So, that was the situation. Her Ladyship was dead, and I managed to tease some details.

She’d been murdered, and she’d been murdered here, in DC, one day before Odin’s visit. So, he’d known, but not directly warned me.

Which was his style. Or it was all a test. He was training me, I thought sourly. Teaching me. Making sure I learned how to work it out for myself.

And using kids to do it. No, I wasn’t forgiving that any time soon, regardless of how well he might have protected them.

Whoever had killed her had been rather uncreative. They’d shot her, in her apartment. So, she’d probably let them in.

I couldn’t imagine why anyone would think she’d have let me in, truce or no truce. But the only way I could actually prove it wasn’t me was to prove who it was.

And I knew exactly who could do it. The problem was finding him.

I didn’t trust Morrow, of course. But he was a far more experienced detective than Mike and if I could get him to cooperate…he could solve the case and maybe I’d have secured a new ally.

Maybe. The feeling that I shouldn’t trust him grew more and more as I thought about it. But maybe I could use him. As long as I didn’t put him in danger…and he liked a good mystery.

I found him in a deli outside the FBI building. Which was almost too convenient.

“You…join me?”

“I found out more about what’s going on. A woman was murdered on January 6.” I didn’t know her name. “In an apartment in Pentagon City.”

“And she’s…”

“She was their boss,” I said, bluntly. “They don’t know I’m telling you this, and they mustn’t know. But I could confirm her identity with a picture.”
“A wealthy Englishwoman. I do know the case. Do they…”

“…they think I might have killed her. I didn’t. I had no motive, plus whoever did it was a way good shot.”

And probably was better than me, in all honesty. I still wasn’t up to par with guns the way I was with more antique weapons.

“The locals are handling it. But I can poke my nose in. Except. How do I know you aren’t a killer?”

“Because I’m not one. I know you’d love to nail me on something, but there’s really nothing there.” I found myself momentarily hoping he got eaten by a vampire, then decided that was a horrible thought to have.

It was a horrible thought, but that didn’t stop me from having it.