Technomancer (Unspeakable Things: Book One)

“Have you heard stories about fires?” I asked.
    “Fires?”
    “In rooms, maybe. People burning up mysteriously?”
    He nodded slowly. “Yeah. We’ve had a couple of cases like that. Sometimes we find scorch marks or little piles of ash. McKesson told me once it was something called
spontaneous combustion
, and that it probably meant the hotel had wiring problems. That guy is so full of shit.”
    “Scorch marks?” I asked. “Like the one in Jenna’s bathroom?”
    “Yeah. We thought, at first, when Mrs. Townsend claimed her husband had vanished, it was one of those events. Wewere even more worried when we learned McKesson was involved.”
    “Does McKesson have a good record of figuring these things out?” Jenna asked.
    Bernie laughed unpleasantly. “He’s got a
perfect
record. He
never
figures out a damned thing. At least, nothing that he ever shares with the rest of us.”
    Jenna didn’t look happy with that answer. I could understand why. She’d hoped the police were on her side and were going to help locate her lost Robert. As it appeared now, that was the furthest thing from anyone’s mind.
    “So when McKesson showed up, you knew you had one of those special cases, right?” I asked. “Did you suspect Rostok’s involvement right away?”
    Bernie shook his head. “No, not really. Your husband was nothing special to us, Mrs. Townsend. He didn’t do anything to make us notice him. When people had vanished before, they were always clear enemies of Rostok.”
    “So why did he do it this time?” I asked him.
    Bernie shook his head again. “I don’t think that he did anything. I think that’s why he let you go. He’s not sure what’s going on. He asked you to check around, didn’t he?”
    I nodded, but didn’t elaborate.
    We talked for a while longer, but that was all the ex-pit boss had for me. He really didn’t know all that much, but he had confirmed a number of my suspicions. I decided I needed to start talking to more members of the Community. They might be in a mood to cooperate now that I had further evidence someone was moving among their domains, stirring things up.
    After Bernie left, I told Jenna she couldn’t stay here any longer. She was easily convinced. One man showing up with a gun to steal her ring was one too many. I helped her packup her things. Tears glistened on her cheeks as she folded her wedding dress.
    “I was supposed to return this,” she said. “It’s a rental. But I haven’t been able to get myself to do it yet.”
    “We’ve got to find another place for you to stay.”
    “I know,” she said, “but it feels like I’m giving up on Robert.”
    “You aren’t. I’m not giving up on Tony either. I’m not giving up on any of them. I’m going to keep digging.”
    She hugged me, and I tried not to enjoy the feel of her body up against mine. I smelled the hotel shampoo in her hair.
    Before she let go of me, my phone rang in my pocket. She pulled away so I could answer. She went back to packing, but I could tell she was listening while I answered my cell.
    “Hello?” I said.
    “Draith?” It was Holly’s voice. “Come to my place—right now, will you? I need help.”
    “Um,” I hesitated. I glanced over at Jenna.
    “You need to leave, don’t you?” Jenna asked.
    “Who’s with you?” Holly asked in my ear. “Where are you, Draith?”
    “I’ll be right there,” I said to Holly. I hung up before she could say anything else.
    Jenna stared at me. Was there a new hurt in her eyes?
    “I’ve got to—” I began.
    “It’s all right,” Jenna said quickly. “Really. I understand—just go.”
    “I’ll be back. We have a lot to do together.”
    “I know you’ll come back,” she said.
    I left her then, feeling awkward. I considered leaving my gun with her, but I figured the odds were higher I would need it than she would.
    As I walked out, I could feel her eyes on my back, but I didn’t turn around.
    By the time I climbed out of the taxi and ran up the concrete steps to Holly’s apartment, it was too late. Her door was a kicked-in mass of splintered wood. I pulled out my gun.
    A woman backed out of the apartment, looking confused. I almost shot her, but managed to stop myself. She didn’t seem dangerous, just disoriented. She saw me and gave a little whooping cry of alarm.
    I slid the pistol back into my pocket, hoping she hadn’t seen it in the fading light, quickly checked the apartment, and came back out. The woman was leaning