Terribles car, a black 1969 BT Chevelle, waited for them in the circle of pale yellow cast by one of the few working streetlights. Waited being the operative word. To Chess, the car always seemed ready to leap from its resting place, ready to start mowing down pedestrians just because it could.
But it didnt. It stayed silent and still while Terrible opened the door for her, closed it behind her, and got in on the drivers side.
On their way to the fire, to theWait. The one on Sixtieth? Didnt you say nobodys in that one, Bumps doing something else with it?
Aye. The car plowed away from the curb in a squeal of rubber. Were thinkin on makin it storing rooms, dig, gettin other shit done there too. Figured on setting a new room a block up.
So no one died. The tightness in her chest eased a bit.
Naw. Least not what Bernam say. Maybe one or two in there, aint can say certain. But nobody ought, leastaways.
Good.
He glanced at her, swinging the heavy car right, north on Sixtieth. Aye, cepting, how Slobag knew nobody in there?
If the rooms closed
Aint hardly nobody got that knowledge, though. Nobody been told. Just let em know tonight, first night it shut down.
Maybe he didnt know. Maybe he didnt care who he killed.
Terrible snorted. Still a fuck of a chance.
She sat for a few seconds watching his profile before finally resting a hesitant hand on his thigh, not sure it was welcome. Not sure if she should say anything. Anger still hovered around him, filled the car and tried to find a way into her body. She felt it like icy fingers sliding over her skin.
Not much she could do when he was in that kind of mood, at least not in the car on the way to check the wreckage.
Not to mention he hadnt said anything. She didnt know if he was thinking it, if hed thought of it. But he probably had.
If Slobag had some sort of inside information about Bumps operations, he had to be getting that information from somewhere. And there she was, the one person Terrible knew for a fact had been in Slobags pocket; or to put it more bluntly, Terrible knew shed been in Slobags sons bed, for months. Knew she still talked to him.
How long before she became a suspect?
Chapter Three
Because they had no unified rule, they had no peace. Peace in the world can only be found through the Church, just as peace of the soul can only be found through the Church.
AHistoryoftheOldGovernment, 16201800, from the Introduction by the Grand Elder
The last vestiges of the cheer shed managed to find at Tricksters evaporated. It wouldnt be long. Hed think of it. Hed wonder.
And she couldnt blame him. What was she supposed to do, get all pissed and indignant because he didnt trust her? Why the hell should he trust her? Hed trusted her before and shed paid him back by fucking his enemy. Hed be stupid not to wonder about her now.
That sucked. But it was true.
Their destination wasnt difficult to spot. The Chevelle growled up Sixtieth, chasing the orange glow of the flames ahead. A fire indeed. The building had simply disappeared. In its place a set of half walls created a bowl of fire, surrounded by curious onlookers standing too close even though it was spring. A few of them held out sticks with various animal parts on the ends; free fire shouldnt be wasted.
Chunks of cement littered the pavement, more and more of them as the Chevelle approached the scene, until finally Terrible had to park because there were too many of them to avoid. Broken glass sparkled under their feet.
Against the angry flames, Bumps profile stood like a pimp-shaped inkspot, his hat brim ostentatiously wide, his cape moving in the breeze. Even at a distance she could see how pissed he was, just from the way he held his shoulders.
The closer they got the more obvious his anger got. He glowered at the fire, glowered at Terrible, glowered at her. You finding they, Terrible, yay? Fuckin make they dead.
It wasnt much of a greeting, but she supposed it could be excused under the circumstances. Hell, even if they werent standing in front of what was probably half a million dollars or so on fire, it could be excused; it would have to be excused. No matter who she slept with, no matter who she still couldnt believe she was lucky enough to sleep with, the fact was that at its base her relationshipsuch as it waswith Bump entailed the biggest power imbalance possible. She was a junkie. He was her dealer.
In other words, he got to say whatever he wanted to her, do whatever he wanted to her, treat her like less than nothing, and she got to take it without resistance if she wanted to keep getting her pills. Which she did.
He glanced at her now. Ay, Ladybird. Aint fuckin supposing you witchy skills fuckin find they done it.
