Page 19 of Hide From Me

“What the? Rylee, you can’t just let any trash come in regardless of what slum he’s hiding in.”

My jaw dropped. I wasn’t a betting woman, but Cas was in a gang and had survived a long-ass time. I would venture that his street smarts would take on a cop anytime.

“Eric, wonderful to see your ugly mug. Who is it?”

He nodded to the body, and I watched Eric, expecting him to fight back. Scream or rage that Cas here might contaminate his crime scene. I looked around. Contaminating was probably not a worry. There was still a moment of tension.

“Whatever is going on here needs to have a truce, because I want out of here.” I might throw up, and it wasn’t from the bodies. I wasn’t positive, but I swore the trash was moving. No one answered me, so I moved on.

“I’m just going to get to it. Is the coroner sending someone?”

Eric nodded and then seemed to have finished whatever internal conversation he was having with himself.

“Alright. Well, Cas, since this is technically your space, I’ll indulge you. I was tipped off about a high-profile murder. I sure as shit wish I hadn’t been. Recognize this guy?”

I looked at the guy and then back at Cas and Eric. I didn’t recognize the guy, but I had a feeling they did by the way Cas’s muscle along his jaw tightened.

I looked around, trying to figure out where to even start in a crime scene like this. I didn’t even know where to set my bags.

“Yeah. He was the last judge on a case with one of my guys. He found us innocent.”

Eric didn’t laugh, but I could guess from the set of his mouth and the way he was avoiding making any eye contact with Cas that he didn’t really agree with whatever was going on.

“Looks like someone didn’t agree with the call. Who’s the woman?” Eric asked.

Cas looked round the place, but pretty much ignored her.

“Not one of mine. I’d guess she is affiliated with any of the businesses. I’d check someone missing from the red-light.”

Businesses? I’d spent so much of my life running from the gangs, but is that how they really thought of themselves? My mother had tried to keep me out of it. I looked around this place and realized my father’s pace had only been marginally better. I didn’t think this house was any more than anything else on this row of shells of past homes. Someone had once called this home. Not for a very long time though.

“Cas, no one would still live here?”

The shake of his head was slow, hesitant.

“Nah. Things got bad after your father went missing. That will happen when higher ups in the organizations go missing. It was time though. Things needed to be shaken up.”

I watched as Detective Eric moved around the place.

“Where is everyone? This is a crime scene, but it’s quiet.”

Eric looked over at Cas.Cas was the one to respond.

“High profile on Spector territory means we’ll work together, but no one’s really dumb enough to investigate. We know it wasn’t one of us. This was a message, but from who? Guess I’ve got my work cut out.”

Eric wasn’t talking. He was heading outside.

“I don’t get it. This is a police matter. I’m here to photograph the crime scene. The coroner will be coming, Eric said.”

I stopped talking as the darkness rolled into Cas’s gaze.

“Don’t call him that. He is not your friend.”

I titled my head and tried to think of what to say.

“Okay, but he just said.”

Cas stepped over piles of nasty to get to me. I didn’t try to back away. There was nowhere here I’d want to touch.