I took a breath and tried to get my feet under me again.
“Do you want me to come down to the station to give my statement?” I asked Stotts.
“Yes. But we need to wait until the cleanup team arrives.”
“How long is that going to take?”
“Ten minutes. Are you in a hurry to get somewhere?”
“Maybe.” I braced myself to look over at Violet, to be ready to fight my dad’s reactions to seeing her and Kevin again.
At least he didn’t know she was pregnant. And if I had anything to do with it, I wouldn’t think about that any time that he could hear my thoughts. Like when I was dreaming. Or when he was trying to mutiny in my brain.
Violet stood next to Kevin, staring pensively at the circle as if she was trying to get the right answer out of an ink blot test. She and Kevin weren’t touching, but Kevin radiated that overly protective bodyguard vibe.
Dad didn’t do anything. Or at least nothing I could feel.
“Violet?”
She looked up.
“I do need to talk to you. About the business.”
“Now?” she asked.
Frankly, here, in the rain, hell, in the driving ice and snow, would be fine with me, because at this moment, I had control over my dad and could tell her I wanted her to run the company instead of me without him getting all grabby with my brain.
As if on cue, the wind picked up, whipping rain into the gazebo, and stirring the ashes that refused to blow away.
“Is now good?” I said.
“I’d really like to get this sample back to my lab,” she said. “How about dinner tonight instead?”
“Sure,” I said. “When? Where?”
“If you don’t mind coming over to our-to my place, maybe around eight?”
I had to see Maeve today, but it wasn’t even noon yet. And I didn’t have anything else to do other than catching up with Nola to try to help her with Cody, which I still might be able to swing. I didn’t know how I was going to fit it all in, but I’d try. And if Maeve helped me get rid of my father, I wouldn’t have to deal with him in my head while I was around Violet.
“I can do that,” I said.
“Then I’ll see you tonight.” She smiled. “Kevin?”
They walked together, step in step, past me.
I caught a hint of her perfume, and sadness filled me.
Bought in France, an anniversary gift. She laughed when I gave it to her, telling me it was too much, too good. I never told her what she meant to me.
I pushed that unwanted thought and the ghost of a life I had not lived back behind the wall in my head.
“You sure you’re okay?” Stotts asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “Why?”
“You’re crying.”
Startled, I wiped the tear I had not felt off my face. “It’s just the wind,” I said.
I don’t know if he believed me, but he didn’t say any more as I watched, helpless hands deep in my pockets, as Violet and Kevin hurried through the rain to their car, got in, and drove away.
Chapter Six
“ I’m going to go talk to Davy before he catches pneumonia,” I said to Stotts. It was as good an excuse as any to get out from under Stotts’ notice. Plus, Davy looked miserable out there.
“If you need me-”
“I’ll be right over there. If I need you, you’ll know. But I won’t. Davy’s a nice kid.” I headed down the gazebo stairs.
“Even nice kids do bad things,” Stotts said.
I ignored him and took a deep breath. The sharp, wet air filled my lungs and hurt a little. It felt good. Cleansing. Too bad I couldn’t inhale with my brain.
Davy didn’t move as I approached, which was a little weird. I wondered whether he was asleep on his feet. I hurried, and was just a few feet away when he spoke.
“What is it with you and Hounding in the rain?” he asked.
“Nobody told you to stand in it,” I said. “You could just sit in your car. You did drive over, right?”
“Yeah.” The way he had the hood of his coat drawn up, I couldn’t make out more than his chin, lips, and the tip of his nose.
“What are you doing here, Silvers?” I asked.
He finally moved, tilting his head so the low morning light could cast gray pallor over his skin.
“My job.” He smiled slightly, then winced like it hurt. As well it should. There was a reason he was hiding his face. A black and red bruise spread across his right cheek, and his eye was swollen shut.
“What happened to your face?” I asked. “Start a brawl at the pub last night?”
“I don’t start brawls; I end them.” He tried the smile again, but thought better of it. “But no. I caught up with Tomi last night.” He shrugged, like that should explain everything. Problem was, I didn’t know very much about his ex-girlfriend except she was a Hound who didn’t like the buddy system Pike had set up. Oh, and she hated me.
“And?” I prompted.
“We didn’t agree on a few things.”
“What things?”
“Me having depth perception for a few days.”
I blew out air, exasperated. “Davy. Don’t make me pull this out of you. Did she do this to you?”
He hitched one shoulder, uncomfortable. “We. .” He paused, looked off at Stotts, and I swear I saw fear cross his face.
“What, Davy?” I said, softer now, trying to coax it out of him nice-like, and resisting the urge to just yell at the boy until he told me what the hell was going on. “Tell me what she did, okay?” I could Influence him. It would be easy. A word, a tone, and a little magic, and he’d tell me anything I wanted to know. Would do anything I wanted him to do. But Influence was one of my dad’s favorite moves, and I didn’t want to be my dad any more than I had to be.
“What were you talking to her about? Your breakup?”
He sniffed and rubbed his hand down over his lips and chin.
“It wasn’t about that. We never-she never-wants to talk about that. It’s over, you know?”
“So why did you go talk to her?”
“She’s been mixed up with a guy. I think. And I think he’s using her. She says she Hounds for him. . but she’s-she’s a cutter,” he said, and I nodded to let him know I’d already figured that out.
“She’s doing it more. Worse.” He sniffed again and looked out into the rain. Then, finally, back at me. “Something’s wrong. She’s different. Ever since she started doing things, Hounding for him, cutting for him, she’s just not. Not the same.”
I’d seen this before. It was why I’d never gotten into a relationship with a Hound. Using magic meant it used you back. It caused you pain. Most Hounds could not afford to use a Proxy service, which meant most Hounds had to endure the pain of magic use. That led Hounds to a desperate search for pain relief. Booze, drugs, cutting, self-mutilation, food, exercise. Everything in excess. Anything to get away from the pain. Chronic pain management changed people. Then it left them dead.
“Do you want to talk to Stotts about it? Maybe get her into a program and checked out?”
He laughed, a short, hard exhale. “Right. Mr. Dot the i’s and Cross the Police Procedures? It doesn’t work that way. There isn’t a program for Hounds. Rehabs won’t take her-they don’t take anyone who won’t give up Hounding. And me telling her she’s screwed up didn’t work out how I pictured it.” He gave me the painful smile again.
“Listen,” I said. “I’m done with this job except for filing my report. Why don’t you go home? Get some sleep. Take some aspirin for your eye. Call me when you’re feeling better. I’ll take you out for lunch or something. We can talk about Tomi if you want. Try to come up with some ideas to help her.”
“I wasn’t looking for your pity. . ”
“Oh, for cripes’ sake, Davy,” I said calmly. “I don’t pity you. If you’re dumb enough to hunt down your ex-girlfriend and tell her you think she’s screwed up, while you were drunk-and no, there is no way you sobered up between the time I left you and that evening; I’m surprised you could even walk to find her, and I hope to hell you didn’t drive-then you should have known she would try to deck you.