Death Swipes Right, page 4
“I’ll make up some for both you and Judith,” he said and hurried away. Abbie couldn’t bring herself to object since her dad made the best sandwiches. It was his specialty at his pub and what kept their customers returning year after year.
However, with the pub closed due to COVID, he was at a loose end these days. They did some takeout orders, but that didn’t come close to making up for the profitability of keeping the pub open every day.
“Nica, Jimi, before I go,” she said, “we need to talk.”
Both kids settled on the window seat, faces growing solemn. Her mother walked away, probably guessing at what Abbie had to say and wanting to give her some privacy.
“Something has happened to Talin’s auntie,” Abbie said gently, wishing she could hold their hands while she imparted this bit of troubling news. “What I have to say might remind you about what happened to your amma.”
Both children remained silent.
“Someone murdered Talin’s auntie, Niara Fisher, this morning, and Talin is heartbroken,” Abbie said. “I need you two to be brave because he’ll need our help, as you needed ours that night. All right?”
Nica’s sorrow and Jimi’s confusion were clear on their faces as she carried on with the rest of what happened. “After we found his auntie,” she said, “something happened to Talin.”
“What?” Nica asked, sounding frightened.
“He’s okay,” Abbie added hurriedly, “but a gate deep within him that guards his electromagnetic talent blew open, releasing energies that then disrupted the sky.”
“Is that why we had a thunderstorm with no rain?” Nica said, now sounding in awe.
“Yes,” Abbie said, impressed. “But what made you think Talin’s responsible for that?”
“Jimi’s been saying the clouds were upset,” Nica said.
“The thunder told me it was worried about Talin,” Jimi added, “but I didn’t know why.”
Abbie stood there dumbfounded by this little boy’s stunning talent to speak to anything and everything in this world. She placed a hand on the window and he touched the glass on the other side.
“Jimi,” Abbie said, “if the thunder speaks to you again about Talin, tell it that the Standard Bearers are now on the case and we plan to help him, all right?”
“Okay,” he said, sounding like a grown-up six-year-old.
She told the kids she planned to hold an SB meeting later today and would be in touch when it was time.
Abbie then waved goodbye and went around to the back to collect her bike from the shed. Once she’d done that, she swung by the back door and found a bag by the kitchen door.
Lunch! Tucking the big bag into her rucksack with gratitude, Abbie tied that to the bike and waved to her parents through the kitchen window.
It took her an hour to reach Judith’s home. Once inside, she took off her shoes by the door and headed to the kitchen to wash her hands. Then, bringing over a plate and glass of water, she took a stool by the kitchen island and opened her rucksack.
“Good to see you returned,” Robert said, appearing by the back door. “How fares Mr. Higgins?”
“Judith’s waiting for him to finish up his interview.” She focused on unpacking her lunch. She chose a thick tuna and mayonnaise sandwich for herself. Her stomach growled with anticipation. The first bite was super yummy.
Her father had even included bags of crisps. She sat back with a contented sigh. Over the next few minutes, she ate her fill while bringing Robert up-to-date on what had happened since they last spoke.
A door slamming shut near the entryway had her abandoning her lunch as she sped to check on who had returned. It was Judith, and to Abbie’s utter delight, Talin was with her. She’d half expected Turner to keep him overnight.
“I talked Turner into releasing him into my custody,” Judith said. “He’s now a part of our support bubble. This will make it easier for us to do our SB work.”
“Brilliant,” Abbie said and followed them to the kitchen, where Judith and Talin took turns washing their hands in the kitchen sink. Then she gave Talin a heartfelt hug, which he accepted in silence and a nod.
Robert appeared relieved to see these two. He gave Talin a firm pat on the shoulder, which brought Talin close to tears.
Abbie fetched plates for them and lager from the fridge. “Will you mind living with us girls, Talin?”
“Looking forward to it,” he replied in a solemn tone, so unlike his usual chipper self.
“We should call an SB meeting,” Judith suggested.
