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  He stopped before us and bowed. "What a pleasure to see you again. What can I-" He'd lifted his head and his eyes fell on Latro. She smiled and waved. His eyebrows crashed down and reached for his belt that was hidden beneath his short coat. "What are you doing here? I told you not to come back."

  David stepped between them. "She's wish us this time."

  Cotio's eyes flickered between them, but he dropped his hand. "Very well, but what has brought about this sudden change in relationship?"

  "A lock of hair," David replied. He half-turned and held out his hand. Latro rolled her eyes, but dropped the bag into his palm. David held the bag out to Cotio. "What can you tell us about this?"

  Cotio took the bag and squinted his eyes as he studied the hair. "It's a fine lock of curly hair."

  David arched an eyebrow. "Anything else?"

  Cotio picked the hair from the bag and rubbed it between his fingers. He gave a cry when the hair latched onto one of the gold rings on his fingers. The little man jumped around with his hand flailing about. We leapt out of the mad dancer's way as he flung his hand in every direction.

  "Get it off! Get it off!" he screamed.

  David and I leapt at Cotio and tackled him to the ground. I plucked the hair off the finger and shoved the furry thing into the bag David held out to me. We leaned back on our haunches and Cotio sat up. His panted and clutched his hand to his chest.

  "So can you help us?" David asked him.

  He whipped his head to the bag and glared at it. "It's demonic! Evil! Destroy that thing at once!"

  David waved the bag over Cotio's head. "First tell us what it might belong to."

  Cotio let out a shrill 'eek' and clapped his fingers atop one another in an endless game of who's-up-to-bat-first. He shook his head. "I don't know, now get that thing out of here!"

  David tossed the hair onto the floor between Cotio's parted legs and stood. "Find out for me and I'll give you a hefty reward."

  Cotio paused and whipped his head up. "Plus expenses?"

  My mate helped me up and nodded. "Plus expenses."

  Cotio squealed and snatched up the bag. He scurried onto his feet and bowed. "As you wish."

  David nodded. "Good. Call me when you find something." He turned to our new companion. "In the meantime, do you have another lead we can follow?"

  "Only going to the scenes of the disappearances," she replied.

  He smiled down at me and offered me his arm. "Care for a dance?"

  I grinned and accepted his arm. "Why not?"

  Our first stop was a classy joint that proudly displayed its name in gold lettering above its weathered old door: Knock-knees Nick's. It was situated a street short of hell and purgatory near the old railroad tracks in the northwest part of the city. It was out of the way for patrons, but also for cops.

  I parked the car along what was called a curb some fifty years ago and stepped out. The club was so dilapidated only the bird droppings could have held it together.

  David inspected the place and looked over the top of the car at me. "What do you think?"

  "I think I need a tetanus shot," I quipped as I walked around the front of the car. Latro stepped out behind David.

  He chuckled. "A whimsical observation."

  I nodded at the door. "That's no whimsy." A sign on the door read 'Closed.'

  Latro pulled something out of her coat. "Let me handle this." She strode up to the door, and we followed. Our new companion knocked loudly on the door a couple of times. It was answered by a burly fellow with a puffy lower lip and a mug only a mother would look at. Not love, but look at.

  He snarled at us. "Scram. We're not open yet."

  Latro raised what she held and I saw it was a leather pocketbook. She flipped open the book and flashed him something before she shut it. "We're here on a new lead in the disappearance of Miss Peribit."

  The proprietor showed off a fine set of yellow teeth when he sneered at her. "Ain't you guys been around here enough?"

  She shook her head. "We're not through here until the case is solved, now please let us in."

  The man growled, but stepped aside. The dingy outside hid a dingy inside, but the place was clean. Maybe not of drugs, but definitely of dirt. Latro wagged a finger at us. "Follow me."

  She led us across a dark dance floor surrounded by tables and to the back wall. The doors to the restrooms stood there, and we entered the one marked for women. We were greeted by a wall that started the row of stalls in front of us, and to our left were a counter, two sinks and a mirror over each of them.

