"Sponsor like in AA?"
"Something like that."
"Any signs of a struggle?"
"No."
I stood up dragging the phone in one hand. I tried to think past the leaden tiredness. How dare Richard sound so cheerful. "Peggy Smitz's husband -- Ronnie caught him with another woman. A clerk may have sold him silver bullets."
There was silence on the other end of the phone. I could hear his soft breathing, but that was all. The breathing was a little fast.
"Talk to me, Richard."
"If he killed Peggy, then we'll handle it."
"Has it occurred to you that he could be behind all the disappearances?" I asked.
"I don't see how."
"Why not? A silver bullet will take care of any shapeshifter. No great skill involved. You just need to be someone that the shapeshifter trusts."
More silence finally. "Okay, what do you want to do?"
"Ronnie and I were going to confront him this morning. With Jason missing we don't have time to pussy-foot around. Can you supply me with a shapeshifter or two to help threaten Smitz? Maybe with a little muscle power we can get to the truth faster."
"I have to teach school today, and I can't afford for him to know what I am."
"I didn't ask for you to come. Just for some of you to come. Make sure they look intimidating, though. Irving may be a werewolf, but he isn't very scary."
"I'll send someone. To your apartment?"
"Yeah."
"When?"
"Soon as you can. And, Richard."
"Yes."
"Don't tell anybody what we suspect about George Smitz. I don't want to find him clawed up when we get there."
"I wouldn't do that."
'You wouldn't, but Marcus might, and I know Raina would."
"I'll tell them you have a suspect and want some backup. I won't tell them who."
"Great, thanks."
"If you find Jason before they kill him, I'll owe you one."
"I'll take the payment in carnal favors," I said. The minute I said it, I wished I hadn't. It was sort of true, but after last night, not down to my toes.
He laughed. "Done. I've got to go to work. I love you."
I hesitated just a second. "I love you, too. Teach the kiddies well today."
He was quiet for a space of heartbeats. He'd heard the hesitation. "I will. Bye."
"Bye." When I'd hung up, I stood there for a minute. If someone was just walking up and shooting shifters, then Jason was dead. The best I'd be able to do would be to locate the body. It was better than nothing, but not much.
Chapter 33
We pulled up in front of George Smitz's house at a little after nine that morning. Ronnie was driving. I was riding shotgun. Gabriel and Raina were in the backseat. If asked, I would have chosen different people for backup. I also wouldn't have chosen my boyfriend's old lover for backup. What had Richard been thinking? Or maybe Raina hadn't given him a choice. Her coming today, not the sex. I still wasn't sure how I felt about that. All right. I knew how I felt. I was pissed. But I'd slept with someone else. Glass houses and all. In any case, Richard had given me exactly what I'd asked for: scary, intimidating shapeshifters. I wasn't used to getting exactly what I asked for. Next time I'd be more specific.
Gabriel was dressed in black leather again. It could almost have been the same outfit I'd first seen him in, down to the metal-studded gauntlet on his right hand. Maybe his whole closet was one great big leather fest. The earrings were gone. The holes even in the harder cartilage of the ears had healed.
Raina was dressed normally enough. Sort of. She was wearing an ankle-length fur coat. Fox. Cannibalism is one thing, but wearing the skin of your dead? It seemed a little cold blooded even for the psycho bitch from hell. All right, she was a wolf, not a fox, but heck, I didn't wear fur on moral grounds. She flaunted it.
She leaned over the back of the seat. "What are we doing in front of Peggy's house?"
It was time to spill the beans. Why didn't I want to do it? I undid the seat belt and turned to face her. She was looking at me, face pleasant enough. On her lycanthrope bone structure she had all high cheekbones and a luscious mouth. Maybe she planned on doing something nefarious today.
Gabriel had draped himself over the backseat. The gauntleted hand trailed down Ronnie's arm. Even through her suede coat she shivered. "Touch me again, and I am going to feed you that hand." She'd scooted away from him as far as the steering wheel would allow, which wasn't far. Gabriel had touched her several times on the drive over. Teasing, nothing embarrassing, but it was bothersome.
"Hands are very bony. I prefer a more tender cut of meat. Breast or thigh is my preference," Gabriel said. His grey eyes were startling even in sunlight, maybe more so. They had a quality of light to the grey that was almost luminous. I'd seen eyes like that before, but I still couldn't place it.