hearts of metal

xxix. you got a warrant?

Lorcan cursed as he turned another corner. Rowan tried to give him directions from the backseat to no avail.

"I said 'right,' moron," Rowan said.

Lorcan leveled him a cold glare.

"Take the next left," Rowan continued, reading off of his phone.

Aelin stared blankly out the window, their chatter fading into the background.

Ever since they'd left the orphanage, strange glimmers of memory had resurfaced. It was as if some key had turned and opened up a lock box filled with blurry images.

"Hey," Murtaugh leaned down to greet her. "You alright there?"

She shuffled her feet, watching water drip onto the grimy tiles. The man led her gently down the hall, to a room with a roaring fire and a woman waiting for her.

"Ace?" a voice asked.

She blinked, the brief memory fading away. The voice had been Lorcan, who was tentatively sending her glances from the driver's seat. She knew if she turned slightly, Rowan would be watching her with concerned eyes.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "Where are we?"

Lorcan took another turn, before saying, "it should be somewhere around here."

They'd been traveling on a wild goose chase all day. They'd gone to the address Murtaugh gave them, only to find that Bill Chastain had moved out. The young couple there had his new address, but the place was an hour away.

The neighborhood they were in now was neat and tidy, rows of pristine houses.

"That one," Rowan said, pointing to a house at the end of the lane.

Lorcan pulled up and came to a stop. "Ready for part 2 of the mission?" he asked, with mock seriousness.

Rowan rolled his eyes, and Aelin just sent the man a surprised glance. The more she talked to him, the more confusing he seemed. The rather sullen, gruff man had a sense of humor after all.

"After you, captain," Lorcan said with a gesture and a slight grin.

Aelin smiled despite herself. "Stay alert, soldiers," she said.

Lorcan and Rowan saluted her in unison, before climbing out of the car. She stepped out as well, leading them across a perfectly manicured lawn to the front porch.

Aelin knocked twice. She waited, hearing sounds echoing from within.

The door opened, and a man around 50 years old peered out. He had pale blue eyes, thin lips, and a light scar trailing over one eye. He was dressed in a white shirt, with a tie hanging loosely from his collar, and his hair was tousled.

He squinted at the group, before mumbling something undecipherable. Then, louder, he said, "you got a warrant?"

"No, we-" she started.

"-then get lost," he said. He made to slam the door, but Aelin intercepted it.

Before he could stop her, she slipped through the door into the living room. Lorcan and Rowan stepped in after her, examining the place.

The man, who she was assuming was Bill, stumbled backwards.

"We just wanted to have a chat," she said calmly. "Bill, right? We won't take up too much of your time," she said politely, but firmly.

His suspicious gaze darted across them. "You cops?"

She said they weren't, but he seemed unconvinced. Nonetheless, he warily invited them to sit.