anything else about Fluke, just made a series of notes in chicken-scratch so messy I couldn’t read it, nodding to himself as he went. “Anything else? The police said someone filmed it, but they made him delete the footage.”
I winced and covered my face. “Yeah, sorry. That would be my fault. I thought filming someone’s death was gross, so I told the cops he’d done it.”
David waved me off. “They should have kept the video, but that’s on them, not you. You didn’t tell them how to do their jobs, just gave them the information.” He sighed, nodded, and as though parroting something he’d been told, added, “And they had no reason to believe that there had been foul play at the time. Still incompetent, just not maliciously so.”
I tried, and failed, to hold back a quiet laugh at that. “It does describe all of us sometimes, though, don’t you think?”
He flashed me that model smile again as he flipped his notebook shut and slid it back into his pocket. “Not me,” he denied with a shake of his head. “All incompetence comes with a side of bad intentions around here.”
And that, accompanied by his smile, was even more ridiculous.
Heavy footfalls sounded behind me, and given David’s complete lack of reaction, it had to be Gideon. Dad wasn’t that melodramatically intrusive, and David was an officer of the law. He’d have at least acknowledged being approached by someone.
Instead, he stood up, put a hand on my shoulder, and smiled. “Thanks, Sage. I’m sorry I had to come ask. If you think of anything else, give me a call.”
I wasn’t sure when he’d palmed his own card, but he held it out to me, and I took it automatically. “I will. I don’t think there’s anything else for me to remember, but I’ll call if I do. I’m sorry.”
He waved me off. “Nothing for you to be sorry for. You’re not the one killing people.”
I wanted to point out that he had no proof I wasn’t, but that was ridiculous. I didn’t want to make him think maybe I was a murderer. He already thought I was a familiar stealer. So I just nodded and said, “Good luck finding them. I might not be impressive enough to be a target for someone killing mages, but I’ll feel better if any murderer is off the street.”
Instead of taking his hand off my shoulder and leaving, he squeezed lightly. “Don’t assume that, Sage. The first victim was a certified class three. So do me a favor and be careful, okay?”
“Okay. I will.” I stared at my hands in my lap, thinking about that for a while when I heard the bell jingle as David left.
“I don’t like him, but he’s right,” Gideon said, settling into the spot on the couch where David had been. “More murderers out wandering the streets. This might be the worst century I’ve seen yet.”
I blew him a raspberry. “Okay boomer. Longing for the bad old days of no internet or toilet paper?”
“I have no idea what half that meant, but no, I like the internet. Technology is great. I just don’t like all the danger you’re in or how miserable everybody is.” He looked behind me to the door, then back. “What did Don Juan want?”
“Seriously? Guy put himself out there and got shot down, and you’re gonna make fun of him?” Okay, yeah, most of my annoyance on that was based on the fact that I still felt guilty for doing the shooting. Why the hell didn’t I like David?
Why did it always have to be guys like Bobby Hu?
Or worse, guys like Gideon. Not that Gideon was worse than a self-involved ball player, but really, wasn’t he? Bobby’s influence had been limited because he was an asshole. Gideon could be everything, but he couldn’t stay.
“He shoulda known you weren’t interested. You barely give him a second glance when he comes in here. What’s that look for?” he asked, leaning away from me, eyes narrowed and arms across his chest.
I sighed and waved him off. “It’s nothing.” When he didn’t stop glaring, I huffed. “Fine, I was just thinking I should try a little harder to find him attractive. David’s a nice guy.”
“David’s a weenie.”
I blinked, staring at him, like that would make the last three seconds change. Where did an undead cowboy learn a word like that? “Did you just say weenie?”
He shrugged but didn’t uncross his arms or look me in the eye. “He should