by Helen Harper
‘I was avoiding your calls because deep down I knew this was inevitable and I’m afraid of what it might become. I have no illusions as to where your priorities lie, Lukas. I fully expect you to break my heart sooner or later – but I’ve decided, that I no longer care. I have to stop worrying about what happens tomorrow and enjoy today.’
‘I won’t break your heart.’ Each word rippled with tension.
I didn’t disagree with him; there was no point. But when I finally parked by the Curtis Green police building where Adam Jones was being held, it occurred to me that he hadn’t asked a single question about the bank robbery or its perpetrators. It was as if he couldn’t care less about them.
Liza had called ahead and informed DSI Barnes that we were coming. She was already standing in front of the imposing granite façade – and DI Collier was beside her. When I strode up, with Lukas by my side, Barnes offered me an icy glower. I knew she was furious that I’d not been in touch. She didn’t call me out in front of Collier – she was too good for that – but her expression left me in no doubt as to how she felt. I’d find a way to make it up to her. And to explain.
‘Good afternoon, DC Bellamy,’ she said. She sniffed at Lukas. ‘Lord Horvath.’ She pointed to Collier. ‘This is Detective Superintendent Alistair Collier. I believe you’ve spoken already on the phone.’
Collier folded his arms across his chest. Unsurprisingly, he wasn’t jumping for joy at the sight of a vampire on the hallowed steps of his building. Lukas smiled pleasantly but Collier wasn’t mollified. ‘Lord or not,’ he growled, ‘he can’t come in here.’
‘Yes, he can,’ Barnes said. She flicked her wrist to indicate that was the end of the matter then looked at me. ‘I understand you’re here to speak to Adam Jones again.’
I nodded. ‘I have a couple of urgent questions for him.’
‘Is this related to the robbery at the Talismanic Bank? Are all these events tied together?’
‘Yes.’
‘DI Collier is going to—’
I interrupted her. ‘I have everything under control.’
‘I’m sure you do, but you can’t investigate a crime of this magnitude on your own. It’s not up for argument. DI Collier is going to take point.’
‘Forgive me if I’m mistaken,’ Lukas interjected, ‘but this crime, regardless of its magnitude, took place at a supernatural institution. DC Bellamy has already established that at least one of the criminals is a supe.’
Barnes’s eyebrows rose slowly upwards.
‘A pixie,’ I supplied helpfully.
‘Indeed.’ Lukas smiled. ‘Therefore the investigation should be run by Supe Squad.’
‘Adam Jones isn’t a damned supe,’ Collier growled. ‘Although he doesn’t seem to know a thing about Timothy Barratt, despite your suggestions to the contrary, DC Bellamy.’
‘I might have misheard him,’ I replied smoothly. ‘And as for him being human, that’s why I placed him in your custody. Mr Jones is a peripheral character in this particular drama but he might have information that will help with my investigation of the bank robbery. And the bank robbery is a supernatural crime. I don’t require outside help.’ I looked at Collier and then at Barnes. ‘I guarantee that if we need more support, I’ll ask for it.’
‘We?’ Collier sniped, glaring at Lukas. ‘You and this … this … this … creature…’
‘Oh, do be quiet.’ DSI Barnes tutted. She jabbed her finger at me. ‘Very well, DC Bellamy. You will report to me every two hours with full updates. You will not turn off your phone. And before you leave here, you will give me a detailed report.’
I breathed out. Finally she’d seen the light. ‘Thank you.’
‘Don’t thank me,’ she snapped. ‘Just find the bastards who did this before every supe in the city starts rioting. I’ve got half the politicians in the city breathing down my neck. I don’t need any more hassle.’
‘You don’t need to worry about any supes,’ Lukas interjected smoothly.
‘Yeah, yeah. Follow me. I’ll take you to Jones.’
Collier coughed. ‘DSI Barnes—’
‘You can stand down for now.’
DI Collier’s cheeks turned a mottled purple. I resisted the temptation to stick my tongue out at him; after all, I was a grown woman not a child. But it was a close-run thing. I dipped my head instead to mask my expression and trotted after DSI Barnes into the building.
