“We’re supposed to want the case finished, Anita.”
“Usually I do.”
“The sheriff has a hard-on for killing the Marchand kid, so don’t count the evidence as conclusive until we judge it for ourselves.” I think he was saying that for Newman’s benefit as much as or more than mine.
“Fair point. Okay, we’ll turn around and head that way.”
Olaf found the nearest cross street without me saying anything else. He used a driveway to turn around in so we could head toward the sheriff’s station. Then I realized what he’d done.
“Do you know where we’re going?” I asked.
“Back to the sheriff?
?s station,” he said, eyes on the road, big hands at nine and three on the steering wheel, which thanks to airbags are the new safe positions.
“I didn’t say the location out loud.”
“I heard Edward say it on the phone.”
“Did you hear both sides of the conversation?”
“Yes.”
I looked back at Nicky. “Did you hear it all?”
“Yep.”
“I have some of the special abilities of a real lycanthrope, but I wouldn’t have heard the entire conversation.”
“Perhaps the fact that you are only a carrier for the disease but do not change forms limits your secondary abilities,” Olaf said.
“Probably. Even your hearing isn’t as good in human form as it would be in lion.”
“I have not tested it. Most people do not talk on phones around me when I am in lion form.”
“I’ll bet they don’t.”
“I would think people would treat all the lycanthropes in their lives the same way.”
I didn’t really like his putting himself in the same status as the other shapeshifters in my life, but I let it go. Sometimes you pick your battles with an eye to winning the war. “Actually, we talk on the phone around everyone in whatever form.”
“Then their control of their secondary form must be perfect indeed for the rest of your people to treat them so normally.”
“We’ve all been lycanthropes years longer than you have. It takes time to master your inner beast,” Nicky said.
“I have been told that my control is admirable for one so new.”
“It is. I was impressed with your control in Florida the last time we worked together,” I said.
“Thank you.”
“Praise where praise is due,” I said.
“Do you want to have children?”
“We aren’t going to talk about the case or speculate on what evidence may have shown up?” I asked.
“We will know soon enough, and we will do nothing but speak about the case when we arrive back at the station, so I would speak of other things.”