Grave Witch, page 3
"Shall we get going?" Christopherson was still standing, ready to get out of here the minute he'd arrived.
Kage glanced at Hamilton through the window one more time. "Sure." He slowly got to his feet, grabbed his keys from the ugly pottery bowl someone had left on his desk, and took a step in Christopherson's direction.
They made it halfway to the door before Hamilton's voice boomed over the office area. "Marrone, got you your warrant!"
Christopherson turned so slowly, Kage almost believed it was practiced. The look he gave him should've left blisters. "Warrant?" He spoke through gritted teeth.
"You said we couldn't search the community without one."
"No, I did not." Christopherson turned and stomped out the door.
Fuck. He didn't want his partner to be pissed at him, he didn't, but when he'd relayed the events of last night to Hamilton, he'd been excited about a warrant, and why shouldn't they follow up? The case was a little thin, but they had an eyewitness.
Hamilton held out a paper to him. He took it and scanned the paragraphs. It listed all buildings within the walls of the community. A knot formed in Kage's belly. How many houses were there? How many had garages? How many would be angry about this? Christopherson was. There was no doubt about that.
"Take some uniforms with you. You never know if things will turn hostile."
Kage nodded. Right. Fuck.
A few minutes later he stood outside the station searching for Christopherson. They should go together, show a united front.
He spotted him by the corner of the building with his phone pressed to his ear. Was he calling to warn them? He hurried closer but walked flush against the wall in hopes of Christopherson not noticing him. He had his back turned to him. When he was near enough to hear what he said, he stopped. He considered taking out his phone to record the conversation in case it was something damning, but did he care?
"I can't stand the fucker. I believed Hamilton was the worst scum in this town, but this traitorous ass licker is worse. I told him our laws don't apply in the community, and yet he gets Hamilton all hot and bothered about the possibility of destroying community members' lives." Christopherson hunched his shoulders and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're right, babe. I love you too, but if I survive this day, I'll quit. I'll move in with you permanently, get rid of the apartment, and never set foot in Myrfolk again."
Kage had suspected Christopherson was seeing someone, but he hadn't realized it was a steady thing. His partner living somewhere else explained a lot, though hadn't he canceled something yesterday evening? Maybe he was in the next town over, within dating range, but too far away to make a daily commute practical.
Christopherson hummed at something the other person said. "See you soon." He hung up and turned around, only to stiffen. His expression hardened, and Kage was surprised to see hate in his eyes. Christopherson had been reserved up until now, but not outright hostile.
Kage cleared his throat. "We have a warrant to search all houses and garages."
"If they let us in."
Kage stared at him. "What?"
"We can riffle through their personal belongings and poke our noses where they don't belong, if they let us in, but we could have done it yesterday if they'd allowed us. If you recall my words, I told Gertrude I was sorry for Hamilton being a stupid ass and how he'd most likely make things worse by issuing a search warrant if they didn't agree to letting us pester them with stupid questions. I guess I believed he was the most stupid person on the force, but I was wrong."
Christopherson took a step away to increase the distance between them.
Seconds went by while Kage tried to figure out if Christopherson had misunderstood how warrants worked. "We have a warrant."
"They have a walled-in area where human law doesn't apply. If we step through the gate and they kill us, no one will be investigated for murder."
Kage gaped. "They can't--"
"They can. It's their land, their law. They're a sovereign, shall we call it a state? They don't call it a state, but as a detective, you should know the law. No community is under human command. Hamilton wants it to change and does what he can to reach inside the walls, but he has no claim. You have no claim. We go there now, and they might as likely rip our throats out for trespassing as they will talk to us. And why would they talk to us when you insult them like this?"
Kage didn't know what to say. They couldn't go into communities and arrest people willy-nilly, but surely if they had evidence, if they had a warrant..."Gertrude has allowed the police inside before." It was in the reports.
Christopherson snorted. "Let's get the humiliation over with." He stomped toward the car. "But after this is done, either you transfer, or I will. I can't work with someone this incompetent."