The Supe Squad building was beautiful, if rather dilapidated. In terms of atmosphere and technology, it was also a million miles away from the edifice here at Curtis Green. For one thing, our security system consisted of disapproving looks from Liza and a heady mixture of verbena and wolfsbane, which any non-supe wouldn’t register. The reality was that anyone could wander in and poke around if they really wanted to. In contrast, Curtis Green possessed metal detectors, security guards, CCTV cameras and the distinct sensation that you were being watched at all moments. It was like being at an airport, except I hadn’t packed my suntan lotion and I wasn’t expecting any fruity cocktails at a beach-side bar in the near future.
Nobody was exempt from security, not even Barnes. The three of us queued up behind a cluster of uniformed officers with all our metal objects and bags placed onto the rolling belt for X-ray. I dug into my pockets and tossed my phone and keys into one of the small grey trays. Lukas did the same. I glanced down while DSI Barnes strolled through the metal detector without pausing. I barely registered Lukas’s wallet and the heavy bunch of keys he’d put beside it – but then I took a closer look and froze.
‘You can come forward now,’ the security officer said. I didn’t hear him. I was still staring at the tray. ‘Ma’am…’
‘DC Bellamy,’ Barnes barked. ‘Get a move on.’
I reached down and scooped up my belongings.
‘DC Bellamy!’ Barnes called. ‘What is going on?’
I raised my chin. ‘Sorry to waste your time. We don’t need to speak to Adam Jones at all. I’ll talk to you later and explain everything.’ I picked up Lukas’s keys and wallet.
‘What is it, Emma?’ he asked.
Barnes stomped past security and glared at me. ‘I’d like to ask the same question. What on earth is going on?’
I picked out the three little golden keys on Lukas’s chain and held them up. ‘Sometimes,’ I said, ‘you need to take a step back to see the bigger picture. This is the key to understanding everything.’
DSI Barnes shook her head. ‘I don’t get it.’
‘You will.’ I grinned and spun round for the door. ‘I’ll explain everything later.’
‘DC Bellamy!’
I waved at her. But I didn’t pause.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
It was clear from the array of sleek cars sitting outside Supe Squad with their engines ticking over that all four clan alphas had decided to make an appearance. No prizes for guessing why.
I spotted Toffee leaning against the Fairfax limousine and jerked my head in her direction. ‘You should join us,’ I said.
Surprise flashed across her face and her eyes narrowed slightly. ‘It’s not my place.’
‘Up to you.’ I nodded at Max, who seemed fascinated by the goings-on, then I headed inside with Lukas by my side.
I glanced at the interview room where Esmeralda Strom had been the last time I’d seen her. The door was firmly closed. I swept past into the main office. It appeared that the clan alphas were only just getting warmed up.
‘I demand to speak to her,’ Lady Sullivan said, her voice edged with steel. ‘I’ll find out where my fucking things have gone before the rest of you can so much as blink.’
‘That’s not how things work around here,’ Fred said.
‘Indeed.’ I folded my arms and gazed around coolly. The four alphas, Lady Sullivan, Lady Carr, Lord Fairfax and Lord McGuigan, were spread across the room. Mosburn Pralk was beside them. Both female alphas displayed expressions that suggested the simmering threat of violence. Pralk’s face was a mask and Fairfax l
ooked equally inscrutable. Mmm. Lord McGuigan simply looked defeated.
‘Where the hell have you been?’ Lady Sullivan snapped. ‘What does that fucking pixie have to say for herself? I demand to know!’
Someone cleared their throat behind me and I glanced back, jerking in surprise when I saw Phileas Carmichael. ‘My client has considered the matter,’ he said loudly, ‘and would like the opportunity to address you all.’
Everyone in the room stared at him except me. My attention was on somebody else. ‘Sure,’ I said. ‘What’s the harm?’
Fred and Liza frowned at me but I pretended not to notice. ‘Bring her through,’ I said to Carmichael.
‘Is that a good idea?’ Lukas murmured sotto-voce.
‘Actually,’ I said, ‘it might work in our favour.’
We waited while Carmichael brought Esmeralda. Her pleasure at seeing the small – but extraordinarily powerful – assembly was obvious. She reserved a specially delighted and nasty grin for Mosburn Pralk. He didn’t blanch but held her gaze.
