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friend of Finn’s, whose name was Booth. “Yeah, we used to be close. When we were kids, we all hung out together, but since we all came of age, we’ve drifted apart. Fletcher was into different stuff than us. He was kind of crazy.” He cocked his head. “Hey, why do you ask? I mean, a slayer got him, right?”
    “Maybe not,” said Lachlan. “I’m with the police. We’re looking into it.”
    Booth turned to me. “You’re, uh, that chick who left her mate, aren’t you?”
    I sighed. “Yes, that’s me.”
    “Cool,” he said, grinning at me. “That mating stuff’s so weird. It’s like it turns you into a different person. We all think it’s awesome you left.”
    “All?” I said, perking up.
    “Yeah, all of the younger dragons I hang with.”
    I was feeling a bit better already. I decided to throw out a question since things were going so well. “You and Fletcher drifted apart, but there wasn’t any bad blood between you?”
    “No way.”
    “Or between Fletcher and anyone you knew?” I said.
    “Well, I mean, Finn was always pissed at him. But they were brothers. Brothers fight.”
    Lachlan perked up. “Fight? What do you mean fight?”
    “Well,” said Booth. “They’re twins, right, and Fletcher is only a few minutes older, but he was still going to inherit everything. Their dad was still grooming Fletcher to take over the company and everything. And Finn didn’t think that made any sense, especially considering how Fletcher was seriously losing it. He had a lot of problems with drugs, and their dad just kept throwing Fletcher into rehab, thinking that was going to solve everything.”
    “So, with Fletcher out of the way, then Finn will be the one to take over the company?” said Lachlan.
    “Well, yeah, I guess,” said Booth. “But that doesn’t… I mean, the way you put that, it almost sounds like you think Finn could have hurt his brother, and that never would have happened. No way. Finn loved his brother.”
    * * *
    Lachlan loosened his tie and set his legs up on one of the sun chairs by the newly-filled pool at my hotel. “That’s motive is all I’m saying.”
    I was coming back with two glasses of wine. I handed one to him and sat down. “You’re all over this brother thing, and I don’t know if I see it.”
    “It’s coming together,” he said. “And let’s not forget that last time, I had a feeling about Anthony Barnes, and I was freaking right.”
    “But you were convinced it was the vampires at The Dungeon.”
    “Oh yeah, it probably is.” He took a drink of his wine.
    “Admit it,” I said. “You don’t know who did it yet.”
    “Not yet,” he said. “And it might not even be a murder. Maybe he’s still alive. Maybe he ran away. Maybe he overdosed. Maybe he committed suicide. Maybe—”
    “Yeah, maybe he turned into a unicorn,” I said, laughing.
    He snorted. “Oh, come on. You’re being ridiculous.”
    “A little bit.” I shrugged. I grinned at him.
    He grinned back.
    Then we both looked down into our wine glasses.
    I looked up, but not at him. I peered out at the pool, glistening in the moonlight, at the dark beach beyond it, and the ocean, inky black in the darkness. “It was strange being back there. I didn’t like it.”
    “You fit right in,” he said.
    “No.” I studied my knuckles. “I used to fit in, but I’m different now. You know how they say you can always go home. Well, it’s not true.”
    He was quiet.
    I listened to the sound of the ocean in the distance, a muted roar.
    “I wouldn’t go back to Texas, that’s for sure,” he said quietly.
    I drank some wine.
    “You know, maybe sometimes you just have to make a new home,” he said. “And that’s what you’ve done. This hotel, your gargoyle—”
    “He’s not my gargoyle.” I glared at him.
    But he was grinning, as if he’d said it just to rile me up.
    I understood. He was trying to lighten the mood. It was true that it sometimes seemed like constant teeth on edge