A Wolf After My Own Heart by MaryJanice Davidson (free romance novels TXT) 📗

to, not have to. As it happened, Lila felt the same way. “Yeah, I do.”

“You prob’ly like it.”

“I do. I set my own hours and the pay’s adequate and I hardly ever have to deal with people because it’s all mostly done through the mail.”

“You don’t like people?”

“We’re getting far afield.”

“Dunno what that means.”

“It means, Sally, that other than his voice, did your dad say anything while you were talking, something that proved he was who he said he was?”

“He called me Possum. That’s our joke because when I was little I used to play dead to get out of chores. I don’t, um, actually turn into a possum.”

When you were little? Because you’re now the ripe old age of ten?

“Oh. Well, that makes sense.” Lila settled back, figuring Garsea and Oz would want to pick up the questioning, but they just looked at her. It took an embarrassing amount of time for her to realize they wanted her to keep going. Which was nuts, except Sally did seem more inclined to answer questions when Lila posed them.

“Okay, he used a family nickname, that answers that. Did your dad say what had happened?”

“He said their plane crashed and that he was hurt but was coming.”

“And your mom?”

Nothing. Nothing for a full twenty seconds… Lila kept half an eye on the kitchen clock.

“I think…they must be together. I think that’s the other reason he’s so late.” Sally’s anxious glance was skittering all over: Lila, Macropi, the tabletop, Oz. She cast another longing look toward the room with the TV, then added, “Because Daddy wouldn’t have left Mama. He couldn’t.”

“Because she’s been sick,” Lila guessed. “And still is, maybe?”

Oz straightened so suddenly, he nearly fell out of his chair. “What was that?”

Lila thought back to the night Sally had come back on her own.

Mommy’s been sick, too… It’s really important I get back to them.

Daddy’s taking care of her and all… She’s tired all the time.

Sally’s chin wobbled. Lila pretended not to notice. If hugs were required, Garsea and Macropi had the requisite comforting arms and bosoms. “Mommy’s got some kind of cancer thing. We only found out a few weeks ago. He wouldn’t have left her.”

“And you think that’s what’s delaying him.”

“Sure.”

“How did you talk to him, exactly?” Lila asked. “Do you have a cell phone?”

“No.” This with a scowl. “Dad says I’m too little to have one, which is wrong and dumb.”

“Okay…”

“Do you have to go to school to be a teddy bear surgeon?”

“Yes, for at least fifteen years. Sally, did you borrow someone’s cell phone?”

“Fifteen y—oh. No. Those’re private. And people don’t want to borrow them to kids anyway.”

“Lend them,” Garsea interjected, because she couldn’t help herself.

“Right,” Lila continued. “So if you don’t have a cell, and you didn’t borrow one, how were you able to talk to your dad?”

Sally shrugged and was suddenly interested in her feet.

“Did you have help?” Dumb question. The kid was ten and (temporarily) alone in the world. Of course she had help. “Are you trying to keep someone from getting into trouble?”

“…no.”

“You know I don’t give a shit either way, right?” Lila leaned back and shrugged. “For me, it’s more like a crossword puzzle. Something to do, but it’s not the end of the world if I don’t finish it. You are the Fourteen Down of my crossword, Sally. And I’m not gonna give whoever helped you a hard time.” Damn right. Let the IPA flunkies handle it.

“You don’t have any fur in the game,” Sally said, which was one of the strangest things to come out of the kid’s mouth. “Okay, so. The thing is, they said not to lie but not to volunteer, either.”

They? Lila started to laugh.

“I’m lost,” Oz confessed.

Garsea looked unamused. “Sally, who helped you speak with your father and how did they do so?”

Cornered (finally!), Sally sighed and flicked a glance at Lila, who said, “Better go get it.”

“Be right back.”

“Get what?” From Oz, who seemed torn between annoyance and amusement as Sally rushed out of the room.

“She’s got a secret stash in my basement where she keeps a couple of things.”

“Which you know about because…”

Because I used to be ten and on the run. “Because why wouldn’t she? Don’t look at me like I’m a weirdo. Everybody builds blanket nests and keeps secret stashes in the basements of strangers they only met three days ago.”

“I can’t tell if you’re joking,” Macropi mused, then turned to look as Sally pounded up the stairs and reappeared with a folded sheet of paper, which she handed to Lila.

“Oh. Thanks. Gosh, I’m so nervous! And the winner is…” She unfolded the thing and took a look, then handed it to Oz.

“Huh. These are instructions on how to get an outside line to make long distance calls on the IPA WATS line. Really clear instructions. The kind a child could follow. And they’re in Caro’s handwriting.” He looked up. “And I’m betting that Dev, who treats the IPA offices like his own personal vacation home, tracked you down there once I dropped you off and gave ’em to you. So you were able to return your dad’s call and get your marching orders without anyone noticing because we really need to hire more staff.”

“And install a more complex phone system,” Lila added, trying not to smirk.

Garsea was making an odd noise, and it took Lila a few seconds to realize the woman was grinding her teeth. “Oh, you troublesome cubs…” This was growled at two empty chairs, as Dev and Caro had slipped away a few minutes earlier.

“Annnnnd of course they’re gone,” Lila observed. “On the upside, mystery solved. Well. One mystery. Jesus, Garsea, you’re gonna crack a molar.”

5. REDRUM.

Chapter 21

She’d noticed Caro and Dev leaving, of course, but hadn’t made a point of calling it out. It was, after all, IPA business, and the werewolf and werefox were minors with no official role. In fact, “no official role” should be their official motto. And did she really just