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Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

Ringing woke me from a fitful sleep. I rolled over and grabbed the phone and then sat up in bed when I noted Brix's name on the screen. "Brix," I said, sleep still in my gravelly voice. "What do you have for me?"

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" he asked.

"Yeah, but no matter. Did you find anything out about the PPPD?"

From the corner of my eye, I spotted Jax stretching. When I glanced at him, I saw that his torso was naked and he had a few fresh scratches on his chest. Apparently his run under the full moon had included a trip through the woods.

"Yeah," he said, his tone suddenly harsh. "Listen, Marion, I have some bad news."

I stiffened and averted my gaze from Jax's bare ass as he rose and headed to the bathroom. "What is it?"

"I don't think the PPPD is prejudiced against wolves. At least not systemically. The chief didn't give me that impression, and he said he hasn't had any problems with that in the past."

"Oookay. If that's the case, then why are they going so hard after Kai and the pack? If there's no evidence?—"

"There is evidence. They found wolf tracks near Lacey's car where it was abandoned."

"Of course they did," I said with a scoff. "Kai's pack lives about a mile from there. It makes perfect sense that they'd find tracks in that area. That doesn't mean they had anything to do with her disappearance."

"True," Brix said. "However, there were human footprints along with the wolf tracks that went right up to the driver's side door. Like it or not, that makes any wolves in the area suspects. Including Jax."

"But Jax has an alibi!" I cried and then grimaced as Jax appeared in the bathroom door, a toothbrush in his mouth. He was staring at me with tired eyes and a wary expression on his face.

"I know that, and he's not on my list of suspects, but it does explain why the PPPD questioned him."

" Your list of suspects?" I asked Brix.

"Yes, mine. If wolves are involved, this is a Magical Task Force case. They should have brought it to us immediately. When I told the chief at the police department that, he got defensive and said he knows how to protect his residents and doesn't need some ‘magical cowboy coming in like a bull in a China shop' and acting like they're the only one who can solve crimes. He said wolves aren't black magic users or demons, and they can handle it."

"And what did you say?" I asked my boss.

"I told him it wasn't his call and that I was taking the case away from him. It's now ours."

"Ours?" My heart started to beat rapidly. If Brix was bringing me in on the case, they'd have to give me access to their notes and interviews.

"Yes. Ours. I'm putting you and Charlotte on it until I can get there. I'm still wrapping up this case with the demon in Northern Idaho. I'll send you the files so you can get caught up, and I'll call when I'm on the way."

I sat frozen for a minute, unable to believe this stroke of luck. Now there wouldn't be anything hindering me from looking at every angle when it came to Lacey's case. "When can I expect the files?"

"Check your email. They should be there now. Listen, Marion, I've got to get going. You and Charlotte be careful. If a wolf really did do this and they are connected to a pack, you could be walking into a shitstorm. Carry that dagger with you everywhere you go. Understand?"

"Got it." I ended the call and looked up at Jax. "It looks like a wolf really did take Lacey."

"That's bullshit," he said as he walked back into the bathroom.

I slipped out of bed and put my robe on as I made my way to the open bathroom door. Leaning against the frame, I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at him. "How do you know it's bullshit?"

"Because the only wolves around here are me, Trish, and Kai and the pack. None of us took Lacey. That's absurd." He spit out his toothpaste and rinsed his mouth with water.

"But how do you know it wasn't one of the pack? Or even Trish for that matter?" I didn't believe for a second Trish would do such a thing, but I'd learned long ago that making assumptions when it came to what people were capable of was a fool's errand.

"You can't be serious." Jax pulled a T-shirt over his head and then glared at me. "Are you accusing them just because they are shifters, Marion?"

"No," I said with a heavy sigh. "I'm trying to rule everyone out so that I can concentrate on who actually did this. If I find evidence of some other wolf in town, then I'll follow that lead, too. You know I'm not accusing anyone just because of their wolf status. I'm narrowing down the field. Geez, Jax. I'm not some bigot. You know better than that."

