7th Sin: The Sequel to the #1 Hard Boiled Mystery, 9th Circle (Book 2 of the Darc Murders Series)

by Carolyn McCray

  Don’t go.

  So, Mala sat and helped Janey scrub off the marker. And as the stains came off, the sting of Janey’s connection with Darc subsided and eventually disappeared. Somehow, the fact that Janey wanted her near made any competitive feelings with Darc seem just petty.

  *

  “You’re sure?” Trey asked, surprised.

  “Yeah, I’m sure,” Bill answered him. He’d called Trey an hour after Trey and Darc had gotten back to the precinct building. Trey had still been waiting for C.S.I. to get back to him about the last number from the cell phone on the desk when Bill’s call came.

  Bill had managed to track down the owner of the blade lickety-split. It had belonged to a Sergeant Greg Maxwell who was living here in Seattle, but it had been stolen from him within the last two months. So, it appeared their killer had some pretty massive stones, after all.

  “He filed a report about the theft?”

  “Yeah,” Bill grunted. “He seemed to be genuinely pissed off that it had happened. I know I’d be if it happened to me.”

  “All right. We might want to bring him in, just in case, but it sounds like a dead end for the moment. Let me know if anything else pops from it.” Trey hung up the phone, musing about a serial killer that wasn’t afraid to tweak the nose of a Green Beret. This case just kept getting better and better. Three murders down and no solid leads in sight.

  And Darc didn’t seem to be stepping up his game, no matter what kind of “epiphany” he’d had back in the car. Once Trey had convinced him to put his notecards away, he’d sunk into a stiff silence.

  Okay, maybe telling Darc to put the Mala thing on hold was the wrong answer, but Trey knew what he had seen developing between those two. And as much as he kind of wanted to punch Darc in the nads right now, he wanted his partner to be happy. Eventually Darc would figure out a way to integrate his savant abilities and his love life, right? Trey couldn’t help but think that the emotional softening that came from being in a relationship would be a positive thing. You know, after the dating part.

  Because it wasn’t a positive thing right now, clearly.

  Darc sat hunched over his computer, his shoulders almost vibrating from the tension in them. That couldn’t be comfortable. If Trey didn’t think his partner would freak out the masseuse, he’d get Darc a massage. The thought of Darc naked on a table created an image so ridiculous, he couldn’t help but laugh.

  Darc’s head popped up, and Trey’s partner glared in his direction. Trey turned his laugh into a cough, hoping it was a good enough cover.

  “So, any thoughts come out of that information factory of yours? Any ideas of where to go next?” Trey asked.

  “No. There is something amiss.”

  “Yeah, you told me. Mala.”

  Darc shook his head. “Something else. The paths are… not cooperating.”

  “Yeah, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Trey responded. Darc opened his mouth to reply when two figures rounded the corner, a tall and shapely woman with dusky skin with a tiny blonde figure clutching a ragged bear at her side.

  When Janey saw Darc, she pulled her hand out of Mala’s and darted straight at him. She skidded to a stop in front of the seated detective, grinning into his face. She held out her bear to Darc, who solemnly took the bear and looked him over, then handed him back to Janey. He nodded at the girl, who nodded back. Their greeting ritual completed, Janey rushed around the desk to give Trey a hug.

  “You’re back!” Trey cried out. Janey pulled back from the hug and nodded her head as if she was trying to make it separate from her spine. She perched herself on the edge of Trey’s desk and looked around the space, completely at home.

  “Sorry. I tried to talk her out of it, but she really wanted to see you two,” Mala apologized, a smile on her face.

  “Us two? Oh, you mean Darc.” Trey reached out and tickled Janey. She giggled. Trey had never heard a better sound in his entire life.

  “I know this probably isn’t the best place for a little girl, but she wanted to be here. And I wanted to get caught up on the case, so…”

  “Listen, you never, ever need an excuse to bring Janey in.” Trey reached out and ruffled Janey’s hair. She squirmed away and grinned at him. “As long as you think it’s okay for her, we’re okay with it.” He thought for a second and then murmured. “Besides, she might be able to help us at some point. We still have to find… well, you know.” He gave Mala a significant look, and she returned it. Just because they were working this case didn’t mean they had forgotten about her kidnapper.

