I was surprised when I found out she had at least enough power to zap me when we brushed hands.”
Sorren nodded. “She doesn’t know about the Alliance, but she’s one of the good guys,” he said. “Part of a local coven, fairly talented with white magic.” He shrugged. “You can understand that she doesn’t broadcast that, given the circumstances.”
I understood. Charleston was fine with its ghosts, but old ways of thinking died hard, and some folks in the community had unfriendly feelings toward anything that had to do with magic or witchcraft. Fortunately, those views were fading, but they weren’t gone yet and they could certainly cause complications for someone in Judy’s position.
“Her secret is safe with me,” I said. “Did you have something to do with her being hired?”
Sorren smiled. “Always good to have a person on the inside,” he replied. “Someone to watch over Helen – and keep an eye on Edwin Thompson.”
“Could she protect them, if it came down to that?”
“Nurses without magic have done amazing things to protect their patients when the chips are down. I suspect her magic would trigger naturally in a dangerous situation, but I have no idea what that would mean, or what experience she has using her talent. Judy’s not a bodyguard, just a friend with a little something extra.”
“What next?”
Sorren put Baxter down on the floor gently, and stood. “I have some information I need to track down, and I’m still trying to get the Boston office back in order. I also need to talk to Archibald Donnelly over at the Briggs Society, and he’s damnably hard to find. We need to talk to Daniel Hunter. There’ve been more threats against my Alliance sites and my personal safe houses, and now with the bomb at Trifles and Folly and the danger to the nursing home, I’m more certain than ever this is someone’s vendetta against me. Someone who’s willing to hurt my people to get to me. And if it’s really Sariel, if he wasn’t destroyed…” His voice trailed off. “So don’t take chances,” he said after a moment. I’ll be back as soon as possible.” He leveled a look at me. “Stay safe.”
I picked Baxter up and walked Sorren to the door. But as the gate clicked shut behind him, I wondered how exactly I was supposed to avoid taking chances, and what ‘safe’ really meant under the circumstances.
IT’S NEVER A good day when the police are waiting outside your door in the morning.
“Cassidy Kincaide?” the dark-suited woman asked, coming up beside me just as I was unlocking the door to Trifles and Folly. “Detective Monroe, Charleston Police. I’d like to talk with you about the bomb someone left outside your shop last night.”
I opened the door and stepped aside so she could enter. Detective Monroe’s head turned one way and the other as she took in our merchandise. We had a pretty nice assortment on display at the moment: French mantel clocks, silver tea sets and place settings, vintage china, porcelain figurines, and more. The low jewelers’ cases were empty since we put rings and small items in the safe overnight, but it didn’t take much imagination to figure out what kinds of pieces we offered.
“Nice place,” she said offhandedly. Her lack of interest told me old stuff wasn’t her thing. I pegged Detective Monroe for early thirties. She had short dark hair and a no-nonsense attitude that was either career cop or ex-military. And while her voice tried for friendly, her eyes were coldly recording everything.
“You didn’t bother to come down to the shop last night,” she said as if she were just making conversation.
“I didn’t need to,” I replied, putting my purse in my office as the detective followed me around. I figured she was going to get a good look at the place one way or the other, and at least if I kept going on about my business I might be ready if customers walked in.
“Why not? Weren’t you worried? Someone tried to blow the place up.”
I met her gaze. “I saw the report on the news, and the police called me at home. The situation was already taken care of, as far as the bomb went. And if there’s a whacko bomber running around Charleston, I couldn’t see what the point would be of going down to my store in the dead of night and making a target of myself.”
“Do you think you were the target?” Her voice was flat, but she was