by Dannika Dark
Merry entered the room and drew in a deep breath. “It’s been too long, and other scents are mingled here.”
I stepped back to give him room. “Probably the other team. At least she didn’t know what hit her.”
“Interesting,” Merry said.
“What?”
“The dogs are still alive.”
I looked out the window at the foot of the bed. Aside from the porch, most of the yard was visible. The second dog was still barking at Weather, who had moved closer to the curb. Because of the outage, people were probably ignoring things like dogs barking and car alarms since it was happening with greater frequency. I sat down in a green chair with gold trim, a dozen scenarios running through my head.
Merry pinched his nose. “She’s been deceased for two days.”
“How can you tell?”
“The smell. And the body begins to change with time. Bulging eyes, discoloration, maggots, their tongue—”
“Okay, I get it.”
Without heat, the temperature inside was as cold as outside. Perhaps cold enough to have preserved the body since I didn’t smell anything as strong as what Merry did. The fireplace in the corner had an open flue, the air whistling against the chimney pipe.
“Whoever did this came at night,” I said. “And he snuck into the house. The dogs would have woken her up if he’d kicked in the front door.” I crossed my legs and drummed my fingers on the armrests. “Do you think she died around Valentine’s Day?”
“Likely.”
I sprang up from my seat and turned down the covers. That was when a stronger smell hit me, and I covered my mouth and nose.
Merry folded his arms, watching me peel the bloody sheet back.
“Scratch the intruder theory,” I said. “She had a guest.”
“How do you know that?”
I pointed at the negligee. “Single women don’t wear sheer black with no panties in winter, not unless someone else is there to appreciate it. Do you think we can find out if she had any regular lovers?”
“My sources say no.”
Nauseated, I flipped the sheet and blanket up to her neck. When I was human, I’d always imagined myself dying in my sleep. Suddenly it had lost its appeal.
Merry pulled off his hat and stuffed it into his coat pocket. His messy hair covered half his face, making it difficult to see his expression. “Valentine’s Day is an easy holiday for a woman to take a new lover.”
“Maybe we need to drill it down,” I suggested. “Do you remember seeing her at Patrick’s party? It was the day before Valentine’s, but that would fall within the timeline of her death. It’s possible she met someone and invited him back to her place.”
He pinched his bottom lip and eyed me. “My understanding is that every Mage on the panel was present. So we can assume she was there.”
“She—an official of the higher authority—let an armed man inside her house. That’s a huge show of trust.” I steered out the door and jogged down the stairs.
“Where are you going?” he shouted.
“To check something out!”
I found a door in the kitchen that led to the garage on the right side of the house. The driver’s-side door was open on a white Rolls Royce. Nice car. Unfortunately, the deep-orange leather seats reeked of bleach.
“Someone made an effort to get rid of fingerprints,” I said, hearing Merry come up behind me.
“Fingerprints aren’t effective since we don’t collect them.”
“I meant emotional fingerprints. That includes smells.” I ran my finger along the sleek exterior. “I can see how it might have been easier to have sex and wait until she fell asleep, but I bet they never got that far. Otherwise, he would have burned the bed or the entire house. Maybe they came inside, had a glass of wine, she went to slip into something more comfortable, he followed, asked her to get in the bed, and then put on a striptease so he could get the sword off. That’s even worse, because it means she wasn’t asleep.”
“That’s quite a vivid imagination you have. Perhaps she offered someone a room for the night.”
I strutted past him. “And decided to slip into her sexiest negligee, just in case he mistook her bedroom for the bathroom in the middle of the night?”
The dog was still gobbling up kibble that had scattered on the tile, so I gave him a refill, pouring excess on the kitchen floor so he wouldn’t go upstairs and eat his owner.
“You’ve been working on this case and have more information than I do,” I pointed out. “What aren’t you telling me? What did the victims have in common?”
Merry lifted an empty wineglass from the sink and smelled it. “We called the Mageri to speak to the record keeper. They document every legal Mage and store their information. He said the victims were all ordinary men and women with no past criminal history. Well… to their knowledge. Each was at least one hundred years old, had served with the Mageri at some point in their career, were staunch supporters of human rights, donated to charity, and had different Creators.”
“Why would their Creator matter?”
“Nepotism.”
“And you believe him? Maybe he was conspiring.”
Merry laughed haughtily. “To do what? I trust Novis, though we’ve only met the one time. Everything he said was the truth. No man can conceal a lie from me.”
I scratched the dog’s ear when he nuzzled my hand. “Was every victim confirmed a Mage?”
“Yes.”
“Did they have similar gifts? Were they all Creators?”
“That was the very first thing we eliminated. We’re way ahead of you, Raven.”
“Don’t be such a cocky asshole.”
“A good investigator leaves no stone unturned.”
