Spade flicked my hands as if they were lint. “You couldn’t relay that without creasing my shirt?”
“An attention-getter,” I replied with a glint. “Just in case you needed one.”
Vlad was on the other side of the room with Fabian and Annette. All three of them were waiting to see if Spade complied or refused. I’d moved some furniture out of the way, just in case Spade chose the latter. No need to trash the place.
“Cat,” Spade began, “give me a few more days.”
“Wrong answer,” I said with a smile, and hit him.
Maybe it was the smile that put him off his guard. His head jerked to the side from the blow, then he took me seriously. The looseness was gone from his posture, and he took a wary step backward, his hands flexing in readiness.
“It’s not so simple, but I can’t explain why.”
“You’d better find a way.”
“I need a little more time,” he snapped.
I stopped in sudden understanding and let out a harsh laugh.
“Oh, I get it. You can’t reach him, can you? That’s why you’re hemming and hawing. You don’t know where he is!”
Spade ground out a curse. “Good show, Reaper! As soon as you sleep, that fact will now be repeated to Gregor. Want to hang a bloody target around Crispin’s neck?”
“How long?” I prodded, the first leaking of fear starting through me. “Do you even know where he went?”
“I won’t give more information that could endanger—”
“Yes, you will,” I said, anxiety and anger sharpening my tone. “Don’t you worry about me, if I have to stay awake until this is squared away, I will. I’ll break the world record for going without sleep if I have to, but you’re spilling your beans, and you’re doing it now.”
Spade’s mouth tightened. Emerald flashed in his tawny eyes, and he gave me a look filled with steel.
“You’d better be prepared to keep that vow, for I’ll hold you to it.”
The details Spade outlined had me on an emotional roller coaster. Yes, he’d known how to contact Bones when he left. Before I even returned with Vlad, Bones had tersely given him a number for emergency use, leaving his location undisclosed. Two days ago, Spade had left him a message to find out when he was coming back. His call went unreturned. Since then, Spade had paged him, e-mailed him, and tried a few trusted friends as well. No one had heard from Bones.
“I’ve been making discreet inquiries, such as today when I was gone, and I think he might have been seeking an audience with Marie,” Spade finished. “Rodney says he spoke to Crispin three days ago, and he made a comment about how hot it was in New Orleans. Why else would he be there? I’ve sent Rodney to investigate. That’s all I know.”
“Why didn’t you just call Liza and ask her instead of waiting for Rodney to get there?”
“I did ring Liza.” Spade ground his jaw. “She told me Marie had ordered her out of the Quarter a week ago and that she was refused permission even to communicate with anyone in it. Marie didn’t give Liza an explanation; she just said she’d let her know when she could return.”
“When did you find this out? How could you not have told me?”
“Crispin’s specific instructions were to keep you uninvolved,” Spade countered. “The last time you ran off like Henny Penny to shout the sky down, it didn’t turn out well, did it? I suggest patience this round. Do you worlds of good.”
I was about to scald him when my conscience stopped me. He’s right. You did run off last time, and these are the consequences. Maybe Bones just can’t communicate right now. Let them do it their way. Wait until Rodney calls.
“Fine.” I sat down. “We’ll wait to hear from Rodney.”
Spade regarded me with caution, as if waiting for me to take it back. “I’m sure he’ll ring soon.”
“Soon” turned out to be five hours later. Rodney’s voice was audible to everyone even before Spade put him on speaker. He was shouting.
“The fuck is going on there, but they’ve shut down the whole Quarter! Majestic’s only allowing humans to pass who aren’t of any vampire or ghoul’s line. I don’t know if Bones is there.”
“How is she doing this?” Spade looked dumbfounded. I was stunned myself. How could Marie quarantine a whole section of the city?
“They’ve got ghouls and police on every section of the Quarter, supposedly searching for an abducted child. They make it really simple—turn around or you’ll wish you did. I tried scoping out the river, but that’s guarded as well. Marie’s not playing games. We’ll have to try something else.”