Skin Game
Page 28
They have files on money guys? I asked.
Theyve been buying information left and right for the past couple of years, Valmont said. Throwing a lot of money around. Its been a real sellers market.
What do you mean?
Everyones buying, Valmont said. Fomor, White Court, Venatori, Svartalves, every paranormal crew who isnt trying to keep a low profile. Thats why I ran this jobits the third one this month. You want to make some fast money, Dresden, and know some juicy secrets, I can put you in touch with some serious buyers.
I blinked at that information. Since when have you been all savvy on the supernatural scene?
Since monsters killed my two best friends. She shrugged a shoulder. I made it my business to learn. I was sort of startled how easy it was. No one really seems to spend all that much effort truly hiding from humanity.
Theres no need to, I said. Most people dont want to know, wouldnt believe it if you showed them.
So Ive realized, Valmont said.
Why him? Karrin asked. Whats Nicodemuss interest?
I pursed my lips and sucked in my breath through my teeth thoughtfully. Access, I said. Gotta be.
What do you mean?
I held up Harveys picture. This guy can get us something that no one else can. Its the only thing that makes sense.
Whose money does he handle? Karrin asked.
I scanned the file. Um . . . theres a client list here. Individuals, businesses, estates, trusts. Most of it is just numbers, or has question marks. Several of them are listed as unknown.
Pretty standard, Valmont said. Guys like that operate at high levels of discretion. What has Nicodemus told you about this job?
The final objective, and you, I said. None of the steps in between.
Keeping you in the dark, she said. Keeps the carrot in your mind, but makes it harder for you to betray him if you arent sure what comes next.
Jerk, I muttered. So we dont know what Nicodemus has in mind yet, but I bet you anything that Harvey here is step two.
Makes sense, Karrin said.
All right, I said. No details to any of the Chicago crew, okay? Were playing pretty serious hardball. If word of this leaks, it could reflect on Mab badly, and that could get a little crucifixiony for me.
Karrin grimaced. So you also want to keep them in the dark and give them information on an as-needed, step-by-step basis?
Dont want to, I said. Needto. The irony is not lost on me, but like I said, Im playing this one kind of close to the chest.
I closed my eyes again and checked on my body. The same feelings of vague discomfort and weariness seemed to permeate my limbs, and a faint twinge of what might have been the beginnings of a muscle cramp tugged at my back. The silver stud in my ear continued to weigh a little too much, and to pulse with cold at the very edge of comfort.
A gut instinct told me that Mabs little painkiller wasnt actually helping me, except to hide the pain I would otherwise be feeling. Id poured out a lot of energy into just a couple of spells back at the hotel, and doing it without my tools had been hard work. Id been forced to draw upon the Winter mantle just to keep the pace I needed to stay alive. There wasnt any hard information on how the mantle would interact with my abilities, since to the best of my knowledge there had never been a Winter Knight with a wizards skills beforebut I was pretty sure that the more I leaned on that cold, dark power, the more comfortable I would get in doing so, and the more potential it would have to change who and what I was.
Whatever was in my head was close to killing me. I suddenly felt all but sure that Mabs gift had two edges. Yes, it made me feel well enough to run around getting in dangerbut it also left me weak enough to need the Winter mantle now more than ever. It was probably her way of telling me I needed to employ it more.
But sooner or later, doing that would change me, the way it had changed everyone who had come before me.
If it hadnt changed me already.
I felt scared.
After a long moment of silence, Karrin said, Well do it your way for now. Lets go on in.
I forced myself to shake off the dark thoughts and the fear that went with them. You got my stuff? I asked.
Trunk.
I got out and slogged over to the town cars trunk. I got my duffel bag and staff out of it, and slung the reassuring weight of my duster over my shoulder to don once I got patched up and into some comfortable clothing. Maybe I would sleep in it.
It had been that kind of day.
* * *
I stopped inside Karrins kitchen, on the tile floor, so that I wouldnt get blood on the carpet, and found Waldo Butters waiting for me.
Butters was a scrawny little guy in his midforties, though from his build you could mistake him for someone a lot younger. He had a shock of black hair that never combed into anything like order, a slender beak of a nose, glasses, and long, elegant fingers.
Harry, he said when I came in, offering me his hand. We have got to stop meeting like this.
I traded grips with him and grinned tiredly. Yeah, or Ill never be able to pay your bill.
