in waves. Darius looked away, too. His chest tightened. He took a moment to regain control, and tried again. "Tell me what happened."

"Yeah." Georgia sat a little straighter. "So, my coven holds a ceremony every month for the full moon. I've gotten pretty bad about going. But the one last week was special." Her hands twisted in her lap. "It was an Esbat for the new moon. They aren't marked very often, and there were a few things I wanted to..."

Darius raised an eyebrow.

She shook her head. "It's not important. Point is, I really wanted to make this one. But then my best friend decided to leave town at the last minute. She owns this tea shop, and I agreed to close up for her. By the timeroom at 850 Bryant was stuffy and cramped. Georgia uncrossed her legs, then re-crossed them again. She'd lost track of how long it had been since she arrived. She leaned forward.

"It's like I told you: I was at the house a couple weeks ago for a party. I got plastered. Someone drove me home. I must have left my helmet behind." She rubbed her forehead. "I don't know anything about the murders. I don't know who did them, or why, or how. I don't know anything."

Across the table from her, Inspector Chandler didn't look much more comfortable than she was. A few loose, wiry curls had escaped her up-do. Her skin was damp. A manila folder sat in front of her, a notepad on top of it.

"Fine." She