by Judith Post
“Are you nuts?” the dealer asked. “They were regulars.”
“What about the old woman murdered at the natural food store?” Danny persisted.
The man broke almost too easily. Not a pro. No experience. "I don't want to go to prison," he said. "I've heard what happens in prison."
Danny shook his head. He wanted to ask the guy why he was dealing then. What did he think would happen when he was caught? But he'd learned a long time ago that crooks didn't always think that far ahead. He offered a deal in exchange for naming Lane Clancy, Kevin Vorley, and Noah Miser as regular customers. The dealer took it.
That’s all Danny needed. He sent men out to round up Lane and Kevin. Lane’s parents accompanied their son. Danny put them all—the dealer, suspects, and parents in one room and started hammering them with questions.
“We can prove the three of you robbed small businesses. After each robbery, you bought drugs from him." Danny pointed to the dealer. "Cars were stolen from the lot on Coliseum where Kevin works, using the same m.o. you always use. Gail Lahmeyer was bashed in the head, someone stole her purse, and a drug deal went down that night. We can string everything together and charge all three of you with murder or accomplices to murder.”
“Hold it right there,” Lane said. “I never stole cars to get money."
"Neither did I," said Noah.
Kevin leaned forward in his chair. "I robbed the cars, but I didn’t kill anyone. I wasn't even there when it happened. You’re not pinning that on me.”
"Me neither," Noah said. "Lane came to me for money. I didn't have any. He went to see his aunt, then she was dead, and he bought that night."
Danny looked at the dealer. "Is that right?"
The dealer nodded. "I read about his aunt in the paper the next day, but the three didn't come together like usual. It was only Lane."
Danny understood now why it was so easy to get the dealer and Noah to talk. They both suspected that Lane killed his aunt, and they'd both worried that they'd get pulled in for it.
“You can’t blame Gail’s murder on our son,” Lane’s dad said. “He'd never kill his own aunt. This is persecution. You’ve been after him since the day you came to our house.”
“You’re not blaming it on us,” Noah said. “We all know Lane went to hit her up for money. She said no. It went bad from there.”
By the time Danny was finished, Lane was under arrest for killing his aunt and robbing local stores. Noah was under arrest for robbery, but Danny had promised to do everything he could to get him a reduced sentence for cooperating, and Kevin was under arrest for robbing the stores and the car lot. The drug dealer was small time and Danny hoped to get him a smack on the hand and probation because he cooperated too.
"Guess we're done," Danny said. "We can call it a night." They'd caught Gail's killer. The robberies were solved. Maybe good things, like bad ones, would come in three's, and they'd nab the clown killer next.
Chapter 56
On Sunday, Enoch didn’t have to watch over Jenny. She didn’t go to the shop, but stayed home with her family. Voronika was still asleep so he sat on the living room floor and sank into deep meditation. He didn’t realize the phone had rung until she gently touched his shoulder to get his attention and pointed to the receiver.
“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t hear it.”
“It’s Danny. He’s upset.”
“I’m on the north side of town,” Danny said without preamble when Enoch answered. “A young girl’s been murdered, dressed like a clown, and propped on her pillows for us to find.”
“Jenny?”
“Not Jenny. And not in our usual area. Can you come?”
“I’m on my way.” He gave Voronika a quick explanation. "It's dreary again. Want to come with me?"
She stretched and yawned. "Sorry. It's back to bed for me."
He drove to an older subdivision that was so far north of Three Rivers that he wasn’t sure that he was still in city limits. A tri-level house with a brick walk leading to its front door had police cars parked in the drive.
Wayne recognized him and motioned for him to go in. "Danny's upstairs, growling more than usual."
Enoch found him in the hallway, a frown on his face and his hands jammed deep in his pockets. “This really pisses me off.”
“Tell me about it.”
Danny motioned Enoch into the room and followed him. “What do you make of this? Was she one of the girls you saw when you touched Paige?”
