“Was this a magial reature attak?” Felix turramitz. “In the middle of downtown Edinburgh?”
“Multiple bite marks in the eiling,” Stramitz repeated. She turned away from the sorhed wall and its bite marks ahe mahe bed. The wound pattern looked familiar. He wasn’t torn—“That man was bitten in half.”
& his lip. “What does this? A spell? A…dragon?”
“They have a witness,” Phillips offered wheo the suite.
“Oh yeah?” Felix arhed a brow. “How big are his teeth?”
&ness—Arhie Eversorter who had beeo work and had takeime making his rouhe pehat m. And he’d also misped his employee master spell key that allowed him into any room iel. Felix took poierview and ame down on Eversorter was i, Igora was ertain, but he was definitely hidihing.
“This doesn’t look good, Arhie,” Felix repeated for maybe the fifth time. “You were te to work, te to hek oe iion, and your spell key is missing? It all seems very—”
&ramitz narrowed her eyes aer’s green eyes widened.
“Yeah,” Felix o of piees omiher and pointing to you.” Everswor his feet. Felix met Igora’s eyes and waited for her approval before mentioning the spell log. “y spell log got srambled ies before you say you ehouse. Any reason you an think of, Arhie, that the seurity system would malfu?”
“orter breathed. “No, of ourse not.”
Stramitz took a step forward. “So you didhing out of the ordinary on your to the penthouse?”
&er gulped, and Stramitz thought he looked oddly familiar whe her. She made a inquiries on him to all the other DMLE offies before the end of the day. Eversworn took a breath and asked, “Did you have the log for the fourteenth floor?”
“I just told you the logs were srambled. Now, did somethihe fourteenth floor, Arhie?”
“Yes,” he said, then shook his head. “No,” he rushed. “I mean, er…maybe?”
Igora stopped herself from smiling. “You do realize you stated every possible respoion?”
“So whih is it?” Felix said.
Eversworn huffed. “No, I didhing.”
“Doown, Mr. Everswora raised her brows.
“I—I won’t.”
On their way out of the hotel, Phillips asked if they’d got anything out of the witness. Igora brushed him off, but he persisted. “You didn’t tell me how your ase was oed to this—this i,” Phillips stuttered.
&,” Igreed.
&urned ar his eyes at her. “The man in the bedroom,” he said.
Phillips blinked. “Marwan Zivantus?”
&he missing persons ase fhter, Bertrie Zivantus.”
“And you think it’s possible the two ases are oed?” Phillips’ fae srunhed in disbelief.
Stramitz raised her brow. “Rih Pureblood’s daughter goes missing aer he’s killed iiousely “—an oddly bizarre a manner?”
“It’s probable the two is are reted,” Felix offered and then walked away.
They headed bak to the offie, and Igora khey o make sure the ase stayed irol. She barked out a list of thio fi her ihe other DMLE offies, aiohe neessary supplies f haul stake out. When Arhie Eversworn finished his shift, they’d be ready to find out what he was most definitely hiding.
Harry ould. Ron was going to kill him. He’d somehow mao srew up his first ever assig. Eight mo bloody months, ompletely wasted. As he walked bak to Travertel, he allowed himself one small beaon of hope. Maybe he’d be able to salvage somethihere was still a haher aher job—
The ehoes of his oion with Valentine made him ringe.
&hio somethihe hotel manager whispered as they wathed Iigators Zaha and Stramitz leave.
Harry blinked, u he should or shouldn’t say. He was still questionio maintaie his instints—internally sreamio do something. But there iion in his gut that told him that ehouse had nothing to do with his ase. There was also the sehe fourteenth floor whih still had him reeling. “Like…riminals?”
&ine srunhed his fae a shake of his head. “No. Say…while you were in there, did you see any type of animal?”
“Animal?” To be ho, Harry washihey walked to the employee loker room and stopped. “Like a dog?” Harry blurted. Thehe kneazle. Before he ould say anythiine had raised his hand.
“No, not a dog.” Valeudied Harry aly added, “Also, you’re fired.”
“What?” Harry burst. “Why?”
&ine began walking bak to his offie, and Harry followed. “You’re just too ihis,” the older man replied.
“I was just doing my job!” Harry said, trying not to raise his voie.
“That remains to be seei him.