“Already arranged.” Abbie offered them the rest of her father’s sandwiches. “Eat first.”
They finished their meal while Judith filled them in on what the police knew so far about Niara Fisher’s murder, and Talin talked about what happened with Turner.
“She thinks I killed Auntie,” he finished in a despondent voice. “Stupid, stupid, stupid.”
“We’ll prove her wrong,” Abbie said.
They reconvened in the living room for the SB meeting. Abbie alerted her Grimm cord about whom she wished to contact. She’d barely finished giving her instructions when the cord vibrated to show it had made contact.
“Can everyone hear me?” Abbie asked aloud, feeling as if she were on a Zoom session, minus the video.
“I’m here.” Yousef’s voice came through clearly within her mind. “I’m in my office.”
Robert, Judith, and Talin nodded to show they heard.
“I’m here with Jimi,” Nica piped in. “We’re in our bedroom. Granny Chan said we won’t disturb her from up here.”
“Hi,” Jimi said.
“Talin’s with us, too,” Judith said. “I’ve asked him to stay with Abbie and me for a few days.”
“Talin, I’m so sorry about your auntie,” Nica said. “I wish I could hug you.”
“I think you just did,” Talin replied, sounding surprised. “I feel your arms around me. Thank you, Nica.”
Abbie glanced at him in surprise. Could her cord be transmitting more than words? Was it transmitting emotions, too, and even physical touch? One way to test that.
Abbie stood and took Judith’s hand in hers, pulling her up. She waved Robert closer.
“What are you doing?” Talin asked, slouched in his chair and watching them warily.
“Just go with this,” Abbie replied and asked everyone to imagine giving Talin a group hug. Abbie shut her eyes and felt Yousef, Nica, and Jimi join in.
“Thanks,” Talin whispered. “I needed that.”
“You’re not alone,” Abbie said, opening her eyes to find him looking teary again. Delighted with the group’s virtual hug, she pushed this connection further by holding up her fist. “Shall we try for a fist bump, too, to start this meeting?”
Judith and Robert touched their fists with Abbie’s, and she sensed others magically join in. The only one who didn’t take part was Talin, who still sat with a doubtful frown.
Then, shrugging, he stood and came over, holding out his fist. The moment he touched them, a fiery blaze flared and flung Abbie off her feet.
Arthur’s shield sprang up around her in time to keep her from slamming into the wall. She bounced off unharmed and landed back on her feet. A glance around showed both Talin and Judith on their backsides across the living room floor.
“Didn’t mean for that to happen,” Talin said in contrition. Getting up, he extended a hand to Judith. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Judith replied, pulling herself up with his help. “Wow. What a wallop!”
Abbie’s worried thoughts flew to the kids.
They’re safe, Arthur reported. I could protect them because their touchstones were nearby.
Thank you, she replied and sighed with profound relief.
Before Abbie moved in with Judith, she had reminded Jimi and Nica to always have their toy bracelet and plastic sword within reach when they left the house. They wouldn’t normally need those touchstone items with them while at home.
She was now grateful to Granny Chan for insisting the children attend this meeting in their bedrooms, where they stored those two items while at home. That decision had saved the kids a couple of bruises.
Knowing Talin’s recent emotional breakdown had resulted in that electrical storm, Abbie should have expected something like this might happen. Still, everyone seemed to be okay.
Then Abbie noted with guilt that Robert was missing and she’d not noticed.
Chapter Four
Before she could call out to Robert, he walked in through the window, shaking his arms as if he, too, had received a shock. “That sent me flying clear across the front garden.”
Jimi and Nica’s giggles came through the cord’s connection, confirming Arthur’s assertion that they were unharmed from that supercharged SB fist bump.
“Yousef?” Abbie asked next. They hadn’t heard from him yet. “Are you alright?”
“Fine,” he replied, sounding disgruntled. “Bruised and embarrassed at finding myself on my butt in my Siamese form, but otherwise no damages. Must have instinctively changed.”
A scraping noise suggested he straightened a chair.
