When the Stars Threw Down Their Spears: The Goblin Wars, Book Three Read Free

Leo. “You graduated three years ago.” Fiorella knew only the jocks or the bad kids. That he still recognized Leo couldn’t be a good thing. “What are you doing here?”
    “I’ll tell you.” Leo’s voice was gentle. He’s done this before , Teagan realized. His body language was submissive. Respectful. “Where do you want me to start, Officer?”
    “How about you start with the dead kid down the hall?”
    Teagan’s heart sank. Cade and Jing had stepped in and tried to help because they were Abby’s friends. Her friends. Finn had told her this would happen if they let civilians get involved.
    “He’s dead?” Leo asked.
    “His guts are on the floor.”
    “Jing is with him,” Abby said. “He won’t let Cade die.”
    “The mighty Jinghez Khan was crying like a baby.” Officer Fiorella looked like he wanted to cry, too. “Cade’s a mess. If he’s not dead, he will be.”
    “An animal can survive evisceration,” Teagan said.
    Officer Fiorella turned to her, and suddenly she was looking right down the barrel of his gun. She felt Finn move beside her, ready to get between them.
    “Who are you?” Fiorella demanded.
    Her mouth was suddenly very dry. “Teagan Wylltson.”
    His eyes flicked to the knife in the pool of blood. “You cut open animals, do you, Ms. Wylltson?”
    “She works with the vet at the zoo,” Abby said. “You know you’ve got an attitude? It’s like we’re the bad guys or something.”
    Fiorella studied Teagan for a moment longer. “I remember you. I let you into the science fair once. What are you doing mixed up with this?”
    “She was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Leo said before Teagan could answer. “There was another girl here, too. She ran.”
    Officer Fiorella turned back toward Leo. “You’re telling me what’s going on?”
    “Jack the Ripper was teaching the freaking psychology class,” Abby said, pulling out her cell phone.
    “Hey!” Fiorella swung toward her. “Put it away, and get your hands back up.”
    “I get a phone call,” Abby protested, raising her hands. “Right?”
    Donatello sighed. “He hasn’t arrested anybody yet, Abby.”
    “She a friend of yours, Leonardo?” Fiorella asked.
    “Our little cousin,” Leo said.
    “A Gagliano who’s never been arrested?” He studied Abby. “What are you, the white sheep of the family?”
    “She’s a good kid,” Leo said, his hands still on top of his head. “Let me tell you what’s going to happen, Abigail. When the rest of Chicago’s Finest come through that door, they’re going to take us down to the station to have some pictures made. Then Krueger’s gonna show up in his fancy lawyer suit with all kind of reasons why they can’t keep us, and we’ll go home.”
    “That’s true,” Officer Fiorella said. “So why don’t you give me a break and tell me what happened here before anyone shows up?”
    “She told you,” Leo said. “Jack the Ripper was teaching psych class. You need to look into background checks, Fiorella. The guy didn’t even have a home address and you let him walk in here and teach?”
    “How do you know he didn’t . . . ? Never mind.” Officer Fiorella shook his head. “So, you didn’t like his lesson plan?”
    “Did you see the sick stuff he wrote on the board?” Abby asked.
    Leo frowned at her. “Shut it, Abby.”
    “So, you’re going to keep talking to me instead, right, Leo?” Fiorella asked.
    “Right. The guy they let teach—Bullen wasn’t his real name. He wasn’t even a teacher. He killed the cafeteria lady and pinned it on our brother.”
    Officer Fiorella’s eyes narrowed. “You have proof?”
    “None you’d like. So he frames my kid brother, like I said. We show up to talk to him about it. I meet my cousin Abby, and she tells us the teacher just slashed Cade open with his claws—”
    “Claws?”
    Leo shrugged. “There’s a classroom full of kids that saw it, Fiorella. Ask them. I wasn’t there. Like I said, Abby tells