Part 15 (1/2)

The butler coughed once, in what may have been a laugh a few decades and a few thousand packets of cigarettes ago. ”Mr. Grinchley is always in, Inspector. Mr. Grinchley hasn't left his home in nearly fourteen years.”

Pete blinked at him, words failing. ”Well,” she said finally. ”Then it will be convenient for me to speak with him.”

”I doubt it, miss,” said the butler. He took an old-fas.h.i.+oned iron ring from the pocket of his coat and unlocked the double front doors with a skeleton key. ”Mr. Grinchley hates being disturbed.”

Pete mounted the steps after him, putting on her brightest official smile. ”I promise not to be a bother.”

The butler grunted and stepped aside to let her in. ”Police are always a bother, miss. Usually, they make appointments. Out of respect for Mr. Grinchley's status in the community.”

”No offense meant,” said Pete, ”but Mr. Grinchley's status status is exactly why I came here.” She stepped over the threshold and extended the bags, but before the butler relieved her, pain hit like an iron pipe across her skull. is exactly why I came here.” She stepped over the threshold and extended the bags, but before the butler relieved her, pain hit like an iron pipe across her skull.

Pete dropped to her knees on the Persian carpet in the front hall, head bulging with agony. It was as though everything she felt and heard, all those little inklings of magic that she tried to push away, were hugely amplified and splitting her forehead apart.

A pair of black leather driving shoes drifted into her field of view, rapidly blurring as she clutched her head, trying to shut out the avalanche of whispers, the sheer pressure of power causing a trickle of blood from her right nostril.

”Those are my home's protection hexes,” said Travis Grinchley. ”Designed to keep out unfriendly persons and things.”

”I know what a protection hex is,” Pete ground out.

One of the shoes, smelling of hide and polish, went under her chin and lifted Pete's face to gaze into Grinchley's. He wore spectacles and had the jaw of a matinee idol. ”Interesting. I must say, you don't look terribly unfriendly, miss. Does she look unfriendly to you, Perkins?”

”The inspector asked to speak to you on a matter of some import,” said Perkins. ”And I got your curry for tea, sir.”

Grinchley shoved his spectacles up his nose and reex-amined Pete. ”An inspector. Goodness. A vast improvement over the last clod the local constabulary sent out.” He smiled, lips closed, stretched and bloodless. ”In that case, Inspector& do come in.”

The scream of feedback in her head ceased immediately, and Pete went on all fours, feeling sweat along her back sting the scratches left by the bansidhe. ”Are you this hospitable with all of your visitors, Mr. Grinchley?”

He took her hand, laid a kiss that crawled along her skin on the back of it, and helped her to her feet. ”Only with lovely ones.”

Pete took her hand away too quickly and shoved it into her pocket. ”Is there somewhere we can talk in private?”

Grinchley's eyes glittered darkly. ”Of course. Perkins, bring in a tray when the tea's ready.”

Perkins inclined his head and shuffled away like the macabre monster given life. ”That makes you the mad doctor, then,” Pete whispered at Grinchley's back as he led her into his study. A fire burned in the grate, gas whoos.h.i.+ng in the closed s.p.a.ce, heating the low-ceilinged room to incubatory temperatures. Grinchley kept his curtains drawn. They could be anywhere, in any time or place. Pete felt her skin dance with chill despite the fire.

”Something stronger than tea?” Grinchley held up a crystal decanter and a cut gla.s.s.

”I'm on duty,” Pete lied. Grinchley poured himself a tipple.

”Pity.” He swirled the whisky and swallowed. All he needs is a b.l.o.o.d.y monocle and tailcoat All he needs is a b.l.o.o.d.y monocle and tailcoat, Pete thought. ”What did you want to speak with me about, Inspector?” said Grinchley. ”I can hardly have witnessed a crime or been privy to confidential information. As you can see.” He gestured at the dark oak bookshelves filled with artifacts and leather tomes. Jars and animal skulls shone in the firelight. ”I'm quite comfortable within my four walls.”

”I'll be blunt,” said Pete, turning her back on the rows of curiosities. ”Four children have been s.n.a.t.c.hed in the past three weeks. Three have turned up blinded and traumatized beyond speech. The fourth is still missing.” She pulled Margaret's picture from the pocket of her jacket and thrust it at Grinchley, who took a disdainful step back. ”This child is ten years old, Mr. Grinchley. A close friend of mine believes you have the means to a.s.sist in finding her.”

Grinchley frowned, a studied gesture with just the right crinkling of skin between his eyes and thoughtful concern twisting his mouth. Pete saw it thenthe flatness behind Grinchley's blandly handsome face. Jack did something similar when he lied, but the difference was that Jack did did feel, underneath his calculated masks. Grinchley was simply empty. feel, underneath his calculated masks. Grinchley was simply empty.

”You know what a protection hex is and you haven't asked me about anything in my collection that would indicate your unfamiliarity with the arcane, so I can hardly play innocent, Inspector. How can I help with your esoteric problem?” Grinchley inclined his head.

”Your Trifold Focus,” said Pete. ”Give it to me.”

Just for a moment, Grinchley tensed, the lines around his eyes growing darker. Then he smiled again, easy and predatory. ”Why, Inspector. Someone's been telling you tales. I'm a collector, it's true, but I don't possess anything on the magnitude of that that particular item. I can only wish.” particular item. I can only wish.”

”Leave out the act, Grinchley,” Pete snapped. ”Unlike you, my friend isn't a liar& not about things of this nature, anyway. You have it.”

”Your friend friend should check his sources,” Grinchley said, his smile fleeing. He downed the last of the tumbler and slammed it on his desk. ”Now I believe I've accommodated you long enough, Inspector. Please leave.” should check his sources,” Grinchley said, his smile fleeing. He downed the last of the tumbler and slammed it on his desk. ”Now I believe I've accommodated you long enough, Inspector. Please leave.”

