“Nothing new. Marcus’s recovery is slow, and I guess Gordon’s doing fine. Andreas hinted about problems at the vampire court. He’s not very talkative. Seemed on edge, but I don’t know him that well. He’s been out of touch so much, I finally got his cell number.”
Ari’s lips parted in surprise. She didn’t have Andreas’s personal cell number. The boys had certainly gotten chummy in the few days she was out of commission.
Ryan smirked at her obvious surprise, dug in his jacket pocket, and pulled out a slip of paper. “Here, he said to give you the number if you asked. I won’t need it now you’re back.”
* * *
It was still too early for the vampires, even Andreas, so she headed for her office at the Cultural Center. She kind of liked the idea of her own place to conduct business and make private calls.
The custodian smiled when he saw her unlock the office door. She must have passed some test when they didn’t destroy his building that first night. He nodded as if her presence was a daily occurrence, which might not be such a bad idea.
She looked at the office with a different perspective than before. Her world had changed: scarier, more serious, maybe more grown up. Those terms weren’t quite right, but close enough. Ari knew she’d changed. And the things around her need to change too.
The desk currently stood under unprotected windows. Bad idea. She pulled and tugged until the setting was reversed. Physical activity made her feel good, the best she’d felt in days. She tried out the desk, her back now against the inner wall. Perfect. Not paranoid, just careful.
In response to a chat with the custodian, two strapping weretigers delivered a pair of file cabinets. Ari began to feel like a business professional with her own desk and file drawers. The fact they were empty didn’t bother her. She had stacks of reports and folders in her apartment that would take care of that.
Satisfied for the moment, she plopped into the swivel chair, put her feet on the desk, and dialed Steffan’s number. Voice mail. She left a message. Undeterred, she tried reporter Eddie West with better luck.
“Ari, how you been?”
“Fine.” He hadn’t known Yana, so she didn’t need to get into all that. “I’ve been out of touch a couple days. Heard anything new about the drug traffic?”
“Not much. The drug’s still available, but I’ve heard complaints it’s being cut. Less potent. Seems to be a good thing for the Otherworld version. Less fights.”
“Doubt if he’s noticed. No one talks to the cops about drugs.” He changed the subject. “Any news on Angela’s killer?”
“Nothing we can prove. But a Canadian wolf pack is up to their bushy tails in it. And a whole lot of other bad stuff. I’m going to end this, Eddie. Trust me, it’ll happen.”
“When it does, you’ll call me?”
“You betcha.”
She hung up, slowly tapping a forefinger on the desktop.
So the drugs were still circulating. Would the wolves be able to continue their drug trade with the wizard dead? Had they changed the formula again or were they cutting the amount because their stock was low? With the drugs here, it was a good bet the wolves were still in town. That was a plus. She wouldn’t have to chase them to Canada. On the other hand, their continued presence meant Louie’s original scheme wasn’t finished.
She tried Steffan again. This time he answered on the second ring.
“Ari, just got your message.” She braced for what was coming next. “I’m really sorry about Yana. I know you were close.”
“We were, and it’s been awful. But if you don’t mind, I’d rather not talk about it.”
“Yeah, it’s been a year since my brother died. It takes time. Are you calling about the fight last night?”
“What fight?”
“Tigers versus lions. No one seriously hurt, but the weretigers were using Fantasy. The stuff appears to affect lycanthropes too, but less than the vamps. More like an irritant.”
“I heard the dosage or purity had been cut. Maybe they can’t get new supplies.”
“I hope you’re right, because they’ll eventually run out. And we can get past this, unless they find a new cook. I’m not taking any chances. We’ve renewed the warnings in the lycanthrope community. What’s Andreas say about the vampires?”
“Haven’t talked with him since…well, you know. Ryan says there’s a vamp problem, but I don’t know if it’s related to the drugs or not. Maybe