“Now get out the teapot and sugar. Put at least five spoonfuls in.”
I winced. Taylor hated sweet tea. She apparently told him so.
“That’s okay. It’s for me,” he told her. Good call. Taylor would do things for other people she wouldn’t do for herself. “Your sister is pretty wet from the snow,” he said with a glance at me. “Maybe you could round up a couple of towels. You know, I bet she could use some coffee. Maybe you could brew a cup when you’re done with that tea.”
He kept her talking until we were on Josh’s street. He lived in a condo up near the top of one of those steel and glass buildings that look like they ought to be in outer space. I pointed and he parked, still talking to Taylor. I have to admit, he impressed me. He wasn’t dead inside like I’d always assumed he was. Or if so, he faked human kindness well.
The doorman for the building was nowhere to be seen, nor was there anyone in the lobby. My skin prickled warning. I led the way up the stairs. I don’t like elevators, and if I can avoid them, I do. The door to Josh’s apartment was ajar. Josh had enough money to pay for good wards, and he had. He kept them charged, too, so either he’d let his attackers in, or they’d had a null or an unbinding charm. A strong one to eat the magic of those wards. I heard Price calling out a warning to let Taylor know we’d arrived as I pushed inside.
The place was in shambles, and those are the kind words. The furniture was turned over, the cushions ripped apart, and a bunch of holes knocked into the sheetrock. The bookshelves lay topsy-turvy, and the wall of glass overlooking the city was covered with spiderweb cracks. That was all I had time to notice before Taylor slammed into me. She clutched me around the neck in a death grip. I hugged her back.
Price slipped past us and prowled through the rubble of the room, going down the hallway to investigate the bedrooms and the den. He returned, his face that inscrutable mask except for a furrowed line between his brows, like his brain was in overdrive.
I stroked Taylor’s back. “Easy,” I whispered. “I’m here. We’re going to find Josh. But I need you to get it together so we can figure out what happened, okay?”
My sister nodded against my ear. She gathered herself and stepped away. I kept hold of her hand.
Taylor is about my height, with the same narrow face as mine. Her cheekbones and chin are rounder, and her eyes are blue. Mine are green. Her hair is a rich dark auburn streaked with dyed sunshine. I’ve always envied her her hair. Mine is the color of burnished copper. It gets a little more red in the winter, and in the summer it turns brassy blond. I also get freckles, though I tan better than she does. Her skin is porcelain. She also has long, polished nails and dresses in the height of fashion. I cut my nails short and wear whatever happens to still be reasonably clean. I don’t think I’ve ever ironed anything in my life. Taylor shudders in horror at wrinkles.
But now she looked anything but neat and put together. Her mascara had smeared over her cheeks, and her eyes were swollen. Her nose was red, and her face was blotchy.
“Hey,” I said. “Go wash your face, okay?” It would make her feel better and give me a chance to look around.
She gave me a stricken look and nodded. As she went up the hall, I joined Price.
“There was definitely a struggle,” he said. “It’s certain they were looking for something and I don’t think they found it.
I agreed. Why take Josh if they had?
“Come here,” he said and led me down the hall to Josh’s den.
The room was even more of a mess than the rest of the condo. His desk and bookshelves had all been cut apart with a saw. The only thing still upright was an armless chair. Blood smeared the seat and ran down the legs to pool on the floor beneath it. I stared. It was a lot of blood. This hadn’t just been a beating.
“They cut him pretty good,” Price confirmed,
I winced. Taylor hated sweet tea. She apparently told him so.
“That’s okay. It’s for me,” he told her. Good call. Taylor would do things for other people she wouldn’t do for herself. “Your sister is pretty wet from the snow,” he said with a glance at me. “Maybe you could round up a couple of towels. You know, I bet she could use some coffee. Maybe you could brew a cup when you’re done with that tea.”
He kept her talking until we were on Josh’s street. He lived in a condo up near the top of one of those steel and glass buildings that look like they ought to be in outer space. I pointed and he parked, still talking to Taylor. I have to admit, he impressed me. He wasn’t dead inside like I’d always assumed he was. Or if so, he faked human kindness well.
The doorman for the building was nowhere to be seen, nor was there anyone in the lobby. My skin prickled warning. I led the way up the stairs. I don’t like elevators, and if I can avoid them, I do. The door to Josh’s apartment was ajar. Josh had enough money to pay for good wards, and he had. He kept them charged, too, so either he’d let his attackers in, or they’d had a null or an unbinding charm. A strong one to eat the magic of those wards. I heard Price calling out a warning to let Taylor know we’d arrived as I pushed inside.
The place was in shambles, and those are the kind words. The furniture was turned over, the cushions ripped apart, and a bunch of holes knocked into the sheetrock. The bookshelves lay topsy-turvy, and the wall of glass overlooking the city was covered with spiderweb cracks. That was all I had time to notice before Taylor slammed into me. She clutched me around the neck in a death grip. I hugged her back.
Price slipped past us and prowled through the rubble of the room, going down the hallway to investigate the bedrooms and the den. He returned, his face that inscrutable mask except for a furrowed line between his brows, like his brain was in overdrive.
I stroked Taylor’s back. “Easy,” I whispered. “I’m here. We’re going to find Josh. But I need you to get it together so we can figure out what happened, okay?”
My sister nodded against my ear. She gathered herself and stepped away. I kept hold of her hand.
Taylor is about my height, with the same narrow face as mine. Her cheekbones and chin are rounder, and her eyes are blue. Mine are green. Her hair is a rich dark auburn streaked with dyed sunshine. I’ve always envied her her hair. Mine is the color of burnished copper. It gets a little more red in the winter, and in the summer it turns brassy blond. I also get freckles, though I tan better than she does. Her skin is porcelain. She also has long, polished nails and dresses in the height of fashion. I cut my nails short and wear whatever happens to still be reasonably clean. I don’t think I’ve ever ironed anything in my life. Taylor shudders in horror at wrinkles.
But now she looked anything but neat and put together. Her mascara had smeared over her cheeks, and her eyes were swollen. Her nose was red, and her face was blotchy.
“Hey,” I said. “Go wash your face, okay?” It would make her feel better and give me a chance to look around.
She gave me a stricken look and nodded. As she went up the hall, I joined Price.
“There was definitely a struggle,” he said. “It’s certain they were looking for something and I don’t think they found it.
I agreed. Why take Josh if they had?
“Come here,” he said and led me down the hall to Josh’s den.
The room was even more of a mess than the rest of the condo. His desk and bookshelves had all been cut apart with a saw. The only thing still upright was an armless chair. Blood smeared the seat and ran down the legs to pool on the floor beneath it. I stared. It was a lot of blood. This hadn’t just been a beating.
“They cut him pretty good,” Price confirmed,
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