  David looked around and sniffed the air. "How is it women's bathrooms are always cleaner than men's?"

  I glanced behind me at him and arched an eyebrow. "How many women's bathrooms have you been in?"

  He grinned. "More than you'd think."

  I held up my hand and shook my head. "I don't want to know."

  Latro tucked the badge into her coat and strode up to the sink. She turned to us and gestured to the porcelain. "This is the sink where I found the hair."

  David and I walked over. He knelt down and sniffed the area. "I don't smell anything-wait."

  He leaned closer and wiped his hand on the pipe. His fingers came away with a bit of water that dripped from the base of the sink. He stood and examined the water.

  I leaned against him and squinted my eyes. "Water. How very interesting."

  He furrowed his brow and shook his head. "There's something strange about this water." His eyes flickered to Latro. "Do you know which sink the woman used, or if one of the sinks was running when they found the woman missing?"

  She shook her head. "No, but I can find out. Why? What's the water to do with anything?"

  He took a paper towel and wiped his fingers. "There's a strange scent in the water."

  "Maybe it's filtered," I suggested.

  Latro gestured to the roughly-painted walls around us. "In a place like this?"

  I looked to David. "What kind of strange scent?"

  He shook his head. "I don't know. It's almost metallic. I'd guess there was copper in the water, but I only smell it in this sink."

  Latro frowned. "That's not much of a lead."

  He shrugged. "That's all I can give."

  She sighed and jerked her head towards the door. "All right, let's get that police report."

  We walked out of the bathroom. The proprietor stepped from the shadows and glared at us. His eyes were a strange, glowing green, and his curled lips revealed rows of sharp teeth. "Yer not police," he snarled.

  Latro frowned. "I showed you my badge, didn't I?"

  He clenched his hands into fists at his sides. "Lemme see that badge again!"

  He lunged at her. We jumped to the side and he crashed into the wall behind us. His hefty body left a nice imprint in the wall. He spun around and snarled at us. My eyes widened as I noticed tusks protrude from his lower lips and grow upward. His nose flattened and his nostrils widened. He lifted his fists and I noticed his fat fingers were fatter and ended in hoof-like fingernails.

  "Whoever you are you're gonna pay for making a fool outta me!" he bellowed.

  Nick the pig-man charged. David swept me into his arms and leapt over the monster. Latro dove beneath a nearby table. The owner skidded onto the dance floor and turned to face us. He brushed his feet against the ground like a bull about to charge.

  "Stay still!" he snarled.

  David set me down and partially transformed into his sexy werewolf self. His clothes stretched, but didn't tear. He flexed his long, claw-tipped fingers, and when he grinned he showed off some nice, sharp teeth. In the dim lighting his yellow eyes glowed like two candles.

  David stepped towards the pig-man and chuckled. "Here, piggy-piggy."

  The pig-man's eyes widened. He stepped back and held his hoofed hands in front of him. "I-I didn't mean anything by it. I wasn't going to hurt you."

  I snorted. "Yeah, right, you were just going to hug us to death."

  He stumbled into the
row of tables at the front of the small club. One of the tables buckled beneath his massive weight, and he crashed to the ground amid a rubble of broken wood.

  David marched up to him and knelt in front of the cowering pig. He grabbed the owner's collar and shoved their faces together. "Don't mess with a wolf again."

  The pig man nodded his head like a bobble doll. "Y-yeah. Sure. No problem."

  David dropped him and stood to face us. He jerked his head towards the door. "Let's get out of here."

  5

  David led us outside where he reverted to his human form. His clothes were a little baggy now, but they fit well enough.

  I glanced from Latro to David. "Okay, what the hell was that thing?"

  David adjusted his clothes. "A shifter like me, but of the porcine variety."

  I threw up my arms. "Of course there's pig shifters. Any chance we can meet someone who transforms into a toaster with bread? I forgot to eat breakfast and all this exercise isn't helping my empty stomach."

  David chuckled. "Be careful what you wish for."

