The Last Smile in Sunder City (The Fetch Phillips Archives #1) - Luke Arnold Page 0,32

real treat. Thanks.”

I gave him one of my cards and told him to call if he ever needed anything. The silver case I kept them in looked extravagant beside Pete’s honest poverty. He found a pocket on his new jacket and tucked the card inside.

We didn’t shake hands or hug. We just did the awkward nod of grown men who still don’t know what the game is or how they’re meant to play it. He strolled away with his naked tail hanging behind him. In the old days, it might have been wagging. Hell, in the old days it would be seated on a high seat in a great room of a better place than this. Considering the circumstances, I just hoped he’d had some fun.

When I got back to my office there was a telegram under the door from Richie. I opened a fresh bottle, poured a generous glass, took a seat and dialed without thinking of the time. It was late enough to be early again and I’d woken him up but if he took the time to complain about every shitty thing I did we’d never get anything done.

“You go first,” he said.

“Sorry?”

He grumbled. “The Vamp you’re looking for. Give me the name and I’ll tell you if we’ve got him or not.”

“Not sure I want to do that, Kites.”

“Yeah, I bet you don’t. But you don’t have a choice.”

He was right. I had nothing to bargain with, but I knew from experience that you should never show your whole hand to the cops. Even when they’re on your team, they’ll bet on the enemy to balance their odds.

“I found the stiffs and I played ball. I could have discovered who they were if I’d ransacked the place and kept hush for a few days but I brought you in. The way I see it, I came to you in the spirit of friendship and the least you can do is let me know whose body I found.”

I heard Richie mumble to himself down the line. I think he gave in just so he could go back to sleep.

“Sydney Grimes and Samuel Dante. Grimes owned the place, Dante was his friend from out of town. Haven’t identified the third body but it’s some species of ex-magic humanoid. Cause of death is tough on the two Vamps because of the disintegration but the third body shows signs of violence. That’s all you’re getting.”

“Thanks. That’s a lot of help.”

“So, was it your guy?”

“I appreciate the info, Rich. I’ll see you around.” I hung up.

So, there it was. No Rye and not even a clear connection to him. The case was as wide open as it had always been but now the bugs were getting in. I was tired, but my brain wasn’t ready to quit.

In the bottom drawer of my desk were the files I’d taken from Edmund Rye’s room. I flipped through the pages till the sun came up. Rye was tutoring seven different students and their contact details were scribbled in his diary. Once it was late enough to make an unsolicited call, I dragged the phone to my weary face.

The first student was the teenage Werewolf interested in biology. The operator connected me but the phone rang out. Next was the young Siren, January Gladesmith. This time, the phone buzzed twice before a nervous woman picked it up.

“Hello?”

“Mrs Gladesmith, my name is Fetch Phillips. I’m sorry to call you so early, but I wanted to ask you some questions about your daughter.”

There was a strained pause before she managed to respond.

“Have you found her?”

11

I called the remaining households and was relieved to find every other child home and unharmed. I got a few questions through to some of them – when did they last see Rye? Where were they studying? – Nobody knew squat. I accepted the fact that I was giving the game away. It didn’t take a genius to work out that Edmund was off the map, and gossip goes through parents like piss down a drain, but I wasn’t worried about protecting Rye’s reputation anymore. A little girl was gone. That meant discretion had to take some time off.

I tried in vain to make myself presentable. The Gladesmiths lived in the only part of Sunder that you could describe as beautiful while keeping a straight face. Primrose Avenue ran along the edge of the city limits, sectioning off a suburban area at the base of Amber Hill. In this neighborhood, things looked like