“I can assure you we have officers looking for the vehicle now. Can you think of a reason anyone might want Mr. Leavy dead?”
I stifled a humorless laugh. Wes hated being called Mr. Leavy, almost as much as he hated being called Weston. Then I pulled myself together so I could answer the question. “Wes is the kind of guy who worked hard and would do anything for you. Everyone loved him. He didn’t have enemies.”
Aurora looked at me sympathetically as I watched the paramedics explaining to the other officer that they were declaring Wes dead on the scene. As another police car pulled up, I wondered just how many cops it took to see what had happened here. I wished they were all out driving around and looking for the guys responsible.
Officer Murray’s voice broke through my thoughts when he said, “This your car?” He pointed at my Mazda.
“Yes sir.” Although I didn’t see how that was relevant. He gave me a thoughtful look and made another note. “Why do you ask?”
“It’s the same make and model as the victim’s. You guys go car shopping together or something?”
It was true that Wes drove the same type of car, but his was a year older than mine. We’d joked about who was going to get to buy the car first when the band had signed our record deal, but since my priority had been finding a place for my Mom and I to live and making sure she had something dependable to drive, he’d beaten me to it. But that hadn’t stopped me from going out and getting my own as soon as I’d had the chance. Mine was fully customized inside, and it was still my favorite thing to drive, despite the fact that I now owned three vehicles. My frazzled brain still couldn’t compute why any of this mattered, though. I glanced at Aurora and the look on her face told me she was two steps ahead of me. Before I could ask her to explain, Officer Murray cleared his throat to get my attention.
“Mr. Decker, can you think of a reason anybody might want to harm you?”
The ramifications of that statement hit me like a blow to the stomach. My heart raced and my skin went clammy. I turned away from them both and puked my guts up on the lawn.
Seeing that I needed a minute to collect myself, Aurora answered for me. “Trey’s the front man in a band called Catalyst,” she offered. “They’re a pretty big deal. I’m sure there are people who are jealous of his success.”
“And what is the relationship between the two of you?” Murray asked.
“I’m his girlfriend,” Aurora stated.
Once I was certain I wasn’t going to hurl again, I turned to face them both. “Wes is … was … our band manager.”
“I think it’s a good idea to get you over to the ambulance and let the paramedics take a look at you,” Murray said. “I’m pretty sure you’re in shock.” I shook my head defiantly. “Come on, kid. Don’t be stupid. What’s it gonna hurt?” he insisted.
“Do you see that girl standing across the street with her parents?” I asked, pointing to the teenager who was watching us intently and wiping her eyes, all while texting on her cell phone. Murray nodded. “Her name is Cali and she’s one of my biggest fans,” I explained. “She lives in the grey home two houses down. She nearly had a coronary when I bought this place. Right now she’s spreading the word that someone just died in my front yard. She probably knows it’s Wes. Most of our fans know him. I’m sure she’s telling the entire fan club right now. The last thing I need is for her to panic because I’m getting into an ambulance. She’ll think I’m hurt, too, and I’m not going to freak people out like that.”
Chapter 54
Trey took a deep breath and forced himself to his feet. He was able to stand but that didn’t stop me from holding onto him. His heart hammered in his chest with no signs of slowing. I regretted not paying more attention to Mark’s medical babble in case Trey really was in shock. If I had thought for one second that Trey would let a vampire doctor check him out, I’d have called Mark without hesitation. But with everything going on, I was certain that would be asking too much. Trey made a point to look across the street so the girl named Cali would see him on his feet and know that he was okay, even if he was far from it.
“Were you expecting Mr. Leavy this morning?” Officer Murray questioned.
Trey hesitated and pulled his phone from his front pocket. “My phone’s dead because I wasn’t home to charge it last night. He might have tried to call me to say he was coming over, but Wes wasn’t just my manager, he was my friend. He knew he could stop in whenever he wanted.” Officer Murray scribbled away in his little notebook again and Trey sighed and turned to face me. “How am I going to tell the guys … and Lisa?”