“If everyone’s unharmed, then let’s begin,” Abbie said. “I’ve news about Figg. He was at St. Michael’s today.”
“Really?” Nica asked. “I didn’t see him.”
Not surprising, but Nica’s brother worried Abbie more. Jimi and the immortal pup had grown close. Abbie had asked her mother to strengthen her wards around her home to prevent Figg from entering the cottage.
Before then, the wards allowed Figg through because, technically, he was not a demon or an intrinsically supernatural creature. He had been an ordinary puppy until the immortal cast a spell on Figg to extend his life and change him into a ferocious beast when needed. He then used Figg as his assassin.
Jimi had promised he would discourage Figg from visiting their home.
“I knew he was here,” Jimi now confessed. “But I told him he couldn’t come into the house.” He sounded unusually cautious. The boy had a willful tendency to disobey Abbie’s instructions if he thought it was for the best. A character trait she worried would, one day, get them both into serious trouble.
“Jimi, do you know why Figg came to St. Michael’s today?” Abbie asked.
“He came to warn you.”
“About what?” Abbie asked, left speechless by this news as she took her seat on the sofa.
“He said he was sleeping beside his shed,” Jimi said, “when he heard footsteps in our church and then smelled a stranger inside the church and thought you should know.”
Jimi’s entire speech left Abbie shell-shocked.
As far as she knew, this dog and his terrifying master did not live anywhere near her. And how could Figg have smelled an intruder inside St. Michael’s when he was nowhere near it? Even more astonishing, why would he feel the need to notify Abbie? She did not think the dog felt any loyalty toward her.
She settled on asking the most pertinent question. “How could he smell the church intruder,” she asked, “if he wasn’t already there?”
“I don’t know,” Jimi said. “But he did and barked a warning and his master shouted through the window to shut up or he’d lose his voice next. So, he came to tell you instead.”
“Did St. Michael’s have a trespasser?” Yousef asked.
“Callum,” Abbie said. “He came by to offer to fix up the church so I can use it as a first aid training station.”
“Gentlemanly of him,” Robert said, sounding impressed. Then he asked, “Will he not need assistance with such an extensive endeavor?”
“He has a friend who’s offered to assist him, gratis,” she said. “If I can cover the supplies and a meal, he’ll do it. I’ve agreed to the arrangement.”
“Figg worries me more than the DCI’s visit,” Yousef said.
“Why do you say that?” Judith asked. “That dog could have hurt Abbie and her kids on multiple occasions, but has not taken advantage of them.”
Abbie’s Grimm instincts said Figg meant her no harm, too. But it was good to hear Judith confirm her instincts were on the right track. Still, Yousef must have a reason to question the dog’s intentions.
Thinking of the cat-shifter made Abbie wonder if Yousef’s concerns about Figg could be an instinctive dog-versus-cat animosity. Suppressing a smile, Abbie kept that suspicion to herself lest she offend Yousef.
“While that dog monitors Abbie’s property,” Yousef said, “his master could watch her.”
“That is worrisome.” Robert glanced at her with grave concern, as if he’d read her last thought and found it frivolous.
“I told Figg to leave,” Abbie said, keeping a straight face, “and discouraged Callum from befriending him if he comes around St. Michael’s again.”
“That’s good,” Judith said, but sounded doubtful as she added, “I hope they both listen.”
“Then our next order of business is the rolling blackouts,” Yousef said, his voice coming clearly through the cord. “It’s creating havoc at my workplace, not to mention everywhere else in Kent.”
“I’m sorry about that,” Talin said, contrite.
“Not placing blame, Talin,” Yousef said, gently, “What happened was entirely understandable. Look how, without meaning to, I switched forms. Things like that happen when the unexpected occurs. All I want is a solution.”
“I’ve an idea of how to deal with Talin’s electromagnetic problem,” Judith said. “I’ve contacted my Taoist teacher. He believes specific meditation routines could help Talin control his power fluctuations. It’s worth a try. If he’s willing.”
