“Did I miss a team meeting?”
“No. No. Just having a drink with him and Saul.”
“Is Saul still with you?”
“No, he’s gone home.” He hesitated. “I’m on my way back to my place—maybe we could meet somewhere. Discuss your findings.”
She hesitated. “We can discuss it now on the phone and follow up tomorrow at work.”
“As you wish.” He swallowed the sour taste of disappointment.
Suddenly, she amended. “Actually, I’m not far from The Hole In The Wall District. We could maybe meet in in a bar somewhere. Briefly.”
Damn his stupid heart, it leaped for fucking joy. “Have you eaten?”
“No, and to be honest, I’m starving.”
“Then, er, why not meet me at The Right Bite. We can grab a quick meal while we talk.”
“Oh—sure, why not. It’ll take me about ten minutes to get there and find a park.”
“Fine, I’ll see you there.”
As he pocketed his phone, Oliver started to walk more briskly. It occurred to him there was an extra lightness in his step, a quickening of his pulse.
And a dumb-ass smile on his face.
His palms were sweating, he realized, as he sat at a corner table at the busy little eatery.
Where was she? No. He would not check his watch again.
He knew he’d moved fast, but still, she should be here by now.
He calmed himself by slowing his breathing, the technique he used in meditation each day. Stared at the menu withoutseeing. And then, sensing a shadow fall on the page, he looked up to see her standing there, tired and pale-faced.
Fighting off a powerful urge to put his arms around her, he stood and waved a hand, gesturing for her to sit. “You look shattered.”
“Thanks.” Her tone held light sarcasm.
They sat, and the waitress came over and took their drinks and food order, which gave Oliver time to compose himself.
When the waitress left, he asked, “So how did it go?”
“A few interesting things have cropped up.”
He listened intently while she talked, his eyebrows raising when she told him that both Edward and Natalie had given blood at Tween Clinic on a regular basis.
“Mrs. Bradshaw said that Edward had an elite blood type, AOx positive. And then the Spriggs told me the same about Natalie. AOx positive blood.”
Oliver tried not to register that her excitement was making her more beautiful, and that it was fucking distracting.
“So afterward, I did checks on the clinic. It’s owned by the Jordaks and run by Mayor Jordak’s youngest son, Quentin. He’s an unpleasant piece of work, that one. He’s been embroiled in a number of assault cases, the most recent involving the human owner of the Westerly Bookshop.”
“Ah, right, I remember. That incident happened while I was in Selig.”
“Yep. The case put up against him by Motham police was blocked and it never went to trial.” She gave a little shrug. “Not surprising, since humans control so much of the infrastructure still in Motham. They wield ultimate power.”
“Did you try to speak to anyone at the clinic?”