Lady Carr stepped forward. The diminutive werewolf alpha looked ready to tear Esmeralda from limb to limb. ‘Well? What do you have to say for yourself?’ She tapped her foot impatiently. ‘And where the fuck are my things?’
If the stern alpha’s tone was supposed to cow Esmeralda Strom into submission, it didn’t work. She lifted her chin, her blue eyes cold and piercing.
‘Look at you,’ she murmured. ‘Look at all of you. All that power, and you still let a little old pixie like me get the better of you. Not just me, either. Three humans with the combined intelligence of a soggy paper bag have bested you. Your bank,’ she sneered at Pralk, ‘was the easiest place in the world to rob. Your security is a joke. You thought that because you were the grand Talismanic Bank, with the protection of all these fuckers, you were safe.’ She sniffed. ‘You couldn’t have been more wrong. I’ve proved that.’ She tried to point to herself despite her bound wrists. ‘Me.’
I sucked in a breath. She’d admitted it. She’d admitted she was involved.
‘Are you looking for applause?’ Lord McGuigan asked icily. ‘Do you want adulation for turning against your own kind?’
Esmeralda laughed. ‘My own kind? You’re not my kind. We couldn’t be further apart. Do you think that because we’re both supes we’re the same? You lot look down on the rest of us. You always have. Just because you’ve got the numbers and you happen to have sharper teeth, you think you’re better than we are. I’ve proved that you’re not. Even at my age, I could run rings around you.’
Lady Sullivan glanced at me. ‘Either she gets talking,’ she snapped, ‘or I get walking.’
‘You’re not going anywhere,’ Esmeralda said. ‘You want your valuables too much to walk away.’ A smile played around her lips. She was enjoying the power she held over all of us. I sneaked a look at Phileas Carmichael. If he was disturbed by his new client’s declarations, he wasn’t showing it.
Lord Fairfax folded his arms. ‘You’re the mastermind of this operation, are you?’
I froze, watching them like a hawk. Esmeralda turned her head. For a long moment she didn’t speak. Her eyes held his as she smiled. I shifted my weight and prepared to intervene if necessary. Then she answered. ‘I am. I’m a pension-drawing pixie and I almost brought you to your knees. Remember that when you’re safely tucked up at home tonight.’ She smirked.
‘Where are the other three members of your pathetic little gang?’ Carr enquired. ‘And where are our belongings?’
Fairfax stepped forward. ‘Give her to me,’ he growled. ‘I’ll get her to talk.’
No way. That was not happening. ‘Not a chance,’ I said. ‘Mrs Strom, if you have something to say, you’d better get on with it.’ I was waiting for her to get to the truth, either by accident or design, but I didn’t possess infinite patience. Esmeralda Strom was on a very short rope.
‘Boswell loved our bank,’ Pralk said. ‘Why attack the one place that your husband dedicated his life to?’
‘Because he should have dedicated his life to me. He should have loved me!’ Her face twisted.
Pralk stared at her. ‘He did love you.’
‘Not as much as he loved your fucking bank.’
‘So you did this for revenge?’ Lady Carr questioned. ‘To get your own back on the Talismanic Bank and to stick the knife in your dead husband’s back?’ She rolled her eyes.
‘And to prove to you that you’re not as powerful or invincible as you think you are,’ Esmeralda said. ‘I very nearly won.’
‘But you didn’t win,’ Lukas said. ‘What were you planning to do with the boxes? You can’t have believed that you could sell the contents without getting caught.’
‘They were going to be ransomed back to you. For a good price.’
‘So where are the boxes now?’ he asked. ‘And where is the rest of the gang?’
‘I’ll tell you,’ Esmeralda murmured, ‘if the deal I receive in return is good enough.’
Fairfax exploded. ‘This is a waste of time! She’s obviously not planning to tell us a fucking thing! She’s toying with us.’
When I turned to him, my expression was ice cold. ‘Lord Fairfax,’ I said, ‘you—’
Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to finish my sentence. Liza interrupted, her eyes wide and her voice quivering. ‘What the hell is that?’ She was staring out of the window with a look of horror. One by one, the others followed her gaze, their mouths dropping open. Even Lukas looked taken aback.
