Yeah, I was tempted by my father’s scenario. Yeah, I liked the image he had shown me. But I didn’t need bat wings and a fiery whip. I was Hel’s liaison, dammit. That was enough. And she trusted me. That meant a lot.

I put on jeans and a scoop-necked T-shirt, buckling Cody’s belt through the loops, dauda-dagr hanging from my left hip, its leather-wrapped hilt at the ready, waiting for my hand. It felt good. It felt right.

I looked at myself in the full-length mirror in my bedroom. Damned if I didn’t look kind of badass. A magic dagger definitely went better with jeans than a miniskirt. And I’d used it. I’d actually wielded dauda-dagr. Okay, it wasn’t exactly in a major ending-the-life-of-the-undead way, for which I was grateful, but I’d done it. I’d drawn blood, or ichor, or whatever sticky green sap ran in Meg Mucklebones’s veins. I’d backed down a marsh hag and saved a kid.

“Yay, you,” I said to my reflection in the mirror.

My feeling of well-being lasted for as long as it took me to walk the few blocks to the station. There were half a dozen protestors outside the doors today, marching with their placards. Tourists were giving them a wide berth. This was definitely some bad publicity for Pemkowet.

Inside, the news got worse.

Detective Wilkes had come to inform us that the county sheriff’s office had issued an ultimatum. Come Monday, Sheriff Barnard was going to announce that his office was taking over the investigation in its entirety, and would no longer be collaborating with the local Pemkowet police department.

“So he’s throwing me to the wolves,” the chief said, his face impassive. “I’m sorry to hear it.”

“I’m sorry to tell you.” Tim Wilkes sounded sincere. “He’s under a hell of a lot of pressure.”

“Exactly how does he plan on getting the eldritch community to cooperate?” I asked indignantly. “They won’t talk to just anyone. They’ll just make themselves scarce.”

Wilkes glanced at me. “He’s not planning on following up on that angle. He’s trying to shift the focus back to the human element. He thinks it’s the best thing for Pemkowet and everyone involved.” He shrugged. “The autopsy results prove the Vanderhei boy’s friends were lying. We’ll charge them as accessories if we have to.”

“Ross Barnard can shift the focus all he likes, but it’s not going to change the truth,” Chief Bryant said. “Is he calling for my resignation?”

The detective hesitated. “Not yet.”

I looked around in vain for a calendar, and counted days on my fingers instead. “But today’s . . . Friday, right?”

Cody stirred. “Right. So we’re not finished yet. We have three days before the case gets yanked.”

“Correct.” Tim Wilkes nodded. “And until then, I’m still authorized to share my findings.”