Some More Convincing - Part Eleven

Previously On - Laurent revealed the truth about Willy and Helen’s parentage. She remained unconvinced, in spite of a flashy bit of magic.

I shook my head. "No, not California." I looked at the mirror, realizing that much of what passed between us would be visible to anyone standing behind it. I gestured with my chin.

She looked over her shoulder. "Oh, there's no one watching us." She looked back at me and a mixture of fear, disbelief, and wonder clouded her eyes. "I thought about giving you the rubber hose treatment if you hadn't cooperated. Part of me wishes it had come to that." She lifted her cup and drained it. "Assuming I believe you, what's the next step?"

I shrugged and looked around the room. "There isn't much that either of us can get done here. Hunter may have a lead for me in a day or so."

"How did you get Hunter to help you? He's usually pretty tight-lipped with strangers."

"Your friend Hunter is the real deal in a world of charlatans."

"The things he sells in his shop work?" Her skepticism worked hard to reassert itself.

"Hell no. Most of it is not much better than tourist garbage. He knows the truth though and deals in it. He gave your brother what he needed."

Her features crystallized into a mask of anger. "He did? I'll have to have a little talk with him about that. I didn’t want him to enable my brother's habits. I thought I’d made that clear to him."

"Helen, standing in Willy's way wouldn't have stopped what happened. It would have delayed it. And I don't know your brother well, but I imagine denying him anything is at best a delaying tactic. He would have gotten what he wanted, whatever it took. Like you do." I touched her hand.

She withdrew it, but not immediately. Finally, the mask cracked, revealing a determined smile. "It's true. I still reserve the right to bust Hunter's chops a little. I still don't buy the half-fairy thing. What does it mean? Show me some proof."

"Is there anything I could show you to make you believe?" I steepled my fingers and rested the point of my chin on them. "I can ask you a few questions. Have you always been very insightful for your age?"

I could see her cheeks color. "That's what they tell me."

"Do you often have incredibly vivid dreams which you often think about later? And then you remember things from them, realizing they sometimes happen?"

"Like deja vu?"

I nodded.

"Sure but who doesn't?"

"Most people I suppose. The half-bloods like you and Willy are often more sensitive in those ways. Before Willy started with the drugs did he ever talk about seeing things that weren't there?"

"He did. No one ever believed him. He used to get beat up at school because of them."

"And you stepped in to save him." It wasn't a question. "I'm willing to bet you always came out on top.” The double entendre was out of my control.

"I managed to hold my own. Look, these things you're saying are all true, but you're like one of those psychics on television. You're doing a cold read of me based on some things you overheard or Willy told you about. None of this is true." She shook her head. "I like you, but I'm gonna be honest. Maybe it's because I like you so much and damn if I know why..." Again she shook her head like she wanted to be rid of a nagging insect. "Things don't look good for you. I don't think you had anything to do with my brother's death, but we're going to hold you."

That news was like a spear between my eyes. "Hold me? But you have nothing to hold me on."

"We can for at least twenty-four hours on a vagrancy charge. You admit that you don't have any way of proving who you are or where you're staying. Given that much time to dig into your past, add the fact that this is the beginning of a weekend, and we could hold you until Monday. You don't want that, do you?"

I didn't. Even a day's stay in their iron hole and I would likely be sent on a one way trip back to Hell. I couldn't afford any delay, even one as pleasant as sitting here with Helen. "No. So tell me how do I avoid being held?"

"Tell us the truth. Tell me who you are." She flapped a hand at me. "Obviously you're a very talented magician and an excellent armchair psychologist. Tell me how you're hooked into this killing and point a finger at the person responsible. Do that and we can let you go after we check your story."

My shoulders slumped and I looked at the floor. Her brain was rejecting my illusion as a cheap parlor trick. Human minds didn't deal well with magic. It was easier for them to believe they hadn't seen what they had been plainly shown. My hope had been that her fae half would be able to compensate, but she was shielded from her true nature. There was no way to gain my freedom outside of more chicanery. I smiled inwardly. I was good at that.

When I met her gaze again the smile had externalized. "I'm sorry Helen. I'd like to do that, really I would. But I'm afraid that's going to interfere with my own ongoing investigation." With a thought, I triggered my prepared illusion. Sitting before her now she could only see her partner. Her brain had only a moment to register confusion before I lashed out and clipped her on the jaw.