Delinquents Turned Fugitives - Ann Denton Page 0,112
swiped to end the call. Behind me, a smirk was planted on Detective Muller’s face. He must have used his Tock powers to speed over to me because I hadn’t seen or heard him coming.
The detective wore a white shirt and grey pants, along with his police belt. It was too hot for a jacket, and he was sans a tie. His hair was gelled, but his dark stubble belied the illusion that he was actually trying to look good. It was a day past shabby.
“Here for the funeral?” I asked, pitching my voice to its ‘snobbish rich girl’ setting.
“Are you?” he asked, eyeing my clothes doubtfully.
“She’s my mother,” I answered without answering.
I saw his eyes narrow a little and he took a step closer.
Immediately, from the posts they’d established ahead of time, Z leaned out from behind a tree. He rewound Muller, moving him back slightly, just until his foot was in the air, then freezing him. I took a quick step forward and shoved the man’s arms down, wishing like hell I could plaster them to his body and write the spell to form little T-rex arms. But I couldn’t. Malcolm would bring Teddy up in just a minute. We had just enough time to get Muller off balance. Literally.
“Check his pocket,” Andros hissed, from his spot behind another tree further up the hill.
I grimaced as I slid my hand into the old guy’s pocket, trying not to think too closely about what I was doing. I felt something long and hard, and I yanked it out.
I held up the yellow stone so Andros could see. “Honesty Amulet,” I whispered.
“Yeah, probably without a warrant,” he grumbled. “Ok, toss it to me.”
I glanced right and left to make sure no one was nearby before I coated the amulet in shadows and tossed it to Andros. He caught it and nodded, then slid back behind the tree next to him. A second later, Z lowered his hand and did the same, moving out of sight.
But his threatening momentum was gone. His attempt to close the space and intimidate me had turned into a bumbling mess. I feigned concern. “Are you alright?” I pretended to reach for him, but ensured I didn’t touch him.
“I’m fine. But I have several questions for you, Hayley Dunemark.” He tried to make his tone ominous, but after watching him nearly fall, it was actually just funny.
“Okay?” I oozed disdain with the one word, stretching it out and looking impatient. “You do realize that the funeral is about to start.”
“You realize that you’re the subject of a murder investigation, right?” He tried to step in again.
And Z swooped in. Rewind, reset the arms, repeat.
He stumbled a second time.
“Are you drunk?” I asked. It was hard as hell not to laugh. No wonder this asshole got off on fucking with people. If I had been born a Tock instead of a Darklight, I could only imagine the shit I’d have done.
Muller was furious.
His eyes scanned the trees, but I darkened the shadows around Andros and Z, to ensure they couldn’t be spotted. He knew I was a Darklight, so I clearly couldn’t be doing anything.
I turned, as if I was going to leave. But I just marched a little way up the hill, to a spot with good enough lighting for Teddy and his camera. I slid my eyes sideways and spotted Malcolm and his acquaintance getting into place behind a crypt nearby. Teddy’s arm was up, his phone already filming.
“Hey. Wait,” Muller trotted after me like a good little puppy. I’m sure he thought of it as stomping. But he didn’t realize he was wearing a leash yet. He was about to.
I imagined a clapboard in my head. I imagined a director yelling, “Action.”
I turned where I stood, giving off an irritated huff. “I’m trying to go to my mother’s funeral.” I let my voice crack, which wasn’t hard. “What do you want?” A blue butterfly threaded its way through the air near us, unaware of the power struggle happening right beside it. I watched it as I listened to Muller’s response.
“I want to question you about your whereabouts on April twelfth.”
I pretended confusion, and gave a shrug. “I have no idea. Maybe I was fucking a football team or something, why do you care?”
My flippant answer pissed him off and I saw him reach his free hand down to touch the Honesty Amulet in his pocket.