The Turning Season by Sharon Shinn Page B

up from behind. Joe and the two cops are making dark, burly shapes around the table where Bobby, his brother, and his sister-in-law are seated. Bobby’s still mad; I can see his mouth working fast and his arms gesticulating wildly. In the bar’s smoky light I can also see the four slim lines of blood across his cheek.
    No doubt someone has said something like, “She sure cut you up good, dawg, but those are just the fingernail scratches from an ordinary girl.” Because who could possibly believe anything else? But to me, they look like claw marks, thin and nasty.
    I make my way to the table where Ryan, Rain, and the other blondes are standing, as uncertain and unnerved as everyone else. “There you are,” Rain says in exaggerated relief as she sees me. “
What
is going
on
? Do you have any idea?”
    The only person in this whole room who can provide me any assistance is Ryan, so for the first time in months, I actually think I could find shelter by burrowing into his embrace. I don’t do it, of course, but I do meet his eyes and we trade a look. He knows exactly what has happened and, like me, will do everything in his power to help Celeste escape this night unscathed.
    I make my voice puzzled and a little alarmed. “No! I went out for a walk and when I got back the cops were here and people were acting all crazy. What happened? Where’s Celeste?”
    Rain’s eyes are huge. “She started dancing with that cute guy, that Bobby?” She doesn’t quite point, but her vague gesture indicates the table where the cops and the troublemaker are still arguing. “And when the music stopped, they went outside, you know? To talk? And suddenly he starts screaming and saying she turned into a lion and scratched his
face
up? I mean, what’s that about?”
    â€œAnd now the cops are here and they want people to stick around if they have any information, but
I
don’t know anything,” says one of the other blondes. “I just want to go home.” Belatedly she adds, “I’m worried about Celeste, though. I mean, of course.”
    â€œOf course,” I echo. “So what do you think happened?”
    Ryan speaks up. “He probably tried to cop a feel and Celeste didn’t like it and she scratched his face up.” He shakes his head admiringly. “She’s done it before. The girl knows how to take care of herself.”
    Ah. That’s the tack we’re going to take. I say, “Oh man. I remember that one time. Where were we—down on Washington Avenue in St. Louis, right?”
    â€œThat’s right,” Ryan confirms.
    â€œAnd this guy had been bugging her all night. And finally she agreed to dance with him, and then she kneed him right in the balls. On the dance floor. I mean,
hard
. He fell down and was writhing around like a baby.”
    â€œThey called the cops then, too,” Ryan says in a reminiscing tone.
    â€œBobby’s face looks pretty bad,” one of the blondes says in a nervous voice.
    â€œWell, I guess he was pretty violent with
her
,” I respond. “Celeste doesn’t take much shit.”
    â€œSo are you going to stay and talk to the police?” Rain asks me. “I mean, I want to do the right thing, but I didn’t
see
anything. I don’t
know
anything. I don’t even know if she’s ever met Bobby before in her life.”
    â€œSure, we’ll stay,” Ryan says. “You guys go home. We’ll take care of this.”
    Rain turns to her fellow beauty queens. “Or, you know, we could head on over to Black Market. I think they’re still open for another couple of hours.”
    â€œOh, hey, yeah,” one of them answers. “My car’s right over there, too.”
    â€œGreat!” Rain answers. She gathers up her purse, then says to me, “Tell Celeste we’re worried about her and she should let us know as soon as she’s