Kage bristled. Fucker. Christopherson was nothing but an insignificant human. Kage was more than twice his age and had several times his experience. Pompous ass.
* * * *
Gilbert was slumped over the handle of his spade. Roll off the grass, Rue had said. He'd claimed it was what they'd done in his backyard. Cut strips of the lawn and rolled them off.
Sweat was trickling down his back, and he groaned.
Rue had made it sound easy. Perhaps he should've accepted when he'd offered to send Asher and Noah over when all the crates had been handed out, but no. He'd been too eager to get started. And part of him wanted to do it all on his own. He didn't mind Rue coming around and sprinkling his plants with magic once he had some, but he didn't want to have to hang out with Asher.
Noah was okay, calm and quiet, but Asher was his best friend, so he didn't think he could say he wanted Noah to help but not Asher.
Asher wasn't a bad guy. He did a lot for the community, always willing to lend a hand, and was one of Gertrude's closest people. She didn't surround herself with morons, but he wanted his garden to be a haven, a place where he was at ease, and Asher made his head hurt.
"Tumult by the gate!"
Gilbert whirled around and found Dov by the fence. "What?"
"Police. They have a warrant."
Gilbert groaned.
"You know what it's about?" Dov looked curious.
"They interviewed me yesterday. Someone saw a bartender from The Virgin Drop steal a motorbike yesterday morning."
Dov slowly widened his eyes. "Yeah, right." He snorted. "They're gonna walk about in here and look for it?"
Gilbert shrugged. He didn't have a clue.
"What are you doing?"
"Removing the lawn. I talked to Rue this morning when I got my crate, and he said there was still plenty of time to grow things, so I figured..." He shrugged again. "I've never grown anything in my entire life, but before we know it, it's winter again. Peas might be nice to have then."
Dov tilted his head in a bear-like manner. "Want help? Not with the growing. I have a black thumb. I've tried a few pots--" He gestured at Gilbert's porch. "--both last year and this, but either the seeds don't germinate, or they die after a few weeks. But I could help you roll off the grass."
"Sure."
"Or do you want to go check the gate?"
"I assume they'll come here sooner or later." Poor Oscar. Gertrude had, time and time again, emphasized the importance of them not blowing Oscar's cover, had stressed how important it was to have him continue to work in law enforcement, how he was their only hope should the cops get hold of them when they were out.
Gilbert was more at risk than many others since he had to leave the community to feed. Someone could report him. He always made sure the person he was with wanted to get bitten, but people could change their minds in retrospect. It had happened before. Not to him, but to people he knew.
He had to go, if not tonight then tomorrow. He couldn't risk getting too hungry.
Dov stepped onto the flagstone walk leading up to the porch. "How do we do it?"
"Rue said cut strips and roll off. I've done two--" He gestured at the soil he'd uncovered. "--but it's harder than I believed it would be. Rue made it sound easy, and I figured if a scrawny magic user found it easy, then I should be able to do it in a few minutes."
Dov laughed. "You're forgetting that Rue mostly sprinkles gold, Noah does all the heavy lifting. And where Noah is, Asher is, so that's two vampires."
For a second, Gilbert was surprised by how easily Dov spoke of Noah and Asher, then he remembered, they used to work together at The Bar when it was still up and running. Dov and Julian, another bear, were chefs and had worked in the kitchen while Noah and Asher tended the bar. Many shifters were wary around vampires, but Dov didn't appear to be one of them.
"Right. I guess it's easy when you don't do the work."
Dov laughed. "Okay, let's get to it."
They worked in silence for some time, rolling off the lawn one strip after the other until they had a square of about forty times forty feet cleared.
Dov crouched and wiped sweat from his forehead. "This is a lot, Gil. Are you sure you want more?"
He stared at it. His plot was a lot bigger than those on Wolf Street, for example. "How big is Rue's?"