  Wait a minute.

  “Darc. Is it possible that our guy is the same as the one who… you know… did… that… to Mala?”

  “I had already considered that possibility,” Darc replied, his tone flat.

  “You considered…? And you were going to let me in on that fact when?” Trey raged.

  “It was irrelevant. If the two cases are connected, which they have a greater-than-average chance of being, it will become apparent. Otherwise, it does us no good to make that assumption.”

  “Dude. Sharing.” Trey dragged his hand through his hair. “Remember? Sharing. You’re not at your best right now. You have to keep me in the loop.”

  “Is something wrong?” Mala asked. “I wanted to ask you about that the other night at the pub.”

  Oops. That wasn’t good. Trey wasn’t sure how this whole thing between Mala and Darc was going to work out, but he certainly didn’t want to be in the middle of it when it started to get awkward. Which it would, if he didn’t do a little tap dancing right about now.

  “Darc’s been having some trouble since our last case. You know. Kinda messed him up. Both of us, really, but you can’t tell so much with me, ‘cause I’m mostly useless the vast majority of the time.”

  “Messed you up in what way?” Mala inquired. That must be the psychologist in her coming out. Trey almost felt like he should be lying in a couch.

  “Oh, you know, the usual. Seeing your head floating in a pot. Getting a corpse dropped on your head in a freaky underground church. Having to temporarily kill Janey to keep Seattle from blowing up. Stuff like that.”

  “I might be able to help with that,” Mala offered, turning to face Darc. “If it’s affecting your performance, we might want to talk about it.”

  “I’m not sure—” Trey began.

  “It is not needed. I am fine.” Darc turned back to his screen, which Trey though was an interesting choice, seeing as how it was blank.

  “I know that emotional issues are difficult for you to process,” Mala pressed. “But they can hinder your savant capabilities, rendering your mental capabilities useless for all intents and purposes.”

  Trey checked to make sure Darc was facing away from him, then waved to get Mala’s attention while he spoke. “That does pretty much describe you to a “T” right now, Darc.” Trey pointed at Mala, then at his own chest, made a forward-circling motion with his finger and mouthed the word later.

  The doctor must have picked up what he was putting down, as she immediately backed off. “Well, just know that I am here if you want to talk.”

  “Again, that will not be needed,” Darc muttered, then paused and lifted his head from his computer screen. He reached into his jacket pocket, glanced down at what looked like the card Trey had given him in his hand, then looked back up at Mala, making eye contact. “But thank you very much for asking.”

  Mala’s jaw dropped.

  Trey would have laughed at her expression. There was only one problem with that. He couldn’t.

  His mouth was hanging open, too.

  *

  Mala took Janey with her to grab something from the vending machines. Normally, the idea of having Janey eat pretty much any of the items to be found in those big metal boxes would be laughable, but it was serving a purpose at the moment.

  There was some sort of odd tension going on between Trey and Darc, and Mala wanted to get a second away from it. Darc had
been showing significant signs that there was something off with him, and Trey had pretty much just confirmed it for her.

  What the issue was, Mala had no idea, but whatever it was, it was hurting Darc’s work. Him getting drunk the other night was probably the equivalent of seeing the tip of an iceberg above the water. It was a blatant manifestation of the underlying problem, but it didn’t even begin to show where the borders of the issues might be.

  Besides, Mala was pretty sure she’d seen a machine with fruits and vegetables in it over in the corner. Trey might have no idea it was there, but as long as the food inside wasn’t rotten, she could get Janey a snack while allowing the boys to talk it out.

  As Mala walked through the door to the break room, she almost collided with a man headed out the same door. They both took a step back, and then Mala looked again. There was something familiar about him. Blonde hair. Square jaw.

  The guy from the other night at the pub. The one who had been sitting in the backseat of the police cruiser with Darc.

