“Kingston!” Raising his voice, Sinclair cut me off. “She flew in from Kingston, all right?” He ran one hand over his dreadlocks. “And the accent’s not phony. I grew up in Kalamazoo. Emmy grew up in boarding schools overseas.” He gave me a faint, wry smile. “She took her law degree at the University of Oxford a year ago.”

“Oh.” My tail went still.

“Just . . .” Sinclair sighed. “Look, I meant what I said last night. I just really wasn’t expecting this.” Reaching out, he took my hands. “It’s complicated. I’ll explain it when I can, but right now I’m not even sure why Emmeline’s here.” His dark eyes were clear and steady. “Can I count on you to have my back?”

I softened, my temper subsiding. “Yeah, okay. Fine.”

“Thanks, Daisy.” He gave me a quick kiss before glancing at his watch. “I’ve got to run. I’ll give you a call later, okay?”

“Okay.”

Leaning against the guardrail at the entrance into town, I watched Sinclair pedal with swift determination along the shoulder of the highway. Cody pulled the squad car up before me and leaned over toward the passenger door. “Can I give you a lift, Daise?”

I scowled at him. “No.”

“You sure?” he asked mildly. “I’m headed back to the station.”

“Oh, fine.”

We rode in silence, but it was a comfortable silence. Funny how that works when you’ve spent a lot of time together.

Cody parked in one of the station’s reserved spaces. He gave me a sidelong glance, a reflective film of green shimmering behind his amber eyes. “Just so you know, I’m not sure about that guy. There’s something sketchy about him. And I will kick his ass seven ways till Sunday if he hurts you.”

I nodded. “Duly noted. But Sinclair’s a good guy, Cody. Sometimes people hurt each other anyway. If it happens, it won’t be on purpose.”

His lip curled, baring his eyeteeth. Yep, definitely getting close to the full moon. “Doesn’t matter.”

“Yeah,” I said to Cody, who had hurt me without meaning to. “It does.” I got out of the squad car. “Thanks for the ride.”

Twelve

Jojo the joe-pye weed fairy was lying in wait for me outside my apartment, bursting out of the rhododendrons in a cloud of sparkling pollen, slingshot at the ready.

“Jesus!” Startled, I jumped and threw up my hands in a defensive pose. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

“I saw what passed atop the bridge. What new slattern ventures onto the stage?” Her tiny face was set in a fierce expression. “Speak, you ruttish, whey-faced scullion!” A handful of tourists passing through the park exclaimed with delight. I’m pretty sure they’d missed Jojo’s actual commentary.

“Oh, for God’s sake!” I glared back at her. “She’s his sister, you, you . . . dew-swilling nitwit.”