Dov grimaced. "Several people tend to it, and Rue has his magic." He stepped out in the middle of the cleared area. "How wide will you have the beds? Like four feet? Reach from both sides. Sunlight from there--" He waved at the sun. "--so you'll have beds in this direction, right? Or am I thinking wrong?"
Gilbert had no idea. "I think Rue has them east to west."
"Yeah, okay, let's do like Rue does. I suspect he knows best." Dov grinned. "We make paths." He wiped his forehead again, and Gilbert figured he should offer something as a thank you for the help.
"Let's get something to drink first." There had been a bottle of elderflower syrup in the crate this morning, might as well crack it open.
* * * *
Chapter 4
The car ride to the community was painful. Christopherson didn't say a word, not a single one. He didn't so much as glance Kage's way, and Kage regretted letting Christopherson be the one to drive. If he'd claimed the driver's seat, he'd at least have something to occupy himself with.
Christopherson parked outside the gate and slowly turned to Kage. His face was blank, but his eyes were burning. "What orders do the uniforms have?" He gestured at the cop car parking next to their unmarked one.
"They're here to protect us."
"Last time Hamilton sent a patrol here, two community members were shot, and Wike got his arm snapped. If I hadn't arrived and allowed a vampire to feed from me, both Wike and Edmond would be dead today. While I'm aware you see this as a dick-measuring competition with the supes, I'd like to know what the plan is."
Kage watched him. He'd allowed a vampire to feed from him? "The plan is to search for the stolen motorcycle."
"Right, because we have solid evidence pointing toward the community?" Christopherson snorted. "You haven't talked to the witness claiming he saw a vampire steal it."
Kage refused to wince, but fuck, he had a point. He'd gotten swept up in Hamilton's excitement. All they had to go on was one person saying they'd seen someone.
Christopherson opened the door and stepped out. "Arnou." He nodded at a built, dark-haired man. "Donella." Another nod, but this time to a red-haired woman with freckles on her nose and cheeks. "Is Gertrude around?"
Arnou's gaze jumped between Christopherson and Kage and then to the men in uniform who'd exited the cop car. "Bad?"
"Fucking embarrassing."
Kage bristled but did his best not to show it. Arnou, on the other hand, laughed. "I'll give her a call. I think she's with Jasper picking currants or something."
Christopherson nodded as if it made perfect sense. Arnou moved away but pressed a phone to his ear.
"Why are they always picking things?"
Christopherson slowly turned his head. "It's berry season."
"Yeah, but--"
"Have you any idea how much more they have to pay for groceries than we do?"
No, he didn't.
"July is a busy month for them. They have to pick and preserve as much as they possibly can, so they can survive the winter."
Right.
Christopherson opened his mouth as if to say something else, but snapped it shut when Arnou stepped closer again. "She said to let you and your partner in, but no uniforms."
"No, that's--"
"Perfect." Christopherson answered as if Kage hadn't been mid-sentence. Fucker.
Arnou held the grid door open for them. "They're at the farm next to your--Jasper's."
"Thank you."
"Ty will walk with you." Arnou waved, and Kage wondered where the man had come from. He didn't look like a shifter, too short and fine-limbed, though he suspected not all shifters were as big as Arnou. Maybe he was one of the vampires they hadn't interviewed.
"Great, thank you." Christopherson fell into step next to Ty. Kage walked behind them, taking in as much of the community as he could. The streets were narrow, the gardens well-kept, and there were a few people out and about in the morning sun.
"How are the chickens?"
Kage startled at Christopherson's voice. Did he know everyone here?
"They're doing great. Namir and I have built a new, bigger coop for the young ones. Right now, we have a batch in the incubator I bought from Tammy. Jagger nagged about wasted money, but we need some new breeds. It's a must."
Christopherson grinned, and Kage was once again struck by how much more at ease he was with the supes than with the humans. Maybe he came from a place where it hadn't been as segregated as it was here. Species hadn't always been divided. Kage remembered a time when humans and shifters had lived side by side, and while it hadn't been free of problems, he believed there had been less hatred.
