Dime Store Magic (67 page)

"I knew your mother," Benicio said as he crossed the room. No "she was a good woman" or "I'm sorry for your loss" tacked on. A statement as emotionless as his stare. His gaze swept the room, taking in the secondhand furniture and bare walls. Part of me wanted to explain, and another part of me was horrified by the impulse. I didn't owe this man an explanation.

Benicio stepped in front of the couch—part of a perfectly serviceable if threadbare set. He looked down at it as if debating whether it might soil his suit. At that, a small inkling of the old Paige bubbled to the surface.

"Don't bother sitting," I said. "This isn't a tea-and-crumpets kind of visit. Oh, and I'm fine, thank you for asking."

Benicio turned his empty stare on me and waited. For at least twenty seconds, we just stood there, looking at one another. I tried to hold out, but I broke first.

"As I told your men, Lucas is in court, out of town. If you didn't believe me—"

"I know where my son is."

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A chill tickled the nape of my neck as I heard the unspoken qualifier: "I
always
know where my son is." I'd never thought of that, but hearing him now, there was no doubt in my mind that Benicio always knew exactly where Lucas was, and what he was doing.

"Well, that's funny," I said. "Because your men said you had a message for him. But if you know he's not here then… Oh, I get it. That was only an excuse, right? You know Lucas is gone and you came here pretending to want to deliver a message, hoping for a chance to meet the new girlfriend. You wouldn't want to do that with Lucas around, because you might not be able to control your disappointment when you confirm that your son is indeed dating—whoops, living with—a witch."

"I do have a message," he said. "For both of you."

"I'm guessing it's not 'congratulations.' "

"I have a case that might interest Lucas," he said. "One that might also be of particular interest to you as well." While we'd been talking, his eyes never left mine, but now, for the first time since he'd arrived he truly seemed to be looking at me. "You're developing quite the reputation, both for fending off the Nast Cabal's attempt to take Savannah and for your role in ending that business with Tyrone Winsloe last year. This particular case would require someone with such expertise."

As he spoke, a thrill of gratification went through me. On its heels came a wave of shame. God, was I that transparent? Throw a few empty words of praise my way and I wriggled like a happy puppy? Our first meeting and Benicio already knew exactly what buttons to press.

"When's the last time Lucas worked for you?" I asked.

"This isn't working for me. I'm simply passing along a case that I believe would interest my son—"

"And when's the last time you tried that one? August, wasn't it?

Something about a Vodoun priest in Colorado? Lucas turned you down flat, as he always does."

Benicio's cheek twitched. An actual reaction?

"What," I said, "you didn't think Lucas told me about that? Like he didn't tell me how you bring him a case every few months, either to piss off the other Cabals or to trick him into doing something at your request?

He's not sure which it is. I'm guessing both."

He paused, as if recovering his poise. "This case is different."

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"Oh, I'm sure it is."

"It involves the child of one of our employees," he said. "A fifteen-year-old girl named Dana MacArthur."

I opened my mouth to cut him off, but couldn't. The moment he said

"fifteen-year-old girl," I needed to hear the rest.

Benicio continued, "Three nights ago, someone attacked her while she was walking through a park. She was stabbed, hung from a tree, and left to die."

My gut clenched. "Is she… ?" I tried to force out the last word, but couldn't.

"She's alive," Benicio said. "Comatose, but alive."

As he said those last words, his voice softened. I looked into his eyes then and I saw exactly what I wanted to see, exactly what I'm sure he saw reflected back in my own gaze, the sorrow and indignation. I saw that, and I knew I was supposed to see it.

"Dana wasn't the first," Benicio said.

As he waited for me to ask the obvious question, I swallowed it and forced my brain to switch tracks.

"That's… too bad," I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. "I hope she recovers. And I hope you find the culprit. I can't help you, though, and I'm sure Lucas can't either, but I'll pass along the message."

I walked toward the front hall.

Benicio didn't budge. "There's one more thing you should know."

I bit my lip. Don't ask. Don't fall for it. You know you don't want to—

"The girl," he said. "Dana MacArthur. She's a witch."

We locked gazes for a moment. Then I tore mine away, strode to the door and flung it open.

"Get out," I said.

And, to my surprise, he did.

