Later, we had hot chocolate at Mike’s place. He sneaked some Bailey’s into his.

I couldn’t ask him for some – asking a cop to corrupt a minor? I couldn’t expect that of him, but I thought I would have appreciated it. Instead, I just curled my hands around the cup.
They’d grilled us about what we saw, but it wasn’t very helpful. Mike had had to undergo a longer debriefing.

Kanesha was in the kitchen and she came out with bowls of mac and cheese for everyone. Just cheap premade mac and cheese.

And hot chocolate. It was about what we needed right now. I felt a little bad that she’d made it and I hadn’t helped her, but I had so much going on in my mind right now.

“So, we have a ring of devil worshippers.”

Mike nodded. “And that’s why we had Sanchez with us. An extra person, plus several of the suspects we had were Hispanic.”

“She was your translator.” Mike’s Spanish was no better, from what I’d heard, than mine.

He nodded. “And I got her killed.”

I shook my head. “You’re not responsible for your enemies.” The same thing I had to tell myself over and over again. That I wasn’t responsible for what people did to get to me. The same thing I’d told Merrifield. Before I’d gotten mad with him.

“I know, but I should have taken a better fighter with me, I suppose.” He sipped his improved cocoa and then put it down to take the bowl from Kanesha.

“Hindsight’s 20/20,” she said as she handed me my bowl and fork and then sat down. “It always is. Don’t get into the blame spiral. How do we get the rest of them?”
“Honestly, this one is a police matter. At least until they summon another demon.”

I nodded. “Well, then, the cops handle breaking the ring and I’ll send the demons back where they belong. And if you need me…”

“Believe me, if I need you I’ll call, but right now it’s detective work and, no offense…”

“…neither of us is very good at that yet.” I set my own mug down and ate silently for a few minutes.

“I’m working on it,” Kanesha broke the silence with. “You concentrate on beating people up. I’ll try to learn this other stuff. I’m not as strong or as fast as you are.”

“I think your unarmed is slightly better, though.” But it was a good point. She was the smart one. I’d always known that.

“But for now, let Hargrove work the case and please don’t get in his way.”

“I won’t. Unless you get kidnapped again, at which point all bets are off.”

He knew better than to argue with me.