“Except for the one that reveals what they all have in common. Whoever’s killing these people had plenty of opportunities to take out more than one official. Every victim is a Mage, so that narrows it down. But Elaine’s death is the big monkey wrench. If someone wanted to kill every Mage official, it would have been easier to attack her at home and kill her husband. Instead, they skulked in the shadows and followed her to a secret retreat that she shared with her lover. Why didn’t the Mageri take over the case?”
“It’s out of their jurisdiction. Aside from that, the higher authority doesn’t communicate all their affairs to them freely. This is a delicate situation, so divulging the truth without facts would turn the Mageri against us.”
“This is why I will never join politics.”
“My dear, you are already involved in politics. Just of a different kind.”
“Maybe.”
He unzipped his coat and rested his hand on the pommel of his sword. “If you don’t believe in politics, why are you protecting politicians? Because your boss told you to?”
“The system we have scares me. The Mageri has the power to destroy Learners they see as unfit. The higher authority executes without due process. Simply collect enough evidence and cut off their heads. That’s a lot of power they’re wielding. But even though it’s barbaric and differs from the legal system I grew up with, the higher authority serves a purpose. Fear keeps people in line, even the criminals.” I kicked a piece of kibble across the floor, and the dog trotted after it. “People aren’t just committing crimes because of the power outage. They’re not receiving any communications from officials. They don’t see Regulators keeping order on the streets. They don’t have that sense of security that everything’s going to be okay. That lack of visibility has thrown this city into turmoil. So to answer your question—yes, I’m putting my life on the line to protect these officials because that’s my job. But I’m also doing it because without them around, my job would get a lot harder. Don’t you think? I don’t have any loyalty to these people, but I have one to mankind. Without the higher authority in the picture, what’s to stop people from organizing groups to hunt down and kill humans?”
Merry turned around and put his hands on the edge of the sink.
“We ruled him out as a suspect.”
I walked a few paces, kibble crunching beneath my sneakers.
Merry turned to face me. “Perhaps the human government is behind this.”
“That’s a wild conspiracy.”
“So is accusing Elaine’s husband when we have proof of his whereabouts. We have to look elsewhere.”
Merry and I weren’t on the same page. Couples knew private things about each other, and even if Elaine’s husband wasn’t a suspect, he might have useful information.
I brushed my hair away from my eyes. “Were any of the other victims bonded to someone?”
“No.”
“What was this victim’s name?”
“Does it matter?”
I gave him a cross look. Maybe it didn’t matter, but she deserved to be more than a pronoun.
“Mathilda.”
I wrestled with whether or not I should tell Merry what I was thinking. Mathilda invited someone into her house that she trusted, someone armed with a sword. Most people didn’t bring large weapons to elite parties. Daggers maybe, but someone with a sword would stand out.
Unless they were a Regulator.
Walter, Elaine’s lover, had opened the door for an armed person and turned his back on him to get a drink. Either he knew that person, or he automatically trusted them. Who could be trusted more than a Regulator? While this was an important epiphany, it wouldn’t be in my best interest to reveal such an accusation to someone who was now on my suspect list.
Though a mortal enemy to a Mage, a Chitah would have been forbidden fruit to Mathilda. Interbreeding was frowned upon, but that didn’t stop folks from doing it in secret.
“Something on your mind?” he asked.
“I think we need to call someone to collect the dogs.”
“I’ll take care of that. Weather and I have to stay behind and clean up the crime scene.”
“Don’t send them to the kill shelter, okay?” I backed up a step, suddenly unnerved by his enigmatic gaze. “Did the higher authority request my presence here?”
“No.”
“Then why did you ask me to come?”
He slowly removed his jacket and held it between two fingers. “Weather isn’t one for conversation, and I thought you might make better company.”
“If I were a Chitah, would I scent a lie?”
Merry bowed. “We’ll see each other again.”
When I left Mathilda’s house, the dogs were still barking at Weather.
What the hell was that scene about?
Maybe Merry invited me to see if I was holding back any information related to the case, but my gut told me something wasn’t right.
Could I trust Merry? I was the one who’d asked the Overlord for help, but what if I’d just invited the enemy to have unlimited access to every Mage official in Cognito?
Chapter 18
“And where have you been all morning?” Christian blocked the entrance to the church, his squinted eyes glaring down at me. He looked tortured when the sun poked out from behind a cloud and shined on his face.
Leaves rustled nearby where either a Regulator or a squirrel was hiding.
“Merry said he talked to you about a murder case, but you had to stay here.”
His dark eyebrows slanted down in the middle. “Is that what he said?”
I shouldered past him to get inside. Not that we had any heat in the church, but it was a hell of a lot better than standing out in the wind. The sun warmed things up, but it had been playing peekaboo most of the day.
He slammed the door and locked it. “I thought you went back home to speak to Viktor.”
I peeled off my gloves. “I plan on doing that a little later. How do you get downstairs?”
When I veered down the hall, he caught my arm.
“I’m ready for our quarrel now. Tell me where you’ve been, because that shitebag lied.”
