Poison Fruit

That earned me another gavel tap, this one a bit sterner.

“Withdrawn,” Dufreyne said smoothly, his voice back to normal. “No further questions, Your Honor.”

Double crap.

Of course, it was at that moment that the alarm sounded, and not a minute before, when it would have done the most good. A security officer entered the courtroom and spoke to the bailiff, who announced in a reassuring voice that everyone should gather their personal belongings and proceed to evacuate the building in an orderly fashion, using the staircases instead of the elevators.

“Light pass through me,” I whispered under my breath, uttering the words like a desperate prayer as I willed my aura to disperse to the four corners of the courtroom. “Gaze pass over me.”

The evacuation was quicker and more orderly than I’d expected. Judge Martingale exited through the door behind him into his chamber; everyone else filed toward the main exit. I held my breath and slouched low in my seat on the witness stand as Daniel Dufreyne cast a curious glance around the room, but his gaze didn’t linger on me, and he didn’t seem overly suspicious.

I didn’t want to take any chances, though. I waited until everyone’s back was turned before sliding out of my seat and squeezing through the narrow aperture between the box that housed the judge’s bench and the wall, fishing in my pockets for the wrapped charm and the square of mounting tape. With shaking hands, I peeled the backing off the double-sided tape, stuck the charm to the tape, and affixed it to the underside of Judge Martingale’s oversize leather desk chair.

Done.

I scrambled out from behind the judge’s bench and squeezed myself back through the gap so fast that I overbalanced and nearly took a header. The pouch of wolfsbane fell out of my bra in the process, causing me to lose my focus.

“Ma’am?” The security officer at the door beckoned politely. Forget invisibility; even unobtrusibility is impossible when you’re the only person left in the room and you’ve dropped your wolfsbane. “Everyone out, please.”

“Sorry, just dropped my coin purse.” Stooping, I grabbed the pouch and shoved it in my pocket, hoping like hell that the security officer hadn’t noticed me until it fell out of my bra.

Apparently, she hadn’t.

“This way,” she said. “Down the hall and to your left.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, I followed her instructions.

      Forty-four

Outside, we gathered in a parking lot across the street. Having left my coat in the witness waiting room, I wrapped my arms around myself in the cold, dank February air, shivering in nothing but trousers and a thin silk blouse.

Cody found me with my nice new red wool coat over one arm and fire in his eyes. “Here!” he hissed, shoving my coat at me. “Put it on. You’re freezing.” I didn’t argue. He waited until I’d buttoned the coat to grab me by the shoulders and shake me hard. “Are you out of your mind?” Even through the thick wool, Cody’s fingers dug into my flesh. “Tell me I did not just send a text message to trigger a bomb scare,” he said in a tone low enough that only I could hear him.

I winced. “Well . . .”

“Daisy!”

“I’m sorry!” I hissed back at him. “I needed a distraction. Anyway, what makes you think it was a bomb scare?”

“I’m a cop,” he said grimly. “Security guards tell cops things they don’t tell civilians, because we’re useful people to have on the scene.” He let go of me. “Did you at least accomplish . . . whatever you were trying to accomplish?”

“Yes.”

“Will it help?”

“I sure as hell hope so,” I said. “Because it’s not going well in there. Cody, Dufreyne knows that you and I tried to have the parade canceled. He’s claiming that the request came directly from Hel and that the board and council members backed the chief’s refusal. That’s how he’s putting blame on the local governments.”

“What?” Cody frowned. “None of them had any idea.”

“That’s what I said,” I said. “And he withdrew the question, but the damage was already done.”

“Well, I’ll just have to push back against it as hard as I can,” he said.

“Push back against what, son?” Chief Bryant inquired, approaching us with Stacey and Amanda trailing behind him. I explained. The chief shook his head. “That’s one decision I’d like to take back,” he said. “But you’re right—the blame for it rests squarely on our shoulders. I’ll do my damnedest to make it clear.” He glanced at Amanda Brooks. “And I hope you’ll do the same.”

She looked around nervously. “I don’t want to be accused of witness collaboration.”

The chief sighed. “Just tell the truth, Amanda. No one’s suggesting you perjure yourself. Word is we’re dismissed for the day,” he added. “Report back tomorrow at the same time unless you get a call instructing you otherwise.”

“Did they tell you why we were evacuated?” Amanda asked with a shiver.

“Bomb threat,” Chief Bryant said soberly, rubbing the pouchy skin beneath his left eye. “Apparently, the call originated in Abu Dhabi, and they’re taking it seriously. So go home and kiss your loved ones.” He clapped a hand on my shoulder. “See you here tomorrow.”

Abu Dhabi? Holy crap. I wasn’t sure whether to be impressed with Lee’s hacker connections or vaguely terrified. Both, maybe.