In jail? I asked.
I heard the smile in Hanks voice. He is not a violent criminal, Mercy. But he has little respect for the law or personal property, and that lands him in trouble from time to time. This time it landed him in prison for two years, of which he has served eight months. He likes women, has a reputation with them. There was a little pause, and Hank said, Most of the coyote walkers have trouble with the law.
At least they dont have trouble passing elementary school like the hawk walkers, I said because Hank liked to tease and could take as good as he gave.
Hank was laughing when he disconnected.
Do you know how to visit someone in prison? asked Tad.
Do you?
He shook his head. No. When they locked up my dad, he wouldnt let me come home.
Adam will know, I said, and dialed him.
Adam Hauptmans phone, said Christy. Can I help you?
Is Adam there? I asked. There would, I knew, be a good explanation of why Christy was answering Adams phoneespecially since hed told her not to answer her own phone. Id noticed before, when she wasnt living in my home, that Christy always had good reasons for doing the wrong thing, reasons that made everyone look stupid for questioning her.
Yes, she said. But he cant come to the phone right now.
I see.
Is this Mercy? she said brightly. I didnt know it was you. Hes on the house phone talking to the arson investigator. Can I give him a message?
I couldnt tell across phone lines, but I was pretty sure she was lying about not knowing it was me calling in the first place. My name would have scrolled across the caller ID.
No, I said. Its all right.
I hung up and stared at my phone for a while. Adam had gone to work this morning the same time I had. Hed called in some of the wolves to watch over Christy. So why was he home, and why did she have his phone?
Id make you some brownies, I told Tad. But shes always in my kitchen.
The expression on his face was compassionate. I expect that the jail has a web page with phone numbers of people who can help you figure out how to visit the guy you need to see.
Coyote Ridge Corrections Center is a minimum and mediumsecurity facility just outside of Connell, which is about an hours drive north of the TriCities. Its a little town of about five thousand inhabitants, not including those who are incarcerated in the prison.
I didnt go alone.
I glanced at my passenger and wondered if Id made the right choice. Not that there were a lot of pack members whod have been free to head out on short notice, especially now that Adam was keeping four wolves at our house all the time.
Honey had lost weight since her husbands death, and she hadnt been fat to begin with. Shed cut her honeycolored hair into a severe style that framed her face with its newly hollowed cheekbones. With that and her body reduced to muscle and bone, she should have looked hard, but instead she looked fragile.
She hadnt said a word to me since I picked her up in my Vanagon. Not even to ask where we were going.
Id told her I needed someone to come with me on an errand, and she hadnt asked any questions. Id decided it was a subtle defiancefollowing the letter of the law that said I was in charge without actually making an effort to be useful. But either driving or twenty minutes of distance from Christy cheered me to more optimistic possibilities. Maybe Honey just didnt know what to say.
Or maybe she liked Christy more than she liked me, too.
I had a fae artifact follow me home, I told her. I couldnt remember if shed known about the walking stick. Id tried not to talk about it too much. It wouldnt stay with any of the fae I tried to give it to. Which would have been fine except that it started to get bloodthirsty, so I found a safe place for it. Night before last, I was visited by a Gray Lord who informed me that it would be a good idea if I retrieved it and gave it back to him.
You gave the walking stick to Coyote, she said. And when I looked at her, she raised a cool eyebrow. You were raised among wolves. Id think youd know well enough how fast and thoroughly gossip travels in the pack.
Okay, I said. I dont know how to get ahold of Coyote in a hurry. In my experience, he just shows up when he chooses. So I called around and got the name of another walker who might know how to find him before the fae decide to destroy the TriCities in retribution.
She looked at me, frowned, and sat up straighter. You were trying to jokebut you really believe they might destroy the whole town.
Not they , I said, remembering that instant when the
glamour thinned, and hed snarled at the cat. He. And yes, I think the fae are capable of anything. Id have given them the stupid walking stick a long time ago if it would have let me.
Was it Zee?
I shook my head. Zees not a Gray Lord. Close, I think, but not. This was Alistair Beauclaire, the man responsible for the fae retreat to the reservations.
Good, she said. I like Zee.
She was quiet for a few miles. Where are we going?
To Connell, I told her. To visit someone who might know how to find Coyote.