barriers that kept the jungle contained.
He walked quickly toward a quartz staircase, adjusting the cuffs of his immaculately tailored white shirt. Even if the police did somehow manage to connect him to the shooting and even if they figured out that he had concealed the weapon in the rain forest, they would never be able to find it. There was no way it could ever be used as evidence against him in a court of law.
Of course, that still left the Cadence Guild. Alvis Shaw had warned him that Mercer Wyatt had hired an investigator to search for the relic. It was no secret that the Guilds did not always feel it necessary to honor the legal niceties when it came to hunting down those who stole from their vaults.
But he was safe. He had been careful. And he was infinitely more intelligent than any Guild man.
Nevertheless, he now had a serious problem. Things had gone terribly wrong last night. He was a brilliant para-psychiatrist, an expert on reading people, but for some reason he simply hadnât expected a low-end, drug-addicted thief like Alvis Shaw to double-cross him. The bastard had actually threatened to set up an auction and sell the relic to the highest bidder. Heâd had no choice but to kill Shaw. It wasnât as if he hadnât intended to get rid of him anyway, once he took possession of the relic.
The realization that he had a disaster on his hands had hit when he searched the dying man. Shaw hadnât had the relic on him.
Even as Shaw lay dying, his blood running across the alley bricks, the bastard had laughed.
âHid it in the antique shop last night. Seemed like the perfect place. Didnât think anyone would notice it, not with all that other junk piled around it. But itâs gone. Youâre screwed, man. Youâll never find it now.â
He had torn the antique shop apart, hoping that Shaw had lied to him when he had claimed that the relic was gone. But in the end he had been forced to conclude that the thief had told him the truth.
He had no choice now. Against his own professional judgment he would have to use another patient from the street clinic. The man he had in mind was a former ghost hunter who had been badly psi-burned and was now heavily medicated. The patient was extremely fragile, but that condition had the advantage of making him easier to control than Shaw had been.
He climbed the staircase, aware that he was still shivering. It was a perfectly normal reaction to a highly stressful situation, he assured himself. He was a doctor. He should know.
Chapter 5
ARAMINTA WAS WAITING FOR CELINDA WHEN SHE GOT back to her apartment. The dust bunny was sitting on the railing of the small balcony that overlooked the Old Quarter. She was fully fluffed, with only her innocent blue eyes showing. There was no sign of the red artifact.
Celinda yanked open the sliding glass door, scooped her up, and looked her in the eye.
âWhere have you been? Are you all right? You scared the you know what out of me. Youâve never acted like that before.â
Araminta chattered cheerfully and hopped up onto her shoulder. Celinda reached up to pet her. âDonât ever do that again, okay? Itâs very hard on the nerves.â
Araminta muttered reassuringly.
âYou hid that relic somewhere, didnât you? I hope you realize that Davis Oakes isnât going to leave us alone until he gets his hands on that thing.â
Araminta displayed a vast amount of unconcern. She made hopeful little noises. Celinda recognized them immediately.
âYouâre hungry again, arenât you? Well, this time Iâm not surprised. No telling how long youâve been running around. Probably worked off lunch. Letâs go see whatâs left in the refrigerator.â
Dusk had begun to overtake the Old Quarter. The Dead City wall was starting to glow faintly. When darkness fell, the ambient luminescence would infuse the surrounding neighborhoods with a pale emerald radiance.
He walked quickly toward a quartz staircase, adjusting the cuffs of his immaculately tailored white shirt. Even if the police did somehow manage to connect him to the shooting and even if they figured out that he had concealed the weapon in the rain forest, they would never be able to find it. There was no way it could ever be used as evidence against him in a court of law.
Of course, that still left the Cadence Guild. Alvis Shaw had warned him that Mercer Wyatt had hired an investigator to search for the relic. It was no secret that the Guilds did not always feel it necessary to honor the legal niceties when it came to hunting down those who stole from their vaults.
But he was safe. He had been careful. And he was infinitely more intelligent than any Guild man.
Nevertheless, he now had a serious problem. Things had gone terribly wrong last night. He was a brilliant para-psychiatrist, an expert on reading people, but for some reason he simply hadnât expected a low-end, drug-addicted thief like Alvis Shaw to double-cross him. The bastard had actually threatened to set up an auction and sell the relic to the highest bidder. Heâd had no choice but to kill Shaw. It wasnât as if he hadnât intended to get rid of him anyway, once he took possession of the relic.
The realization that he had a disaster on his hands had hit when he searched the dying man. Shaw hadnât had the relic on him.
Even as Shaw lay dying, his blood running across the alley bricks, the bastard had laughed.
âHid it in the antique shop last night. Seemed like the perfect place. Didnât think anyone would notice it, not with all that other junk piled around it. But itâs gone. Youâre screwed, man. Youâll never find it now.â
He had torn the antique shop apart, hoping that Shaw had lied to him when he had claimed that the relic was gone. But in the end he had been forced to conclude that the thief had told him the truth.
He had no choice now. Against his own professional judgment he would have to use another patient from the street clinic. The man he had in mind was a former ghost hunter who had been badly psi-burned and was now heavily medicated. The patient was extremely fragile, but that condition had the advantage of making him easier to control than Shaw had been.
He climbed the staircase, aware that he was still shivering. It was a perfectly normal reaction to a highly stressful situation, he assured himself. He was a doctor. He should know.
Chapter 5
ARAMINTA WAS WAITING FOR CELINDA WHEN SHE GOT back to her apartment. The dust bunny was sitting on the railing of the small balcony that overlooked the Old Quarter. She was fully fluffed, with only her innocent blue eyes showing. There was no sign of the red artifact.
Celinda yanked open the sliding glass door, scooped her up, and looked her in the eye.
âWhere have you been? Are you all right? You scared the you know what out of me. Youâve never acted like that before.â
Araminta chattered cheerfully and hopped up onto her shoulder. Celinda reached up to pet her. âDonât ever do that again, okay? Itâs very hard on the nerves.â
Araminta muttered reassuringly.
âYou hid that relic somewhere, didnât you? I hope you realize that Davis Oakes isnât going to leave us alone until he gets his hands on that thing.â
Araminta displayed a vast amount of unconcern. She made hopeful little noises. Celinda recognized them immediately.
âYouâre hungry again, arenât you? Well, this time Iâm not surprised. No telling how long youâve been running around. Probably worked off lunch. Letâs go see whatâs left in the refrigerator.â
Dusk had begun to overtake the Old Quarter. The Dead City wall was starting to glow faintly. When darkness fell, the ambient luminescence would infuse the surrounding neighborhoods with a pale emerald radiance.
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