Enoch studied her. She had short black hair. Her eyes bulged from a long, messy strangulation, and her tongue was swollen and dangling from her mouth. A rope was embedded in the skin of her neck. An orange wig sat on her head. “Damn it.”
Danny nodded. “She’s not one of ours, is she? You didn’t see her.”
“No.”
“She wasn’t shaved either. We haven’t told anyone about that. It hasn’t leaked out to the press. Our clown killer didn’t do this. It’s a copycat.”
Enoch looked at the young girl. “What is she, about eighteen?”
“Next month,” Danny said. “A senior in high school. Some damn idiot offed her and tried to blame it on the clown killer.”
Enoch laid a hand on her shoulder and closed his eyes. When he finished, he said, “There aren’t any more. Just her.” That was sad enough.
“Damn right,” Danny said. “Because it’s probably someone close to her who did this, and we’re going to catch his sorry ass and lock him away.”
Enoch sighed. “I doubt if she did anything worse than break up with a boyfriend.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
Both Danny and Enoch left the crime scene, disgusted.
“What a stupid, petty crime,” Danny muttered.
“The world is full of stupid, petty people,” Enoch said. “It’s how they think.”
It was a tawdry beginning to a peaceful Sunday. Enoch drove home in a foul mood. He wouldn’t be able to meditate enough to shake his frustration. Luckily, he didn’t have to. Voronika was awake and waiting for him when he entered the apartment.
“I couldn’t go back to sleep.” She was wearing the see-through pink nightgown that he bought at Victoria’s Secret. "I thought you might need something to cheer you up."
Enoch stood motionless. What a sight! "Remember when we first met and you told me that we couldn't have sex every time you were restless?
"Mmm-hmm." She walked toward him and unbuttoned his coat. “It’s warm in here, and it’s only going to get warmer.”
He sucked in air. "I appreciate how nice you are, trying to keep me distracted from so many killings, but you can't screw me every time I'm bent out of shape."
She tossed his coat to the floor and began unbuttoning his shirt. "This isn't about your needs." She ran her hands inside the silk fabric and massaged his bare skin. “I can't do anything but sit here and stew. It's driving me crazy. I need a release…., and here you are.”
He groaned and reached for her. She stepped into his embrace and pressed herself against him. He slid the scooped neckline of her nightgown sideways and his fingers caressed her bare breast. She pulled the hemline of the gown higher, revealing nothing underneath. Then she flung her arms around his neck and pulled herself onto him, wrapping her legs around his waist. His right hand clutched her bare fanny, and their lips ground together. Before Enoch could make his way to the bedroom, she shimmied higher so that her breasts were level with his lips. He sucked the nearest nipple, and she dug her nails into his shoulders. Soon, she slithered lower and her nimble fingers unzipped his pants. She slid lower still, moving up and down over his erection. The rest was a blur of discarded clothes and raw hunger until they fell onto the leather couch and she straddled him. “Come to Mama.” She lowered herself onto him. At first, she moved in a slow, tantalizing rhythm, and then she moved faster and faster. It took all of Enoch’s self-control to wait for her to reach her climax so that they could come together. When they finished, they lay in a kn
ot of entwined arms and legs.
“This is how I like to celebrate lazy Sundays,” she said in a low, husky voice.
“You’ve made a believer out of me.”
They lay together for a while, enjoying the comfort of closeness, until she pushed herself off him and walked down the hall. “I need a shower. So do you. Coming?”
That was all the invitation he needed.
Later that day, while Voronika slept, Enoch stared out the French windows at the afternoon gloom. He ran a hand through his hair. He felt like a yo-yo, bouncing from sheer happiness when he was with Voronika to pure panic and raging temper when he dealt with rogues and the clown killer. He couldn't remember so many emotional soars and dips. It wasn't like him. But he'd never been in a predicament like this before. He'd never been in love with a vampire. And he loved Voronika. If anything happened to her… He couldn't think about it. Vlad was going to leave her alone, one way or another. He'd see to it.
