Slice of Death: An Urban Fantasy Thriller: (Harker & Blackthorn, Book One) by J. A. Ironside

Author:J. A. Ironside [Ironside, J. A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blue Stone Press
Published: 2021-09-26T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen – The Man Who Cried Wolf

Oh good. You made it after all,” Rebekah said, opening the door. Then she took in my face. “Why are you crying?”

I hadn’t realised I was. My hand came away from my cheek damp and smeared with dark eye make-up. I probably looked like the emo version of a vengeful sprit in a Japanese horror movie.

“Never...mind...that...” I gasped, breath sawing in my throat. “I need...to talk...to you....”

“What you need to do is to come in, wash your face and have a drink,” Rebekah said severely. “You’ll be no good to me otherwise. Come on.” She stood aside, gesturing me in as if I were a disobedient dog.

I resented the fact that her brisk, unsympathetic manner helped me pull myself together, but I was glad to go inside. To take shelter, even in the creepy old museum. Rebekah wasted no time, ushering me up to the sitting room, taking my coat and boots, then prodding me towards the bathroom. I washed and dried my face, removing any remaining make-up. When I emerged, Rebekah tossed me an oversized sweatshirt and pressed a mug of tea into my hands.

“It’s just occurred to me that your reticence to commit to a visit this evening, was due to you having a date. I’d forgotten it was tonight.” Her eyes glinted dangerously. “I sincerely hope it wasn’t your date that left you in this state.”

That shook me out of my exhausted apathy. “No! Why would you think that? I put her in an uber and ran straight here.”

“You ran?” Rebekah said. “In those boots? Were all the buses out of commission?”

I glared at her. “I started off walking and then I got upset.”

Bex pursed her lips but wisely chose not to pursue the subject. “And what upset you?”

“I was taking Sienna to the restaurant, when I found my friend, Fleur, outside crying. Papa Bính is dead.” My voice cracked and I swallowed. “He’s the restaurant owner. I’ve known him for years – not well exactly but...”

“Well enough to be grieved by his death.” Rebekah nodded.

“He is...was Fleur’s grandfather but he wasn’t that old. Sixty-five, maybe?” I pushed my hands into my hair, wincing as my fingers met hair pins and snarls. “Bex, he wasn’t ill. He didn’t have any underlying health problems. Fleur said he went for his afternoon nap before evening opening hours started, and he just didn’t wake up.” I looked up at her. “What does that sound like to you?”

Rebekah’s gold tinted skin paled and she reached blindly for a chair arm, lowering herself carefully onto the seat. She wet her lips. “I admit, it sounds ominous. But it’s something of a stretch to assume it’s connected to the hag. A post mortem may find that the gentleman had undiagnosed medical conditions.”

“It might,” I nodded. “But what about all the others?”

“Others?” Rebekah’s finely arched brows drew together.

I opened the internet browser on my phone and scrolled to the website of a local newspaper. “These others. Five people now dead, all under exactly the same circumstances.

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