"I thought I did," he said coolly and then brushed past me.

He shoved his feet into his shoes, grabbed his keys off the dresser, and stormed out.

"Where are you going?" I called after him.

But he didn't answer.

I flopped down on the couch and didn't even notice when my sister walked out of her bedroom.

"Rough morning?" she asked.

I startled and then looked up at her. She had Minx in her arms, and her hair resembled an impressive bird's nest.

"Sorry we woke you up. I didn't even know you were here," I said.

"Minx and I got home pretty late. Denver had to work early, and I wanted to sleep in." She sat down beside me. "Want to fill me in on what happened?"

"Brix called," I said with a sigh. "We're now officially on Lacey's case."

"And that's a problem because…"

"It looks like at least one of our suspects is a wolf, and Jax is angry that I have to consider Kai and the pack." I quickly ran through what Brix told me on the phone and filled in the details of my fight with Jax.

"That's unfortunate," Charlotte said. Then she frowned. "You know, looking at it from this angle, I guess I can see why the PPPD was going so hard on Kai. He does seem like the obvious suspect, right?"

"Yes," I agreed reluctantly. "Especially after he got so defensive Monday when I asked if Lacey had an interview scheduled."

"No more defensive than Jax just got, and you don't think he took her, do you?" Charlotte asked.

I met my sister's gaze and let out a small chuckle. "That was uncalled for."

"I'm just stating facts. Listen, I agree we have to keep him as a person of interest, but until there is more than circumstantial evidence, then he's not really a suspect, is he?"

"No. He isn't." I stood. "I'm getting coffee. Want some?"

"That's like asking if I want chocolate. Duh. Is the answer ever no?"

Ten minutes later, with coffee and a couple of bagels, Charlotte and I sat at my kitchen table with my laptop and Brix's files open. There wasn't much to go on. All it had was the interviews Stone and Wallis had conducted. Notably, the record of the conversation with Kylie was missing any mention of John. But everything else was what we suspected. Jax had an alibi. Kai said he was at the winery all day with the pack. There was camera footage showing his various pack members on the property, but none of Kai. He said that was because he was in his house and didn't have the cameras pointing inside. But it did show him coming out when Jax and his foreman arrived.

"This is mostly useless," Charlotte said as she clicked out.

"I agree. They seem to think that Kai found a way in and out of his house that the cameras didn't record. That's it. The tracks around the car and that flimsy theory," I said.

"But he could still be a suspect," Charlotte said, though she looked skeptical. "I suppose it's possible Kai could have slipped out as a wolf."

"No way!" Celia popped in, appearing in the chair across from me. "Kai Gray is no more the abductor than I am. Do you remember me telling you how boring he is? I'd bet my life on his innocence. No one who is that dull and practical is hauling women away and leaving a car with any sort of evidence behind."

"Bet your life?" Charlotte asked, amused. "You're already dead."

Celia waved an unconcerned hand. "You know what I mean. Kai is the type of meticulous wolf that just wouldn't be so sloppy. Besides, he's not the only wolf in town. I think you two need to start looking at other suspects."

Before I could say another word, my bubbly ghost vanished again.

Charlotte looked at me. "I think she has a point."

"Who does that leave? Kai's pack mates, but they are all accounted for on the video footage." I forced myself to add the next part, even though it hurt in my soul to say the words. "And then there's Jax." I grimaced and quickly said, "But he has a really good alibi, too."

"What about Trish? She's a wolf," Charlotte said.

"You think Trish has something to do with this?" I asked, my eyes wide. It wasn't something I wanted to believe, but if I'd learned one thing while working for the Magical Task Force it was that anything was possible.

"If you're questioning Kai and Jax, why aren't you questioning her?" Charlotte asked logically.

She had a point. I got out my phone and called her. "Trish? Do you have some time today?"

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