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“President Castile. Nice to meet you in person,” I greeted.
He stood. The man was immortal, so he didn’t show any real age above thirty. He had a dark-gray tailored suit that was likely more expensive than my life, and a polished haircut for his curly hair.
“Miss Valence,” he said, standing with a smile that wasn’t real and shaking my hand. “Please shut the door.”
I did and asked, “What’s up?”
He lifted a brow. “My son has died.”
“Yes. I’m very sorry for that.” Awkwardness stretched between us. I realized that I’d become accustomed to dealing with Azra and Jasmine and clients who I didn’t have to impress. None of my personality was about to turn off spontaneously, so I had to hope that I’d make it through this conversation without offending the shit out of a grieving man. “I’ll do my best, sir,” I added bravely.
“I have no hope for you.”
“Ouch.”
He smiled sadly. “I mean that I don’t have any hope that anyone can solve the tragedy of my son’s death. It’s nothing personal toward you. My prayer is that you succeed, but I don’t have much optimism. It’s been months since these attacks began, and so far, my son’s body offers us no clues. His electronics have been wiped, but this is not an uncommon precaution in families like ours. He likely had a program in place to do so. His bedroom is quite barren of details. His friends are, as a whole, confounded. As am I. If only children weren’t so rare… this might not be as difficult. But I…” Castile’s brow pinched in pain.
Aw shoot. He was going to cry, wasn’t he?
Sure enough, tears glistened in his eyes. I struggled between the urge to dig in and promise to bring justice to his well-earned grief and the instinct to recoil. I’d been hired to find a murderer, not comfort a fucking archangel. The two didn’t mix well.
Why did I take this job in the first place? Why can’t I keep my stupid obsessions in check?
I was like a dog chasing a car. I really, really wanted the chase, and now that I had the bumper in my jaws, I realized my teeth weren’t sharp enough to even make a dent. Soon enough, the driver would hit the gas and drag me to my death.
This job was probably a mistake. But there was no going back now. Despite not being a people person, for some reason I cared about these attacks. Just like I cared about Ember being cornered by the asshole.
We all deserved the basic human right to safety.
Someone was stalking this school.
Someone was taking people’s safety. Their lives.
Thankfully, Castile pulled himself together and said, “I’m grateful you’re here.”
I stated, “I’ve looked through your son’s files and the files of everyone else. I’m studying. I’m searching. Leads are already showing up, though it’ll take time to verify them. President Castile, I don’t know why Razai chose me, and I’m definitely not a professional, but I promise I’ll do everything in my power to bring your son’s killer to justice.”
Castile recognized the shift in my emotions, and it made him curious. He tilted his head. “I don’t know why Razai chose you either. But I am beginning to see the appeal.” The chair creaked as he stood. “Contact me at any point, for any reason. And of course, Razai is at your disposal. Until next time, Miss Valence.”
“Wait,” I said suddenly. “Who did you tell about my real identity?” I had to know.
And for some reason, I knew from the guilty way Castile’s eyes shifted to the side.
Bastard.
“Razai, of course.” He studied something that was very interesting on the baseboards.
I waited, my irritation growing.
“And Professor Clave.”
My hand slammed on the desk surface. “Fuck!”
The president winced. “It was not part of the contract. I apologize. But Professor Clave is the one who found and rescued Sydni and was solely responsible for the detailed reports. The man is influential. Don’t underestimate him just because he is a teacher. He’s involved in much more than just this school. He is an excellent ally to have, and I trust him with my life. This is a concession you are forced to make.”
My fingers couldn’t massage away the explosion that just happened in my head. “Not that you gave me a choice.”
“I understand your concerns, but—”
