Hidden Moon (Nightcreature 7)

"Soul mates," Grace said, and stepped into the house, crowding me backward.

"What's so important that you're ringing my bell at this ungodly hour?"

"Balthazar's still missing. "

"Hopefully forever. "

Grace set Oprah on the floor. "You need to watch what you say. "

"I was joking. You said almost the same thing yesterday. "

"I know. But - "

"But what? You're queen of the ha-ha sarcasm, so I can't be?"

"People on your shit list are disappearing, Claire. First Josh, then Balthazar. "

"You think I disappeared them?"

"No. "

"Then what?"

"Have you seen Cartwright?"

I fought not to betray the truth by glancing upward. "Why?"

Grace made an aggravated sound deep in her throat. "Why do you think? He had altercations with both men right before they disappeared. I have to talk to him. But I went to the lake, and he wasn't there. " She scowled. "Though with them, who knows? He might be, and they were just covering for him. They're wiggy around cops. "

"They probably have good reason to be. "

"I didn't say they didn't, but they're making my life hard. Just makes me want to return the favor. "

The steps creaked. Malachi stood at the top, fully dressed. But since his hair was a mess, his clothes were crumpled, and he'd obviously just come out of my room, clothes didn't mean much.

Grace gave me a stoic stare. "Were you going to tell me?"

I shrugged. I wasn't sure what I'd been going to do.

"What did you hear?" Grace asked as Malachi descended the stairs.

"All of it. "

"I need to take you to the station. "

"Grace - ," I began.

She held up her hand. "I know what I'm doing. It won't help him, or you, if I give him special privileges at this stage of the game. "

"Me? I thought we'd established that I had nothing to do with this. "

"We established that I didn't think you had anything to do with it. But that was before I understood that you'd been playing hide the salami with the chief suspect. "

"So?"

"Men who've hurt you, physically and professionally, have disappeared. "

She said it slowly, so I'd understand, but I didn't.