But when it came to things like relationships, those thoughts and words and feelings of inadequacy always seemed to creep up on me.
“Sethy!”
I looked up, happy and relieved to be distracted from my thoughts by my brother’s arrival as he half-skipped through the security doors and over to throw himself at me in what tried—and failed—to be a bear-hug. I hugged him back, and I was surprised at the emotion that choked up the back of my throat.
“I missed you,” I told the top of his head, really meaning it.
Noah squeezed harder, and I realized that he was actuallysqueezing, really gripping me hard—something he’d not been able to do as a shifter when I was still human. I squeezed back, and,damn,it felt good. “I missed you, too,” Noah replied, his voice a little strained from the strength of my hug.
I let him go and grinned. “Welcome to the frozen north,” I said.
Noah’s bright blue eyes lit up. “We sawsnow,Seth!” he said. “Like, lots of snow! When we landed I was afraid you wouldn’tget here. There’s so much! Is it safe to drive? Will we have to stay here?”
I couldn’t help laughing, even though I’d said something similar to Elliot the first time we’d gotten more than a dusting and I’d been expected to go to work. “They actually know how to clear roads up here, Nono,” I told him. “It’s perfectly safe to drive back to Shawano.”
Noah and Luluwere updating me on what felt like literally every single detail of their lives—and Taavi’s, although I had the feeling I’d hear that part again—when my phone started ringing. A glance at it told me it was Smith, and I thumbed the answer button followed by the speaker.
“Mays,” I answered, trying to sound cheerful and mostly just managing not to sound pissed off.
“I thought you’d want to know,” Smith said. “That Buettner sang like a canary.” He sounded like the proverbial cat that had eaten said canary, appropriately enough.
“Oh?” is what I said out loud, glancing over to see Noah’s eyes wide. Lulu was in the back, and a quick check of the rearview mirror told me they looked just as curious.
“Rolled not only on our runner, Joel Vintner, but two more of his little friends, which brings our total to the four you identified as having been present on scene at the house.”
I felt a surge of relief. Even though I’d known Buettner and his buddy were in jail, I’d also known—well, strongly suspected—that there had been four people present for the staging of the dead badger. “You got IDs?”
“IDs and a nice fat warrant,” Smith replied, and he was sounding almost gleeful now. “Which we served earlier thismorning. And Vintner’s ATV tested positive for human blood, so they’re definitely going to be spending Christmas in a little cement room, especially after last night.”
“Thank God,” I said.
“The other two buddies got freaked out after the badger incident, and refused to come out and help again—the dog was Buettner alone, and he and Vintner were both responsible for the possum. And last night, obviously.”
A glance at my passenger seat told me that Noah wanted very much to know what had happenedlast nightand why it involved animals and people being arrested.
“But the judge I dragged out of bed this morning was very unamused by their arguments, thank heck, and isn’t going to have any nonsense about bail. Not after what they did.” He paused a moment, and I wasn’t sure exactly what to say. “I thought that might help,” Smith said.
“Yeah, thanks, detective.”
“Gale, Seth. You should call me Gale.”
I smiled a little, even though he couldn’t see me. “Gale,” I repeated.
“You have a minute?”
I wasn’t terribly keen on having Smith divulge a bunch of details to Noah and Lulu. “I’m driving my brother and his partner back from Green Bay,” I told him.
“Ah. Call me back when you get a chance?”
“Will do.”
I poked theend callbutton.
“What the fuck happened yesterday?” Noah wanted to know.
I took a deep breath and told them.
It took the rest of the drive home.