I opened my mouth to speak, not sure what to say, and was relieved when Officer Murray interrupted.
“Actually I think it might be a good idea for the two of you to come to the station and give a more in-depth statement. We want to make sure we have all our bases covered. Just in case this was really a case of mistaken identity the rest of your band should probably be there, too.”
Trey and I both nodded. Not because either of us thought the police could do anything about a gang of rogue vampires mistaking an innocent man for the guy they thought had threatened their entire existence, but because we were going to have to do our part to make sure the police didn’t find Wes’s true killers.
“Wes has a girlfriend,” Trey added. “Her name is Lisa Banner. I don’t have her number but I’m sure it’s in his phone.”
“We’ll notify her,” Officer Murray said. “And maybe I should give you a ride to the station.”
Trey frowned. “Uh, if you don’t mind, I think it might be better if we just follow you. Just give me a few minutes to call the guys.” I knew what he was thinking. He didn’t want to be seen climbing into the back of a police car any more than he wanted people to see him climbing into an ambulance.
Officer Murray hesitated, and then he glanced back at Cali and her parents and some of the other neighbors who were all standing around intently watching us. “Okay,” he agreed. “But only if your girlfriend drives. We don’t need another accident today.”
“I won’t be long.” Trey took my hand and I handed Officer Murray back his umbrella, grateful the rain had slowed from drizzling to a light sprinkle. Trey and I headed toward the front door of the house before realizing he didn’t have his keys. I offered to go to the car and get them but he led me around to the garage and typed in the security code instead. Cowboy was whining at Trey’s feet the second we opened the door to the kitchen. He bent down and scooped Cowboy into his arms, letting him lick his ear. He held the dog for a moment, and I saw that his eyes had filled to the brim with tears. I was watching Trey’s heart break for the second time in three days, and once again I was the root of the problem. He put the dog down and turned away from me to wipe at his eyes.
I took a step forward and wrapped my arms around him from behind. He froze for a second and then to my surprise he turned into my embrace and let me hold him while silent tears ran down his cheeks. I hugged him tight against me, wishing I could go back in time and refuse his offer to go for a walk that fateful night at Carlie’s. At least that way Trey’s world wouldn’t be crumbling down all around him. After a moment, Trey’s breathing evened out and he pulled back.
“It should have been me.” His voice was barely above a whisper.
“No. You can’t think like that.”
“Wes was only thirty-four years old.” Trey took a deep breath and sighed heavily. “He had his whole life ahead of him. He was going to propose to Lisa. He told me that a few weeks ago. He was just waiting for the right time. He should be getting married and having kids and planning his entire future. Now he’s dead, and it should have been me.”
“If anyone’s to blame for Wes’s death, it’s me,” I insisted. “It was a group of vampires who did this to Wes, and I’m the one who dragged you into all of it.”
“This isn’t your fault. All you’ve tried to do from the beginning was protect me.”
“Some job I did of that.”
“Then you can’t go taking the blame, either.” I bit my lip, trying to stay calm. If I’d let Trey come home alone, or he’d spent the night at his place, it would most likely be his body growing cold right now. “I could have lost you today,” I said, feeling like my heart was breaking just saying the words. “I’ve lost everyone I ever cared about. I can’t lose you, too.” Trey opened his mouth like he was going to say something but he changed his mind and waited for me to continue. I reached up and brushed some of his dark, wet hair away from his eyes. “I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that you’re alive.”
Trey’s face softened and he let out a resigned sigh. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said.
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.” I gave his hand one last squeeze.
He kissed my forehead and then walked over to the kitchen island. He stood there for a moment, his hands resting on the granite countertop as he forced himself to breathe deeply.
“Can I borrow your phone?” he asked, turning to face me again.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and held it out to him. “Do you want me to give you some space?”
He shook his head, his eyes pleading with me. “Stay. Please.”
I nodded and felt Cowboy scratching at my wet, grass-stained jeans. “I’ll stay,” I promised. “I’ll, uh … get Cowboy sorted out.”