Chapter 57
Jenny Yost lifted the roast chicken out of the oven. It was tradition. Every Sunday, they had an early supper and every Sunday, it was chicken of some kind. Today, she'd made au gratin potatoes—her husband's favorite—as a side dish, along with a Waldorf salad and peach cobbler. After supper, they'd clean the kitchen table and play a board game of some kind with the kids. After that, they'd put in a Disney movie to watch and then read Leila and Jayce a bedtime story before turning out their lights.
She smiled while Christian carved the chicken, because after they put the kids to bed, they'd enjoy a cocktail and some adult time before calling it a night. It was Christian's idea—family day. First church. Then they took turns, visiting either his or her parents. Then an early supper and kid time. What could be better?
They made small talk over their meal and bickered between playing Chutes and Ladders and Candy Land, then decided to play both. It was Jayce's turn to pick the movie, so they settled in front of the TV to watch Treasure Planet. Jenny sighed with relief. Leila was in an Aristocats phase, and she didn't think she could watch it one more time. At the end of the movie, they took the kids upstairs, and Jenny read Mercer Mayer while Christian turned down their beds. Then it was goodnight kisses and lights out.
On their way down the steps, Christian grinned. "Margaritas?"
"Perfect." Jenny slipped out of her clothes and into a bathrobe while Christian made the drinks. Then they went to their bedroom and locked the door. Essential. They didn't want to get caught by a kid who had a bad dream, rushing to their bed for comfort. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.
The week might get busy with work and school, juggling schedules and Christmas programs, but they always had each other. Christian was always there for her, and she'd always be there for him.
Chapter 58
Wind howled past the balcony doors. Enoch pulled back the drapes and looked outside. Snow whipped past street lights and whirled in white gusts like moths frenzied by the flame. Drifts lay a few inches deep on the cement floor of the patio.
“I feel sorry for anyone trying to fly somewhere for Christmas vacation,” Voronika said. “The airports are going to be closed.”
"Since when do you worry about airport closings?" Enoch teased.
"Since I started watching the news on TV. The world is a mess, did you know that?" She came to stand beside him and watch the city trucks fight the elements on the dark street below. Her silk robe was sashed at the waist, but the top fell open slightly.
He forced his eyes away and smiled. "That's nothing new. It was a mess before we got here." He closed the drapes and wandered to the kitchen. “Are you hungry?” He'd stopped for quick snacks here and there while Voronika slept—a chunk of bread, some fruit, a glass of wine—but now he was ravenous. He was beginning to keep Voronika's hours, eating late at night when vampires woke. When she nodded, he took two duck breasts out of the refrigerator and began to sauté them. He quickly made a salad and sliced the duck, splaying it over the fresh greens. They were eating when the phone rang.
Voronika sighed. “How does Danny have such perfect timing?”
“Better now than earlier.” Enoch glanced at his silk shirt still rumpled on the floor.
Voronika wore a satisfied smile. “Some things are more important than food.”
When Enoch flipped open his cell, Danny said, “Sorry to bother you, but my car’s in a ditch. The roads are slippery as hell, and a car swerved into my lane. I can’t get a tow truck for a few hours. Can you give me a ride home?”
“I’m on my way.” Enoch didn't like having Danny stranded on his own, even if Claudia was nearby, watching over him. He slipped into his long coat and grabbed his keys. “Lock everything, the bolts too, and don’t open the doors for any reason.”
Voronika waved him off with her fork. He waited until he heard her slide the bolts into place before taking the elevator. Plan A hadn't worked for Vlad. He'd move on to Plan B, a different strategy. Enoch couldn't decide what that would be.
Enoch had to inch along the icy roads. By the time he got to Danny, his friend was stomping his feet and walking in circles to try to stay warm.
“I didn’t know if you’d see my car down there,” he said, motioning to the deep gully at the side of the road. “Thought I’d better try to flag you down.”
“Get in. I’ll crank up the heat.”
"Where's Claudia? Does she need a ride too? At least I get to use a car when I tail somebody."
