Broken Bonds (Lizzie Grace 3)

I did so. To say Aiden was less than impressed with the news we had another body would be something of an understatement. I tossed my phone back into my handbag and then said, “They’ll be here soon.”

Footsteps once again echoed out in the hall. The short man stopped beside me, his expression anxious. “The ambulance is on their way.”

“Thank you, Mr.—”

“Joseph. Joseph Hardcourt.” His gaze went to Chester. “Is he okay?”

“I’m afraid not, Mr. Hardcourt,” Ashworth said. “Tell me, did Chester have any other visitors this evening?”

“Not that I’m aware of, but I can check the security cameras if you’d like.”

“The front desk isn’t manned at night?” I asked, surprised.

He looked up at me. “Until seven, yes. After that, guests use their own key to get in. Late arrivals must buzz, as you did.”

“Is there a separate guest entrance, or is the front door the only one?” Ashworth asked.

“There legally has to be at least a separate fire exit—it’s around the side of the hotel—and there’s also a rear entrance for guests using the parking area.”

Meaning our killer more than likely had come and gone through one of them—and done so without setting off alarms or alerting Hardcourt.

“I’m afraid we’ve had to call in the rangers,” Ashworth said, “so if you could go out front and wait for them, that would be appreciated.”

Hardcourt nodded and hurried away. I met Ashworth’s gaze. “Chester would have felt the approach of another witch, so whoever did this was either human or wolf.”

“Yes, but I still think we’re looking at a professional hit. It’s not easy to get silencers in this day and age.”

“No.” Not with the strict gun laws we had in Australia. “It appears he wasn’t expecting to be attacked, given he answered the door in a towel.”

“Which makes me wonder if this hit has anything to do with our dead witch, or perhaps a past case. Heretic hunters aren’t the most popular folk around.”

“He’s the first one I’ve met, but if he’s a good example, I’m not surprised.”

“He’s actually one of the better ones.” Ashworth studied the room for a moment. “I know your ranger would prefer us not to touch anything but I want to check if Chester has hidden any information.”

I frowned. “Why would he have done that when he wasn’t expecting to be attacked?”

“It’s nothing more than a gut feeling, and the fact he sounded unusually anxious and out of sorts on the phone. He mightn’t have been expecting a visit from a hit man, but he was expecting something.”

“And yet I’m not feeling anything in the way of wards or protections in the room.”

“No, and that makes this situation a whole lot stranger.”

I hesitated, and then said, “You know, there’s one way we can find out for sure—ask the man himself.”

Ashworth glanced at me. “Newer souls are notoriously difficult to contact.”

“Belle specializes in difficult.”

He raised an eyebrow. “She must be a pretty damn strong spirit talker then.”

“She is.” One of the strongest in recent history, if my mother was to be believed—and I certainly did. It wasn’t like compliments to either of us had ever dripped easily off her tongue.

“It’s certainly something we can try, then, but I’d still like to see what we can find here first.”

I glanced around the room again. “I guess given the state of the place, Aiden’s not really going to know if we’ve interfered with anything. Just be sure not to leave fingerprints everywhere, because that will both tip him off and piss him off.”

“I’ve been doing this job and working with rangers and the law for more years than you’ve been alive, lass, so don’t be telling me how to do things,” he growled. “I’ll check in here—do you want to take the bathroom?”