"Of course." Christopherson chuckled, which had Ty grinning.
"We'll soon have enough to give everyone eggs in the crates. It might only be one egg per person to start with, but it's something."
"Absolutely." The laughter was gone from Christopherson's face. "Every little thing helps."
Ty nodded, and Kage wondered what the hell they were talking about.
"What are you doing here?" Ty glanced at Kage but focused on Christopherson.
"Idiot claim, is all. I'm sorry we'll be interrupting your day."
Ty shrugged. "I was gonna clean out the chicken coop, so it's no bother."
How could Christopherson be so sure it was a waste of time to search the community?
"Here we are." Ty gestured at two forms bent over bushes weighed down by clusters of red currants.
"Deputy." Gertrude straightened and winced as she stretched her back. "What can I do for you?"
Christopherson gestured at Kage.
"Ms. Pechtold. I have a warrant--" He hoped Christopherson appreciated him saying I and not we.
Gertrude laughed a bitter laugh, then turned to Christopherson. "I believed this was what we were trying to avoid."
"I did too, but here we are. I can always go back to Hamilton and say you forbade us to set foot on community land."
She grinned. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
"I think it would save us all a lot of time, effort, and possibly lives."
Gertrude studied him for several long seconds. "Will doing this make it go away?"
"You know how this department prioritizes."
She groaned. "Jasper?"
Christopherson's gaze instantly jumped to a man who walked closer. Kage recognized him. He was the sugar snap picking one.
"What do you think?" Gertrude looked at Jasper. Kage was surprised she asked. She was the leader. Maybe Jasper was her partner. He'd never heard anyone mention Gertrude dating anyone, but it was possible. They'd make a striking couple.
"What is it they want to do?"
"Go through all houses and garages." Christopherson sounded disgusted.
"To search for a vehicle?"
"Yes."
Jasper shrugged. "It's a big enough thing for them not to need to empty drawers and destroying shit."
"You'd think, but again, you know what these idiots--" Christopherson pointed at Kage, and he snarled before he could stop himself. "--are after. It isn't the truth."
"We know." The growl in Gertrude's voice had the hairs at the back of Kage's neck stand on end. Fuck.
"But I'll walk with you. One tipped-over stack of something, and I'll rip your throat out." The last sentence was aimed at Kage. How could she be so sure Christopherson wouldn't knock something over?
"Great!" Christopherson sounded way too happy about the prospect. Kage was well aware he wasn't Christopherson's favorite person at the moment but seeing him have his throat ripped out shouldn't make him sound this happy.
"I'll call the uniforms in then." Kage reached for his phone.
"No. You'll do it. The two of you, and I'll watch you the entire time."
For a moment, all Kage could do was stare. They, as in Christopherson and him, and Christopherson didn't want to do it. Double fuck. It would take all day.
"Shall we start here?" Gertrude gestured at the barn behind them, and Kage straightened his back.
"Sure."
* * * *
Dov and Gilbert grabbed string and sticks and measured out the garden beds, calculated how wide the walkways needed to be to be able to get a wheelbarrow through, and debated having a crossing walkway at the halfway mark of the beds or not.
They were right in the middle of staking it out when a group of people appeared by Gilbert's gate.
"Gilbert."
Gilbert turned at Gertrude's voice, and spotted Oscar and Marrone with her. "Hi."
"Sorry to bother you." She looked at the soon-to-be garden and grinned. "Awesome. Are the two of you--"
"Not me!" Dov raised his hands. "I was only lending a hand."
"Still, this is great. What are you planning to grow?"