“Thanks.” Trey leaned back against the edge of the counter and stared at my phone.
I patted my leg so the dog would follow me over to the kitchen pantry, where I assumed his food might be. I heard Trey dialing a number, knowing it would be O’Shea’s. I rummaged through the pantry, finding a five gallon bucket on the floor full of Puppy Chow or whatever it was Trey fed Cowboy. I scooped some dog food with the plastic cup in the bucket and carried it back out to the kitchen where Trey was still staring at my phone, his thumb hovering over the Send button. Cowboy’s automatic feeder sat on the other side of the kitchen island, two-third’s empty. I unscrewed the lid off the top and filled the container before replacing the lid. Trey pressed Send as I moved on to filling Cowboy’s water dispenser at the kitchen sink. Trey wandered toward the dining room table while the phone rang, waiting for O’Shea to pick up. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but the inhuman hearing isn’t something I can just turn off. Once I had Cowboy’s water filled and the dog was taking a drink I leaned against the counter just as O’Shea picked up.
“Hey man, it’s me. My phone’s dead so I’m on Aurora’s,” Trey began. He looked older than I’d ever seen him look.
“No wonder you’re not answering. Ken has all the songs we’ve done so far mixed so we can come over early and get a feel for how the album is shaping up,” O’Shea said excitedly.
“That’s great, man,” Trey spoke slowly, forcing a smile. But anyone who knew Trey would immediately know from the tone of his voice that something was wrong. O’Shea was no exception.
“Hey … is everything all right?”
“Um ….” Trey ran a hand through his hair and looked at his shoes. “I don’t know how to tell you this….”
“Are those sirens I hear in the background?”
Trey turned to the window where the police lights could still be seen flashing through the spaces in the blinds. He separated a few of them with his fingers, just enough to peek through. The ambulance sirens were wailing again. “There’s been an accident,” Trey said. The look of pain that flashed across his face as he spoke made me cringe.
“An accident? Are you all right, man?”
“I … I wasn’t involved, but Wes-”
“Wes? Is he okay?” O’Shea asked earnestly.
Trey took another shaky breath. “No … he’s not okay.” Trey’s voice cracked but he forced the words out. “He … he didn’t make it.” There was a sharp intake of breath from O’Shea and then silence on the line for a couple of heartbeats before Trey managed to speak again. “He was hit by an SUV in front of my house, practically in my driveway.”
“I’m coming over,” O’Shea said, his voice strained with emotion.
“No,” Trey insisted. “You don’t need to see this – besides – the police want to talk to us at the station. The truth is it may not have been an accident. Someone might have mistaken Wes for me.”
“Why would anyone want to hurt you?” O’Shea asked, but he didn’t seem to expect an answer.
“I haven’t called anyone else. Do you think you could get Jonas and Chase and meet me at the police station? I’ll explain everything when we get there.”
“We’ll be there.”
Trey hung up the phone and I walked slowly toward him. He sighed and opened his arms to me. I leaned against his chest, and felt him kiss the top of my head. “Maybe I’m not going to live long enough for you to change me.”
“I’m not leaving your side,” I promised. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” I was still confident that I could keep Trey safe, but I couldn’t make that same promise about the rest of the guys, Ken and his family, or anyone I’d put in danger by dragging Trey into my world. It just wasn’t possible for one vampire to be everywhere at once. Damir’s promise from last night echoed in my mind but I mentally brushed it away.
“Look at you.” Trey touched my cheek softly with his calloused fingers. “You’re soaking wet. I’ll go get your bag from the car,” he offered.
“No,” I said. “It’s not worth it. I’m not going to catch pneumonia,” I stated. “But you should probably change into something dry.”
“Come with me.” Trey took my hand and I let him lead me up the stairs to his bedroom. He went directly to the giant room he called a closet where he rummaged inside and produced a tee shirt, holding it up to me to gauge the size. “It’s not much to look at, but at least you’ll be dry.”
“It’s perfect.”
