“You’re aware that Mathi’s kidnappers were killed in their cells recently?”

“Of course, but what has this—”

“They were questioned before their deaths by a woman. I have no idea what she looked like, because the vision was sound not images, but she gave them Dahbree before she questioned them.”

Sgott sucked in a breath. “I’ll check the tapes and notify the coroner immediately, although it may already be too late. Dahbree dissolves in the body pretty quickly after death.”

“The woman also said she was given permission to be there.”

“Not by me she wasn’t.”

“Ruadhán, then.”

“I’ll check. Anything else?”

“Have you talked to Kaitlyn yet?”

“No. With everything else that has gone on, she hasn’t been a priority. Why?”

“Well, you might want to do it sooner rather than later, because the woman who killed Gilda’s partners is now intending to go after Kaitlyn.”

“I’ll send a unit around immediately,” he said. “That it?”

“Whoever stashed the first lot of bugs in the tavern could be planning to place more of them.”

“I’ll get the team to run regular checks, and we’ll also place some discreet motion sensors on the stairs to your living quarters and link the alarm to your phone and mine. It won’t stop them, but at least we’ll know when someone enters your quarters uninvited.”

“Great, thanks.” I paused. “Does the name Kendrin mean anything to you?”

“Offhand, no. Why?”

“He’s got something to do with the missing crown. It’s rather vague, I know, but...”

“But your instincts are twitching, and just like your mother, you can’t ignore it.”

The sadness in his voice made my heart ache. He and Mom might never have married but they’d been in a committed relationship for over sixty years, and he’d probably taken her disappearance harder than even Lugh or me, simply because with all the resources he had at his disposal, he’d been unable to find her.

“I’m afraid so.”

“I’ll see what a search comes up with.” He paused. “You’re feeling okay now? You had me very worried there for a while, lass.”

“I’m fine, Sgott. Really.”

“Well, good,” he said, somewhat gruffly. “But please don’t be doing anything like that again. I’ve already lost your mom. I don’t want to be losing you as well.”

Tears stung my eyes, and I blinked them away quickly. He was my father in all ways except by bloodline, and I wish he was standing here with me rather than at the other end of the phone, because I really wanted to hug him.

“I’ll do my best to ensure that doesn’t happen,” I said softly.

“I appreciate that, lass,” he said in that same gruffly emotional tone and then hung up.

Almost immediately, the phone rang again, the tone telling me it was Cynwrig.

I hit the answer button and said, “You survived the council meeting then?”

“Yes,” he said, with a seriously sexy drawl. “And so did Mathi.”

I raised my eyebrows. “You and Mathi had words? Over what?”