He stripped off his clothes, shifted to Wolf, and went downstairs and through the archway to the coffee shop. Then he considered who could be approached and decided that Tess, while more dangerous than Nadine, was the better-known threat.

“We were just packing up a piece of quiche and a couple of other things for Meg,” Tess said. Then she looked at Nadine. “Guess you’re not going to have a chance to ask Meg about that book.”

Nadine gave Simon a look that made him very glad he could run faster than she could.

Tess gave him one of the insulated sacks she used to deliver food in the Market Square and opened the back door for him. When he looked back, he noticed her hair was brown and wavy.

How nice that Nadine amused one of them.

He trotted to the back of the Liaison’s Office and faced a locked door. Of course, he didn’t have a key tucked in his fur, so he put the sack on the ground in front of the door and moved to the back room’s small window, which was open to let in fresh air.

“Arrooooo!”

Meg rushed into the back room and looked around until she spotted him at the window. “Simon?”

He grinned at her, showing a lot of healthy teeth.

He returned to the door and had the sack in his teeth before she turned the lock and opened the door. He brushed past her and went into the sorting room. Standing on his hind legs, he set the sack on the big wooden table and eyed the book that was held open with a rough purple rock that looked like a mountain range.

As Meg joined him, she reached up and gave him a scritch behind one ear. Almost made him forget about playing the pester game.

“Look what Jenni brought me to use as a paperweight.” Meg held up the rock. “It’s amethyst. Isn’t it pretty?”

It was a rough purple rock.

“She showed me a split geode that would also make a good paperweight. I’m bargaining with her to buy the geode and the amethyst.”

Crows had that look in their eyes when they spotted a coveted shiny. To distract Meg before they ended up with a den full of rocks, Simon nudged the sack with his nose.

“What did you bring?” Meg set the rock back down on the book and opened the sack. “Oh! Quiche and . . . this is for you.”

Simon caught the beef scent before she pulled the treat out of the sack. Wolf cookie! He’d smelled the beef but thought it was some of the food for Meg.

“There’s another cookie in here. Must be for Nathan.”

Why? But she was already walking into the front room, and Nathan, having heard, was already waiting for her at the counter.

“I’m enjoying this book,” Meg said, returning to the sorting table. “It’s exciting. I had to read a couple of chapters like this”—she put one hand over her eyes, then moved her fingers to see between them—“but I didn’t mind. Is it okay if Ruth and Merri Lee read it too so we can all give you a review?”

This wasn’t happy Meg. This was brittle cheerfulness. This was Meg trying not to show she was scared.

Simon carefully placed a paw on her shoulder.

No pretend happy or cheerful now.

“Jenni said there was trouble at A Little Bite, but she didn’t know what happened except that it upset Tess. And Ruth called to say I should stay in the office until everyone settled down. Simon?” She touched his face. “Do you need answers?”

“Roo,” he replied sternly. No silver razor. No cuts.

Her fingers combed through his fur as she studied him. “You’re sure?”

He licked her chin. She tasted better than the cookie, so he licked her again.

Her entire body sighed, and she felt more like his Meg again.

She gave him a hug and said, “You’d better get back to work. I’ll let you out. Thanks for bringing the quiche and other food.”

He was outside staring at the closed door before he realized Meg hadn’t given him a chance to play the pester game. That was so unfair, but at least he’d gotten a cookie, a scritch, a hug, and a couple of licks out of it.

He could live with that kind of unfair.

• • •

“Want some orange juice?” Pete Denby asked, going to the small fridge in his office.

“Sure,” Monty replied. It would probably burn a hole in his stomach, but he appreciated the offer of a drink that might not be in the Northeast grocery stores much longer since it, like the oranges, came from the Southeast and West Coast regions.

Pete poured two glasses and handed one to Monty before taking his chair behind the desk. “Do you know what’s going on?”

Monty told Pete what he’d seen and what he’d pieced together—and the choice his little sister had to make in an hour.

“Gods, what a choice,” Pete said softly.

“It shouldn’t be a choice.”

“You’re a cop. You know addiction doesn’t just come in the form of a pill or syringe. From the sound of it, your sister is addicted to your brother’s particular form of abuse.” Pete leaned forward. “Do you know why Simon Wolfgard is letting your brother stay? Or why your brother is staying?”

“I can’t guess Simon’s motives, but Jimmy is staying because the use of the apartment is free, and he came here expecting a handout. But the Sanguinati guard the building’s outer door and will keep tabs on everything and everyone.”

“So Cyrus can’t harass Sierra in the hallway or try to push into her apartment to discuss things without someone coming to her defense even if you’re not home.”