It was no wonder. Standing outside the window was the largest werewolf I’d ever seen. Even on all four paws, it had to be over a metre tall. It had gold-tipped fur that did nothing to conceal its taut muscles. The wolf swung its head towards us and I caught a glimpse of gleaming green eyes and lethally sharp teeth. Then it raised a front paw and tapped its claws against the glass.
‘Who is that?’ Lukas’s voice was tight. ‘Who the fuck is that?’
There was genuine fear on Lady Sullivan’s face. ‘I have no idea.’
Esmeralda threw back her head and laughed. I muttered a curse under my breath and looked at Fred. ‘Get her to safety,’ I said. ‘You, Liza and Mrs Strom. Don’t leave this building under any circumstances.’ I glared at Esmeralda. ‘Do not let her out of your sight.’
Fred swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously. ‘What if that thing tries to get in here?’
I shook my head. ‘He won’t.’
I stormed out of the Supe Squad front door onto the street. Any passers-by had made themselves scarce and run for safety. The only other living being, besides me and the wolf, was Toffee. Scraps of her clothing lay in tatters on the road, and Toffee herself was lying on her back with her furry belly presented in total submission.
A cool breeze picked up, ruffling the large wolf’s fur. The gigantic creature turned towards me, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. He drew back his lips and snarled.
I rolled my eyes. ‘Well,’ I drawled, ‘you certainly know how to make an entrance.’
Lukas burst out of the door and advanced, prepared to attack. I swung an arm out to hold him back. ‘Don’t.’
His eyes flashed but he knew me well enough to obey. I took another step forward. I could hear the other alphas coming out; from their growls, at least one of them had transformed. I ignored their aggressive snarls and took another step towards the werewolf. He took another step towards me.
‘Emma.’ Lukas was worried.
I waved a hand dismissively. This was fine. It was all fine. The werewolf’s slitted green gaze was fixed on me with the absolute focus of a predator. Then, without warning, he lunged. Instinctively I put my hands up in front of my face – but the wolf didn’t touch me. He stopped an inch away. I stared into his face without flinching. ‘You have shitty timing, Mr Webb.’
The wolf opened its mouth. And then he licked me.
‘Wh–what?’ Lady Sullivan pushed her way through. She hadn’t yet transformed into lupine form but, from th
e way fur was springing out in patches across her face, she was on the verge of it. ‘Webb? Devereau Webb?’ She shook her head. ‘But you were only bitten once. I don’t understand.’
‘He’s been bitten more than once,’ I said. ‘In fact, three times.’
Webb sat back on his haunches looking very pleased with himself. Oh.
‘Four times?’ I asked.
I hadn’t thought it was possible for a werewolf to grin, but grin he did.
‘That’s not possible,’ Lady Carr breathed from behind me. ‘There are strict protocols in place. He could never have been bitten that many times without us knowing about it. Four times? That’s impossible.’
Lukas remained by my side. ‘A potion. You said you drank a potion, Emma. And that potion…’ He didn’t finish his sentence.
I nodded. ‘Mr Webb gave it to me. After he’d taken it himself.’
‘You knew about this?’ he demanded. ‘You knew what he’d done?’
‘By the time I realised,’ I said softly, ‘it was far too late to do anything about it. And I had more pressing concerns to worry about. Devereau Webb’s transformation was a fait accompli.’
There was a loud snapping noise, like the sickening sound of bones breaking. Devereau Webb moaned slightly. His golden fur turned into human skin, revealing a smooth tan that was marred only by the faint bruises and puncture wounds from his werewolf bites. He slowly pulled himself upright onto two feet. I ignored his lack of clothes and focused on his face.
‘That’s a very strange sensation,’ he murmured. ‘Very strange indeed.’ He rubbed the back of his neck, then he raised his head and looked over my shoulder. ‘Hello, cousins,’ he said. He ran his tongue over his teeth. A tiny crease lit his brow. ‘Where’s the other one gone?’
I looked round. Lady Carr and Lady Sullivan were standing side by side, staring at Devereau Webb with a mixture of horror and astonishment. In Lady Carr’s case. there appeared to be a sprinkling of lust as well. Lord McGuigan was in wolf form, his hackles raised. Toffee was still on the ground. But Fairfax was missing.
I clenched my teeth and glanced at the sleek black cars parked neatly nearby. Before I could move towards them, an engine roared and the nearest car swerved out before accelerating down the street at top speed.