She shook her head. Sorry sat on the tip of her tongue; she swallowed it. Not the sort of thing I can do, no.
But you got them fuckin snooping skills, yay? Do you findin out things, on you fuckin cases or what-the-fuck them is you doin.
Shit. Usually the problem she had with people knowing her job was that they thought she could wave her hand and make things disappear or whatever; now she had Bump obviously thinking she was some sort of Sherlock Holmes or something and could just pop in and find out whoof the hundreds, even thousands, of possible suspectshad spied, had set this up.
If she had a choice well, shed probably still say yes, because this affected Terribles life, and that made it something she needed to do. But she didnt have a choice anyway.
Ill try. She shifted her weight, hoped she didnt look as uncomfortable as she felt. But really, I dont know any of the people involved, so I dont really see what I can do.
Aw, nay, aint you fuckin count youself short. Got them fuckin brains hidin in you head, yay? You use em for Bump. Use em for Terrible, yay? Got the thinkin you catch this one straightup fast, yay, fuckin straightup. What fuckin happening if them get Terrible afore you fuckin get the finding? Thinkin you aint fuckin liking that.
No, she certainly wasnt fucking liking that. Did he not realize that was why shed agreed to help out?
Shed known it was a mistake to tell Bump what was happening between them, what had happened. Being right usually felt a lot better than it did at that moment. This night was just going from shitty to shittier, wasnt it?
Ill do whatever I can.
Bump gave her a slow, fluid sort of nod, the kind that told her hed known all along that she would do it, and how hed get her to do it. Damn him. He wasnt stupid; no one got to be lord of the streets west of Forty-thirdalmost all of Downsidewithout being smart, tough, and fast, and of course utterly ruthless. Bump was all of those, with a greasy layer of sleaze smoothed on top like rancid frosting covering a moldy cake.
He leaned back on his gold-tipped cane, crossed one ankle in its furry boot over the other. Somehow even standing on the street across from a burning building he managed to look as if he was lounging around his horrendous living room, perfectly relaxed, lord of his tacky pornography empire.
Nobody in, aye? Terrible asked. He stepped closer to her; just half a step, really, nothing anyone would notice, but she did, and it helped.
Nay, aint none people in there, when it fuckin go. Only our fuckin supplies, yay? Fuckin only half got out, fore it blowin the fuck up. He leered at her. Too fuckin bad, yay? Got less smoke now, price goin up, Bump gots the guessing on. Course, could be you aint gotta get the fuckin raise, you helping Bump out, get what we needing done up, yay?
She didnt answer him. Would not. He didnt deserve an answer.
Instead, she watched the fire, watched Terribles profile silhouetted by it and the way it cast changing golden light on everything. Downside looked almost wholesome with the flames dancing in their enormous makeshift firecan; the delicate changing light softened the sharp edges, bleached out the blood and needles and filth, the passed-out bodies and pockmarked walls and broken streets. The fire smoothed it all over, made it look almost normal.
Funny, shed never noticed that before. But then shed never paid this much attention to a fire before, at least not one she wasnt inside. Burning buildings were as common an occurrence in Downside as muggings and beatings; they no longer attracted much attention, save from scavengers looking for something to snatch from the wreckage.
After the fire finally died theyd swarm, looking for every scrap of metal, every piece of furniture, every smoke-damaged pipe. And of course, any lumps of Dream that might have survived. The thought pinched her heart. She could use a visit to the pipes just then. It would be nice to forget Bumps beady eyes, his dismissal of her, the confidence with which he used her.
But that was the price she paid, and she knew that. So she squared her shoulders. You dont have any idea who could have told? Who knew the place would be empty?
Terrible an meself, coursen. An a some they others. They needed for fuckin clearin up, dig, movin fuckin furniture. Movin them fuckin Dream out, yay. They Bump gots fuckin trust for.
So who could they have told?
Bump shrugged. Aint shoulda given none the fuckin tell, yay? Bumps business Bumps own fuckin business. Aint for nobody givin out.
Well, clearly someone you trust isnt really someone you should be trusting, she said without thinking, and regretted it when Terrible glanced at her. He did it fast, just a quick cut of his eyes in her direction and then away again, but she saw it. She felt it.