  “Oh, hey!” The man smiled at her, showing just a flash of his teeth. His very white, very even teeth. In his very chiseled face. This was one attractive man. “Remember me? I’m the guy who almost got your friend arrested.”

  “Yes… ah…” Mala groped for his name and then found it. “Bryce, correct? The Deputy Attorney?”

  “You remembered! It’s Dr. Charan, right?”

  “Please, call me Mala.”

  Bryce grinned at her. “Absolutely. It’s a beautiful name.” He glanced down and spotted Janey at her side. “Why, hello there.” He glanced back at Mala. “Your sister?”

  “Very charming. No, she’s my foster child.” Mala answered, trying not to blush. The compliment was outrageous, but the intent behind it was flattering. The lawyer knelt down, getting on eye level with Janey.

  “I’m Bryce. What’s your name?”

  “Her name’s Janey. She’s not speaking much these days, I’m afraid.”

  “Yeah? Good choice. Most people aren’t really worth talking to anyways.” The lawyer grinned and held out his hand to shake Janey’s. Janey hesitated a moment, then darted around behind Mala and buried her face in Mala’s hip.

  “Sorry, Bryce. It’s been a rough few weeks for Janey. Looks like she’s not quite up to meeting anyone new right now.” Mala watched the lawyer closely, monitoring his response to this rejection. How a person handled a situation like this could be telling.

  “Hey, no problem. Probably good that she doesn’t take to new people all that well.” He turned his attention back to Janey, who had peeked around Mala’s leg. “Stranger danger, right? And who’s this?” He pointed to the bear in the crook of Janey’s other arm. “Is it okay if I shake his hand, instead?” He waited for Janey to respond. She appeared to think about it for a minute, then stuck her bear out from behind Mala. Bryce reached out and took the bear’s paw in two of his fingers. “Cool bear.” He smiled at Janey again, then pushed himself back up to his feet.

  That was… impressive. No hint of defensiveness from Bryce or any kind of push to get Janey to open up. It was pretty much textbook perfect. Mala couldn’t help but respond to the kind of care he was taking with Janey.

  Mala felt a tug at her waist. Janey was urging her away from the lawyer, toward the vending machines. Mala put a hand on Janey’s shoulder, urging her to be patient.

  “Well, it was nice to run into you again… under better circumstances.” Mala gave Bryce a knowing grin and began to move toward the vending machines.

  “Actually, I’m glad I ran into you,” Bryce replied, shifting slightly to be able to continue the conversation. “You’re working the case with Trey and Darc, right?”

  “Um, yes... I am.”

  “I’d love a chance to change your first impression of me. Maybe grab a coffee together… no beers, I promise.” He gave her an apologetic grin that Mala found more than a little bit charming.

  Charming, and yet… was this even okay? Mala felt certain there must be fraternization rules, or at least guidelines, in the department. This felt like more than a friendly get-to-know-you cup of coffee. And then there was Janey to consider.

  “I don’t have a bad first impression of you,” Mala stated, then clarified. “Well, at least not completely. You were willing to accept responsibility for your actions, you didn’t seem to be trying to talk your way out of trouble, and from what Trey told me, you were protecting a relative?”

  “Yeah,” Bryce responded, sheepish. “A cousin of mine. Not that being my cousin is that big of a deal. I probably have hundreds of them floating around Seattle.” He gave her a half-grin, half-grimace. “You know us Irish Catholics. We’re like bunnies.” Chuckling, he continued to maintain eye contact with her. The moment stretched out, and then Bryce gave a little shrug. “You know what? I know you must be super busy. Maybe some other time for that coffee.” He smiled at her again before turning to leave.

  Now that Bryce was taking her off the hook, Mala realized that she kind of wanted to go. “Actually…”

  He turned back. “Yes?”

  “Why not? It’ll give us a chance to go over our impressions of the case.”

  “Exactly what I was thinking.” He gave her a grin. “Perfect. Say, this afternoon around five-thirty?”

  Mala glanced down at Janey. “I need to stay close to Janey the next couple of days. Can we make it next weekend?”