Gilbert looked at Oscar and Marrone; they looked sweaty and worn. Should he offer them something to drink? He wasn't sure about Marrone. Had it been Oscar and Gertrude coming by, he would have, but Marrone looked pissed off, and he wasn't sure he wanted an angry detective in his house. "Eh...I spoke to Rue--"
Kage glanced at Hamilton through the window one more time. "Sure." He slowly got to his feet, grabbed his keys from the ugly pottery bowl someone had left on his desk, and took a step in Christopherson's direction.
They made it halfway to the door before Hamilton's voice boomed over the office area. "Marrone, got you your warrant!"
Christopherson turned so slowly, Kage almost believed it was practiced. The look he gave him should've left blisters. "Warrant?" He spoke through gritted teeth.
"You said we couldn't search the community without one."
"No, I did not." Christopherson turned and stomped out the door.
Fuck. He didn't want his partner to be pissed at him, he didn't, but when he'd relayed the events of last night to Hamilton, he'd been excited about a warrant, and why shouldn't they follow up? The case was a little thin, but they had an eyewitness.
Hamilton held out a paper to him. He took it and scanned the paragraphs. It listed all buildings within the walls of the community. A knot formed in Kage's belly. How many houses were there? How many had garages? How many would be angry about this? Christopherson was. There was no doubt about that.
"Take some uniforms with you. You never know if things will turn hostile."
Kage nodded. Right. Fuck.
A few minutes later he stood outside the station searching for Christopherson. They should go together, show a united front.
He spotted him by the corner of the building with his phone pressed to his ear. Was he calling to warn them? He hurried closer but walked flush against the wall in hopes of Christopherson not noticing him. He had his back turned to him. When he was near enough to hear what he said, he stopped. He considered taking out his phone to record the conversation in case it was something damning, but did he care?
"I can't stand the fucker. I believed Hamilton was the worst scum in this town, but this traitorous ass licker is worse. I told him our laws don't apply in the community, and yet he gets Hamilton all hot and bothered about the possibility of destroying community members' lives." Christopherson hunched his shoulders and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're right, babe. I love you too, but if I survive this day, I'll quit. I'll move in with you permanently, get rid of the apartment, and never set foot in Myrfolk again."
Kage had suspected Christopherson was seeing someone, but he hadn't realized it was a steady thing. His partner living somewhere else explained a lot, though hadn't he canceled something yesterday evening? Maybe he was in the next town over, within dating range, but too far away to make a daily commute practical.
Christopherson hummed at something the other person said. "See you soon." He hung up and turned around, only to stiffen. His expression hardened, and Kage was surprised to see hate in his eyes. Christopherson had been reserved up until now, but not outright hostile.
Kage cleared his throat. "We have a warrant to search all houses and garages."
"If they let us in."
Kage stared at him. "What?"
"We can riffle through their personal belongings and poke our noses where they don't belong, if they let us in, but we could have done it yesterday if they'd allowed us. If you recall my words, I told Gertrude I was sorry for Hamilton being a stupid ass and how he'd most likely make things worse by issuing a search warrant if they didn't agree to letting us pester them with stupid questions. I guess I believed he was the most stupid person on the force, but I was wrong."
Christopherson took a step away to increase the distance between them.
Seconds went by while Kage tried to figure out if Christopherson had misunderstood how warrants worked. "We have a warrant."
"They have a walled-in area where human law doesn't apply. If we step through the gate and they kill us, no one will be investigated for murder."
Kage gaped. "They can't--"
"They can. It's their land, their law. They're a sovereign, shall we call it a state? They don't call it a state, but as a detective, you should know the law. No community is under human command. Hamilton wants it to change and does what he can to reach inside the walls, but he has no claim. You have no claim. We go there now, and they might as likely rip our throats out for trespassing as they will talk to us. And why would they talk to us when you insult them like this?"
Kage didn't know what to say. They couldn't go into communities and arrest people willy-nilly, but surely if they had evidence, if they had a warrant..."Gertrude has allowed the police inside before." It was in the reports.
Christopherson snorted. "Let's get the humiliation over with." He stomped toward the car. "But after this is done, either you transfer, or I will. I can't work with someone this incompetent."
