Chapter 25 #9
“The same as every member of my team,” Charles replied. “We can go to Wyrd and come back in one piece. That’s a vital requirement when you’re a cop because we don’t go over there for entertainment.”
Or for reasons that are far more desperate than entertainment.
He considered the other inquiries his team was currently investigating.
Nothing urgent. Locating Rachel Nightingale was an ongoing investigation and had been for months, but that was Grace Russell’s case.
So was finding Reginald Hampton III, who was still listed as missing—or finally listed as missing, since his family and the administrators running his businesses were now admitting that he didn’t usually drop out of sight for this long.
“I can send Detective Castelletti along, too, if that makes it easier for you,” he said. “But if you don’t take Fahey, it will be a wasted trip.”
“Fine.” Gibson paused. “Thank you.”
Charles pushed away from his desk, escorted Gibson out of his office, and gave Fahey and Castelletti their assignment.
13
Lucas Frost strode into his office and looked toward the large table where Ashley Laxton sorted the mail that came from Wyrd’s various—and varied—neighborhoods.
Some people wanted to stay in touch with those they had left behind.
Others wanted supplies not easily found wherever they were currently located.
All the mail went through Destiny Park and was sent on to post offices across the river.
Mail sent from a person in the human towns to a resident of Wyrd was delivered to one of the Arcana’s post office boxes—usually the ones in Penwych or Lovecraft.
It was collected and then brought to the park for distribution.
A letter going to a neighborhood in Wyrd might arrive in a couple of days, or it might take a year, depending on how often someone or something was able to reach a particular place—and that often depended on the intentions of the sender and receiver.
He stopped when Ashley held out two letters. As he walked over to the table and took the letters, he could feel lines of fate lightly touching, possibly changing what might come.
One letter was addressed to him. The other was addressed to Captain Forrester.
*Ferryman,* he called.
*Frost?*
*If you see any police officers around the pier on the other side of the river, tell them I need to see one of Forrester’s people as soon as possible.*
*The young female who doesn’t fear the strange?*
Not surprising that the Ferryman had noticed her.
All the Arcana Beth Fahey had come in contact with had noticed her because she wasn’t like the rest of the police—except Forrester.
But even he wasn’t as easy about being here as she was.
Then again, she had an ancestor who had been Arcana—a truth it wasn’t yet time for her to know, according to the Ladies Three.
*Yes, tell them I need to see Beth Fahey. *
He opened the letter addressed to him. From Tia Downing? She wouldn’t send a request for supplies to him, so what…
He skimmed the letter for the general sense of her message, then read it again carefully.
He didn’t think Forrester’s girl child was in danger.
Not anymore. But the boy couldn’t have known that when he arrived at Llamalidia.
Since the boy had written to his father, why had the warning come through Tia, along with the report of how—and why—Colin Forrester had gone to Wyrd? Unless…
Colin wrote a letter that could be shared with his mother, while Tia had sent information that was strictly for the police captain? Considering the content of Tia’s report, that would make sense.
Setting the letters under a paperweight on his desk, Lucas left his office to patrol the park and check on the food stands—and wait for the ferry’s return.
14
Beth Fahey didn’t know why Detective Gibson was so against her or why the woman was so against the Arcana when she admitted that she’d never gone to Wyrd.
Which didn’t mean she hadn’t crossed paths with one of the Arcana.
The multiple Rachel Nightingales were proof that people could interact with the Arcana and never know it.
But this simmering anger wasn’t going to net any answers. Not from someone like Lucas Frost.
There were sawhorses at the land end of the pier. People queued up and waited while the ferry arrived and prepared to take on passengers.
Beth had drawn money from the team’s petty cash box to cover the anticipated fare for the three of them.
As she stepped up to the booth and exchanged the money for the coins used on Wyrd, a man walked down the stairs from the ferry’s wheelhouse.
He was large and dark in a way that made her think of deep water and sea graves.
“Beth Fahey.” A voice like heavy surf.
She didn’t doubt for a moment that she was looking at the Ferryman. And she didn’t doubt for a moment that she should be…careful…around him. “I’m Detective Fahey.”
“Lucas Frost wants to see you.” The Ferryman looked at Gibson and Castelletti. “They are with you?”
