CHAPTER 212

A pair of officers got out and approached, oblivious to the centaurs milling about them.

"Wow." One of the officers whistled appreciatively while looking at the house, then turned to look at Beth. "You must have thrown one hell of a party."

"Can I help you?" she asked.

The other officer cleared his throat. "Are you the homeowner, ma'am?"

"I live here. The owner is out, I'm not sure when he'll be back."

Or if he'll be back.

It was a terrifying thought, but Mike had been gone long enough that she was worried something had happened. It was an idea she would need to get used to.

She also didn't like the idea that the police might have come looking for Marco. After he had been definitively pronounced dead, the centaurs had agreed to bury him in the greenhouse where prying eyes would never find him. She hated the idea of the man just up and disappearing, but she couldn't think of a safer alternative. Faking a murder scene was definitely outside her skillset, and she didn't want to accidentally leave any evidence behind.

The officer pulled out a notepad from his pocket. "Nearly twenty calls last night about noise out here. Seven calls about some teen dressed as a goblin damaging property around the neighborhood that was seen coming out of your home by witnesses. Three calls about a guy dressed up as a skeleton peeping in people's bedroom windows. Also a woman dressed as a...fox?" He lifted his sunglasses to squint at the paper. "She apparently scared the pants off some kids at a local park, they said she threw snowballs at them...yeah, this one may be a prank call, there's no snow on the ground."

"Sure sounds like a lot of phone calls, officer." Beth raised her eyebrow. "Were you here because you wondered if I saw anything?"

"You were clearly having a party, and it was likely that they were your guests. This isn't the first noise complaint we've had out here." It was clear he was baiting her, hoping she would say something he could use.

"I can honestly say that I was here all night and saw no party. As for a goblin coming out of my house, we had a ton of trick or treaters last night, so I doubt that would hold up in court." Beth looked at the state of the home, then back at the police. Kisa had stopped what she was doing and was watching the scene below, and Tink's face had appeared briefly in the front window. "In fact, do you have any proof of this party?"

"We got calls," the officer said.

"Circumstantial at best. Did you send a cruiser by to verify? Otherwise, those sounds could have been from anywhere." Beth waved her hand at the home. "Besides, does this look like I'm cleaning up after a party?"

The first officer looked disgruntled, but the other one frowned. "Looks more like someone drove a car up into your yard and did some donuts. Lots of toilet paper everywhere. May have been that same goblin kid. Bunch of busted furniture in your yard, too."

Toilet paper? Beth looked at the house again, wondering how the geas was interpreting information for the two men standing in her yard. Was it creating illusions to hide away all of the cryptids out in the open? She was tempted to ask but felt like it was probably a bad idea.

"You sure you don't want to tell us anything?" The first officer was going for one last attempt, undoubtedly hoping she would give them a reason to stay.

"I'm not interested in answering questions. If that changes, we can wait for my attorney." Beth looked over at Lily, who had a look of innocence on her face, then over to Suly. Could they even see the dullahan? Even though the geas was hiding things, she wanted the cops gone. "Unless I'm being detained, officers, I have a mess to clean up."

The second officer mumbled an apology and moved toward the car, but the first one took a few steps toward the house and scanned the yard. This one was looking for an excuse to press his line of questioning, but Beth doubted he would find one.

"If you remember anything, you let us know." He sounded very disgruntled, and when they got back into the squad car, it was several minutes until they actually left.

"Well, you handled that all right," Lily said.

Beth nodded, then scowled at Tink, who ducked out of sight again. She had no idea what the goblin had actually gotten up to, but decided it was better if she never found out.

"Lass, a quick word." Suly reached into his pocket and pulled something out. In his hand was a glittering object that pulsed brightly, even in the morning's light. "I be picking this up after the shadow were defeated. I dinna be sure what it is, but 'tis certain I am that it be related to the Caretaker somehow."

"Is that a soul piece?" Beth watched as the tiny light flitted about, not properly visible to her eyes. It was almost like she had stared at a light for two long, only the spot kept moving.

"Holy shit," Lily muttered. "I think that might be a piece of Emily."

Beth looked at Lily, then back to Suly. "Is it?"

Suly shrugged. "I dinna be knowing her when she were alive, and there be not enough of the soul to tell fer sure and fer certain. Figured meself would be askin' Lord Mike when he returned what he be wanting to do with it. Or better yet, asking me sister."

"That's probably best." She turned to Lily, who was watching the fluttering soul piece with great interest. "Maybe you should tell Yuki? Maybe she can identify it."

Lily nodded, then went inside the house, undoubtedly headed for the backyard and the Underworld to find Yuki and bring her back. Beth was relieved to know that everyone would soon be home again. Well, everyone but Mike and Cecilia.