Persephone Alcmedi 00 - Wicked Circle

information?”
    She transferred the garments to him. “You can’t buy me any time, John.”
    “You can beat the disease if I infect you. Is that what you want?”
    “Hell, no!” She sank onto the pew as if her knees were suddenly weak.
    The buttons were gone, so he couldn’t keep his shirt closed, but he still donned the jacket. He folded the tie and leaned against the end of the pew. “Then what do you want from me?”
    Toni opened the diary again and retrieved another picture. In this one he was younger.
    Johnny studied the mixture of innocence and mischief in that youthful face. “What grade was I in here?”
    “That isn’t a picture of you, John. That’s my grandson.”

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

    K urt Miller followed the three limos as they departed downtown. His GPS was still on, but he was very aware that if he needed to make a hasty exit, he didn’t know this city at all.
    Based on the security the wærewolves had shown at the press conference, he made sure to keep back as much as he dared, yet, not knowing the city, he couldn’t lag behind too far or else he might lose them. Soon they were on West Fourteenth Street, and the limos gathered in the parking lot of the Pilgrim Congregational Church.
    He drove on by, made the first right, circled the block, then parked his Crown Victoria up the street and kept his distance. The brawny guard was marching away from the middle limo, and the Domn Lup entered the church door alone. The guard opened the door on the first limo and Toni climbed out. The guard raised his arm to gesture her into the church.
    Out of habit, Kurt reached for the old worn file stamped cold case on the passenger seat, opened it to a page for notes in the back, checked the time, and wrote:
    3:40 p.m. I witnessed Antonia Brown entering the Pilgrim Congregational Church of her own accord seconds after the man just named Domn Lup of the wærewolves entered.
    Using his BlackBerry, he accessed the internet and searched for images of the new Domn Lup. Flipping the page in the worn file to the picture of a very similar, youthful but untattooed face, he whispered, “Gotcha.”
    He noted the men around the building, guards, like wærewolf secret service. “But how do I actually getcha?”
    Sitting at the dining table in the combined living-dining room, Eris held seven cards. She laid them down, drew a card, and had to sort through them to put the right three together and make a spread.
    Playing cards had been Demeter’s idea, and Eris had agreed before she realized she wasn’t able to shuffle. Demeter had to shuffle for her, but she made Eris deal when it was her turn.
    Eris discarded, then maneuvered the four remaining cards into her grip again. Outside, the Slut’s rumble sounded. Lance was home from the college classes he attended at the Art Institute.
    Nana drew a card, laughed, laid down a three card spread and discarded. “Rummy.”
    “You win again.” Eris laid down her cards, glad it was over.
    Lance charged up the stairs, rattling them so they could be heard inside. The door opened. As soon as he entered, he noted that the television had the news on, reporting on the Domn Lup and showing Johnny’s picture. “The press conference is over. Why are they still going on about him?”
    Demeter answered, “A Domn Lup’s big news.”
    “We’re not wæres. Why do we even care?”
    Eris said, “Because he’s your sister’s boyfriend.”
    “Half sister,” he corrected.
    “Lance.”
    He groaned exasperatedly and stomped away. A second later, music blasted from his room.
    Embarrassed that he would act this way in front of his grandmother, Eris shoved the cards into a pile, disregarding that they weren’t all facing the same direction. “I pushed him hard. He’s way ahead of his peers, in college at only seventeen. Some days he doesn’t appreciate that.”
    Demeter sat back and propped her leg on the chair adjacent to her. “You abandoned Persephone—”
    Eris stood abruptly, her chair squealing on the floor. “Mom. Not now.”
    “If not now, when?”
    Eris stomped over and switched the television off. It was awkward working the remote with her left hand. I didn’t ask for this.
    “Never? If that’s your answer, that’s too late.”
    “Fine. You want to do this to me now? Have at it.” Eris flopped down on the couch. The force of the action resonated up into her sore shoulder and she tried to keep the pain from showing.
    “ That is exactly what I’m talking about.