Pete breathed in, and out. Margaret Margaret, she reminded herself. ”No,” she said.

Grinchley froze, his face twisting into a thunderous frown. ”No? Inspector, I can a.s.sure you that contradicting me is a very stupid move. Did your friend tell you that as well?”

”Give me the Focus and I'll leave,” said Pete, calm as if she were ordering a pint. At the base of her spine, fear uncoiled and crawled upward. ”I'm quite serious about this, Grinchley.”

He crossed the s.p.a.ce between them so quickly Pete barely saw his shadow, gripping her by the shoulders and pus.h.i.+ng her against the nearest set of bookcases. The jars and lacquer boxes rattled over Pete's head as her skull slammed into the edge of the shelf. ”What does a pretty, simple girl like you want a Trifold Focus for, hmm?” Grinchley murmured. ”Such a unique item would only be of use to a sorcerer, or a cheap mage with delusions of power. So which is your friend friend, Inspector? Is he a true student of the blacker arts, or is he a pathetic conjure-man on the street corner with cards up his sleeve, dreaming of a power he cannot hold?”

”He's the type that would melt flesh off your bones for that insult,” Pete choked. She wrapped her hand around Grinchley's wrist, which felt like a slender tree trunk, and exerted the pressure points. Grinchley grunted, lips peeling back from his teeth.

”You fight. Stirring effort, but it won't help you.” He lifted his other hand to touch Pete's cheek. ”I'm not surprised he picked youthe worthless mage. Beautiful, not too delicate, but easily broken by terror or sorrow.” His eyes blazed, like Jack's, but their fire was gold and terrible as an angel falling in flames. ”Someday he planned it, of that I'm sure. He wants to shatter you, Inspector. Pity I got there first.” He reached over Pete's head and brought out a length of rotted and frayed rope. With a flick, he wrapped it around her neck.

”The Dead Man's Snare,” Grinchley murmured, reverently as any curator. Pete choked as the smelly thing contracted of its own will, wrapping around her neck so tightly she felt instant bruises on the flesh beneath.

”This particular specimen was collected and cursed at Tyburn, after its length had stretched thirteen murderous b.a.s.t.a.r.ds on the hanging tree.”

The rope grew and grew, rewrapping itself around Pete's neck each time, twisting a hangman's knot. She tried to shove her fingers under the moldy cord, but to no avail. Black started to creep around the edges of her vision.

”It still hungers, Inspector,” Grichley said, stroking her face. ”And the more you fight, the l.u.s.tier it will be. So by all means, dance. Dance the dead man's jig. Every movement you make prolongs your death.”

”How will you& explain& killing& a police officer?” Pete managed. Grinchley raised one shoulder.

”It wouldn't be the first time someone in a position of authority has come sniffing at my collection. I deal with the most faithful and esteemed servants of the Black, Inspector. I am discreet.”

She wasn't getting out of this with mere talk, then, and the blasted rope was so tight she could barely speak. You'll know when the time for talk is past You'll know when the time for talk is past, Connor said. You'll know it and you'd better take swift action, girl, lest you want to end life dirty and b.l.o.o.d.y and broken You'll know it and you'd better take swift action, girl, lest you want to end life dirty and b.l.o.o.d.y and broken.

Pete drew up her knee and with the last of her air planted a kick squarely between Grinchley's legs. He moaned and doubled over, and Pete reached out and swiped what looked like a bone-handled athame from a low display. She shoved it between her flesh and the Dead Man's Snare, and the ancient strands parted, recoiling from the metal and freeing her air.

”All right, Grinchley,” she said. Her voice was barely a whisper. She touched her throat and the flesh was tender and rigid with forming bruises. ”Get over behind the desk.”

The skin of an affable older gentleman had slipped away entirely and Grinchley staggered to the desk under her guidance. He was lumpy and ill formed, like a golem, and his eyes and teeth glittered in the low light. Pete knew this was what Grinchley's last thief must have seen, just before he ended his nightmare in the Thames.

She tucked the snare into her back pocket, and then unplugged the telephone and tossed the cord to Grinchley. ”Tie your legs, and use a real knot.”

”You really think you can do anything, command command anything of me?” Grinchley hissed. ”My magic will tear you limb from limb and then” anything of me?” Grinchley hissed. ”My magic will tear you limb from limb and then”

”Firstly,” said Pete as she pulled out the cord of a lamp and tied Grinchley's arms behind him. ”If there's one thing I've learned in the past week it's that real mages don't ramble on, they just do it.” She secured the knot with a tug. ”If you had magic other than tawdry rope tricks, you would have used used it, you silly git.” it, you silly git.”

Grinchley started to spit invectives, but Pete picked up a wadded message slip from his desk and stuck it in his mouth. ”Secondly, I'm leaving here with the Trifold Focus, and I am out of time to f.u.c.k about with you, Grinchley, so either tell me where you keep it or I start slicing.” She raised the knife and let it catch the light of the fireplace.

After a long moment of staring into her eyes, Grinchley grunted and spat out the paper. ”You're made of less breakable porcelain than it appears at first glance, Inspector.”

”Lucky, lucky me. Where's the Focus?” said Pete, keeping her voice flat. All she needed to hurt Grinchley, to bleed him, was contained in the memory of Bridget Killi-gan, of the bleeding tracks in Jack's skin, and the invisible pressure of a Fate measuring off the last moments of Margaret Smythe's existence. But she'd let the threat do the work unless he pressed her. She was still the detective inspector, not a thug.

”The Focus is in my vault room.” Grinchley sighed. ”In the cellar, at the back of the house.”