Medusa's Dagger (Aya Harris Collection 1)

“Did you learn anything new about the Yonas family? Did my vision help at all?”

The mood in the car turned chilly in an instant. I breathed out in relief.

“Not sure yet. Between your snake vision and the raven feather we found at the scene, nothing makes sense.”

Alarms began blaring in my head. The air around me lost all oxygen and I struggled to get a breath. The raven feather had been a part of my vision, but I thought it was just a coincidence. If Gideon found a raven’s feather at the crime scene, that meant he was back. And that he was responsible for Mr. Yonas’ murder. Suddenly, I felt faint.

“Are you okay?” Gideon glanced over at me, concern etched on his face.

I forced the air in and out of my lungs in an effort to speak. “Yeah, just fine.”

“You don’t look fine.” The investigator in him was back. Gideon’s face hardened into a serious expression that dissolved the laughter in his eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“Nothing. I’m just worried about them. Time’s running out.”

He nodded and returned his focus back to the road. We drove the rest of the way in cold silence, but I hardly noticed. The only thought in my head was a name, playing on repeat: Nicky. It’d been years since I’d felt the flash of terror that my brother’s name instilled in the very depths of my soul, but there it was, hitting me again and again like lightning bolts sent from above. He’d found me.

Chapter Six

The next evening, Johnny tossed his cheap briefcase on the museum counter, sighing with dramatic flair.

“All I’m saying is, if you’re going to rob a bank, at least have the decency to do it sober.”

Angel looked up from the register she was counting. It was closing time and it hadn’t been a busy day, so there wasn’t much to count. “He was drunk?”

“Like a skunk.” Johnny flung himself into a stool.

He’d just gotten off work at the courthouse and decided to drop by before heading over to Steven’s apartment. We loved to hear him tell stories about his clients.

“He’d just broken up with his girlfriend,” Johnny continued. “They’d had dinner at Spezia, taken a carriage ride through Hudson Park, and then rowed out onto the lake in a little boat. That’s where he got down on one knee to propose. And that’s where she turned him down flat.”

I groaned. This was playing out like a bad Jane Austen movie remake. “Let me guess. She told him he wasn’t rich enough.”

Johnny pointed a finger at me and flashed a cheesy brilliant white smile. “Ding, ding, ding – winner. My client was so blindsided, he decided to bail from the rowboat right in the middle of Hudson Lake. He left his girlfriend stranded without the oars, but remembered to take the full bottle of champagne with him.”

Angel and I both grimaced at the same time. Poor guy didn’t stand a chance.

“So, he downed the bottle of Moet & Chandon while he trudged along the street, drenched and feeling sorry for himself. And that’s when he got the bloody brilliant idea to rob a bank. Then, he’d be rich enough for his girlfriend.”

“Will the judge give him a little credit for having a broken heart??” I asked.

If I were a judge, I’d let him off easy. The man was in the middle of a life crisis. Anyone could see that.

Johnny closed his eyes and massaged his temples. “Probably not. I’ve got Judge Ira on this case and he’s a real bully.”

“Poor guy,” Angel said with a pout, closing the register drawer. “What’s his name?”

“Oh, no, you don’t.” I threw the rag I was using to dust at her. “Don’t tell her. She just wants to look him up. Pretty soon, she’ll be dating all your clients.”

Angel threw the rag back while Johnny laughed. She stuck her middle finger out at me and grinned. It didn’t matter if I foiled her plans, Angel was stubborn enough to dig up that client’s name herself. She had almost magical powers of persuasion, especially on men.

“Nah, I’m already violating attorney-client privilege telling you guys that much.” Johnny stretched his arms high above his head and then hopped off the stool. “I don’t want to be debarred just so Angel can get laid.”

This time, it was Johnny’s turn to get flipped off.

He chuckled and grabbed his briefcase from the counter. “See you guys around. I’ve got to get going. We’re making steamed salmon with a side of glore grata for supper. It’s a new recipe.”

“Sounds exotic,” Angel said. “Have fun.”