I told him what Nicky had said about the voice and the thing being trapped.
I finished with, "I don't believe in a real god, but I do believe there are things out there so terrible that once upon a time they were worshipped as gods."
"Are you saying that we haven't seen the worst of it?"
"If what is doing the killings is just a minion, and the master isn't up and around yet, then yeah, I'm saying the worst is yet to come."
"I'd really like to talk to this informant."
"You would be dandy, but Marks would have this informant up on charges so fast, we'd never find out what this person knew. Once you slap an automatic death sentence on someone, they tend not to cooperate."
We looked at each other. "There's only one person you've talked to that has a rep to get himself an automatic death sentence. That's Nicky Baco."
I didn't even blink. It wasn't like I hadn't known he'd figure it out. I was ready for it, and I'd gotten much better at lying. "You have no idea who I've talked to since I arrived. I've talked to at least three people that could be put up on charges with a death sentence attached."
"Three?" He made it a question.
I nodded. "At least."
"Either you are a better liar than I thought you were, or you're telling the truth."
I just looked up at him, giving him blank but earnest face. Even my eyes were quiet and able to meet his gaze, no flinching. There had been a time, not long ago, when I couldn't have pulled it off. But that was then, and I wasn't the same person anymore.
"All right, if there is some sort of Aztec god out there, what do we do about it?"
There was only one answer. "Itzpapalotl should know what this is."
"We questioned her about the killings."
"So did I."
He looked at me long and hard. "You went without police backup, and you didn't share what you found."
"I didn't find anything about the murders. She told me about what she told you, nothing. But when I talked to her, she stressed that no deity she knew of would flay people and keep them alive. Later I figured out that they were dead. She stressed that only through death could the sacrifice be a suitable messenger to the gods. She repeated almost word for word that she didn't know a being or god that would flay people and keep them alive. Maybe we should go back and ask her if she knows of any deity or creature that would flay people and not keep them alive."
"Oh, you're inviting the police now."
"I'm inviting you," I said.
He started picking up the pictures and shoving them back in the envelope. "I took the pictures out of the property room, but I signed for them. I brought Doctor Martinez in to see the statue, but it was official. I haven't done anything wrong, yet."
"Marks is going to be so pissed that you found out important stuff when he meant to just get you out of the way."
Ramirez smiled, but it wasn't exactly a pleased smile. "I've got better than that. Marks will take credit for the brilliant idea of putting one of his senior detectives on special detail to investigate the relics."
"You're kidding me."
"He did send me to the property room to look at what we took from the victims' houses."
"But he did it to humiliate you and get you out of the way."
"But that's not what he said out loud. Out loud it's going to make him seem inspired."
"He's done shit like this before, I take it."
Ramirez nodded. "He's a very good politician, and when he's not on his right-wing high horse, he's a good detective."
"Fine. You mentioned that I wasn't allowed on the murder scene either. What gives there?"
"Well, we all thought you were still out of the game, but he got Ted and company excluded by getting the powers that be to agree that Ted hadn't been a big help on the case, and that without you, his newest expert, Ted wasn't necessary on the murder scene."
"Oh, I bet Ted's going to love that."
Ramirez nodded. "He was very ... unprofessional, or unlike himself when we searched Riker's place. I've never seen Ted so ... " Ramirez shook his head. "I don't know, he just seemed different, close to the edge."
Edward had let a little of his real self peek out where the police could see. He had to be under immense pressure to be screwing up like that, or he thought that it was necessary. Either way, things were bad when Ted started losing focus and Edward's real self came through, accident or on purpose.
The door opened, no knock. It was Edward.
"Speak of the devil," I said.
His Edward face had been on, and I watched it move like liquid into Ted, smiling, but still weary around the eyes. "Detective Ramirez, I didn't know you were here."
They shook hands. "I was just filling Anita in on some of the things she's missed."
"You tell her about the search at Riker's?"
Ramirez nodded.
Edward hefted a gym bag. "Clothes."
"You didn't have time to drive from your house to here since the nurse called."
"I packed the bag the night you went in the hospital. I've been riding around with it in my Hummer ever since."
We looked at each other, and there was a weight of things unsaid and unsayable in front of company. Maybe it showed, or maybe Ramirez just felt it. "I'll leave you two alone. You probably have things to talk about. Mystery informants and things like that." He went for the door.
I called after him. "Don't go far, Hernando. When I'm dressed, we'll go see Obsidian Butterfly."
"Only if it's official, Anita. I go in, and we call for uniform backup."
It was our turn for solid eye contact and the weight of wills. I blinked first. "Fine, we go in with the cops like good little boys and girls."
He flashed that warm smile that he could draw from his bag anytime he wanted, or maybe it was real and my cynical nature was showing. "Good, I'll wait outside." He hesitated, then walked back and handed the envelope Edward. He looked at me one more time then walked out.
Edward opened the envelope and looked inside. "What is this?"
"The link, I think." I explained what Ramirez and I had been discussing, about Riker and why he might be interested in the case on a very personal level.
"That would mean that Obsidian Butterfly lied to us," he said.
"No, she never lied. She said she knew of no deity or creature that would flay people and keep them alive. They aren't alive. They're dead. Technically, it wasn't a lie."
Edward smiled. "That is cutting it very thin."