Kage bristled. Fucker. Christopherson was nothing but an insignificant human. Kage was more than twice his age and had several times his experience. Pompous ass.
* * * *
Gilbert was slumped over the handle of his spade. Roll off the grass, Rue had said. He'd claimed it was what they'd done in his backyard. Cut strips of the lawn and rolled them off.
Sweat was trickling down his back, and he groaned.
Rue had made it sound easy. Perhaps he should've accepted when he'd offered to send Asher and Noah over when all the crates had been handed out, but no. He'd been too eager to get started. And part of him wanted to do it all on his own. He didn't mind Rue coming around and sprinkling his plants with magic once he had some, but he didn't want to have to hang out with Asher.
Noah was okay, calm and quiet, but Asher was his best friend, so he didn't think he could say he wanted Noah to help but not Asher.
Asher wasn't a bad guy. He did a lot for the community, always willing to lend a hand, and was one of Gertrude's closest people. She didn't surround herself with morons, but he wanted his garden to be a haven, a place where he was at ease, and Asher made his head hurt.
"Tumult by the gate!"
Gilbert whirled around and found Dov by the fence. "What?"
"Police. They have a warrant."
Gilbert groaned.
"You know what it's about?" Dov looked curious.
"They interviewed me yesterday. Someone saw a bartender from The Virgin Drop steal a motorbike yesterday morning."
Dov slowly widened his eyes. "Yeah, right." He snorted. "They're gonna walk about in here and look for it?"
Gilbert shrugged. He didn't have a clue.
"What are you doing?"
"Removing the lawn. I talked to Rue this morning when I got my crate, and he said there was still plenty of time to grow things, so I figured..." He shrugged again. "I've never grown anything in my entire life, but before we know it, it's winter again. Peas might be nice to have then."
Dov tilted his head in a bear-like manner. "Want help? Not with the growing. I have a black thumb. I've tried a few pots--" He gestured at Gilbert's porch. "--both last year and this, but either the seeds don't germinate, or they die after a few weeks. But I could help you roll off the grass."
"Sure."
"Or do you want to go check the gate?"
"I assume they'll come here sooner or later." Poor Oscar. Gertrude had, time and time again, emphasized the importance of them not blowing Oscar's cover, had stressed how important it was to have him continue to work in law enforcement, how he was their only hope should the cops get hold of them when they were out.
Gilbert was more at risk than many others since he had to leave the community to feed. Someone could report him. He always made sure the person he was with wanted to get bitten, but people could change their minds in retrospect. It had happened before. Not to him, but to people he knew.
He had to go, if not tonight then tomorrow. He couldn't risk getting too hungry.
Dov stepped onto the flagstone walk leading up to the porch. "How do we do it?"
"Rue said cut strips and roll off. I've done two--" He gestured at the soil he'd uncovered. "--but it's harder than I believed it would be. Rue made it sound easy, and I figured if a scrawny magic user found it easy, then I should be able to do it in a few minutes."
Dov laughed. "You're forgetting that Rue mostly sprinkles gold, Noah does all the heavy lifting. And where Noah is, Asher is, so that's two vampires."
For a second, Gilbert was surprised by how easily Dov spoke of Noah and Asher, then he remembered, they used to work together at The Bar when it was still up and running. Dov and Julian, another bear, were chefs and had worked in the kitchen while Noah and Asher tended the bar. Many shifters were wary around vampires, but Dov didn't appear to be one of them.
"Right. I guess it's easy when you don't do the work."
Dov laughed. "Okay, let's get to it."
They worked in silence for some time, rolling off the lawn one strip after the other until they had a square of about forty times forty feet cleared.
Dov crouched and wiped sweat from his forehead. "This is a lot, Gil. Are you sure you want more?"
He stared at it. His plot was a lot bigger than those on Wolf Street, for example. "How big is Rue's?"