I turned, realizing that Christian wasn’t playing around. “He said he invited you to come along to look at another murder, but you had to stay.”
Christian slowly shook his head.
The hairs prickled on the back of my neck. “Another team found a dead Mage. Merry and Weather are the ones handling the murders. He invited me along to check it out.”
“Why?”
I shrugged. “I assumed to be helpful since we were called in on the last one.”
“We weren’t called in to solve that case, Raven. They hired us to verify the identity and give an outside opinion on the matter.”
“We’re not consultants. Anyhow, whoever’s doing this is good. I think the victim was at Patrick’s party and took someone home with her. She has a standout car that would be easy to spot on street surveillance, and we know the time that everyone left because of the explosion. She could have taken off before, or even after since some people were detained, but we have a rough window of time to work with. But until the power comes back on, I can’t get Wyatt to confirm my suspicion.”
Christian’s black robe swished as he stepped closer. “You think the killer lopped off the heads of two men, set off a bomb, and went home with the girl?”
“More than that.” I looked down the hall and then lowered my voice. “I think he’s a Regulator.”
Christian’s jaw went lax, and he gripped my arm firmly. “You can’t make that kind of accusation, lass. They’ll take your head for slander.”
I raised my chin defiantly. “She let someone into her house who was armed with a sword. Nobody at that party was in costume or wearing a long coat to hide a blade. They were dressed like penguins. It’s possible he kept it in his car, but they went back to her place in her car. He poured bleach all over the seats.”
Christian pinched his chin. “Erasing evidence.”
“Exactly. Regulators were at that party. Who else would be more trustworthy? Elaine’s lover opened the door and let someone into their apartment. If a Regulator appeared at your door, you’d invite him in. Nobody wants to piss those guys off. I know it’s a wild speculation, so that’s why I’m only telling you. I don’t want this coming back to bite me in the ass if I’m wrong.”
“What does your gut tell you?”
I leaned my back against the wall and shook my head. “I don’t know. I can’t figure out what the motive is. Do you think you could charm Merry and see if he knows anything?”
“Fecking not. Are you stark mad? There’s a law against charming a Regulator.”
I gave him a dubious look. “So you’ve never done it?”
He lightly poked my forehead. “I didn’t say that. But the risk is too great if you’re not prepared to kill them, and we’re not in a position where that’s an option. This church is under guard, and we have at least fifteen men who won’t hesitate to dice me up into little cubes if I so much as cast a lingering gaze toward one of them.” Christian flattened his hand on the wall above my head and leaned in. “Did you give him reason to suspect anything? Think carefully, lass. The man can smell your past.”
“I don’t think so. He might have sensed my suspicion, but that’s not a crime. If he’s guilty, he’ll see me as a threat. And that’s fine. I’ve got a blade with his name on it.”
“We’ll keep this between us for now. I’ll make sure Father Martin doesn’t let the Regulators near the basement no matter how much they threaten him.”
“Going somewhere?”
“I’ll be going where you’re going.”
I reached out and pressed my finger against the white square of his collar at the base of his throat. He dipped his chin and kissed my hand, his lips warm against my cold skin.
“Is Elaine’s husband here?”
He kissed my knuckles. “Aye.”
“Give me five minutes with him.”
“No one’s allowed dow
nstairs,” he murmured, still kissing my hand.
I traced my fingers down every button on his robe. “How do I make you feel?”
“Hard.”
“Is that all?”
I caught a look on his face I couldn’t peg.
Christian held my gaze. “Are we having a serious chat? Because this is neither the time nor the place.”
I gathered his robe between my fingers and pulled him closer. “Then maybe you should take me out on a second date.”
His breath hitched when I curved my hand around his side. “Whatever you desire, Precious.”
Our lips almost touched before he retreated and raked his hair from back to front. “Someone’s coming.”
I folded my arms and grumbled, “Someone will always be coming.”
Christian clasped his hands over his groin and bowed when the priest appeared. “Father Martin.”
Vampires had a reputation that preceded them, but Father Martin never spoke to Christian with disdain. In fact, he seemed like a man with a lively personality rather than one with a funeral procession marching behind him. Perhaps that was why Christian showed him a measure of respect.
“I never thought I’d be cooking for so many people,” Father Martin said, his cheeks rosy and hair curled at the nape from sweat. “I came up to put the beans on the stove.”
Christian gave him a wry grin. “Do you really think beans are a good idea in that confined space? They might blow us to smithereens if someone lights up a cigar.”
A flurry of laughter erupted from the priest’s mouth that sounded more like a cackling old woman. Christian winked at me, clearly amused by his new partner.
I lowered my arms. “Father, can I speak to you for a minute?”
Father Martin placed a hand on Christian’s shoulder and reeled in his laugh. “Why don’t you go put the beans on. The extra pots are beneath the sink.”
Christian flicked a glance between us before walking away, and I couldn’t help but admire his commanding walk in that outfit, which I still found sexy on him.