  Latro was in the lead. She spun around to face David and glared at him. "Don't change into that thing again."

  He smiled. "Is that you're sweet way of saying 'thank you' for saving your life?"

  She pulled out her gun and pointed it at him. "That's my nice way of telling you not to do it again. The gun is my not-nice way."

  He held up his hands, but the smile didn't leave his delicious lips. "All right, all right. I promise not to do it for the rest of this investigation."

  She pursed her lips, but holstered her gun. Her eyes flickered to me. "Take us to Precinct 13. We can get a police report there."

  I held up my hand. "Wait a sec. I want to know what you showed that big guy. The badge or whatever it was."

  Latro sighed, but dug into her jacket and tossed the leather case to me. I juggled it and opened the flap. A small, round stone was embedded in the other side of the case.

  My eyes flickered up to Latro. "What's this?"

  "It's a deception stone. It fools the weak-minded into believing what I want them to see," she explained.

  David took the 'badge' from me and inspected the rock. "Cotio sells these, but they cost quite a bit."

  Latro grinned. "You could say I borrowed it from his shop."

  I arched an eyebrow. "So it can make anyone believe anything you want them to see?"

  She nodded. "Yeah, and I know what you're thinking. It's only bad if you use it for bad things. I use it for good."

  David tossed the case back to her. "Just like I use my curse for good."

  Latro frowned and tucked the pouch into her coat. "Let's just go."

  I chauffeured my strange companions to Precinct 13. An unlucky number for most. I parked on the curb.

  Latro opened her door. "Stay here." She slipped out and hurried up the stairs where she disappeared into the building.

  I glanced at David. "Are you sure we should be trusting her?"

  He smiled at me. "Not having fun?"

  I shrugged. "Oh, sure. Getting kidnapped, missing a day of work, and dealing with a pig-man are loads of fun. When do we get to meet that toaster-man again?"

  David slipped his arm behind my shoulders and leaned towards me. His low voice sent thrills through me. "We could go home for a little while and have some lunch in bed."

  I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth, but I couldn't block out the wonderfully delicious images he conjured in my mind. "You're evil, you know that?" I whispered.

  He chuckled and pecked a small kiss on my cheek. "Yes, yes I do."

  Our companion emerged from the police department with a folder in one hand. Her steps were quick and she glanced over her shoulder more than once before she reached the sidewalk. She slid into the back seat and stuck her head between the two seats.

  "Step on it!" she hissed.

  I blinked at her. "Why? What's the-" The pair of doors at the head of the stairs burst open and two uniformed policemen rushed out. They whipped their heads this way and that searching the sidewalk and streets. "Oh." I drove off before their inquisitive eyes fell on my little car.

  David half-turned in his seat as Latro fell back against hers. "I hope what you found was worth the trouble."

  She plopped the folder open on her lap and rummaged through the papers and pictures. "Let's find out."

  I arched an eyebrow and looked at her through the rear view mirror. "You mean you just took the folder without knowing what was in it?"

  Her eyes flickered up to the same mirror. "I have an enchanted stone, not an ability to be invisible. I took what I could carry and hurried out of there."

  David slipped a sheet from the folder and glanced over the details. "You took the entire investigation report?"

  "I didn't have a chance to be choosy," she snapped. She paused in her perusing and picked up a paper. "This might be useful." She handed the paper to David.

  He straightened and inspected the contents. My eyes flickered to him. "Mind reading it to me?"

  He cleared his throat. "It's a list of similarities for each of the victims. They've all been single, wealthy, and they all wore a gold bracelet the night they disappeared."

  I raised an eyebrow. "That's oddly specific."

  "But to our advantage," he commented. He handed the paper back to Latro. "It means we know how to set a trap for the kidnapper."

  My eyes narrowed. "What kind of trap?"

  Latro stuck the paper back with the rest and closed the folder. "I'll use myself as bait to lure in the kidnapper. You two can drop me off anywhere and I'll consider us even."

  David smiled. "You can't set this trap without us."

  "And what about me? I fit the description, except for the rich part," I pointed out.

