Page 71 of Fire Dancer
He sat and glared at me, like I’d been the one taking a time-out to sing.
“Before the case was shut down, I was gathering evidence to link Jananovich to a series of murders in LA,” I explained. “Mostly young women who worked for him as escorts. Some human, some relics. No pure supernaturals, however.”
Tina frowned. “What kind of escorts?”
I shrugged sadly. “The usual. Pretty young women with more looks than sense. But all consensual, from what I could tell.”
“Only as consensual as a desperate person can be,” Tina pointed out.
True, but I still shook my head. “These were high-end escorts. Not so much desperate as ambitious. Too ambitious for their own good, sometimes. Several turned up dead.”
“And you see a link to the dead woman in Sedona?” Kyle asked.
“Just a hunch — and today, a bad feeling about a missing woman. Again, no evidence…just a bad feeling. Bad enough to want to follow up before it’s too late.”
A tic started up in my cheek, the way it always did when I thought of my one big failure. Jananovich…California…a woman named Bridget, drained of all her blood…
Ty Hawthorne studied me closely, and I swore he could read all that in my expression.
Well, fine. Let him.
A long, quiet pause stretched.
“So, what is it you want from us?” Ty finally asked, not as gruffly as before.
“Information — whatever you have on Jananovich, La Puebla, or those bear shifters,” I said immediately.
Ty looked around, but everyone except Soren and Kyle looked blank.
Kyle spoke first. “Stef’s company sent her over to La Puebla last fall to put in a bid for a new solar installation.”
I didn’t know who Stef was, but Kyle’s eyes went all dark and protective.
“And?” Lana prompted.
Kyle’s expression remained grim. “She said there was a bad vibe to the place, but she couldn’t put her finger on why. She was relieved when her company didn’t get the bid.” He waited a moment, then answered an unspoken question. “I’ll ask her more about it when I get home.”
Aha. So, Officer Kyle Williams and Solar Power Stef were partners. Another interesting connection — and a reminder that as hard as the agency worked to build networks, nothing beat the real thing. And the wolves of Twin Moon Ranch seemed to haveveryhandy connections.
Pippa does too,my wolf pointed out.
True, but those connections could also drag her into trouble. Like now, with Stacy.
Another phone rang — Kyle’s this time. He pulled one device from each pocket, then frowned and showed Ty one. His work phone?
Ty nodded, and Kyle stepped toward the door to answer. “Williams here.”
Lana seemed poised to continue our conversation until she saw Kyle freeze.
“Where? When?” he asked.
Everyone looked over, listening.
“Roger…” he murmured.
Definitely a work call.
Kyle turned, looking grim. He ran a hand through his hair, making it even spikier. “Has the body been ID’ed?”