A Wolf's Heart (Harlequin Nocturne)

by Vivi Anna

  “A person of interest right now. High interest though, if you get me.”

  “I always get you, Gabe.” And with that she was out of sight down the hall.

  He continued on to the morgue.

  “Tell me something good, Ivan.”

  The medical examiner turned toward Gabriel, a rib cutter in his big hand. “Ron Sharpe suffered from blunt force trauma. But this did not kill him. He was dragged from one spot to another.” Ivan pulled up one of Ron’s legs. There were dark marks along the back of his thigh. “You see these are drag marks.” He set the leg down. “He was then bled out by a deep cut to his thorax.”

  “Any drugs in his system?” Gabriel asked, trying hard not to look at the body on the gurney. Ron had been a good cop and Gabriel felt he’d failed him in some way.

  “I sent a sample to tox. Haven’t heard back. Are you looking for something in particular?”

  “Ketamine.”

  That lifted Ivan’s bushy gray eyebrows. “Hmm, not a usual drug.”

  “I was thinking that Constable Sharpe was subdued with it somehow.”

  Ivan shook his head. “He was subdued with the bash on his skull I’d say.” He pointed to Ron’s head. “There is a substantial dent in it. I’d say he was knocked unconscious, dragged to wherever and had his throat slit. I would think he didn’t regain consciousness after that initial blow.”

  “Okay, thanks, Ivan.”

  Ivan handed him his report. Gabriel took it and was about to leave when Ivan said, “Funny thing about that ketamine. I dated a vet once. She was an unscrupulous little minx, that one. She used to sell ketamine to junkies looking for a fix.” He shook his head. “It’s amazing to me what some people will shoot into their bodies.”

  “Can ketamine also be inhaled? Does it have to be injected into the body?”

  “Inhaling it would be like sniffing laughing gas. Same sort of method.”

  “Could it act like chloroform?”

  Ivan frowned. “In this way, you mean?” He picked up a piece of cloth on the table and held it over his nose and mouth. He released it.

  Gabriel nodded.

  “Absolutely.”

  “Thanks, Ivan.” Gabriel pushed through the morgue doors. As he walked down the hall back to his office, his cell phone trilled. “Bellmonte.”

  “I got something.” It was Sophie.

  “I’ll be right there.” He slid his phone into his pocket and walked even faster down the hall to the analysis room that Sophie always used. She was sitting at one of the computers.

  “What do you have, a break-in?”

  “Nope, insurance claim.”

  “An insurance claim?”

  “Yeah, after checking for thefts in the past week, nothing popped up by the way, I decided to just plug in Langford and veterinarian into the system just to see if anything popped up.” She smiled. “Well, it did.” She gestured to the computer screen.

  On the screen was a long report, an insurance report claiming damaged and missing merchandise. Reading down, he discovered the missing merchandise was ketamine and the person making the claim was Rachel Langford.

  Gabriel didn’t believe in coincidences.

  “Sister maybe?” Sophie asked.

  He shrugged. “Possibly. Does it say if she works for a veterinarian practice?”

  “According to this, she owns this one.”

  “Is there an address?”

  “Yup.”

  “Okay, let’s go and talk to her. We need a connection. If there is one, we can get a warrant.” He glanced at his watch. Time was going by too fast. And he feared Elise didn’t have long. If his hunch was right, then maybe she was safe until tomorrow. Until the ten-year anniversary that Rory made such a big deal out of.

  A half hour later, Gabriel and Sophie were standing the waiting room of Crescent Moon Heights Animal Hospital.

  “Do you have an appointment?” the young receptionist asked.

  “We need to talk to Rachel Langford.”

  “What is this in regards to?”

  “Her insurance claim,” Gabriel answered.

  “One minute, please.” The receptionist picked up the phone. “Ms. Langford, there are people here wanting to talk to you about an insurance claim.” After a nod or two she hung up. “She’ll be right with you.”

  Gabriel and Sophie sat down in two available chairs. There was a Great Dane sitting next to Gabriel. The dog turned its head and rested it on Gabriel’s leg. He petted the dog.

  “He looks sad,” Sophie commented.

  Gabriel scratched under its big ear. “Yeah. I know how you feel, buddy.”

  The dog licked his hand.

  A tall woman with long, dark blond hair came into the waiting room. Gabriel didn’t need to be told that this was Rachel Langford. She had very similar features to Rory. They were definitely related.

  After one final scratch to the dog, Gabriel stood and approached her. She smiled. “May I help you?”

  Gabriel flipped his badge. “Is there somewhere we can talk?”

  “Certainly.” She led them down a hall and into a big office in the back. She gestured for them to sit in the two big overstuffed leather chairs. She sat down behind the equally impressive desk. “Now, what is this about? I have a feeling it isn’t about insurance.”

  “Do you know Rory Langford?”

  She arched one eyebrow. “He’s my cousin on my mother’s side.”

  “Are you close?”

  “Not really.”

  “When was the last time you saw him?”

  “Last month, at my mother’s three hundred and fiftieth birthday celebration.”

  “What did you talk about?”

  She hesitated and eyed them both. “What is this about? Is he in some kind of trouble?”

  “I won’t lie, Ms. Langford, but your cousin could be involved in a stalking and a kidnapping case.”

  She dropped her gaze and swiveled in her chair a little. It was an interesting response to his announcement.

  “You don’t seem outraged by what I’ve just told you.”

  “However much I don’t believe he could be involved in something like that, there has always been something off with Rory.”

  “In what way? Are you talking about his vampiric gift?”

  She flinched at that. “Rory has always been charming. Even as a child. But, yes, Inspector Bellmonte, he does possess a certain gift of persuasion.”