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Also Available From

Kelley Armstrong

IN THE

Women of the Otherworld

SERIES

BITTEN
: BOOK I

&

STOLEN
: BOOK II

"
Bitten
… did much the same thing for werewolves that Anne Rice did for vampires."

—
Rocky Mountain News

"Armstrong is up there with the big girls of the genre, like Laurell K.

Hamilton."

—
Kansas City Star

Available Wherever Paperbacks Are Sold

Plume

A member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. www.penguin.com From one of today's most original writers comes mesmerizing tale of an exceptional young woman caught up in an otherworldly realm where some will stop at nothing to get what they want…

• DIME STORE MAGIC
  
  • DIME STORE MAGIC
    
    • DIME STORE MAGIC
      
      • DIME STORE MAGIC
        
        • Women of Otherworld Book 3
          
    • By
      
  • Kelley Armstrong
    
    • Kelley Armstrong
      
      • Kelley Armstrong
        
        • Praise for Kelly Armstrong
          
        • BITTEN
          
        • Praise for Kelley Armstrong's
          
    • DIME STORE MAGIC
      
      • DIME STORE MAGIC
        
        • KELLEY ARMSTRONG
          
    • Acknowledgments
      
• DIME STORE MAGIC
  
  • Prologue
    
    • Chapter 1
      
  • Bewitched. Bothered and Bewildered
    
    • Chapter 2
      
  • Home Security
    
    • Chapter 3
      
  • A Brilliant Strategy Four Centuries Too Late
    
    • Chapter 4
      
  • The Furies Descend
    
    • Chapter 5
      
  • The Beauty of Science
    
    • Chapter 6
      
  • Shot Down
    
    • Chapter 7
      
  • Initiate Phase Two
    
    • Chapter 8
      
  • Black Mass Pizza
    
    • Chapter 9
      
  • Spell-Boy
    
    • Chapter 10
      
  • Hell Hath No Fury Like a Middle-Aged Man Scorned
    
    • Chapter 11
      
  • Flying Through the Air with the Greatest of Ease
    
    • Chapter 12
      
  • Lawyer Roulette
    
    • Chapter 13
      
  • A Twelve-Step Plan
    
    • Chapter 14
      
  • Fox in the Henhouse
    
    • Chapter 15
      
  • Aloha!
    
    • Chapter 16
      
  • Demonology 101
    
    • Chapter 17
      
  • Grief on the Run
    
    • Chapter 18
      
  • A Memorial to Remember
    
    • Chapter 19
      
  • Dime-Store Magic
    
    • Chapter 20
      
  • Rebel with a Cause
    
    • Chapter 21
      
  • Feeding Frenzy
    
    • Chapter 22
      
  • The Threat
    
    • Chapter 23
      
  • The Original Cabal
    
    • Chapter 24
      
  • Party Games
    
    • Chapter 25
      
  • The Riot
    
    • Chapter 26
      
  • All About Eve
    
    • Chapter 27
      
  • The Arrival
    
    • Chapter 28
      
  • At Last, A Plan
    
    • Chapter 29
      
  • They Aren't Naked. They're Skyclad
    
    • Chapter 30
      
  • The Key
    
    • Chapter 31
      
  • Spell-Casting Monopoly
    
    • Chapter 32
      
  • Tools of the Trade
    
    • Chapter 33
      
  • Stopping By for a Spell
    
    • Chapter 34
      
  • A Grave Dilemma
    
    • Chapter 35
      
  • A Good Walk Spoiled
    
    • Chapter 36
      
  • ��
    
    • Chapter 37
      
  • The Conscientious Car Thief
    
    • Chapter 38
      
  • Pressure Valve
    
    • Chapter 39
      
  • Good Morning
    
    • Chapter 40
      
  • The Vote
    
    • Chapter 41
      
  • Package Deal
    
    • Chapter 42
      
  • Mr. Nast's Witch
    
    • Chapter 43
      
  • Good and Evil
    
    • Chapter 44
      
  • Comprehensive Insurance Policy
    
    • Chapter 45
      
  • Brotherly Love
    
    • Chapter 46
      
  • Send-Off
    
    • Chapter 47
      
  • A Lesson in Respect
    
    • Chapter 48
      
  • Show & Tell
    
    • Chapter 49
      
  • Summoning Eve
    
    • Chapter 50
      
  • The Eighth Day
    
    • About the Author