  “Sure thing. Or, you know, you could bring Janey with you. I could get her a hot chocolate.” He leaned down to talk to Janey. “Whatcha think? It might be kinda boring, but I bet we can get you some cocoa with marshmallows. Maybe even a cookie.” Bryce looked back up at Mala. “As long as it’s okay with you.”

  It seemed like the perfect solution. Janey didn’t seem particularly happy about it, but it would be good to help her begin to socialize again. Why not?

  “Okay. This afternoon at five-thirty. There’s a great place just around the corner from my place. I’ll give you the address.” As she wrote down the directions, Mala felt a thrill of both excitement and doubt that she immediately covered over. It was stupid.

  It was just a cup of coffee, right?

  *

  Leaving the knife had been a mistake.

  It had been a symbol of honor and trust betrayed that made the death of that parasite so much more resonant. Still, the knife was traceable. And though the servant of the Lord had been careful, it was a potential loose end. Hopefully tied up, but knots could always unravel.

  A flush of excitement sent the blood singing through the servant’s veins. Mistakes had been made, yes. But there had been progress, as well. Blindfolds tied around the eyes of the servants of Mammon. Decoys and distractions set to confuse and confound the enemy.

  Already that confusion was wreaking havoc between the two detectives. They continued to surpass the expectations of the servant of the Lord, but the seeds of destruction had already been sown.

  For thus saith the Lord of Hosts. Consider your ways.

  The Lord’s ways had been considered. Weighed. Carefully chosen.

  There was nothing that could stop the work from progressing. The heathen nations would fall to their knees, either in confessing their Lord, or in the agony of a painful and humiliating defeat. One way or another, they would bend. They would submit. There was no other choice.

  The servant of the Lord felt a smile begin to spread. Happiness is in the Lord, and only in Him. All else is dross.

  CHAPTER 18

  There were some days you wanted to just shoot yourself in the foot. Not because there was anything wrong with your foot, mind you, just because… Well, because you needed to feel something, anything. And to relieve yourself from the never-ending tedium with which you were surrounded.

  Trey was having one of those days.

  Nothing was working out right. Leads were drying up left and right, and even the leads he still possessed he had no idea what to do with right at the moment.

  The knife? Dead end, at l
east for now. Bringing in the ex-Special Forces guy who had owned the knife before it had been stolen wasn’t a terrible idea. It was just way down the list as far as things to do that would be good possibilities for achieving results were concerned.

  And the cell phone left on the desk wasn’t proving to be much better. No prints, of course. Plus, it was a burner phone, which had one call listed. Guess what? The call was from another burner phone. From the timeline the M.E. had given them, the call had come in while the vic was chained to the desk. So, whatever the call had been about, it had probably happened right around the time the hand was being cut off.

  Awesome. Might be nice to know where that call had come from. And who had been on the other end of it.

  Darc had been staring at his screen pretty much since Mala and Janey had left. There was something off there. Up until now, his partner, even at his worst, was effective. He might be pissing everyone in the general vicinity off. He might be self-destructing at a frightening pace. But he got results.

  And right now? Nothing. And Trey had very little clue what was going on.

  Okay, sure, the whole Mala thing played into it. That seemed pretty plain. But that didn’t seem like enough to completely derail Darc. Thinking that a woman, even one that seemed to be as perfect for Darc as Mala, could keep Darc from his logical deductions was ludicrous. It was putting a penny on a train track and thinking that it would make the cars jump.

  Trey just wished he had some idea of what he could do to help. It was clear that whatever was going on with his partner was not pleasant, but Trey felt like he had both hands tied behind his back. Oh, and was then being asked to tie a complicated knot.

  There had only been one other time when Darc had struggled like this. One time in which Trey had seen his partner fight his own abilities, and what had helped him through that period was Mala, the very person who seemed to be giving his partner conniptions.

  This was a conundrum.

  The fact was, they were stuck. Trey had exhausted his limited resources and detective smarts. He had tested himself against the big bad killer and had come up lacking. No big shocker there, but usually he could count on his partner to swoop in—okay, it was generally more of a brisk stride—to save his bacon.