The Scales of Justice

Chapter 9

Callen sat demurely in a chair, succeeding in looking small and pitiful in her role as her twin. She was also succeeding in looking hot. She was only supposed to be the first two for the role she was playing; but she couldn't exactly help the last. If Killian didn't stop casting those sidelong glances her way with that look, Justice thought he might have to kill him. Callen was not this man's sexual plaything, and she wasn't about to become it either, not if he had any say.

He gave a short growl, refocusing the dark gaze of the Draconis back onto him. "Really, Ophelia has been through quite enough in the last few days, she doesn't need you hitting on her."

Killian laughed. "Come on, you both know me better than that. When don't I hit on women?"

"Of course you never stop;" Callen spoke up, venom in her voice, leaning forward slightly. "It's why Callen dropped you." Justice kept himself from launching over the table at the man by the barest of margins, and the light touch of her hand on his thigh under the table.

"Maybe if she hadn't been such a cold fish, my wandering eye wouldn't have been a problem?" Justice tensed yet more, and her nails began to dig into the flesh beneath his jeans.

"You're just bitter because my sister wouldn't let you into her pants because she has better taste than that. Face it, Killian; she bruised your oh-so-precious ego."

Killian's face turned red while Callen relaxed back into her chair, crossing her legs and settling back into the Miss Pitiful role she had adopted. She even managed to look embarrassed that she had spoken up at all. Justice masked his expression, even though his own anger was quickly turning into amusement. That quick flash of what could only be described as jealousy had passed as soon as she had said that she hadn't had sex with the Draconis.

"What the hell do you want from me anyway?" Killian spat, his irritation with Callen-as-Ophelia blatantly evident.

"My dear friend here has had a hard few days, like I already mentioned. Most recently, someone set her home on fire; and I'm just trying to figure out who might want to do something like that."

"So what does this have to do with me?" There was a hint of impatience in his voice.

"I just need to check up on people; track down leads, that sort of thing."

"And someone pointed me out? I can't imagine why."

"Oh, no, it's not like that at all, Killian," Callen spoke up again. "I remembered how friendly you were to everyone while you and my sister dated, and I suggested that we come see you. I figured that with the kind of connections you must have, if anyone would know anything, it would be you."

Killian's face seemed to light up with pride at the stoking of his ego. "Well, you are right about me being well connected in the community. Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything at all about this incident." He shook his head. "Well, I heard about the fire; but I didn't know that it was intentional. I'd heard that it was an electrical short somewhere."

"Really?" Justice cocked an eyebrow. This was interesting. There was no way that anyone could have confused the ineptly laid accelerant trail for an electrical fire; nor would anyone in an official capacity have lied so blatantly about it either. The official report, if not down as arson, would have had at most a cause still pending investigation label on it.

"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure that I heard that Ophelia had been killed in the fire."

"Where did you hear that?"

Killian shrugged. "Friend of a friend of a friend. You know how it goes. Sometimes it proves impossible to trace rumors back to the source. Hell, who knows if what I heard was even what was originally said? I'm inclined to think not; since gossip mongering is really a big game of telephone."