“If you’re all quite done?” Alec sounded extremely prissy. Looked it too, all buttoned up in his white lab coat.
They quieted.
Alec turned back to Trick. “Your family, Trick. Please give it to us straight. We need to know so we can keep you safe.”
Trick took a deep breath. “That’s the problem, they’re crooked as the night is long. Fences mainly and some money laundering. Mostly we – they – move stolen goods, get things across state lines, or out of the country. River otters, you know?”
He spoke quickly, nervous but eager to accommodate. Barely pausing for breath, he pushed on. “People don’t really remember the waterways in this day and age. The selkie dominate all offshore action, but they also deal in interstate byways. Dratsie accommodate that. It’s not like there’s a territory conflict – we like fresh water, they like salt. Makes for a decent working relationship, actually. I mean, if you’re a criminal. I was raised to the game. But, to be honest, I kinda sucked at it. I’m not good at hiding things. I mean look at me, I’m out and fabulous. There isn’t a subtle bone in this fantastically tight bod.” He gestured at himself. He was wearing a red mesh top that fell off one shoulder, ridiculously huge fake eyelashes, and an extremely tight pair of plaid pants. Judd thought he did, in fact, look fantastic.
Trick continued. “I really didn’t enjoy skulking and hiding. Somehow I was born with a code of ethics. Mamma said she shouldn’t have put me into a human school. I found theater and took to it like it was religion. Got sexed up with human males, learned how not to steal for a living. Then I swam away as soon as I could. I was underage when I left. I’ve been running from them ever since.”
“You didn’t want to be tried as an adult, did you?” suggested Max. Max wasn’t a particularly ethical person. He tended to think in terms of practical choices.
“That too.”
“Makes sense that the selkie would come after you. If your family had been hired to get something of theirs overland to California so that they could take it offshore.” Isaac’s tone was soft and soothing, reasonable.
Colin said, “The blubber bozos said they were after almost a quarter of a million dollars.”
Trick nodded, miserable. “Yeah, but I really don’t have it, guys. And knowing my family, they could be moving it in any number of ways. I’ve no idea at all what form it would take. Art, artifact, jewelry maybe. Portable property of some kind, something easy to liquidate at this end. Probably waterproof.”
Colin’s quick mind was already connecting the dots. “That would explain the feds too. If dratsie and selkie are moving stolen goods, that’s squarely in SBI jurisdiction.”
Judd wanted to squeeze him for his brilliance, but refrained out of dignity.
Trick groaned and rubbed his face. “Deputy Kettil is going to hate me.”
“Your family is not your fault, sweetheart,” said Judd, trying to express support. It was easier to believe in the dratsie when he had Colin, warm and lovely, in his arms.
“Speaking of which, what the hell was mother doing involved with all this?” Kevin looked hard at his brother.
Colin straightened, but didn’t stop leaning against Judd. “Now, that I don’t know. It was really weird, guys. She summoned me over and the agents were just there with her in the car, and they asked me questions and she mostly sat looking supercilious and pretending to be nice to me.”
“Supercilious? Big word much,” teased Judd.
Colin got prim. “It’s the right word. I’ll use a big one if I want to.” He paused and grinned. “Why do you think I’m with you?”
Judd smiled back. “Nice one, Gingersnap.”
Colin frowned. “Oh, and the SBI didn’t know mother had hired Heavy Lifting.”
“So she isn’t happy to be working with them, if she didn’t tell them about us.” Kevin looked almost hopeful.
“I don’t know!” Frustration colored Colin’s voice. “She’s awful. Like, what is her problem? Seriously, Kev. Yuck.”
“Yeah. Bet you’re glad you don’t remember her now, aren’t ya?”
Alec cleared his throat. “So, I have the SBI in town kidnapping members of my pack and interrogating them without permission. And we have a visiting celebrity Alpha werewolf with a security problem, and someone trying to move thousands of dollars of stolen goods through my town via dratsie fences to the selkie mob?”
“That about sums it up,” said Judd, grinning at him.