The Alpha Claims A Mate(44)
She looked up to see Loch walking out of his office, towards her.
“There’s been a break in the case,” he said.
“What break?”
“We got an anonymous tip from a disposable phone, telling us to search Tommy Deerkiller’s house. And Montgomery actually agreed to let us come on to Panther Nation property so we could do the search; he agreed this case needs to be resolved. We found the professor’s clothes hidden under Deerkiller’s bed. They were shredded, as if by panther claws, and they’re blood-staine.d We’ve been investigating Deerkiller for some time now, even before the professor’s disappearance, for suspicion of dealing in stolen Panther Nation artifacts.”
Loch didn’t look happy as he said it, though.
“What is it?”
“I just don’t like it.” Loch shook his head. “I don’t know why, because everything ties together neatly, and we do know for a fact that Tommy deals in stolen goods, but something doesn’t smell right here.”
“I agree, there’s something off about it. Who made the anonymous call? Why would Tommy hide the professor’s clothes at his house? And if he was the professor’s inside man, why would he kill him?”
“Theoretically, they could have argued over money. The professor could have threatened to blackmail him.” He sighed and shook his head. “Nothing we can do about it right now, anyway. Tommy’s lawyered up. My grandmother’s holding a barbecue at her place tomorrow afternoon, by the way. She invited you.”
She held up her hand to argue with him, and he shook his head. “Ginger, let me worry about the pack. Just come, all right?”
“That’s a very public statement you’d be making.”
“Yes it is.” He looked at her steadily, and she felt her heart swelling in her chest. He wanted her, and he wasn’t afraid who knew it. He’d be proud to be seen by her side. The thought took her breath way.
Stil, when she went back to the boarding house that evening she felt strange and unsettled. She felt as if they were missing something important. And she knew damned well that the professor wasn’t dead. Her powers had never steered her wrong before.
Tommy Deerkiller had, of course, vociferously denied knowing anything about the bloody clothes in his room. He’d denied killing the professor, communicating with the professor about selling him icons, or seeing him on the night the professor disappeared.#p#分页标题#e#
But he admitted that he’d been dealing in stolen property.
Odd, Ginger thought.
When Ginger walked in the door, Marigold was waiting for her.
She told her that three of the archeology students had gone home already. There was no point in staying; it was pretty obvious that the professor wasn’t coming back. “Also, heads up, Brenda and Tallulah are in a snit because you told them the professor was alive and now the bloody clothes make it look like he’s dead.”
Brenda and Tallulah, their rivalry apparently forgotten, were sitting on the living room couch crying on each others’ shoulders.
They both looked up and glared at her when she came in.
“Fraud,” Brenda hissed, her eyes swollen into little slits from crying.
“You got our hopes up for no reason,” Tallulah sniffled self-righteously.
Ginger tried to speak, but they both got up and flounced out of the room.
“Damn it,” Ginger said unhappily. “I know that I’m right. He’s not dead.”
“I have news that might cheer you up,” Marigold said. “Not professor-related news, but still…”
Ginger peered at her closely. “Oh my God, you’ve got that I’ve-just-had-multiple orgasms look about you. Henry forgave you and you had makeup sex. In the middle of the day. Only a complete floozy does that. I know from personal experience.”
“It’s even better than that.” Marigold was glowing with satisfaction.
“Better? What’s better than you and Henry and makeup sex?”
“Winifred and the handyman. Sittin’ in a tree.”
“Okay, explain this to me, without the use of nursery rhymes. I could desperately use some good news.”
“Yesterday Winifred came to ask me if there was any hope for her and the handyman. I looked in her future and saw Winifred crying in her room and the handyman driving off in frustration.”
“Okay. And this is good news because?”
“I was about to tell her that, but then I thought about what you told me. Winifred was asking me for a reading, in her own barely comprehensible geek speak, because she was afraid that it wouldn’t work out. She was afraid that they were too different. And you were the one who told me that when you expect the end of a relationship, you end up unconsciously sabotaging yourself.”