  David glanced over his shoulder. "A part you don't fit, either, Latro."

  She glared at him. "I'll make do."

  He nodded at the folder. "Those women were wealthy which means you're going to need a real gold bracelet, and it so happens that I have a few of those lying around my home."

  Latro's scowl deepened. She turned her face away and crossed her arms. "Fine, but don't expect any thanks from me."

  "No need. I can get my thanks from the women," David teased. I whipped my head to him and frowned. He held his hands up. "Within reason, of course."

  I rolled my eyes. "Of course."

  We were in the commercial district now. Latro nodded at a coming corner. "Drop me off here." I parked the car and she opened the door, but paused. "I'll meet you two at the Four Horsemen Club at seven o'clock. Be dressed to dance, and bring those bracelets."

  I arched an eyebrow and looked through the rear view mirror. "The Four Horsemen Club?"

  She nodded. "It's where the last woman disappeared. And don't be late." She stepped out, slammed the door, and disappeared into the crowds.

  I pulled away from the curb and headed for home. A sudden thought struck me, and I sank down in my seat and sighed. "You know, we just had the perfect opportunity to get out of this mess, and we didn't take it."

  David leaned towards me and pecked another teasing kiss on my cheek. "You wouldn't have wanted to miss out on this fun."

  I glared at him. "You're still evil."

  He wagged his eyebrows at me. "I know a way I can be even more evil."

  A strong wave of heat swept over me. I tamped it down. "Down boy. I'm driving."

  He sighed and straightened in his seat. "Right now, maybe, but let's just wait until we get home."

  6

  We arrived at David's stately mansion a few minutes later. Puer greeted us at the door and bowed. "Good morning, sir, Miss Combes."

  David swept past him and into the entrance hall. "Anything messages from Cotio?"

  Puer shut the door and shook his head. "Nothing."

  David pursed his lips. "The guy's getting slow. I thought he'd have something for us about that fur by now."

  Puer arched an eyebrow. "Fur, sir?"

&nb
sp; David shook his head. "It's nothing." He glanced at me and looked me up and down. "You look like you could use a shower."

  I glanced down at myself. I was wrinkled and dusty from my early-morning kidnapping. "I suppose, and then some breakfast."

  "At noon, miss?" Puer wondered.

  "It's as good a time as any," I returned.

  He bowed. "Very well. I will have breakfast ready in half an hour."

  "Better make it an hour. This could take some scrubbing," David spoke up.

  Puer raised an eyebrow. "Very well."

  He turned and left us alone. I skirted my mischievous mate and put one foot on the bottom step of the stairs. "I can wash myself, you know."

  David turned to me and grinned. He walked over and set his hand on the banister. "I know, but it's much faster with two helping."

  I stepped onto the second step and snorted. "Not with you."

  He followed my step. His strong body brushed against mine. "I can reach places you can't."

  I moved backwards away from him. "And everything in-between, right?"

  He matched my movements so I was forced to step backwards up the stairs. "The more the merrier."

  "Two's a crowd."

  "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

  "That doesn't even make sense."

  He shrugged. By this time we were at the head of the stairs and I was walking backwards down the hall. "It just seemed appropriate."

  I snorted. "You're not going to let me have the chance to know what it means to be alone."

  He chuckled. "Not if I can help it."

  We'd reached the door to our room. I turned the knob and smiled at him. "Challenge accepted."

  I flew into the room and slammed the door shut. There was a lock on the door knob that I secured. David's body slammed against the entrance a split-second later. The knob danced as he tried to open it. I stood back and clasped my hands behind my back.

  David knocked on the door. "You're not going to leave your lover out in this cold, drafty hallway, are you?"

  I unbuttoned my wrinkled blouse. "You've got a fur coat."

  There was silence for a moment. Then David's strained voice called to me. "You're undressing, aren't you?"

  "Maybe," I cooed.

  He pounded on the door. "Let me in."

  "Or what?"

  "Or I'll huff and puff and blow this door down."

  I grinned. "Sounds kinky."