Mal got past the reporters. Since Knight had shut everything down. only the tabloid contractors were left. Mal paid for a higher-class cab and rode back to the hospital.
It was still daytime when he got to the hospital and retrieved Kitty. He took the same route home that Knight had taken; no BMWs followed him or tried to run him off the road.
Mal took a side trip. He headed to Scott and Mike’s place.
Mike opened the door to the apartment. He looked Mal up and down. “Anyone ever tell you how hot you look in leather?”
“Yep,” Mal said with a grin. “All the time.”
“Come on in.”
“You’re just the man I need to see.” Mal walked around boxes both opened and shut, boxes stacked all around the apartment. Scott had planned on moving into the new apartment over the weekend so they would be there and settled by the time the babies came.
“Oh?” asked Mike, getting a bottle of water and offering it to Mal. Mal nodded and took it. “What can I do for you?”
“I need to find someone who tried to attack my husband.”
“Do you know who?”
“All I know it’s a white bastard in a gang who was in a BMW.”
“That narrows it down.” Mike drank some water. “Any way you can bring me to the place the attack took place?”
“Yes,” said Mal. “Better get some leathers yourself. You’re going for a ride.”
Mike laughed. “I don’t have any leather other than underwear, so denim will have to do.”
Mike got behind Mal on the bike. Mike was nervous, Mal could tell by how tightly Mike held onto him. “Ever been on the back of a bike before?” Mal asked as they stopped at a light.
“You sure you know how to drive this thing?”
Mal took off from the light, and Mike grabbed on tight.
Again, Mal took the same route as before, though slowing down near the grassy area that showed skid marks from a motorcycle. Mal stopped at the side of the road, and Mike got off, shakily walking forward. He got his legs back and headed to the guard rail.
“I can do one of two things,” Mike said. “Go through the Spirit World and see what happened before, hoping I can get the license plate of the car that ran him off, or I can have you leave the bike here and hope they come back. Criminals always come back to the scene of the crime.”
“Go back,” said Mal. “I’ll wait here.”
Mike sat down on the grass, focusing on the road. He closed his eyes slowly. Mal, sensitive, could feel something move past him. He didn’t turn around to look, knowing that it was probably Mike’s spirit going by.
Mal guarded Mike’s body, his shell, while Mike did his thing. It seemed to take a long time before Mike took in a deep breath and opened his eyes. “Michigan plate, 55-XELA.”
“Did you see the men inside?”
Mike nodded. “All four were gang members of some sort.”
“Four.”
“Mal,” said Mike, a small grin appearing on his face, “You’re not going to kill them, are you?”
“Oh no,” said Mal. “Worse.”