Dov grimaced. "Several people tend to it, and Rue has his magic." He stepped out in the middle of the cleared area. "How wide will you have the beds? Like four feet? Reach from both sides. Sunlight from there--" He waved at the sun. "--so you'll have beds in this direction, right? Or am I thinking wrong?"
Gilbert had no idea. "I think Rue has them east to west."
"Yeah, okay, let's do like Rue does. I suspect he knows best." Dov grinned. "We make paths." He wiped his forehead again, and Gilbert figured he should offer something as a thank you for the help.
"Let's get something to drink first." There had been a bottle of elderflower syrup in the crate this morning, might as well crack it open.
* * * *
Chapter 4
The car ride to the community was painful. Christopherson didn't say a word, not a single one. He didn't so much as glance Kage's way, and Kage regretted letting Christopherson be the one to drive. If he'd claimed the driver's seat, he'd at least have something to occupy himself with.
Christopherson parked outside the gate and slowly turned to Kage. His face was blank, but his eyes were burning. "What orders do the uniforms have?" He gestured at the cop car parking next to their unmarked one.
"They're here to protect us."
"Last time Hamilton sent a patrol here, two community members were shot, and Wike got his arm snapped. If I hadn't arrived and allowed a vampire to feed from me, both Wike and Edmond would be dead today. While I'm aware you see this as a dick-measuring competition with the supes, I'd like to know what the plan is."
Kage watched him. He'd allowed a vampire to feed from him? "The plan is to search for the stolen motorcycle."
"Right, because we have solid evidence pointing toward the community?" Christopherson snorted. "You haven't talked to the witness claiming he saw a vampire steal it."
Kage refused to wince, but fuck, he had a point. He'd gotten swept up in Hamilton's excitement. All they had to go on was one person saying they'd seen someone.
Christopherson opened the door and stepped out. "Arnou." He nodded at a built, dark-haired man. "Donella." Another nod, but this time to a red-haired woman with freckles on her nose and cheeks. "Is Gertrude around?"
Arnou's gaze jumped between Christopherson and Kage and then to the men in uniform who'd exited the cop car. "Bad?"
"Fucking embarrassing."
Kage bristled but did his best not to show it. Arnou, on the other hand, laughed. "I'll give her a call. I think she's with Jasper picking currants or something."
Christopherson nodded as if it made perfect sense. Arnou moved away but pressed a phone to his ear.
"Why are they always picking things?"
Christopherson slowly turned his head. "It's berry season."
"Yeah, but--"
"Have you any idea how much more they have to pay for groceries than we do?"
No, he didn't.
"July is a busy month for them. They have to pick and preserve as much as they possibly can, so they can survive the winter."
Right.
Christopherson opened his mouth as if to say something else, but snapped it shut when Arnou stepped closer again. "She said to let you and your partner in, but no uniforms."
"No, that's--"
"Perfect." Christopherson answered as if Kage hadn't been mid-sentence. Fucker.
Arnou held the grid door open for them. "They're at the farm next to your--Jasper's."
"Thank you."
"Ty will walk with you." Arnou waved, and Kage wondered where the man had come from. He didn't look like a shifter, too short and fine-limbed, though he suspected not all shifters were as big as Arnou. Maybe he was one of the vampires they hadn't interviewed.
"Great, thank you." Christopherson fell into step next to Ty. Kage walked behind them, taking in as much of the community as he could. The streets were narrow, the gardens well-kept, and there were a few people out and about in the morning sun.
"How are the chickens?"
Kage startled at Christopherson's voice. Did he know everyone here?
"They're doing great. Namir and I have built a new, bigger coop for the young ones. Right now, we have a batch in the incubator I bought from Tammy. Jagger nagged about wasted money, but we need some new breeds. It's a must."
Christopherson grinned, and Kage was once again struck by how much more at ease he was with the supes than with the humans. Maybe he came from a place where it hadn't been as segregated as it was here. Species hadn't always been divided. Kage remembered a time when humans and shifters had lived side by side, and while it hadn't been free of problems, he believed there had been less hatred.
