Black Truth, White Lies (Black Hat Bureau 3)

“Can we afford to be away that long?”

The question applied to me, and my new employee, but also to them and their caseload.

“Black Hat has seven open investigations, thirty corpses, mostly human, and we have a lead.” Clay bit into a piece of bacon. “Thanks to you, we’ve tied your naga case to our kelpie case. Circumstantial evidence points toward the dobhar-chú also being involved, not that we can use that to our advantage.” He cut me a glare. “This trip is the natural progression in our investigation.”

Mention of the naga reminded me of the agent my personal y’nai had attacked, and of Agent Barker.

“We can’t log it.” I held up a hand before he could protest. “We update the brass where we’re going, and I bet you there’ll be a welcome party waiting for us when we arrive.”

“I booked the trip on Clay’s personal card,” Colby comforted me. “We’ll leave no trace behind.”

A wan smile I hoped passed for appreciation stretched my cheeks, but it was too hot in here to breathe.

Shrug as I might, I couldn’t shake the sensation that the hand of fate was shoving me toward a precipice.

“Great. Perfect. Thanks.” I got to my feet. “I’m going to pack.”

“Already done.” He and Colby high-fived. “We figured you’d be testy, so we did the grunt work.”

With the perfect excuse snatched out from under me, I lined up a second-best option.

“In that case, I’ll do the dishes.” I cleared the table. “I want to touch base with the girls before I go.”

“You do that.” Clay saluted me. “I’m off to see what Mrs. Gleason has to show me.”

That sounded far dirtier than a simple porch inspection, but anything I said would only encourage him.

Before Asa or Colby could offer to help, I shooed them out of the kitchen to give me a moment to think.

A fae wildlife sanctuary, funded by a trust in Mom’s name, one hemorrhaging its occupants, might be key to solving this case.

Again, fate breathed hot on my nape, raising the fine hairs in a prickling wave of foreboding.

Thanks to the scarcity of marriages among black witches, their practices were archaic. Mom’s belongings passed to Dad upon her death. His worldly possessions reverted to his father. Neither had left, nor could leave, anything for me. Not so much as a last wish for who they preferred to finish raising me.

I had been too young, too heartbroken, when Megara read their wills to process anything.

Clearly, I had missed things then that had come back to haunt me now.

“Rue,” Camber answered the shop phone, breathless, when I had forgotten I already dialed her. “Hey.”

“How are things?”

“Christmas came early.” She sighed across the line. “All he needed was a bow on his head.”

“And a gift tag that read To Camber, From Santa?”

“Sadly, no.” Her exhale softened. “He only has eyes for Arden.”

Hiccup. Hiccup. Hiccup.

Ah.

So that’s what that noise was in the background. Aedan had given her hiccups again.

“It’s weird,” she mused. “I can tell he’s totally into her, but he’s killing me with the politeness.”

The report buoyed my mood and convinced me Aedan was, indeed, one of the good ones.