“But I didn’t kill her.”
“Or Justin?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“Anything else you want to tell me?” Brandon asked.
“I told you everything,” Adam said.
Brandon thought back to the vampire poster in Adam’s apartment, the day Brandon and Jackson visited him.
“You know anything about covens?” he asked.
“Like the one in town here?” Adam asked.
Brandon rose an eyebrow. “You’re familiar with the coven in Forks?”
Brandon hadn’t recalled seeing Adam’s name on Vasile’s list.
“Lauren told me about it. She said that woman who’d threatened her—”
“Ruby?”
“Yeah, that’s her. Lauren said Ruby told her once that she’d better watch out, or she’d send her vampire crew after Lauren.”
“When?”
“Like a month ago, something like that.”
Another finger pointed at Ruby.
The case against Ruby—from her vitriol toward Lauren and Justin to her involvement in the vampire cult—continued to grow. But Brandon had to weed out what was real and what was a smokescreen. Adam could have fabricated the story about Ruby to get the focus off of himself.
Brandon needed to talk to Ruby, and fast. Before she had a chance to leave town.
He motioned toward the door. “You’re free to go. For now. No leaving the county without letting me know.”
Adam searched Brandon’s eyes.
“You’re sure about the DNA…Justin and Lauren?”
“If by sure you mean a one in a billion chance of being wrong? Yes, I’m sure.”
Chapter 32
He contacted Jackson. She was working the south side of town, not far from Ruby’s property. He gave her Ruby’s address and told her to meet him there.
Jackson had parked at the end of the gravel road that led to Ruby’s place.
“You check if she’s home yet?” Brandon asked.
“Waiting for you.”
They made the trek down the road on foot, just as Brandon and Josiah had before.
Ruby wasn’t home and her car was missing.
“Put out an APB. I want to talk to her ASAP.”
“Got it,” Jackson said. “I heard about the second murder. Any theories?”
“Lots, not to mention a good deal of finger-pointing.”
Brandon described the details of Justin’s death as they walked back to their cars.
“This whole vampire thing,” she said. “It could be a distraction.”
“Might be,” Brandon said. “But there’s a reason the murderer is going to the trouble, and risk, of biting the victims. I’m hoping we get saliva off Justin’s neck.”
Just then, Ruby’s car pulled onto the gravel road. Ruby slammed on the brakes and the car slid to a stop. Her wide, surprised eyes landed on Brandon.
Ruby shifted into reverse and shot back onto the highway.
“Let’s go,” Brandon said, hopping into the SUV. Jackson followed him in her cruiser.
Brandon flipped his police lights and siren on. He pushed on the accelerator until he hit seventy. Half a minute later, he’d caught up to Ruby.
He slowed the SUV. Ruby kept her pace on the winding road at about fifty-five, only ten miles over the speed limit.
The two-lane road headed south into a forested area.
Brandon accelerated, sweeping past Ruby. He pulled in front of her. At the same time, Jackson crept up behind Ruby as Brandon decelerated, forcing Ruby to do the same.
Ruby swerved into the other lane, but quickly shot back to the right as a logging truck barreled by.
As she fell into her lane, Brandon tapped on the brakes again and forced Ruby to a crawl, pinned between Brandon and Jackson. Ruby slid to a stop.
Brandon leapt out of the SUV and pulled out his Ruger, eyes on Ruby. Jackson made her way to the passenger side of Ruby’s car, handgun drawn.
Ruby hadn’t shown any predilection toward violence in the past, but she had just fled the police. She was desperate, and people who were desperate did stupid things.
“Hands where I can see them,” Brandon said.
Ruby lifted her arms as he approached. He opened the driver’s door with one hand, pistol still trained on her with the other hand.
“Out.”
She stood and faced the car, her hands still up. She knew the routine.
Brandon holstered his pistol and lowered Ruby’s hands behind her back so he could cuff her.
“I didn’t do nothing wrong,” Ruby said.
Brandon turned her around to face them.
“You didn’t notice the two police vehicles in your driveway?”
“Yeah. I just changed my mind about going home.”
Brandon led her over to the shoulder of the road.
“And the flashing lights?” he asked.
“Didn’t notice.”
Brandon shook his head.
“Where you off to in such a hurry?”
Ruby looked askance at Brandon. “Away from you.”
Brandon chuckled.
“You mind if we search your car?”
“Yes, I mind.”
“I was asking to be nice,” Brandon said. “I don’t need your permission seeing as you attempted to elude a police officer.”
He leaned down, scanning the contents of the car. “An open container, too. That’s probable cause.”
“Dammit,” she said.
“You want to tell me what I might find in here?”
“Is this where you promise me I’ll get off easy if I cooperate? Because I don’t believe you.”
“Suit yourself,” he said. “Jackson, why don’t you give our friend here a seat in the back of my vehicle.”
“I’m under arrest?” Ruby asked.
“Not yet, just detained.”
Brandon pulled out a pair of gloves from his SUV and Jackson did the same after securing Ruby in Brandon’s SUV.
