Page 24 of Bargain with Fate
I opened the browser and typed in a search for shadow lore. Maybe reading would trigger an idea. My gaze drifted to Judd’s empty chair. I wanted to moan and groan and say that if Judd were still here, he’d have an answer, but that wasn’t the truth. Judd had been adept at certain parts of the job, but anything out of the ordinary was my territory. That was how we operated. I gave Judd more credit than he deserved because I hadn’t wanted the mantle of responsibility he wore. Been there, done that. Got the scars to prove it.
Never again.
Guilt flowed through my veins. I didn’t want to disparage Judd now that he was gone. That wasn’t fair, but it also wasn’t fair to keep him on a pedestal. Reality was starting to break through the cracks, and I owed it to myself—to the Neighborhood—not to look away and feign ignorance.
I allowed myself a few minutes to run through my old cases to see if any would be helpful in the current context. I hadn’t tracked any shadows in my old life, but I’d had plenty of encounters with hard-to-find or hard-to-fight opponents. That was why they’d been assigned to me. I’d been the golden girl, the one they relied on to get the job done that no one else seemed able to accomplish. The last resort. And I’d never failed them. I’d been a dutiful soldier in a war no one knew we were fighting. No one except those in a very small, incredibly tight inner circle. Not even someone like Vale, the demigod Protector of the Region, would know. That level of secrecy that had protected me was also the reason I was forced into hiding once I broke ranks.
Next, I pulled up the records of Darlene’s immediate neighbors to see whether there were any reports or complaints I’d missed. Nothing. Like Darlene’s file, they were unproblematic. Still, it would be worth a quick conversation with them. I knew from experience that a file was only a snapshot of someone’s story.
I spent the next two hours knocking on doors and speaking to Neighbors in Darlene’s section of the building. I chose my words carefully, not wanting to set off their alarm bells. As expected, nobody had a bad word to say about Darlene, nor did I get the sense anyone was withholding information. They were sad she was dead, but no one knew her well enough to actually grieve the loss.
It occurred to me that I wasn’t dissimilar from Darlene. When I died, Neighbors would exchange polite words aboutme, but not one of them would shed a tear. They’d be more concerned with who would take my place as the acting director of security. They knew me, but they didn’tknowme. It was my fault—I realized that—but I couldn’t change it.
I wouldn’t change it.
I shook off the thought. This had nothing to do with me. I needed to stay focused on Darlene.
How could I encourage the Neighborhood to report sightings of a shadow without setting off a firestorm of fear? Or hundreds of calls of people reporting glimpses of their own shadows? No, I would have to undertake this mission quietly and alone.
I had ample experience with both.
Hold Me Closer Necromancerbrightened my screen as I returned to my cottage. I pushed open the front door with my butt.
“What’s up, Zach?”
“Curious as to whether you’d made any progress with the Darlene situation.”
“I assume you’re calling me from a secure location.”
“From the golf course, out of earshot of the other players.”
“Because you’re stuck in a sand trap and everyone moved on without you?”
“Because I’m so far ahead that I might as well head to the bar for a drink and come back later.”
“It must be so difficult to be superior to everyone else. How do you manage it?”
“With great effort and copious amounts of alcohol. I asked about Darlene.”
“I heard you, but I have no new information.”
“What have you been doing with your time?”
“I beg your finest pardon. I’ve been working, unlike you.”
“Need I remind you that if I hadn’t been working, you wouldn’t know there was a killer in our midst?”
“I’m having trouble tracking a shadow. I need more information. Male doesn’t really narrow it down.”
“Did you search Darlene’s condo?”
“Yes. And I spoke with her neighbors.”
“Have you tried magic? You’re security. No one will question why you’re using it.”
“Are you kidding? Neighbors are nosy. They question why I’m riding a bike instead of a golf cart. They question why I’m wearing my hair in a ponytail instead of loose.”
“Why would a woman of your age wear your hair in a ponytail?”
