Chapter 71 #24
What are these things? Charles thought.
“Demonstration is over,” Jack Frost said, giving Colin a pointed look. “Put the meat away and then sweep up the heads or we’ll have visitors in sandals dealing with amputated toes.” He focused on the two teenagers. “I think you’ve seen enough of the park, don’t you?”
Something in Jack’s voice. Something in his eyes. The teens backed away and headed for the pavilion.
“You’ve got time to stop at the food stands for a snack before the ferry leaves,” Jack called. Then he turned to Charles. “I’ll keep an eye on your boy and make sure he keeps his fingers and toes.”
“Thanks. I’d like to see Beth if she’s available. I brought the personal belongings from her desk at the thirteenth.”
“I’m sure she’ll appreciate that. She’ll also appreciate talking to someone who hasn’t pissed her off.
This morning she sent Lucas a long e-mail.
All it said, over and over, was ‘I am not a clumsy puppy.’ ” Jack grinned.
“Lucas will release her from desk duty before she gets discouraged—or mad enough to try to dent his head.”
On his way to Lucas’s office, Charles passed Colin, who shrugged and said, “Feeding the heads seemed like a good idea.”
71
Beth wasn’t sure what to say to Captain Forrester except…“I intended to go back to the thirteenth to say goodbye after you returned from vacation, but things escalated with Bonnie’s murder and Lucas wouldn’t let me cross the river.”
They were seated on one of the picnic benches near the food stands. Mrs. Forrester, Colin, Jazz, and Davie were at another picnic bench. Beth appreciated being able to talk to Forrester privately.
She slid her badge over to his side of the table. “Thanks for bringing over my personal bits and pieces.”
“You’re welcome,” Forrester replied. “Some things were salvaged from your apartment?”
“Whoever killed Bonnie wasn’t interested in destroying my things.
They ran her to ground there and took what they wanted—or were paid—to take.
The clothes I’d left in the chest of drawers and the closet were washed and are fine.
Same with the bathroom supplies. I’m sorry about Bonnie.
I wanted her out of my life, but not that way.
Maybe her life would have ended that way regardless, but I keep thinking that it might not have been so brutal if she hadn’t come to Penwych and tried to cause trouble for me. ”
“Her neck was broken, quick and clean,” Forrester said. “The rest was done postmortem.”
“Still. You know the saying fate can be a fickle bitch? It’s taken on a different meaning since I encountered the Arcana.”
“I heard your little stunt at the ornamental lake freaked out Jack Frost.”
“Okay, I was told there were hatchlings in the lake that were aggressive, but nobody said they were like little piranhas on speed. And I did have Colin holding my belt to keep me from pitching into the lake when I hauled up the boy.”
“I’m sure Lucas and Jack found that comforting.”
Something in Forrester’s tone told her he didn’t find it comforting.
“If they didn’t want me to do what I’m trained to do, they shouldn’t have hired a cop to work as park security.
” Beth hesitated, weighed loyalties. She leaned closer.
“There are places like Wyrd all over the world. Convergences of the uncanny. Each of them has a leader called a Sorcerer King. One of those individuals was aware of me for a long time. Maybe knew my mother or grandmother. I’m pretty sure this person was responsible for sending the support money when I lived with Bonnie and also gave me the lump sum when I turned eighteen.
Maybe the convergence he rules has a Ladies Three who had read the cards and sketched out the potential lines of my fate, so he watched to see what choices I would make that would shape the path my life would follow.
I chose to become a cop, and I chose to become a detective.
I ended up in Penwych, working for you, and one day I took the ferry across the river to inquire about a ghost gun that had been used to shoot three people.
I met the Arcana in Wyrd. The trouble with the bullyboys and their subsequent deaths may have created ripples in the uncanny, may have shifted something that compelled Lucas to offer me a job and a place to live here.
When Bonnie showed up in Penwych to cause trouble for me, I think Lucas received a phone call that put the responsibility for my survival on his and Jack’s shoulders.
So I get why Jack was upset when I stepped away from the car to back him up when that huge bird was flying in to snatch the man we just found, but what did he expect me to do?
He was my partner. I had the nine mil with a full magazine.
What did he have? A roast. And he got snippy with me?
” She took a breath. “I didn’t understand it then, but I get it.
Whoever made the phone call is the guy Lucas wants to be when he grows up.
Or maybe will be whether he wants to be or not. ”
“And you still dove headfirst into a lake full of carnivorous fish,” Forrester said quietly.
She sighed.
His answer was a resigned smile. “Will you be all right here, Beth? They’ve got you living in the hotel.”
“That’s temporary. There are a couple of available cottages. I get first pick and was encouraged to take my time choosing. I’ll do that after the summer rush.”
“It’s a different life, being here.”
She nodded. Then she snorted. “A binder was made up for me that contains, with photos or sketches, all the potentially deadly things that might take up residence in the park. The binder is divided by earth, air, and water. I guess there’s nothing that comes here that breathes fire, so we have to make s’mores the old-fashioned way.
The binder is further divided by season and has little flags on the pages of the creatures that might be here now.
I have to study the flagged pages. There will be quizzes every morning.
Colin has to study the flagged pages, too, so that he can identify anything that might want to eat the visitors. ”
She wasn’t sure what else to say to him. They were standing on opposite sides of the river now, but they were still cops, and if a police investigation brought him here, she wanted to help.
“Colin would like to tell you and Mrs. Forrester about his time here and where he was staying, but…”
“But a girl Jazz’s age might not see the importance of keeping something a secret.”
“Yes. So I was thinking Jazz and Davie and I could hang out in the hotel pool while you and Mrs. Forrester have some alone time with Colin.”
“Thank you.” He seemed to be looking for something else to say. “You’ll have a busy summer.”
Beth nodded. “Lucas has already said Halloween is the last day the ferry will be running for visitors, and Ashley said the winters are quiet—or have a different kind of visitor.”
Forrester swung one leg over the bench, preparing to join his family. “Keep in touch, okay? And not just for police work.”
“I will. I’ll be all right, sir.”
He smiled. “I know you will.” As he stood up, he added, “But I’m not so sure about Lucas and Jack.”