Brandon reached into the car and placed the half-empty can of Bud Light on the roof. He searched under the driver’s seat and found a pipe and about a gram of weed. Marijuana was legal in Washington State, and he had no proof she’d been smoking it while driving.
He grabbed the keys out of the ignition and opened the trunk while Jackson continued to search the car’s interior.
The problem with Ruby was she didn’t know what was good for her. All they wanted was to have a conversation about her relationship with Justin and Lauren, and to rule out any connection to the bite marks on the victims’ necks.
Brandon reached into the mostly empty trunk and lifted the carpet, revealing a large bag full of pills.
And now she was headed to jail for possession with intent.
Brandon took the bag to Jackson. She’d crouched down inside the passenger door, her hand searching under the seat. She yanked out a handful of empty cigarette packs. “Nothing much yet.”
“Lookie here,” Brandon said, holding up the pills.
She glanced up at him. “Wow, that was easy. And here I am on my hands and knees.”
Jackson stood, eyeing the bag. “OxyContin?”
“Looks like it.”
“You see anything else in here? Weapons? Dope?” Brandon asked.
“No, but does this mean anything to you?”
She stood, handing him a crumpled receipt. Brandon unfolded the paper. A receipt from the convenience store where Ruby worked. Dated June 10. 12:15 AM.
“I think you outdid me, Jackson. By a mile.”
“What is it?”
“A receipt for a six pack of beer, same brand as Lauren bought.”
“Same night?”
“And same time.”
Ruby was making it real hard for Brandon not to arrest her for the murder of Lauren Sandoval. The receipt, the coven, the grudge against Lauren.
“Get an evidence bag for this and the pills,” he said. “I want fingerprints from this receipt
.”
“Lauren was in Ruby’s car,” Jackson said.
“After she bought the beer. And before she was killed.”
Jackson cast him a smug smile. “You’re right, chief. I did outdo you. By more than a mile.”
Brandon opened the SUV door and informed Ruby of her rights and that she was being arrested for the drug charges and the open container.
“Come on, man,” Ruby said. “Those are mine. I have a prescription.”
“The pills are the least of your worries,” Brandon said. “Because right now, I have proof that Lauren Sandoval was in your vehicle the night she was murdered.”
The blood drained from Ruby’s face. She scrunched her eyes shut and shook her head. “I didn’t kill her.”
“But she was in your car.”
“Yes, but—”
“We’ll talk down at the station,” he said, closing the door.
Jackson handed him the receipt and pills in evidence bags.
“You think she did it?” she asked.
“It’s becoming pretty damn hard to disagree with everyone else who wants her to be the one who killed Lauren and Justin.”
“You’ve been getting pressure to pin this on Ruby?”
“From Adam, Brooke, and Brooke’s aunt, and the mayor too, if I asked her what she thought.”
“I’ll get her car towed.”
Brandon nodded. “To evidence.”
“I’ll request a search for anything else related to the girl. Blood, hair, fingerprints.”
“You got it.”
This meant he would be home late. Again.
Brandon found the text Misty had sent him that first day he learned she was his neighbor. He called her and asked if she could keep an eye on Emma. She agreed and, despite his hesitation about having his old flame live across the street, he was grateful for her help, despite Brandon’s rebuffing her advances. Not every woman would be so gracious.
Chapter 33
Back at the station, Brandon set a cup of water down in front of Ruby.
“Why you being so nice all of a sudden?” she asked.
He advised her of her rights again and asked her to sign a form indicating she understood. To Brandon’s surprise, she did.
“I didn’t kill that girl.”
“What about Justin? You kill him?”
“Justin who?” Ruby asked.
“The young man you followed in your car the other day. Brooke and Justin.”
“He’s dead?” She slid her hand over her face. “Oh my God. When? I was up in Port Angeles all yesterday. I got home late.”
If that was an attempt at making up an alibi, she’d done a pretty crappy job. She’d basically admitted she was in the area around the time Justin died.
“We believe Justin was murdered last night.”
“How?” she asked.
“Still under investigation,” he said.
“I knew those girls were trouble,” Ruby said. “The moment they started harassing me.”
Brandon tapped his pen on the table. “Speaking of harassment. Adam, the deceased girl’s boyfriend, claims you threatened her—”
“I never—”
“Hold on. You threatened to set your vampire friends on her.”
“Vampire friends?” she laughed, hanging her arm over the back of the chair. “You believe that?”
“Does the name Vasile Anghel sound familiar?”
Ruby gasped, the air catching in her throat. She took a long drink of water and set the cup back down.
“You know I already know the answer,” he said. “So let’s cut the crap and you tell me the truth.”
“Yes, I know him,” she said.
“In what capacity?”
She rose an eyebrow at Brandon. “You mean was I having sex with him?”
No, that’s not what he meant, but if she wanted to go there. “Were you?”
“I’m not one of his little thirty-something vampire bunnies,” she said with the resentment of a woman who’s been spurned one too many times.
Vampire bunnies? So that’s what Vasile got out of his little costume parties.