Then he found a pair of jogging pants and gave me those as well. “You can use the bathroom to change,” he offered, gesturing to the door that led to the master bath. “Toss your wet clothes back out to me and I’ll throw them in the washer with mine.”
“What about the police?”
“They can wait a few minutes,” Trey said, and I could almost hear the silent ending to his sentence: it’s not like anything will be different in ten minutes. Wes will still be dead.
I let myself in the bathroom and pulled off my wet jeans and shirt, grateful that my underwear and bra were only a little damp. I opened the door enough to hold my wet clothes out for Trey to take. I closed the door again and pulled Trey’s shirt on, breathing in the smell of him on the material. As I put the jogging pants on, I heard Trey open, close and then start the washer located inside the giant room he called a closet. I gazed at my reflection in the large mirror above the sink. Trey’s shirt was long enough to qualify as a short nightgown. I’d squeezed the water from my hair with the towel the paramedic had given me. It was still wet but at least it wasn’t dripping. As I stood there wearing Trey’s shirt, for a small moment there was the illusion of normalcy in a situation that was anything but.
When I opened the bathroom door Trey was sitting on the bottom of his bed, his head in his hands. He had on a dry pair of jeans and a belt but no shirt. It was like he hadn’t managed to get completely dressed before the crushing reality of the situation had overpowered him again. I sat down next to him but he didn’t look up until I bumped him gently with my shoulder.
“That tee shirt has never looked so good,” he said with a small smile as he gazed at me.
“Funny. I was just thinking I prefer you without one,” I said.
His smile widened just as I’d hoped it would and I found my eyes wandering down to the tattoo on the right side of his chest. I’d seen a picture of the whole band showing off their matching tattoos of Catalyst’s logo on the fan club, but this was the first time I’d seen Trey’s tattoo in person. I lifted a hand and traced the design slowly with
my fingernail.
“We begged Wes to get one with us.”
“Wes? A tattoo?” I asked.
“We never did talk him into it,” Trey said. “He was so afraid of needles….” His voice trailed off and he was silent for a few seconds, lost in a memory. “I swore to him I’d get him to do it one day.” I leaned forward and he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me to his chest.
“Are you sure you’re up to this police station thing?” I asked vaguely.
“No,” he said. “But it’s not like I have a choice. Besides, I need to see the guys. They should hear it from me.” I wished I could think of anything to say that would make him feel better. There just weren’t words for situations like this. “Do you think the story about somebody being out to get me because they’re jealous of my success is going to hold up?” he asked.
“It’s the only thing we’ve got.”
“Can’t you just use some of your vampire mojo to convince the cops that’s what happened?”
I shook my head, remembering just how little Trey actually knew about my world. “That kind of thing comes and goes with the moon,” I explained. “That’s why most vampires prefer a nocturnal schedule, so we can take full advantage of those abilities. Only a vampire’s physical gifts stay with them during the day.” I heard the buzzing in the air outside before it got near us. “There’s a helicopter getting closer,” I thought out loud.
Trey sighed and squeezed me gently before letting go. “Great. That means its time to get the hell out of here.” He pulled on a shirt and we headed downstairs. Trey stopped to tell Cowboy to be a good dog on the way out and then the garage was closing behind us. The rain had stopped completely now, leaving behind only puddles of water and mud in the tracks Wes’s car and the black SUV had left in Trey’s lawn. Photographers were now among the other people standing on the sidewalk across the street. The police had put up yellow tape and were keeping them at bay, but they snapped away with their fancy cameras. Each flash felt like an invasion, and I was amazed at how unaffected Trey seemed. He went straight to the driver’s side door and opened it for me, letting me slip inside before he closed it. Then he climbed in the passenger’s side and I started the engine. Officer Murray was already in his car, talking on his police radio. He looked up to see us waiting and waved to let us know he’d seen us. Then he made a u-turn and gestured for us to follow him. I turned and pulled onto the road behind him. A second police car fell in line behind us.
Blood and Guitars Page 27