“I am,” Talin said in a hurry. “I can’t get any rest. There’s a constant cacophony going on in my head. Like out-of-control white noise.”
“A definite bonus that you’re now staying with us,” Judith said with deep sympathy. “I can walk you through those meditation techniques. It should teach you how to turn off that chatter, like changing a channel.”
“If you can do that,” Talin said, “I’ll be forever in your debt.”
This conversation had brought up and answered another of Abbie’s questions, though. They were now all mentally connected through her cord, yet she couldn’t hear the noise bothering Talin.
“I’m sorry for what Major Crimes put you through today,” Abbie added.
“Talin’s her prime suspect,” Judith said with clear disgust. “I thought she was better at her job than that.”
“She’s still upset about us recovering your gran,” Abbie said, “and Nica finding the clue about the quilt that solved her last case.”
“True,” Judith agreed. “It showed her up in front of her superiors.”
“I’m sorry, Talin,” Abbie said, “that you have to pay the price.” He had been forced to deal with his magic boundaries exploding alongside Turner’s interrogation. “You weren’t even with us on that adventure.”
Eyes shut, Talin didn’t respond.
“That is the past,” Robert said. “What matters is what we do now.”
“I’m unsure what I want anymore,” Talin said, eyes snapping open. He sounded despondent. “This power is so overwhelming. I need to channel it better, in another way. I may be unsuited for police work now.”
“We’re coppers,” Judith said, frowning. “We solve crimes. That won’t change. Don’t worry about Turner. We’ll prove you’re innocent.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Talin said. “At school, I joined teams because the counselor said I needed to socialize better.” He shrugged. “My teammates ostracized more than embraced me. Then I joined the police force because Uncle Cal said it would ground me. It hasn’t. It’s as if I’m going through the motion of doing my job without meaning it. I feel lost.”
“You became a Standard Bearer because you wanted to help Nica and Jimi,” Abbie reminded him, troubled by the pain and sense of helplessness in his tone. “That wasn’t to please anyone else and our latest fist bump proves a higher power is engaged in our work. That makes you a valuable member of this team.”
“You’re right,” Talin said, holding her gaze. “I’m a Standard Bearer because I chose this calling. It allows me to be whoever I was born to be. It’s also the only thing that’s allowing me to remain sane right now.” He paused and then, a small smile tilting his lips up, he added, “Thanks for not carrying on without me.”
“We couldn’t,” Abbie said, thrilled to see his face finally light up. “This is your case.”
“With power down,” Yousef said, redirecting this wandering conversation, “and Turner’s concerns about Talin, I doubt she’s focusing on finding the murderer.”
“Not only that,” Talin said, now sounding eager, “she’ll never arrest Mama D’leau because she doesn’t believe she exists.”
Abbie grew silent at Talin again bringing up Mama D’leau. Through her cord, she sensed the Standard Bearers’ bewilderment.
“Who is Mama D’leau?” Judith finally asked.
“An evil spirit from Trinidad,” Talin said. “She kills people. I think she might have killed my auntie.”
“You said yourself that the way the killer attacked your auntie isn’t Mama D’leau’s normal MO,” Abbie said gently.
As the rest of their friends stayed silent, Talin burst out, “Do you all doubt me, too?”
“Doubt has nothing to do with this,” Abbie said. “We’ve yet to find evidence of this creature’s involvement in the murder. I’ve been studying her stories in Klaus. The last Grimm recorded activity of her spoke about a case in Trinidad.”
“She’s in Britain now,” Talin said. “And she’s been killing my people here.”
“You believe she’s killed more than your auntie?” Judith asked, frowning. “When and how did she arrive here?”
“And why?” Robert asked. “What drew her to this country?”
“She could have come when many of my people arrived in Britain,” Talin said. “That was decades ago. After the Second World War.”
“I don’t recall reading about any killings similar to your auntie,” Judith said. “It’s gruesome enough that I would remember. Constables are terrible gossips.”
