Kanesha had finally tracked down the family. We compared notes over lunch.

“They think he did it based off of some eye witness reports. And it does sound like him.”

“Hargrove’s already checking out…” I tailed off. Then I used some words that weren’t very nice.

“What?”

“I’ve been stupid. What’s Tyz’vel very good at?”
“Shape…oh no.”

“We can’t prove it wasn’t Mike because to everyone’s senses it was. It was Tyz’vel who killed that kid.” I closed my eyes. What the heck did I do now? Proving Mike was somewhere else hadn’t happened yet.

There was nothing I could do to help him except hope they’d close ranks and he’d get off with just losing his badge.

And us. The climate was such, though…

Rage. The rage rose up within me. I wanted Tyz’vel in a cage, in a cage from which he would never escape. I knew he couldn’t die. I remembered him promising to teach me the trick.

So, a cage. With spikes in it. In a very cold place, because demons liked heat.

I stood up. “I need to take a walk.”

“We’ll…”

“We can’t. It was Tyz’vel. That’s why Hargrove can’t find the other cop. Because there wasn’t one.”

Because there wasn’t one, and I couldn’t do a dang thing.

“Tell Hargrove?”

“I’ll try. I’m not sure he’s ready for shapeshifters yet.” I’d taken precautions to keep him from tricking us that way…

And, of course, he had his influence on the lawyer to make sure he never got suspicious.

I found my feet taking me towards the office of Fitz and Lawson. Opposite the building, I stopped and stared at it. Why was Tyz’vel mind controlling the guy?

Probably wanted a nice, tasty lawyer-soul to munch on as a bonus. I hoped he hadn’t touched the little girl’s soul.

I wanted that, at least, to be safe. Maybe I could…no, not if he already had her. I couldn’t see a way to make this go away, not now.

Why hadn’t I thought of this earlier? I thought, wryly, because so many cops were assholes and it was easy to believe one would do something like this. I wished it wasn’t, but it was.

There had already been too many. I closed my eyes for a moment, then steeled myself.

I had to talk to Thruor.