I needed to figure out the connection. Who was visiting and tied a witch inmate in the southern block to Nakul, Wesley, and the hit on me?
I had a shortlist of who would know of any visitors in and out of the prison, but getting anyone on the shortlist to talk was the problem. Korey was openly hostile. Eliphas was a witch and could easily evade with a bit of magic to get me to forget my train of thought while I tried to interview him.
I could offer him Kartane, but who knows if that’ll fucking work. I’m already under orders from the witches on the Tribunal to kill his second. The best thing I could get are Eliphas’ eyes back if that’s even possible.
“Are you okay?” Raphael asked, stepping up next to me. “You’ve seemed tired in the last couple of interviews.”
“I’m fine, thanks. How’re you?”
“Good…Well, not good, but not as pissed as I was.”
I chuckled. He checked on me between every interview since the first guy was able to get the jump on me. I waved Cael closer.
“We’re done for today,” I said as I pulled my phone out of my pocket. Hopefully, it was news to help handle another one of the numerous problems on my list. Cael nodded while I watched him jog away, probably to tell the others not to bring anyone else for interviewing. I checked the text with one hand while rubbing my temple with another.
“News?” My roommate was now hovering over my shoulder. I tilted the screen so he could read too. “Ah, fuck.”
“Pretty much.” I sighed, rereading the text over and over.
Hasan: Pack lost Wesley’s trail. They smelled another naga in your condo, so be careful of Nakul roaming Phoenix. Coven is close to finding Levi. Another hour, max. Start heading back to the city if you haven’t yet. Vampires report no incidents. Executioners and Investigators worldwide report no strange activity.
Hasan: And call me back if there’s anything we need to know about the investigation.
It was essentially news about nothing, but at least Hasan had a timetable.
“He’s right,” I said. “If they’re close to Levi, we need to get back and be ready to jump into action when it’s time. I hate this, jumping back and forth on two different fronts, but there’s nothing else to do.”
“We’ll clean this up,” Raphael said confidently. “Obviously, the big guys think you have this under control.”
“Yeah, their confidence is appreciated,” I muttered, half believing it. I led the way toward the exit to the parking lot, unsurprised to see Korey when we got there. I had wanted her and Eliphas to visit me after being attacked, but they never came, which didn’t look good for them. It was a blatant disregard for the safety of people in the prison. It also meant they wouldn’t care what I had to tell them.
“We’re heading out to handle things in Phoenix, but we’ll be back.” I wanted to make sure she knew this wasn’t the end of the investigation. Truthfully, it was only the beginning when it came to the problems in the prison. I was certain she knew something that could come down on her head, but it was more pressing to stop the immediate danger now that I had a timetable.
“Of course. How are your injuries? I heard you were attacked by an inmate at the end of an interview.” She seemed calmer now, her body language more professional and less tense with anxious energy. It was her eyes that gave away her still hostile nature to my poking around.
“Good. It was resolved. I haven’t heard if the inmate made it. I stabbed him a few times, but I don’t know what I hit. I never even got his name.”
“He was taken to the infirmary for care,” she answered, not telling me his status or his name. I didn’t need to know, but I wanted to know. I wished I had Cassius, knowing this would have been easier with him on the case. His prestige would have put the entire prison in line. I had a deadly reputation, but not many respected the leader of a dying people. Cassius was royalty of a major species with vast numbers and power.
They would have given him the world.
“That’s good. I hope he makes it.” I crossed my arms, watching her eyes narrow. She probably hadn’t been expecting that from me, which was fine. Most didn’t know me well enough to know I had a problem with