly mated, and I don’t want to put either of them in any more danger than they’re already in.
However, I still have a platoon of shifter Spec Ops soldiers under my command who are currently working on another mission nearby.
They have access to watercraft and can be here within minutes, if needed.
You should know, there are also a few other powerful resources in the tri-state area who might be willing to lend a hand, if needed.
Some elder statesmen, if you will, of the Special Warfare community. ”
“Elder statesmen? Just how elder are we talking?” Lina sent him a questioning smile.
“Elder enough to have served in Viet Nam and created the SEAL teams as we now know them,” Liam told her, enjoying the way her eyes widened at his revelation.
She knew, as well as he did, that shifters aged differently from regular humans.
“Some of those original guys are nearby, and they have a huge group of retired SEALs to call on, should they be needed. I wasn’t aware of them until after our first encounter with Mrs. E here on the island, but my dad let me in on the intel when he left to reorganize our people in a new location, leaving me in charge of closing down our last base. ”
Lina nodded knowingly. “I’d heard a Top-Secret location nearby had been blown, but not the details. That was your father’s command?”
Liam nodded. “It was a sweet base, but he always knew it wouldn’t last. It stayed off our enemies’ radar much longer than he’d expected, in fact. He had contingency plans in place that are now in the works, and I’m making sure no trace remains of our presence, then I’ll be rejoining him.”
“Nice to know you have so many possibilities for backup,” Lina replied noncommittally.
Why did she seem to deflate at the mention of him going back to his duty? He’d have to think about that later. For now, they had work to do.
“Do you want to check out Mrs. E’s house here first, and then check out the Center Moriches location?” Liam asked.
“That’s a good idea. Seeing how she set up her home here might be of some use, and if we’re lucky, we might find something to lead us to another clue, though frankly, I’m thinking we won’t.”
“No?” Liam turned her toward Mrs. E’s place, which was just a short walk away.
“No. She knew she was risking this identity if her plan failed. Seeing how cautious she’s been, I doubt she would have left anything of investigative value at her house here.
She’d probably moved anything important out long before she and her allies made their move on the coven. Still, it’s worth taking a quick look.”
“Mrs. Peabody said the house would open for us, whatever that means,” Liam said as he escorted Lina up the walkway to the door of the small house.
They found out in short order when the door magically opened wide at their approach. Lina just shook her head at such casual use of magic. Lina didn’t waste time, but went right to work looking around the house, which was as clean as she’d thought it would be.
She didn’t rush, but honestly, there wasn’t much to find.
It only took a few minutes to determine that anything that might’ve been of value to her investigation was long gone.
Still, seeing how the woman kept her home did offer some small insights into her character.
Everything was in perfect order, with even the cans in the pantry closet lined up like soldiers, their labels all facing forward with precision.
It was just weird how much time the woman must have spent on that alone.
Lina made mental notes and shook her head when Liam brought a pad of paper over to her.
There weren’t even any impressions of things that might’ve been written on the missing pages of the pad to discern.
The house had been wiped clean of anything that could have helped them find Mrs. E’s other places.
Luckily, they already had a lead, and it was about time to get moving on that.
“This is a bust,” Lina said quietly, putting the pad of paper down where Liam had found it. “Let’s go check out Center Moriches.”
“Sounds good,” Liam agreed, heading with Lina toward the door to the house.
She wasn’t surprised when it closed and locked of its own accord the moment they were clear of it. Liam just shook his head and escorted her down to the sidewalk and headed toward the house where they were staying.
“Shall we take my car?” he asked, gesturing toward his big SUV as they approached.
“Sure,” she agreed, allowing him to open her door and politely assist her into the big vehicle. He then went around to the driver’s side and got in.
As Liam pulled away from the house, he set the navigation system for the Center Moriches address. The route would take them about twenty minutes, mostly along coastal roads.
“So what’s our approach?” Lina asked, buckling in. “Drive-by first?”
“Drive-by, then find a discreet observation point. Somewhere we can watch without being obvious.” Liam glanced at her. “Your investigative training probably gives you better protocols for this than my kick-in-the-door military style.”
A slight smile tugged at her lips. “Surveillance 101. Patience, distance, and never assume the target doesn’t know you’re coming.”