“You are part of his coven?”
“Used to be,” she said. “Until he found someone else, someone cheaper.”
Since they weren’t talking about sex, she must mean she was dealing to Vasile and his crew.
“But you are part of the coven?”
“Sure.”
“You like the taste of blood?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I won’t deny I’ve tried it. Too expensive for me.”
Brandon cringed. The question was meant to shock her. Instead, she’d surprised him.
“And the teeth, you have some of those too?”
“You mean the fangs? I guess. What’s this got to do with anything?” then, as if coming to a sudden realization, she said, “Wait. You think I bit that girl. And the boy…was he bit too?”
“You tell me,” Brandon said. “Where are these fangs you own?”
If they found the teeth used to bite Justin and Lauren, they’d be one step closer to finding the killer. Brandon guessed the bite marks on both victims would match the same set of teeth.
“Did you get the spit?” she asked.
“Huh?”
“The spit. There’s always saliva from a bite mark. I saw it on one of those shows.”
“Is that what you’re worried about?”
“No, you dumbass, I’m hoping you find who actually did it. Was there spit or not?”
“Still waiting to find out. And by the way, I’m on your side here, Ruby. You’re a lot of things, but a murderer?” Brandon spread his hands out. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
“Screw you,” she said.
“Speaking of saliva, are you willing to give a DNA sample?”
She blinked, opened her mouth to say something, then changed her mind.
“You see how bad this looks?” Brandon said. “Lying about the girl in your car. Bite marks on the murder victims and you being part of some blood-sucking cult. Your hatred for both Lauren and Justin. Half the town wants you charged with murder.”
“I didn’t do it,” she said.
“Are you going to give the sample or not?”
“I guess I don’t have a choice.”
“And Ruby, you never told me what happened to your vampire teeth.”
She stared down at her hands.
“The fangs are missing.”
Brandon had to admit. Ruby had done so many things wrong, it was as if she wanted him to charge her for the murders.
“Missing since when?”
“The night I gave the girl a ride. They were in a container on my front seat. I think she stole them.”
“Why would she do that?”
Ruby shrugged her shoulders. “Hell if I know.”
Brandon returned with the DNA kit and consent form, indicating the test was voluntary.
When she had given the sample, Brandon sealed it in an evidence bag. He’d have it sent up to Lisa Shipley’s office for processing.
He leaned back in his chair. “Why was Lauren in your car the night she was murdered?”
“I picked her up, on the road to the beach.”
“How long after she left your store,” he asked.
“I don’t know. Like half an hour.”
“You’d just argued with her and we’ve established you couldn’t stand each other.”
Ruby crossed her arms. “So?”
“And you expect me to believe you played Good Samaritan to your worst enemy.”
Ruby scoffed. “That girl was not my worst enemy.”
“Okay. Then what happened?”
“I saw her walking on the side of the road, kind of swerving into the lane. I almost ran into her.” She paused.
“And?” Brandon asked.
“I could have and you’d never known.”
“Your point?”
“It proves I didn’t kill her,” she said.
> He tapped his pen on the table.
“No, it doesn’t. And just to be clear, based on the history between you two and the video from the store, your car would be the first one I checked if we found the girl run over on the highway.”
“Anyway,” Ruby said. “She got in and she was so drunk I don’t even think she knew who I was at first. She asked me to take her to the campground.”
“Which one?”
“Second Beach,” she said.
“That was on your way home?”
“No,” Ruby said. “Look, just because I don’t like people like her—”
“Like what?”
“Narcs. Snitches.”
“Okay.”
“Doesn’t mean I’d let her get run over. And who knows what those boys would have done to her.”
“What boys?” Brandon asked.
“The contract workers from the hotel. The ones she left with,” Ruby replied.
Those boys were thirty-year-old men.
“Did she say anything when she was in your car?” he asked.
“Once she recognized me, she went on about how she didn’t like me selling up in PA.” Ruby paused. “I’m not confessing that I sell up there. Or anywhere. That’s just what she said.”
“Thanks for your candor,” Brandon said with a hint of sarcasm.
“You don’t have to be rude,” Ruby said.
“My apologies. Continue.”
“I told her to lay off. That got her quiet for a minute, then she sort of fell asleep until I dropped her off.”
“At the campground?”
“The parking lot there. She grabbed her beers and walked off. Didn’t even close the door or say thank you or nothing.”
Ruby was one of the last people to see Lauren alive, yet she chose to focus on the girl’s lack of manners.
“You didn’t notice anyone else around?”
“No. And I went straight home and that was it until you came poking around accusing me of murder and all that.”
“And you’re sure you didn’t go to the beach with her? Maybe drink a few beers?”
“Ha!” she said, “You think that little brat would share a beer with me?”
She had a point.
“You know anything about red spray paint?”
They had Justin on camera buying cans of paint. At the time it seemed to point to Justin as somehow involved in the graffiti. But the last message had warned about someone dying. Because Justin was the next victim, that made it unlikely—but not impossible—that he’d given the warning.
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