It was starting already. She wished she could say she was surprised, wished she hadnt been waiting for it, expecting it the way she expected rain from black clouds overhead. Nothing in the world was permanent, especially not happiness.
Shed always known that. She just wished life would stop proving her right.
Chapter Four
Duty to the self can only be served after duty to the Church. It is right and proper that the Church come first.
TheBookofTruth, Laws, Article 217
That thought, and the feeling of doom it created in the pit of her stomach, burning a hole into her soul, stayed with her as she walked into Elder Griffins office the next morning. Most cases were given out on Wednesdays, and she could use a new case. Sure, shed made a good chunk of cash on her last oneand almost been killed a few times to earn itbut after a new car, couch, and some clothes, a weekend at the pipes and another in a hotel in Northside with Terrible, her bank account still looked good, but not as good as she would have liked.
Besides, seeing Elder Griffin made her feel better, as much as she could. And she could use it. Shed ended up home in her own bed, alone, because Terrible and Bump had things to talk about, things to do, people to beat downso she assumedand he didnt know how long it would be. Shed left her kitchen light on hoping hed come over when he was done, but he hadnt. Hed texted around six to say he was just going back to his place because it was closer. She really, really wanted to believe that.
It grew so exhausting waiting for the other shoe to drop that she wondered if she wasnt trying to make it fall already. Sometimes, even, she almost wanted to tell him to just end it and get it over with. But she couldnt. Just the thought of it No. She couldnt.
Elder Griffin stood up to answer her quiet knock, to greet her as she pushed the already unlatched door open and slipped inside. Good morrow, Cesaria. How fare thee?
She dipped into a quick, automatic curtsy. Very well, sir. How are you?
He smiled, his blue eyes kind. And happy. He looked yeah, happy. Not happy like he usually looked. Extra happy. Excellent, my dear. Come, sit down.
She followed him back to his broad, shiny wood desk, situated right in front of the window covered with sheers. Through that gauzy, barely-there fabric the side lawn of the building glowed with the green of early spring while the trees showed off their new leaves. Everything new. Everything except her. She hated spring.
She sat in the leather chair opposite, some of her tensionthe tension even four Cepts hadnt managed to chase completely awayfading. It would never totally disappear, no matter what she did or what she took. But it faded a little. Just the sight of the room, the skulls on the shelves, the jars full of herbs and potions, the television mounted high on the wall behind her with the sound muted, felt safe. The way the building felt safe. The first place that had ever been a home to her, the place where her entire life changed.
Im pleased youve come, he said, folding his hands on the desk. I have a few things to discuss with thee, if I may. My trust in you and your discretion is absolute, my dear, which is why I chose you.
Uh-oh. Chose me for what?
A sensitive case. And a sensitive issue Id like to discuss with you.
Double uh-oh. Elder Griffin, I really appreciate it, but I dont think Im ready to be Bound again. Its
Oh, no, no. I apologize. I surely did not mean to make you think twould be so strict. No, I merely wanted to discuss something with you of a morea more personal nature.
Her brow furrowed. What personal issues could he possibly have to discuss with her? Sure, he liked her. She knew that. Knew she was probably his favorite out of all the Debunkers he worked with. Certainly hed always been her staunchest supporter.
But they never talked about personal things. Not like that. Is everything okay, sir?
Oh, of course, of course. All is perfectly well. He gave her a quick smile, then looked down at his hands, the smile fading. I am certain you know the Grand Elder has decided to step down.
Yes. Im sorry to hear it. Actually she couldnt give a fuck. Shed never particularly liked the Grand Elder, always found him far too hale-n-hearty and far too little actual thinking-n-caring. But even she had to admit that his reasons for leaving were sad: the Lamaruan anti-Church terrorist organizationhad murdered his daughter and sent one of their own people in with the strongest glamour anyone had ever seen. Strong enough to make the girl look just like his child.
And shed fooled him. Chess suspected that was what did itnot just that his daughter was dead, but that hed spent a week with her killer, taking her to dinner, chatting with her in his office, touching her, hugging her. And he hadnt known.