"Of course." Christopherson chuckled, which had Ty grinning.
"We'll soon have enough to give everyone eggs in the crates. It might only be one egg per person to start with, but it's something."
"Absolutely." The laughter was gone from Christopherson's face. "Every little thing helps."
Ty nodded, and Kage wondered what the hell they were talking about.
"What are you doing here?" Ty glanced at Kage but focused on Christopherson.
"Idiot claim, is all. I'm sorry we'll be interrupting your day."
Ty shrugged. "I was gonna clean out the chicken coop, so it's no bother."
How could Christopherson be so sure it was a waste of time to search the community?
"Here we are." Ty gestured at two forms bent over bushes weighed down by clusters of red currants.
"Deputy." Gertrude straightened and winced as she stretched her back. "What can I do for you?"
Christopherson gestured at Kage.
"Ms. Pechtold. I have a warrant--" He hoped Christopherson appreciated him saying I and not we.
Gertrude laughed a bitter laugh, then turned to Christopherson. "I believed this was what we were trying to avoid."
"I did too, but here we are. I can always go back to Hamilton and say you forbade us to set foot on community land."
She grinned. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
"I think it would save us all a lot of time, effort, and possibly lives."
Gertrude studied him for several long seconds. "Will doing this make it go away?"
"You know how this department prioritizes."
She groaned. "Jasper?"
Christopherson's gaze instantly jumped to a man who walked closer. Kage recognized him. He was the sugar snap picking one.
"What do you think?" Gertrude looked at Jasper. Kage was surprised she asked. She was the leader. Maybe Jasper was her partner. He'd never heard anyone mention Gertrude dating anyone, but it was possible. They'd make a striking couple.
"What is it they want to do?"
"Go through all houses and garages." Christopherson sounded disgusted.
"To search for a vehicle?"
"Yes."
Jasper shrugged. "It's a big enough thing for them not to need to empty drawers and destroying shit."
"You'd think, but again, you know what these idiots--" Christopherson pointed at Kage, and he snarled before he could stop himself. "--are after. It isn't the truth."
"We know." The growl in Gertrude's voice had the hairs at the back of Kage's neck stand on end. Fuck.
"But I'll walk with you. One tipped-over stack of something, and I'll rip your throat out." The last sentence was aimed at Kage. How could she be so sure Christopherson wouldn't knock something over?
"Great!" Christopherson sounded way too happy about the prospect. Kage was well aware he wasn't Christopherson's favorite person at the moment but seeing him have his throat ripped out shouldn't make him sound this happy.
"I'll call the uniforms in then." Kage reached for his phone.
"No. You'll do it. The two of you, and I'll watch you the entire time."
For a moment, all Kage could do was stare. They, as in Christopherson and him, and Christopherson didn't want to do it. Double fuck. It would take all day.
"Shall we start here?" Gertrude gestured at the barn behind them, and Kage straightened his back.
"Sure."
* * * *
Dov and Gilbert grabbed string and sticks and measured out the garden beds, calculated how wide the walkways needed to be to be able to get a wheelbarrow through, and debated having a crossing walkway at the halfway mark of the beds or not.
They were right in the middle of staking it out when a group of people appeared by Gilbert's gate.
"Gilbert."
Gilbert turned at Gertrude's voice, and spotted Oscar and Marrone with her. "Hi."
"Sorry to bother you." She looked at the soon-to-be garden and grinned. "Awesome. Are the two of you--"
"Not me!" Dov raised his hands. "I was only lending a hand."
"Still, this is great. What are you planning to grow?"
Gilbert looked at Oscar and Marrone; they looked sweaty and worn. Should he offer them something to drink? He wasn't sure about Marrone. Had it been Oscar and Gertrude coming by, he would have, but Marrone looked pissed off, and he wasn't sure he wanted an angry detective in his house. "Eh...I spoke to Rue--"
