Secrets in the Moon (Crescent City Werewolves #1)

Chapter Ten

He knew who they had to be and what must have happened to them, and nearly snarled in frustration.

"Careful, you'll wake them," said Minnie, sensing where his attention had turned. "The girl has barely slept from looking after the child, and she doesn't trust anyone yet. Sit and talk with me instead. You're here on a case, aren't you?"

He explained about the tattoo parlor while she filled the percolator and set it up on the stove, but his attention flickered all around the kitchen, taking in its clean yet worn state. Once she joined him at the table, he finished with, "The sink sounds like it's leaking. Has anyone taken a look at it?"

Minnie laughed. "Aren't you busy enough without fixing an old house for an old woman? Now, let's see. I didn't know Stickler, the tattooist, too well. He had a petty little mind. Not a planner by any means. But you'd see all sorts show up as his clients, and sometimes he bragged about his connections through them."

"When did the parlor burn down?"

She thought about it while reaching for her basket of knitting. "It must have been a month ago. And before you ask, yes, I felt him die. It was quick as a flash, and happened at least half an hour before people noticed the fire. Ah, that's just what you wanted to hear. Are you close to solving everything?"

"No, but I might be putting some of the pieces together. I have Jane testing samples from Dominic Tierney's unfinished tattoo. If she can pinpoint it as the source of infection for whatever this strange magic is, then the tattoo artist being killed and burned proves that the people behind this hoped to cover their tracks from the beginning." Which meant they were used to underhanded dealings.

Minnie must have caught his unspoken thought, for she gave him a sly smile and said, "It's happened again just tonight, you know. A fire. Someone's shack over on Flash Alley. The police responded this time, even the police captain himself. They've been there for nearly two hours."

It was a strange sort of excitement, hoping to find fresh clues from the newly dead. Sam had met many detectives on and off the city force who grappled with the feeling, believing it turned their hearts to stone. Humans always worried about becoming inhuman, one of the many puzzling things about them. He was far more concerned about what he could do, not what he was. Looking too deep within would drive a fella crazy, especially if what he saw around him was bad enough.

When he did nothing more than get up to pour them both some coffee, Minnie looked surprised. "I thought that would send you up and running."

"The cops move slow when it comes to arson. It'll be another hour before their enchanters let anyone investigate the site. You're much sweeter company than Captain Dempsey."

"You and your charm."

For a few minutes, he drank his coffee and watched her knit. Her needles flashed in the warm lamplight, their movements as steady as a metronome. "What are you making?"

"Booties for the baby."

"How are they?" He kept the words as neutral as possible—pure habit, since she would undoubtedly catch his flare of anger.

At that, Minnie studied him, the faded blue of her eyes growing further unfocused. Most mind readers caused a headache when sinking into someone else's thoughts, but not her. It was why she was so feared—she was powerful and unnoticeable, even when diving deep for nuances. Humans hated how she could find their secrets in the blink of an eye, but any wolf used to the power of scent and all it revealed took her talents with much better grace, and Sam just finished the last of his coffee while her gaze sharpened again.

"So, you already knew. I wasn't sure since someone else set things up. But then I heard you punched Warren at that meeting, hard enough to knock out his teeth."