Part 16 (1/2)
”If we repeat it often enough, maybe we'll even believe it,” I said. ”Let's go.”
CHAPTER Seventeen
Ramirez's contact number went to a restaurant his family ran in eastern Los Angeles. I left a message with someone whose English sounded like a second or third language. It took Ramirez only about ten minutes to call me back.
”White Court?” my fellow Warden said. ”Can't think as I've heard anything about them lately, Harry.”
”How about a professional wizard investigator?” I asked him. ”Works out of Los Angeles.”
”Elaine Mallory?” he asked. ”Tall, pretty, smart, and nearly as charming as myself?”
”That's the one,” I said. ”What do you know about her?”
”Far as I know, she's straight,” he said. ”Moved to town five or six years ago, college in San Diego, and working for an investigative agency out here. She's got a decent grounding in thaumaturgy from somewhere, but when I ran her through the standard tests, she didn't score quite high enough to be considered for Council members.h.i.+p.” He was quiet for a second, before saying, in a tone of forced cheer, ”Unless we keep on losing people to the vamps, in which case I guess we might lower our standards.”
”Uh-huh,” I said. ”But you think she knows what she's doing?”
”Well,” Ramirez drawled, ”I hinted that she might want to advertise as something other than a 'wizard,' eventually. If we get the time to look away from the war, some hidebound dinosaur might take exception to someone claiming the t.i.tle.”
I snorted. ”Don't call me a dinosaur. It isn't fair to the dinosaurs. What did a dinosaur ever do to you?”
”Other than give me a ride right next to this big skinny lunatic? Mallory's not stupid, and she's done people some good out here,” Ramirez said. ”Lost kids, especially. Couple of exorcisms I wouldn't have had time to handle. Maybe she can be of some help to you. Though I've got one reservation about her.”
”What's that?” I asked.
”Her taste in men. I keep asking her out, and she's turned me down about a dozen times, now.”
”Shocking,” I said.
”I know,” Ramirez replied. ”Makes me wonder how smart she could really be. Why?”
I gave him the brief on what I knew about the murders, and on what Elaine had told me about the other cities.
”Someone's framing the Wardens,” he said.
”Looks that way. Sow seeds of distrust and all that.”
”Five cities. b.a.s.t.a.r.ds.” He paused to say something off the phone, and then told me, ”Hang on. I'm pulling the file on recent White Court reports.”
I waited a few more minutes. Then he came back and said, ”According to what we've heard out on this end, the White King has met with emissaries from the Council under a flag of truce, and declared a temporary cease-fire. He's agreed to approach the Reds about sitting down to negotiate an end to the war.”
”I've met him,” I said. ”Kissinger he ain't. Gandhi, neither.”
”Yeah. Sorta makes you wonder what he's getting out of the war ending, don't it.”
I grunted. ”There's not a lot of love lost between the Reds and the Whites. A cease-fire won't cost him anything. His people don't get involved in the messy stuff anyway.”
Ramirez let out a thoughtful hum. ”The way you tell it, looks like maybe not everybody in the White Court agrees with his take on the war.”
”They're pretty factional. Triumvirate of major houses. Raith happens to be on top right now. If Raith is pus.h.i.+ng for peace, it would be consistent for the other major houses to oppose it.”
”Gotta love those vampires. So arbitrarily contrary.”
”Say that five times fast,” I said.
He did, flawlessly, rolling the Rs as he went. ”See there?” he said. ”That's why the ladies love me.”
”It's not love, Carlos. It's pity.”
”As long as the pants come off,” he said cheerfully. Then his voice turned more sober. ”Dresden, I've been meaning to call you. Just... wanted to see how you were doing. You know. Since New Mexico.”
”I'm good,” I told him. ”I'm fine.”
”Uh-huh,” Ramirez said. He sounded skeptical.
”Listen,” I said. ”Forget New Mexico. I've forgotten it. We need to move on, focus on what's in front of us right now.”
”Sure,” he said, without conviction. ”You want to fill in the Captain or should I?”
”Go ahead.”
”Will do,” he said. ”You need any backup out there?”
”Why?” I asked. ”You got nothing to pay attention to where you are?”
He sighed. ”Yeah, well. All the same. If the Whites are trying to shut down the peace talks, I could pry a few of the boys loose to come help you boot some head.”
”Except I don't yet know whose head it is or how to boot it,” I said.
”I know. But if you need help, it's here.”
”Thanks.”
”Watch your a.s.s, Dresden,” he said.
”I'd tell you to do the same, but you probably gaze at your own a.s.s in admiration all the time anyway.”
”With an a.s.s like mine? Who wouldn't?” wouldn't?” Ramirez said. Ramirez said. ”Vaya con Dios.” ”Vaya con Dios.”
”Happy trails.”
I hung up the phone and leaned back in the chair, rubbing at my still-aching head. I closed my eyes and tried to think for a minute. I thought about how much my head hurt, which was nonproductive.