Enoch shook his head. "She won't appreciate it if you blow her cover." When he turned toward Spring Street, Danny stopped him. “I still have to go to the station. I’ll call Maggie when I finish up and have her come get me.”
“On a night like this? Why don’t you drive me home, then come back to my place when you’re done? I’ll drive you to Maggie's so she doesn’t have to risk her neck on these roads.”
Danny looked surprised. “You’d do that, let me drive your car on these streets?”
“That’s why I have a Land Rover. It’s supposed to be good on anything.”
“I owe you, buddy.”
“I know. I’m keeping a tab.”
"You do that. Hope springs eternal.”
When they reached the apartments, Enoch didn’t pull into the parking lot. He just pulled to the curb to get out. “The lot hasn’t been plowed yet. This is easier.”
Danny nodded and slid behind the wheel. “I’ll be back in about an hour.”
“I’ll wait up.”
“You don’t sleep anyway.” Danny pulled away and Enoch trudged the short distance to his building’s entrance. By the time he reached its double doors, his face felt raw, stung by the wind and snow. He stepped into the foyer and stood for a moment, letting himself thaw out. A man sat in the small lobby, glancing at his watch and looking outside. Enoch didn’t recognize him, but he didn’t know many of his fellow inhabitants. He didn’t go to any of the mixers or social events for the complex. The man pushed himself to his feet and stalked to the window, glancing all around the parking lot. If he was waiting for someone to pick him up, he was in for a long night.
Enoch was walking to the elevator when the man hurried past him. When the doors opened, he slid in ahead of Enoch. Then he punched the button for the penthouse. Enoch looked at him, surprised.
“So you’re the tenant who lives on the top floor." What was the man's game? "It’s nice to meet you.”
The guy gave a fake smile. “I’m not here much. I travel a lot. Not going anywhere tonight, though.”
A liar, and a practiced one. What was up? Enoch pushed a button for two floors below his own. When the elevator doors opened, he nodded a goodbye, raced to the stairs, and climbed two at a time till he reached his floor. When he opened the stairwell’s heavy metal door, he saw the man knocking at his penthouse.
“This is an emergency, Voronika,” the man called. “Bart sent me to tell you that Danny and Enoch were in an accident. It’s serious. It doesn’t look like Danny’s going to make it.”
&n
bsp; “What’s the secret password?” Voronika called out.
“Password? You’re kidding me, right? Forget this bullshit!” The man drew a gun from his pocket. He shot the locks and bolts, then kicked the door open. When he rushed inside, two huge, experienced vampires dropped from the ceiling to swoop down the hallway. That’s why the man had been fussing in the lobby. He was checking for Enoch's Land Rover while his friends got in position. When they reached the door, he shouted, “I invite you into this apartment.”
“No!” Enoch charged after them before they could cross the threshold, shooting Light in a beam that filled the entire narrow space. They only had time to glance his way before the Light hit them. Quick screams of surprise ended as they crumbled into ashes on the marble floor.
Enoch put a hand out to brace himself against the wall. He forced himself to breathe. They’d almost gotten to Voronika. If he'd been five minutes later… Fury replaced the heavy knot of panic in his gut. That sleazy, little weasel of a man! He'd sold out to become a vampire's familiar!
Enoch stalked into the apartment. Voronika was sitting on the sofa, an amused look on her face, as the man fumbled with the glass doors to the balcony. His hands were shaking so hard, he couldn’t work the latch.
“I’m not sure where he thinks he’ll go,” she said. “It’s a long drop down.”
Enoch didn’t answer. His jaw was locked, his teeth clenched. He grabbed the man by his collar, lifted him off the floor, and slammed the glass doors open.
“What are you going to do?” the man cried.
“Trash disposal.” He couldn’t just drop the guy over the edge. It would make a mess too close to home. He was debating how far he could throw him, where he'd land, when he saw Bart floating a few inches away from the balcony’s black wrought iron railing.
“I tracked two vamps here,” Bart said. “Is Voronika all right?”
“She’s fine. You shouldn’t have come. Caleb won't like it if you interfere with Vlad.”