"And Clay. Did he ask about them? His family?"
Jeremy shook his head. "All he wanted was the medical information. I always had the feeling his childhood wasn't… easy. That running away, even as young as he was, really…" He struggled for a word.
"Didn't bother him."
"I don't think it was an unlivable situation. Bad enough, but not the sort of thing that would cause your typical six-year-old to walk away and never return." A tiny smile. "But I suspect Clay wasn't the most typical child even before he was bitten."
"He's happier being a werewolf and sees no reason for regrets. Maybe, if he hadn't been bitten, he would've turned out like these children. A runaway."
I thought about that as I felt the tinkling touch of the children's fingers, listened to their whispers. How old were they? It was impossible to tell. From the touches and pokes, I'd guess some were quite young, though the voices had sounded like preadolescents, which meant they should be able to understand my instructions, supporting the theory that they couldn't hear me any better than I could them.
The older ones could be passed off as runaways. The younger ones? Vanished children, like Clay had been.
I thought of Clay, the life he'd gone from, the life he'd had. I won-dered whether any of these children had run away. Just up and left their homes, their families, maybe even only for a day or two, cooling off after a fight. And then… gone. Killed. Sacrificed.
What did they make of their situation? Were they frightened? Suffering? Were they aware enough to be frightened? To suffer? Were they together? Or separate, unable to contact the others, alone. No way to tell. Not until I set them free.
"Have you heard from Elena and Clay yet?" I asked finally.
"I called them when I woke up, checking in, but no one answered. They're probably outside with the kids. I left a message."
I nodded.
"Sir?" a voice called. "Ms. Vegas?"
I waved the guard over.
"Your cell phone has been ringing, sir," he said to Jeremy. "You left it in your jacket inside. And someone thought they heard Ms. Vegas's phone ringing in her room."
We gathered our things and headed for the house.
IT WAS Elena calling with their "research notes" on folk magic.
"So how does that help us?" I asked when Jeremy finished explaining.
"I don't know if it does. Not at this stage."
"What about those body parts in Botnick's closet? They're used in this kind of magic. Maybe if we knew his supplier… No, I guess if he had a direct link to this group, he wouldn't have been trying to find them."
"But it does shed some light on what we're looking for. Like Botnick, this group is likely eclectic in their choices, and their magics."
"Experimenting to find what works. Like that kid who tried selling body parts to Eve."
Jeremy nodded. "If they practiced African folk magic, Botnick would have known that and known how to refine his search."
"And we'd now know how to refine ours, looking for this group. Without that, all we have is a nice theory."
CAUSE AND EFFECT AFTER LUNCH, WE STOPPED BY HOPE'S PLACE to update her. while she talked with Jeremy, I asked to borrow her phone book. I looked up Peter's son's name and found a handful of direct matches, plus a lengthy list of possibilities. When I explained to Hope and Jeremy what I was doing, Hope offered to help.
"With all that information you've got, I should be able to find him. Just tap into a few databases unless…" She looked at me. "I don't mean to jump in."
"No, I'd appreciate it."
As I said it, I realized I meant it. Like Eve said, we all have our specialties. Finding people wasn't mine.
"I'd love to see how you do it, though," I said. "For next time."
"Sure." A watch-check. "I've got twenty minutes before a meeting, so I'll boot up my laptop, try a few things. Might not find him, but we'll try."
She'd just cleared a spot on the table when my cell phone rang. I answered.
"Speaking of meetings," I said after I hung up. "It seems I have one. Becky wants me back at the house and she sounds pretty tense." I glanced at Jeremy. "You stay. I'll grab a taxi."
"No, I'll go with you."
Hope paused with her finger over the power button on her laptop. "Should I wait on this?"
"Not on my account. If you get a chance to look, that'd be great. If not, we'll do it later."
HOPE'S ODOR exited at the rear of the building. As we passed the adjoining alley, Jeremy glanced down it. He tried to be discreet, but the flare of his nostrils told me it was no casual sweep of his surroundings.
I stopped and peered into the alley. "What's down there?"
"Nothing."
I stepped into the shadows. "I could have sworn I saw you looking down here earlier too, when we first arrived."
He hesitated, as if trying to decide whether to brush me off. "I was just…checking."
"Someone's following you, aren't they? Is it a werewolf?"
He walked over. "If that happened, I'd tell you, for your own safety. I'm just being cautious."
I wanted to press him, but he'd tell me if he wanted-and wouldn't if he didn't. Still, I couldn't resist walking another few feet into the alley, testing his reaction. But he didn't grab my arm or call me back. When I glanced over my shoulder, his face was relaxed, meaning there was nothing to worry about.
I took two more steps and glanced back. "Not going to follow?"
He smiled. "Sorry. I was just… watching."
"Ah. Enjoying, I hope."
"Very much, though I must admit, it's igniting a question I've been trying not to think about all morning."
"And that would be?"
He tilted his head, gaze traveling over me, still standing at the mouth of the alley, making no move to come closer. "Whether you're as… unencumbered by extra articles of clothing as you were last night."
I laughed, then turned to face him. "I'm afraid yesterday's outfit wasn't very undergarment friendly. This one is." I unbuttoned my blouse and spread it apart. "See?"
"I do."
"Sorry to disappoint."
His gaze stayed fixed on my raspberry demi bra, the lace thin enough to leave little to the imagination. "I wouldn't say disappointed is the word. Are there a matching pair of…" His gaze dropped below my hips.
"You don't expect me to show you that too. In a public alley? In the middle of the day?"
"Expect, no. Hope…?" He smiled.
"Well, it would be hard to show you that. This skirt isn't easy to lift up. It's too tight."
"So I see."
"I'd have to take it off."
The smile twitched. "Pity."
I looked around. There was no sign of anyone. I reached around for the zipper-
My cell phone rang. Jeremy let out a curse as I answered it.
"Jaime?" Angelique said. "Has Becky called you? There's a meeting."
"Angelique," I said, with a glance at Jeremy. "Yes, she called and we're, ah, on our way."
"Oh, thank God. I think-" A sharp intake of breath. "I think I'm being kicked off the set."
"What?"
"Will came by my room and asked whether I'd made my plane reservations for home yet or would like him to do it. I said I didn't know what he was talking about and he wouldn't tell me, just apologized and hurried off."
"I'm sure he's mistaken. Or trying to spook you. Don't be surprised if Becky shows up in a few minutes, trying to bully you into agreeing to something-after he's scared you into thinking you're leaving. If she does, stall. I'll be there as soon as I can."
THE SHOOT was over. All of us were leaving.
Grady, Claudia, Angelique, Jeremy and I sat in the living room as Becky explained.
"Mr. Simon thinks we have more than enough footage for the lead-up bits," Becky said. "We'll film the Monroe seance live, as planned, but the preshow work here is done."