Theyve been buying information left and right for the past couple of years, Valmont said. Throwing a lot of money around. Its been a real sellers market.
What do you mean?
Everyones buying, Valmont said. Fomor, White Court, Venatori, Svartalves, every paranormal crew who isnt trying to keep a low profile. Thats why I ran this jobits the third one this month. You want to make some fast money, Dresden, and know some juicy secrets, I can put you in touch with some serious buyers.
I blinked at that information. Since when have you been all savvy on the supernatural scene?
Since monsters killed my two best friends. She shrugged a shoulder. I made it my business to learn. I was sort of startled how easy it was. No one really seems to spend all that much effort truly hiding from humanity.
Theres no need to, I said. Most people dont want to know, wouldnt believe it if you showed them.
So Ive realized, Valmont said.
Why him? Karrin asked. Whats Nicodemuss interest?
I pursed my lips and sucked in my breath through my teeth thoughtfully. Access, I said. Gotta be.
What do you mean?
I held up Harveys picture. This guy can get us something that no one else can. Its the only thing that makes sense.
Whose money does he handle? Karrin asked.
I scanned the file. Um . . . theres a client list here. Individuals, businesses, estates, trusts. Most of it is just numbers, or has question marks. Several of them are listed as unknown.
Pretty standard, Valmont said. Guys like that operate at high levels of discretion. What has Nicodemus told you about this job?
The final objective, and you, I said. None of the steps in between.
Keeping you in the dark, she said. Keeps the carrot in your mind, but makes it harder for you to betray him if you arent sure what comes next.
Jerk, I muttered. So we dont know what Nicodemus has in mind yet, but I bet you anything that Harvey here is step two.
Makes sense, Karrin said.
All right, I said. No details to any of the Chicago crew, okay? Were playing pretty serious hardball. If word of this leaks, it could reflect on Mab badly, and that could get a little crucifixiony for me.
Karrin grimaced. So you also want to keep them in the dark and give them information on an as-needed, step-by-step basis?
Dont want to, I said. Needto. The irony is not lost on me, but like I said, Im playing this one kind of close to the chest.
I closed my eyes again and checked on my body. The same feelings of vague discomfort and weariness seemed to permeate my limbs, and a faint twinge of what might have been the beginnings of a muscle cramp tugged at my back. The silver stud in my ear continued to weigh a little too much, and to pulse with cold at the very edge of comfort.
A gut instinct told me that Mabs little painkiller wasnt actually helping me, except to hide the pain I would otherwise be feeling. Id poured out a lot of energy into just a couple of spells back at the hotel, and doing it without my tools had been hard work. Id been forced to draw upon the Winter mantle just to keep the pace I needed to stay alive. There wasnt any hard information on how the mantle would interact with my abilities, since to the best of my knowledge there had never been a Winter Knight with a wizards skills beforebut I was pretty sure that the more I leaned on that cold, dark power, the more comfortable I would get in doing so, and the more potential it would have to change who and what I was.
Whatever was in my head was close to killing me. I suddenly felt all but sure that Mabs gift had two edges. Yes, it made me feel well enough to run around getting in dangerbut it also left me weak enough to need the Winter mantle now more than ever. It was probably her way of telling me I needed to employ it more.
But sooner or later, doing that would change me, the way it had changed everyone who had come before me.
If it hadnt changed me already.
I felt scared.
After a long moment of silence, Karrin said, Well do it your way for now. Lets go on in.
I forced myself to shake off the dark thoughts and the fear that went with them. You got my stuff? I asked.
Trunk.
I got out and slogged over to the town cars trunk. I got my duffel bag and staff out of it, and slung the reassuring weight of my duster over my shoulder to don once I got patched up and into some comfortable clothing. Maybe I would sleep in it.
It had been that kind of day.
* * *
I stopped inside Karrins kitchen, on the tile floor, so that I wouldnt get blood on the carpet, and found Waldo Butters waiting for me.
Butters was a scrawny little guy in his midforties, though from his build you could mistake him for someone a lot younger. He had a shock of black hair that never combed into anything like order, a slender beak of a nose, glasses, and long, elegant fingers.
Harry, he said when I came in, offering me his hand. We have got to stop meeting like this.
I traded grips with him and grinned tiredly. Yeah, or Ill never be able to pay your bill.
