Chapter Twenty-Three
Miles
When we got back to my house, we found Lyric sitting on the couch watching TV. All the food was cleaned up and the dishes were done, so I immediately went to grab my laptop and came back to the living room.
Win and I sat on the loveseat while he explained our theory about the kids to Lyric.
“Do we know their last name?” I asked. It was kind of pathetic that none of us knew their last name off the top of our heads. “It’s probably on Chaos’s necromancer stuff, right?”
“Oh, I think it is.” Lyric pulled out their phone. “I think I have it somewhere.” They started searching with their phone while I did it on the computer.
Winter rested his chin on my shoulder, watching what I was doing. It only took me a few minutes to find it. “Mortimer Strickland and Aeson Strickland. Got it.”
“Damn, you’re fast,” Lyric said with a huff. “I was hoping to find it first.”
That made me grin at them before I started searching for any general information on the kids or their parents.
After a few minutes, I sighed. “All I can find about them is stuff about Chaos’s necromancy.
He’s been doing jobs for years, it looks like.
But I can’t find anything about their parents or anything. ”
“Sooooo… what does that mean?” Lyric asked with their arms crossed over their chest.
Winter said, “He’s going to ask his detective friend to look into it.”
Lyric frowned at that. “The ex-partner one? I thought we didn’t like him.”
I sighed. “We like him. He’s just a pain in the ass. But he’ll help me and won’t let anyone else in on it, so we won’t be sending trouble the kids’ way.”
Lyric nodded but was still frowning.
I had no idea what to do about that or why they were even frowning in the first place, so I set my laptop aside and sent Higgins a text.
Me: I need your help with something, but you have to promise me you won’t share ANYTHING with ANYONE ELSE.
Winter snorted. “I think you made that clear enough.” I didn’t mind that he was reading things over my shoulder because he had an arm around my waist, holding me and comforting me.
I was becoming addicted to his cuddles.
I turned just a tad to look at him on my shoulder, and I got a cheek kiss for my efforts, making me smile slightly. “I sure hope so.”
My phone buzzed.
Higgins: Alright. I’ll keep this to myself… now what is it?
Me: I need you to look into Mortimer and Aeson Strickland and their parents. They’re twins who are sixteen. Mortimer’s a necromancer, and they’ve helped me out before. I’m… worried about them, so I need info. An address. Anything you can get your hands on.
It was a few minutes before Higgins responded.
Higgins: Is it urgent? Do you need me to go into the office tonight?
That made my heart do something strange. It was like it fluttered a little and felt warm. After everything I’d put him through, he didn’t hesitate to jump in with two feet and help me.
Me: You don’t have to go in tonight, but if you’re able to do it soon, I’d appreciate it.
Higgins: I’m not planning on going in this weekend, but I will if you need me to.
Me: No. Wait till Monday.
Higgins: Are you sure?
Me: Yep.
Higgins: Okay. Let me know if that changes.
Me: Thank you, Higs. I owe you one.
Higgins: I might have to take you up on that.
I grimaced at that, but a second text came in.
Higgins: It’s good to hear from you. You doing okay?
Me: I’m good. What about you?
Higgins: Hanging in there. I’ll text you when I have something.
Me: Thank you!
I sent him a smiley face emoji, then set my phone down with a relieved sigh.
“Alright. Done. We should know more soon. Depending on what kind of records there are, it could take a week or two. Other departments don’t like giving us—um, them—their information, which is a pain. But hopefully it won’t be that long.”
Winter squeezed me tightly. “That’s good, lovey. In the meantime, we can keep buying them food.”
“What do you mean?”
Lyric grinned at us. “I think we’re going to be stopping by the museum quite a lot.”
Winter nodded, his chin still on my shoulder. “Yep. We can take turns bringing them dinner while they’re there.”
That made me smile. “I like the way you think.”
He chuckled and kissed my cheek.