Dark Wolf (Spirit Wild) - By Kate Douglas Page 0,4
and shook her hand. “It’s good to see you, Jill.” Then she nodded toward the group of reporters gathered just outside the restaurant. “I was hoping they were here for you, not me. It’s been awhile since I’ve run a gauntlet like that.”
Mayor Jill Bradley shook her head as she reached for the menu. “It’s the killings, Lily. We’re doing everything we can to keep a lid on things, but . . .”
“I know.” Sighing, Lily reached for her own menu. “I heard from Alex Aragat, our pack’s law enforcement liaison in Montana. People are scared, and I can’t blame them. My father’s got every available resource working on this from our angle.”
Jill shook her head. “My gut feeling is that it’s not a Chanku killing these girls. I think someone’s trying to raise public anger against shifters.”
Lily had to agree. “Dad feels the same way, but until this guy is stopped . . .”
“Or they. DNA is inconclusive, but I’ve been told it points to more than one perp. Wolves, definitely, but possibly more than one human committing the rapes.”
Crap. “They’ve narrowed it down to wolves?”
“Yes. We’re keeping a lid on that info.” Jill spread her hands in a helpless gesture. “Your people are catching enough flak as it is.”
“No kidding. Is it a single male? If a woman had consensual sex before the attack, it could explain more than one.”
Jill nodded. “There’s one consistent set, a few variables. That’s the conclusion. For now.”
The waitress reached their table before Lily could respond. Jill set her menu down to place her order; Lily closed hers and studied the mayor. Jill Bradley had held her post for almost five years now, and her popularity had yet to wane. She’d become a good friend and a powerful ally, a woman Lily would have liked and admired even if she hadn’t been the mayor.
It never hurt to have friends in high places. Smart friends. The fact that she had already considered what Lily figured was happening was a good sign. She glanced up and realized the waitress was waiting patiently for her order.
“Hamburger. Rare.” Lily smiled at the waitress, waiting for the admonition that rare beef wasn’t safe. Instead, she got a saucy wink. “You got it. Be back in a minute with your wine.”
“Did we order wine?”
Jill laughed. “It’s on me. I figured you could use a glass about now. I know I sure can. Let’s discuss the reception and your father’s generous donation. The other topic is too frustrating when we don’t have any answers.”
“I agree. I think we’re being set up, but I’m not sure it’s more than one person.”
Jill’s dark brows drew down. “You’ll let me know if you learn anything to substantiate that, won’t you?”
“Of course. I mentioned Alex Aragat, our pack liaison with law enforcement in Kalispell. He’s working on a couple of things, but at this point it’s all supposition.”
The waitress reached the table and opened a bottle of wine. She poured a taste for the mayor, who sipped and quickly agreed.
“I’ll have your meals in a few minutes. Enjoy.” Smiling, the young woman moved on to another table.
Lily tipped her glass in a toast to her friend. “Here’s to the new wing at the museum. I saw it this weekend. It’s turned out beautifully.”
“Thanks to your father’s generosity.”
Lily dipped her head, acknowledging the mayor’s comment. Anton Cheval, via Chanku Global Industries and its subsidiary, Cheval International, had become a generous benefactor over the years, and Jill Bradley’s status as mayor had benefited greatly from his many gifts to the city during her administration.
“Consorting with the local fauna, Mayor Bradley?”
Lily fought the urge to spin around and glare. Instead, she sat perfectly still, outwardly calm and relaxed, though she raised one eyebrow at the mayor. Jill set her wine on the table and glowered at the man beyond Lily’s shoulder.
“There’s no call for such rude behavior, Aldo. You’re interrupting a private lunch.”
Lily slowly turned in her chair, at a disadvantage to the tall, elegant man standing much too close behind her for comfort. The hairs along her spine rose and she bit back a growl. She’d never met Aldo Xenakis in person, but the man was on the news often enough. Lately he’d made a point of baiting Chanku shapeshifters, and Lily Cheval in particular. She recognized him immediately.
Shoving her chair back, she stood while privately enjoying the satisfaction of watching him back up when he realized she met him at eye level. “Ah, Mr. Xenakis.