"It makes sense." Ashe flopped on the deck, too, allowing Sali to have the other lawn chair.
"I don't know how you turn everything to mist and still hold onto your soda," Cori toed Ashe's knee with a sandal.
"I'm talented," Ashe grinned. "But you can't tell Mom or Dad what we did. I'll get grounded again."
"My lips are sealed," Cori grinned back.
* * *
"How much?" The warlock schooled his face. He'd dabbled in the less than white arts, now and then. And for the right price, he'd go farther than that.
"Fifty thousand," Obediah Tanner said, pouring out a drink for his guest. "Seventy-five, if you bring your friends." Obediah trusted Wildrif's judgment in this, deciding that Wildrif would only contact the willing and talented enough, who would also settle for the money offered. "And no questions asked," Obediah added, handing the glass of whiskey over.
"And it's to take down a boundary and pick up a few kids?" the warlock asked his second question.
"Yep. Think you can do that?"
"Absolutely. Half up front," the warlock said, sipping his drink.
"A third up front and my guards stay at a designated location outside. Bring the kids to them and the rest of the money is yours. We have business to do with other clients after that," Obediah countered. "When you get the money, you vanish. Is that clear?"
"Completely," the warlock agreed dryly.
* * *
"You know what he looks like?" Wildrif spoke over the phone.
"Yeah. I know what he looks like. I've tailed him twice and he doesn't even realize he's being followed," Trina Lucas, a werewolf and a nurse for a clinic in the Washington, D.C. area, replied. She was a friend of Josiah's, and Josiah had given her name to Wildrif as someone who might be able to take Vince down as soon as all necessary information had been gleaned from Director Jennings' assistant.
"Make it look like an accident, or maybe mauled by an animal," Wildrif said. "Josiah will make it up to you."
"He'd better," Trina said and ended the call.
* * *
"So, you asked Philip Raymond to set off fireworks?" Nathan placed compulsion while Marcus, Winkler, Aedan and Director Jennings looked on. The arson investigators had pinpointed the cause of the fire earlier, and identified the accelerant. Neither Chad nor Jeremy knew anything about the house fire. Both agreed in their story regarding Philip Raymond and the box of fireworks, however.
"How did you get the fireworks to him?" Nathan asked. Marcus leaned against a kitchen wall in Pat Roberts' old house, growling softly as Chad explained that he and Jeremy had sneaked out when Diane Booth had left the house to run errands in Cordell. They'd left the box of fireworks in tall weeds behind the O'Neill's tool shed.
"The Raymond kid must have been keeping tabs on all the guards," Winkler whispered to Aedan as Nathan continued questioning Chad and Jeremy. Aedan nodded at Winkler's observation. If the kid was smart enough, there were gaps in even the best of guarding jobs he, Nathan and the werewolves could do. After all, there were only two guards on duty most of the time. Aedan and Nathan had the entire community to guard at night. Granted they were fast and could run from one end of the community to the other in very little time, but they were at opposite ends at times, leaving a window of time for Philip to escape his home and sneak away if he were so minded.
"You don't think that kid can mist, like Ashe and Elizabeth, do you?" Winkler went on softly.
"No idea," Aedan returned. "But we'll find out later tonight."
"Yeah," Winkler agreed with a slight nod. Philip Raymond's house was now their next destination, after Marcus was satisfied with Nathan's questioning of Chad and Jeremy. Marcus would likely be in contact with the Grand Master quickly, to learn what additional punishment should be levied against both boys since they'd violated house arrest.
* * *
"Luanne, I think you need to be with Philip in the next few minutes," Ashe appeared in Luanne's bedroom, sounding out of breath. Ren, invisible to all except Ashe, appeared immediately after.
"Why? What happened?" Luanne dropped the book she'd been reading and stared at Ashe.
"Well, uh, I just came from Chad and Jeremy's questioning. Both say they asked Philip to set off fireworks. Now, everybody thinks Philip burned down the Booth's house and my dad and the others will be coming to question him in just a few minutes. I think you need to be there, Luanne."
"Yeah, I probably do," Luanne stared at the earnest expression on Ashe's face. "But how do we get past the werewolves that are guarding the community? And do we need to tell Mom and Dad?"
"Yeah, your mom and dad can come, too. I'll take all of you over and the werewolves won't know." Ashe almost jumped when Elizabeth Frasier's ghost walked through Luanne's bedroom wall and sat on the edge of Luanne's bed.
"I wish she wouldn't just show up like that," Luanne muttered to herself. Ashe, with his sharp hearing, heard Luanne perfectly.
"You can see her too?" Ashe stared at Luanne.
"She's been here for days," Luanne grumbled. "And she keeps doing this," Luanne held out her arms in a wide sweep, lifting them upward until they were straight over her head. "I don't know what that means, but she keeps doing it. None of the others see her," Luanne added, as she and Ashe both watched Elizabeth echo the motions Luanne had just made.
"Well, that's the first time I've seen her do it," Ashe chewed his lip in consternation. "But we need to get to Philip, I think. You might be able to calm things down a little when they come to question him."
"All right. Let's go tell Mom and Dad, and then we'll go."
As it turned out, Linda and Peter Jansen insisted on walking to the Raymond's house. Ashe, giving Luanne a nod, misted home after floating overhead until the Jansens arrived at Philip's house. Roger and Toby, the werewolves, didn't like it when Peter Jansen explained that they wanted to visit with Jackie and Philip Raymond, but finally agreed, watching as the small family walked from one mobile home to the other. Jackie Raymond answered the door and allowed the Jansens inside.
* * *
"Dang. I wanted to be there when they did the questioning, but I took a chance, being with Chad and Jeremy," Ashe fumed as he paced inside his bedroom. His mother had already checked on him once, shortly after he'd gotten home. Ren, sitting on the bed, calmly watched as Ashe scuffled first one way and then another across his bedroom carpet.