“Yes, they are.” Be careful. Stay respectful.
“Come aboard. There is no fare required today for the crossing to Wyrd.”
Which didn’t mean they wouldn’t be charged double for passage to get home.
He waited until the three of them were on board before returning to the wheelhouse.
Gibson walked into the ferry’s cabin, slipped onto a seat, and turned her face toward the window.
Beth sat on the seat behind Gibson, letting Castelletti sit with the other Penwych detective since Gibson seemed to find his presence less objectionable.
Why did Frost want to see her? If he’d found out something about any of the missing boys, why not call her or Forrester? Unless he had something physical that a detective from the team needed to bring back to Forrester.
Whatever turns the wheels of the world, please give us some good news about Colin Forrester.
Once the ferry reached Wyrd, Beth and the other two detectives waited until the visitors disembarked before they left the ferry and walked toward the pavilion. Since he’d asked for her, Beth was surprised not to see Lucas Frost waiting for her.
Then they reached the top of the low rise. Beth looked back at Gibson, who was studying the food stands and hotel on the right and the cabins on the left. In the middle of the grassy space, Lucas Frost stood behind the large moon gate.
Beth shifted her direction toward the gate—and the Arcana’s leader.
“Detective Fahey,” Frost said. “You and Detective Castelletti don’t need to go through the moon gate. But you…” The look in his eyes was cold and hostile when he focused on Gibson—a look that matched hers. “You will need to walk through the moon gate.”
“Why?” Gibson said. “What will it do to me?”
“Nothing. You came seeking answers. What I see when you walk through the gate will determine if we will provide any.”
“If I refuse?”
“Then you should go back to the dock and wait until the ferry makes the return trip across the river,” Frost replied. “My business is with Detective Fahey, not with you.”
The look Frost gave Beth felt like a silent command—and made her wonder, again, why it felt natural to take orders from this man. When he began to walk away, she swung around the moon gate and started to follow, ignoring Castelletti’s quiet cursing and Gibson’s sputtering.
“Wait,” Gibson called. “I’ll walk through the damn gate.”
Frost turned around but didn’t come closer to the gate.
Beth joined Frost and watched Castelletti swing around the gate, shooting her a look that was part wary, part pissed off.
She couldn’t blame him. He was probably wondering, if push came to shove, if she would have his back or Frost’s.
She wondered the same thing.
As Gibson walked through the moon gate, Beth thought she saw a faint light coming from some of the runes carved in the back of the stones. It was too faint for her to be sure it was something uncanny and not god fingers coming through the clouds and hitting the stones to create that illusion.
Lucas Frost wasn’t pleased with whatever he saw on the stones, but he said, “You may ask the Ladies Three your question.” He headed for the pavilion.
“I might have more than one,” Gibson said, raising her voice.
Frost didn’t answer, and he didn’t slow down.
“What should I expect?” Gibson asked, turning her head slightly to direct the question to Castelletti.
“I don’t know,” he replied. “I’ve never dealt with the Ladies Three, never talked to anyone but Frost when I’ve had to come here for an investigation. Fahey? Do you know?”
“They set a price for what you want,” Beth said as they began walking down the steps that led into the pavilion.
“If you agree to pay it, they’ll answer your question—or provide the service or material you require.
” She added the last part when she remembered what the use of a ghost gun and three bullets cost Gerry Palowski.
As soon as they entered the pavilion, Beth went to the table, put a gold coin in the box, and took one of the bone discs.
She had an uneasy feeling that Frost wouldn’t have told Gibson how to start a bargain with the Ladies Three, and that made her wonder if the Arcana were going to ask for something they already knew Gibson wouldn’t pay.
They walked into the room where the Ladies Three conducted their business. The three women glanced at Beth and Castelletti before giving Gibson a cold stare.
The woman with the cards selected two decks, shuffled them, spread out the decks in two arches, then selected some cards—but didn’t invite Gibson to make any choices.
This isn’t the way it’s supposed to work when you ask them for something, Beth thought. What’s going on here?
The woman Beth thought of as justice because she balanced the scales between want and payment looked at the woman with the cards, then looked at Gibson.