He flickered. Just like one of those old black-and-white movies.
“Damn it!” he said. “You’re fighting me again. Please, try to relax and let me talk to you. We have to figure out what to do.”
I shook my head. I didn’t know what I was doing to fight him, but whatever it was, I wanted to keep doing it. I’d had enough of this dream, thank you very much.
He flickered again.
Then he was gone, and I was alone in the white room.
Seconds later, I awoke to find myself cuddled safely in Brian’s arms.
CHAPTER 7
I left Brian’s before he woke up the next morning. Cowardly of me, I suppose, but I couldn’t see myself calmly discussing my situation over coffee. I knew I wasn’t a good enough actress to pretend nothing was wrong.
I’d spent the night at Brian’s just often enough to warrant having a change of clothes there, though I was stuck using his Old Spice deodorant. I didn’t realize how much I’d come to associate that scent with him until I’d left. The scent was faint, and I kept thinking he was right there with me. Maybe I should have stopped by a Rite Aid and bought some of my own stuff.
I made it to the office by seven. I’d finished the reports on my exorcisms yesterday, but there was still plenty of paperwork waiting for me, accounting details and such. I wasn’t being what you’d call productive. I kept telling myself that Lugh was nothing but a vivid dream. Okay, I’m the queen of denial. So sue me.
At around eleven, someone banged on my office door. I’d have said “knocked,” except this sound was far more authoritative and I practically jumped out of my chair. Before I had a chance to invite anyone in, the door swung open, and a pair of plainclothes detectives stepped in. I vaguely recognized one of them. When you’re an exorcist, you deal with the criminal element on a regular basis, and that means getting to know cops.
They were a bit of an odd couple, the two of them. The one on the left, whom I’d never seen before, looked too skinny to be a cop. He had the build of a man who could eat five-course meals on a regular basis and never gain any weight. I’d have said he couldn’t scare a five-year-old on Halloween if it hadn’t been for his eyes. They were the iciest blue I’d ever seen, and the expression in them wasn’t much warmer. The eyes alone would be enough to keep most sane perps in line.
His partner, the familiar one, looked like the kind of guy who dressed up as Santa Claus for Christmas. He wasn’t fat, exactly, but he had a definite beer gut, and his cheeks were rosy. Not a wholesome rosy, actually, more of an I-drink-too-much rosy, but stick a white wig and beard on him and I’m betting he’d have looked jolly enough.
There wasn’t much ho-ho-ho in him today, though. Before I had a chance to ask if I could help them with something, he was flashing his badge.
“I’m Detective O’Reilly,” he said. His voice surprised me. He looked like he should have a deep, growling voice, but it was on the high and reedy side. “This is my partner, Detective Finn.”
Detective Arctic Eyes nodded a greeting. Neither one of them offered to shake hands.
I put on my most accommodating smile — these guys were making me nervous, and I didn’t know why. They had to be here for a follow-up on the break-in at my house. I should be glad to see them.
“What can I do for you, Detectives?” I asked. Neither one of them returned my smile.
“We’d like to ask you a few questions,” O’Reilly said.
I didn’t like the way that sounded. “Sure. Please, have a seat.” I motioned to the pair of chairs in front of my desk, but neither of them made a move to sit.
“I think it would be best if we did this at the station.”
I blinked up at the two of them. “What’s this about?” Surely they didn’t need me to come to the station to talk about the break-in.
Finn took over talking. He had the kind of voice I’d expected from O’Reilly. “There was an illegal exorcism last night. Your name came up.”
I shook my head. “What? Why?”
“Ms. Kingsley, please come with us,” O’Reilly said. “You’re not an official suspect yet, but we really do need you to answer some questions, and this isn’t the place for it.”
I chewed the inside of my cheek. I didn’t want to make things difficult for our heroic men in blue. I have a great deal of respect for law enforcement officers — Adam White being one of the few exceptions to that rule. Still, this whole thing was making my skin crawl.
I glanced at my watch. “I can meet you there in half an hour.” Just enough time to contact a lawyer — as long as I happened to be dating said lawyer. I didn’t think I had time to find someone else. At least, not someone I trusted. I don’t trust easy. Surprised?
O’Reilly leaned his hands on the chair in front of him while Finn tried to freeze my marrow with his eyes.
“We’d appreciate it if you came with us now,” O’Reilly said.
But the vibe on these guys felt wrong. I didn’t want to get into a car with them. I mean, I knew they were really police officers and all, but still, something was bugging me. I’d feel a hell of a lot safer meeting them at the station. Even if that would piss them off.
I was very calm and nonconfrontational when I responded. “I’ll be happy to answer any questions you’d like. In a half hour, and with my attorney.” I didn’t ask if they had a warrant, because if they had, they’d have told me already. So far, cooperation on my part was entirely voluntary.
Finn looked like he wanted to say something nasty, but O’Reilly silenced him with a tiny shake of his head.
“We’ll see you at eleven-thirty, then,” O’Reilly said, looking at his watch. “I’m sure you won’t keep us waiting. Right, Miss Kingsley?”
If he was trying to get a rise out of me, he had to do better than that. My fuse isn’t that short. I smiled at both of them. “I look forward to it.”
Finn snorted softly, but the corner of O’Reilly’s mouth lifted as if he found me amusing.
The second they were out the door, I was on the phone, praying Brian wasn’t in a meeting.
He wasn’t in a meeting, but he wasn’t overjoyed to hear from me, either. Apparently, he hadn’t been happy to wake up and find me gone. I decided I’d apologize later, when I wasn’t begging for a favor so it wouldn’t sound so self-serving.
Brian’s not a criminal attorney, but he’s extremely competent. I figured as long as I wasn’t officially under arrest, he’d be able to protect me from any major legal faux pas.
We met at the police station at right around eleven forty-five. We weren’t late on purpose, it just took Brian a little longer to tie up his loose ends at the office than I’d hoped. O’Reilly seemed to take it as a personal offense, though, and glared holes in my skull when I was shown into his office. At least Finn wasn’t there to give me frostbite with his eyes.
“Where were you last night between three-thirty and five?” O’Reilly asked without preamble.
I glanced over at Brian, who raised his shoulders in a hint of a shrug. I took that to mean it was okay to answer the question.
“With my boyfriend,” I said.
O’Reilly scribbled something on his notepad. “Name?”
My inner smart-ass wanted to say “Morgan Kingsley,” but somehow I didn’t think O’Reilly would find that funny. “Brian Tyndale.”
O’Reilly wrote that down, then looked at Brian with narrowed eyes. “You her lawyer or her boyfriend?”
Brian’s expression was mild, as if he didn’t mind the cop’s belligerence. I minded, but I kept my mouth shut. “Both,” Brian said. “If you’re going to press charges, I’ll find someone else to represent her. Are you going to press charges, Detective O’Reilly? And if so, what are they?”
O’Reilly ignored the questions and asked one of his own. “Can you vouch for her all night?”
Brian opened his mouth as if to say yes, then fell silent. My heart sank to my toes. Brian was too much of a goody-two-shoes even to fib for me.
“Most of it,” he said, and I couldn’t help turning to look at him. I don’t know if my face showed hurt, or anger, or both, but whatever it showed didn’t seem to move him. “I don’t know what time she left this morning.”