I didn’t hear what he said next as I closed my eyes, beginning to laugh. I am the biggest fucking moron who has ever walked the earth. Yes, Kara, lots of cops drive dark-colored Crown Vics ...

“Kara? What’s so funny?”

You mean besides the fact that I’m an insecure idiot who needs to have a little more faith in her friends? “I think I know who he’s seeing.”

He raised an eyebrow at me in question.

“I, uh, was kinda bummed out last night and I was going to see if Jill was still awake and wanted ice cream. And, well, there was a Crown Vic in her driveway with government plates.”

A slow grin spread across his face. “Ho-ly shit. Zack and ...” He began to laugh.

“Oh, god, Zack and Jill.” I joined his laughter. But, does Jill know that Zack is ... isn’t human?

After a moment he managed to control himself. “That’s seriously funny.” Then he gave me a more concerned look. “If you were having a tough time, why didn’t you give me a call?”

“Well, um, for a second I actually thought that it was you at Jill’s house.” I tried to shrug and laugh it off. “I mean, it was only for a second, but y’know ... And, besides, I kinda needed some girl talk.” Wow, that sounded lame.

The look of shock on his face surprised me. “You thought that I would ... with Jill?” Pain and disappointment flashed across his features, then he looked away and gave a laugh that sounded oddly forced. “Jill’s not my type.”

“What is your type, Ryan?” I said it before I could stop myself.

His gaze snapped back to me, spearing me. I wanted to take back the question, but I couldn’t think of any way to do so that wouldn’t have me sounding like a complete moron. Did I want to know the answer? Only if it describes me, I thought in stupid adolescent hope.

We were saved by the sound of tires screeching on asphalt. We both spun to see a Crown Vic—a black one—bounce over the curb and screech to a stop. Zack practically leaped out of the car and approached us with a wide smile. I noted with amusement that he had stubble on his chin.

“Dude,” I said, shaking my head. “I know Jill’s house is small, but I’m sure she could spare some space in her bathroom for you to leave a razor.”

He stared at me in openmouthed shock for a heartbeat. “Are you a—” He stopped and then shifted his expression to a rueful grin. “Busted. Yeah, we’ve been seeing each other.”

“Did you go up a hill?” I asked innocently.

He looked at me with a blank expression.

“To fetch a pail of water?” Ryan finished, grinning.

Zack groaned. “You two are a couple of assholes.”

“It’s why you love us,” Ryan said, voice dry. “C’mon, let’s get food. Kara has a bunch of shit to fill us in on.”

We found a booth that was well away from any other customers. As soon as the waitress had taken our orders I filled them both in on the findings from the computer examinations, what I’d gleaned from Roger’s murder scene, and the interview with Lida.

Zack frowned and pulled a small notebook out of his pocket. “So, with Roger’s murder, we still have the possibility that Vic really was killed by mistake.”

I grimaced. “No, I’m having a hard time buying that. Vic Kerry is still linked to both Adam and Roger financially. I just have to pin down how. Besides, if the thing was going after Roger, why go to the City Towers where there was no guarantee that Roger would even be there?” I shrugged. “And for that matter, why go to City Towers if it was after Vic? Seems that there’d be more risk of it being seen.”

Ryan tapped the table absently. “Where did Vic live?”

“Emerald Heights condominiums.” I paused. “Which is gated and has security. Gold star to Ryan!”

He gave me a pleased nod. “Harder to get in, and surveillance video keeps track of cars coming and going.”

Zack exhaled. “Which brings up back to believing that Vic truly was the intended target of that attack.”

“I have all of Roger’s financial information. I sent off subpoenas for Vic’s and Adam’s but it’ll take weeks to get any returns from those. But I do have the info from Vic’s computer and the books we seized at the crime scene.” I tugged a hand through my hair, grimacing. “What I can’t figure out is how the attack on Lida figures into any of this. If the intent had been to kill her, why do it in such a public way?”

We paused while the waitress delivered our food. Ryan looked askance at my entrée. “You’re really having fries for lunch?”

“It’s not just fries,” I said. “It’s cheese and gravy on top of fries. Three of the four food groups!”

He stared at me. “What the hell is your cholesterol level?”

“It’s one!” I said, showing him my middle finger.

Zack grinned. “Don’t get between a woman and her comfort food, Ryan.”

I glared at him as I dug into my healthy repast. Was it that obvious I was in need of comfort food?

“Well, it looks like I’m in for an exciting evening of looking at financial information,” I said after a few minutes of lubricating my arteries. “And I think that the rest of the Financial Crimes Task Force really needs to be helping me out with this!” I gave them both a hopeful grin.

“Sounds dangerous,” Zack said with a mock frown. “I think it would be much safer for us to hunt wild golems. Perhaps somewhere on the other side of the lake.”

“Back off, fanboy,” I said, pointing a gravy-and-cheese-laden fry at him. “I’ve already spoken to the object of your crush—”

“It is not a crush!” he insisted.

“—and Lida is arranging for private security, so your stalking services aren’t needed.”

“You wound me. My intentions are noble.”

Ryan made a rude noise, then turned his attention to me. “So you warned her to watch her back?”

I nodded. “I told Roger to be careful, too, but ... it wasn’t enough.”

His face tightened in a sympathetic grimace.

“And you need to watch your back as well, Kara,” Zack said with a telling look.

Ryan spun to face me. “Why?” he asked, barely shy of demanding.

I glared at Zack, who gave a soft sigh. “I thought you’d told him already,” he said.

“Tell me what?” Ryan said, and this time it was most certainly a demand.

I struggled to control my desire to fidget. “There was another, um, strange thing after we left the search at Adam Taylor’s house.”

His eyes narrowed. “Strange? Like what? And what do you mean another?”

Zack gave me a sharp look. “You didn’t tell me it had happened before.”

The worry on Ryan’s face deepened. “What the fuck happened?”

I grimaced and rubbed my eyes. “Zack ... er, I think it was a summoning.”

Confusion flitted across Ryan’s face. “Another summoner was trying to bring a demon through? Where? But it’s not a full moon. I don’t understand.”

“No. A summoning of me.”

He stared at me for several heartbeats, then the color drained from his face. “Summoning to bring you to the demon realm.”

I shrugged, trying to be casual about it, but it was a pretty pathetic effort. “Well, I can’t be certain of that, but that’s the most logical conclusion.”

He clenched and unclenched his hands. “And this has happened twice, and you didn’t think this was something you needed to tell me.” It wasn’t a question.

I fumbled for a response. “No. I mean, yes. I knew you’d get upset, and it’s not like there’s anything that you could do—” Shit.

I knew I’d fucked up the instant the words were out of my mouth. His lips pressed together and he stood abruptly, jostling the table and nearly spilling the drinks. He was out the back door before I could do more than grab for my Diet Coke.

I stared after him, shocked at the depth of his reaction, and cursing myself at my own callousness. Fucking shit, Kara. Why don’t you just ask him to hand you his balls?

“Go to him,” Zack said quietly. I hesitated, then pushed up from the table and went after him.