Dead and Dusted by Lily Webb (most recommended books .TXT) 📗

wish we were meeting under better circumstances, but I’m happy you’re here.”

“We’ll figure all this out. I promise,” Agent Gemwood said with a warm smile.

“Then let’s get to it, shall we?” Brady asked. “There will be plenty of time for introductions and chit-chat later. Right now, we’ve got a case to solve.”

“Of course. Lead the way, Mr. Payne,” Agent Gemwood said with a teasing wink, but Brady didn’t seem to catch it. Instead, he gestured down the east wing of the inn and headed for the restroom where Leland’s body lay. Agent Gemwood had no trouble keeping up; she seemed to float in the air behind him. I took one step after them before Blair cleared her throat to stop me.

“Going somewhere so early, Selena?”

“Come on, Blair,” I groaned and turned to face her. “I need to know what’s going on!”

“Judging by how much you slept, I’m not sure you do. But I know I can’t stop you, so please just stay out of their way,” she said with a smile, and if I’d had time, I would’ve hugged her.

“Thank you!” I said before darting down the hall after Brady and Agent Gemwood.

“I assigned an agent to keep guard while I stepped away, but by the time I came back, Mr. Marth was dead. Jorah, the agent on guard, swears he didn’t see anyone or anything enter,” Brady said, explaining the case to the FBI agent as they walked. “But we found this surrounding him,” he continued and produced his phone from his pocket to show her the same photo he’d shown Blair and me.

“Fairy dust,” Agent Gemwood said instantly, jolting me.

“Exactly. Now you know why I called you,” Brady said as they came to a stop outside the bathroom where two of Leland’s security warlocks stood sentry outside the door, which relieved me. I didn’t think they’d be stupid enough not to keep watch over the scene, but then again, I didn’t think Leland would die in our bathroom, either. “I should warn you, it’s not a pretty sight,” Brady said, but Agent Gemwood shrugged.

“I’m sure I’ve seen worse, Brady. I can handle it,” she said.

“Suit yourself,” he said and pushed the door open for her without looking inside — maybe he couldn’t handle seeing it again — but Agent Gemwood didn’t move. I watched her expression twist and her eyes narrow like she was searching for something, but I didn’t expect the look of pure confusion on her face when she turned back to Brady.

“Is this some kind of joke?”

“What do you mean?” Brady asked, puzzled.

“There’s nothing here, Brady.”

Chapter 8

Brady’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly like a fish out of water. “W-what do you mean?” he stammered as he edged his way around Agent Gemwood to verify what she’d said. He froze when he found nothing inside the room. “I swear to you, it was all here yesterday! I mean, you saw the picture I took!”

“Yes, well, it’s not here anymore. So, where did it go?”

That was one spell of a question, and one I desperately wanted the answer to myself. I hadn’t gotten a first-hand look at the scene, but I never doubted what Brady had seen inside the restroom; after all, he’d shown Blair and me the photo he’d taken of the fairy dust on the floor. But Leland’s security had been guarding the entrance overnight, so how could anyone have gotten in there — unless it was a guard?

“I need Jorah,” Brady whispered, coming to the same conclusion. All the color had drained from his face. He stood staring at the empty restroom for a moment until something switched inside him, and he whirled on the guard that he’d posted outside the door. “Where’s Jorah?” he demanded.

“He’s gone to rest, sir. He was here overni—”

“I know that!” Brady interrupted with a snap. “Why do you think I asked?”

The guard opened his mouth to answer, but never got the chance as Brady stormed off toward the foyer with Agent Gemwood and me trailing. I didn’t have a clue what’d happened, but I wouldn’t miss out on any of this. As we all stormed into the foyer, Blair’s eyes shot up from the front desk, and instantly her expression twisted. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything’s gone. Leland, the dust, everything,” Brady explained without stopping as he strode into the open elevator. Thankfully, no one tried to stop me as I boarded along with Agent Gemwood. While I closed the grate, Brady smashed his fist into the button for the fourth floor where the security guards were all staying, and we rode upward in silence. “I don’t understand this. There were two guards outside those doors at all times,” Brady said, mostly to himself, before hurling his gaze at me. “There aren’t any other entrances into that restroom, are there?”

“No. There aren’t even any windows or anything.”

“That’s what I thought. So, the only way someone could’ve gotten into that room was through the door — but there were two guards on duty all night.”

“Then you might just have a weak link on your hands,” I said, and Brady scowled at me.

“I’ve personally vetted every single agent on Mr. Marth’s security team, and I’m meticulous. There are no weak links, I assure you,” he said, so intense that I had to look away. I wanted to believe him, but what other explanation could there be? “Besides, there were always two guards around as a failsafe, so both would have to be compromised — which is impossible.”

“Or is it?” Agent Gemwood chimed in, and when Brady turned his burning eyes on her, she shrugged. “The attacker might have incapacitated the other guard somehow. We have to consider all the possibilities.”

“I agree, but that’s not one of them. Jorah is alive, albeit sound asleep, in his bed — at least for a little longer — and there haven’t been any reports of injury among the other guards,” he said, which made a turncoat all the more likely to me, even if I