  “You mean you think he honestly has that mythical power of glamour? I’ve read about it in fiction books about vampires glamoring people, but I’ve never heard of a real vampire possessing it.”

  “Well, there’s always a first for everything. And where do you suspect those authors, Bram Stoker be damned, got the idea for it in the first place? I’m sorry, no one is that original.”

  Gabriel nodded. She was probably right. “Would you know when he’s using it?”

  “In what way? You mean, on me?”

  He nodded. “Yes. Could he have persuaded you to give him something? Something you think you’ve lost or never received?”

  Her eyes widened. “Are you talking about my ketamine shipment?”

  “Yes.”

  She worried her bottom lip with her fangs. “Hmm, I would never have considered that. But my supplier swears he shipped me the merchandise. I’ve never had a problem with him before.”

  “Would you be willing to give us a statement about all that you’ve told us?”

  She nodded. “If Rory is using his power for bad then I won’t be a part of it.”

  “Thank you.” Gabriel jumped up. “Sophie, take her statement.”

  Sophie nodded and took out some official paper and a pen.

  Gabriel flipped open his phone and called his favorite judge to get a warrant. They had enough now. They had just cause to search Rory’s house and to put an APB on him.

  Gabriel was certain that Rory Langford had abducted Elise and was holding her captive. He just hoped that he found he
r in time. Before Rory’s warped mind went into overdrive.

  Chapter 29

  “What are you doing here?”

  Her hand was shaking as she put it to her throat. Why she should be afraid she didn’t know. But she was. There was no doubting it as her heart hammered in her chest.

  He stepped into the kitchen. “What? I can’t check up on my favorite client?” He moved even closer toward her. “Someone’s got to watch over you and make sure you aren’t making any big mistakes.”

  She shook her head, feeling confused and conflicted. Here was this man she’d trusted over the past ten years, but something was telling her that she didn’t know him at all. That he was a stranger to her and only now would she find out who he truly was.

  “Well, as you can see, Rory. I’m all right. Everything’s fine. You don’t have to be here.”

  “Fine.” He shook his head. “No, I don’t think everything is fine, Elise. You seem to be making some errors in judgment, I think. This Bellmonte character, for instance.”

  “What does Gabriel have to do with anything?”

  “You’ve become too close to him. I don’t think it’s good for you.”

  “I will be the judge of what is good for me. And I’ve known Gabriel a lot longer than I have you.” She took a step back from him. He was sweating and his hands were fidgeting at the pockets of his jacket. “I would like you to leave, Rory. I’ll call you when I return to the city.”

  Smiling, he shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. I’m going to stay for a while. You need me to be here, Elise. I can see it in your eyes. It’s how you always look at me. Our love is so much stronger than all of this.” He waved his hand in the air.

  And that’s when she noticed there was something in his palm.

  “What love? We are business partners, Rory. That’s all. Nothing more.”

  He frowned. “Now, now, Elise. You don’t have to play coy. There are no cameras here. You can admit the truth. You can admit how much you need me, how much I mean to you.” He stepped even closer to her.

  She retreated farther, and cursed under her breath when her back bumped into the counter. She had nowhere else to go. “Rory, you’ve confused our relationship. I do care for you, but not in a romantic way. I’m sorry if you’ve felt otherwise.”

  He was still smiling. But it wasn’t a warm comforting feeling. There was something unnerving and twisted in the way his lips curled upward. “That’s okay. We’ll have time to work that part out.”

  “What part?”

  He pounced on her. She should’ve expected it. She should’ve sensed it in some way. She was able to get her arms up and push at him, but it wasn’t enough to get away.

  He grabbed her around the neck and pulled her in close. She clawed at him and bit down on his hand. But he didn’t release his grip on her. He was strong. Stronger than she’d ever given him credit for.

  He had her cradled into his chest, but she was still moving forward, dragging him with her. She struggled and kicked and made her way toward the sliding glass door to the patio. If she could get outside, she could get away and shift. He’d never be able to catch her then. No vampire could run as fast as a lycan in wolf form.

  She swung her hands back, aiming for his face. Her right fist did connect and she heard the distinctive crunch of cartilage, but it wasn’t enough. His other hand came up over her face.

  He had a cloth in his palm and it covered her nose and mouth. There was some sort of chemical on it. She could smell it. A strong, cloying odor that made her gag. But she couldn’t stop herself from breathing it in. Her lungs needed air and she couldn’t stop them from contracting.

  She struggled harder, kicking hard with her legs and flailing with her arms. Glass exploded around them, but still Rory held on. And still she breathed in the chemical.

  Her head was swimming. Her limbs were turning leaden. Soon her efforts to get away were useless. She could barely lift her arm. Finally, her vision started to blur. Black spots spun around in her eyes. She’d soon be unconscious.

  After one final kick with her leg, Elise slumped in Rory’s arms and fell into a deep, drugged sleep.

  Elise sat up and screamed.

  Everything was coming back to her now. She’d been in and out of consciousness for a while, but now that she was awake, she finally understood what had happened to her and why.

  And who was behind it all.

  The door to the small fake room opened and Rory Langford stepped in, smiling. He was holding a bouquet of bloodred roses.

  “Happy anniversary, my love.”

  Chapter 30

  The judge had no problem giving him a warrant. And now Gabriel was in the living room of Rory’s five-thousand-square-foot bungalow, tearing it apart, looking for anything to lead them to Elise’s whereabouts.

  He’d put out an APB on Rory, but so far no one had seen him.

  They’d called his office and got voice mail, not even a receptionist. Gabriel sent a patrol to the office, but the door had been locked and no one answered when they’d knocked. It looked as if he’d closed up shop. An officer had asked around, questioned the other tenants in the building, but no one had seen Rory in a few days.

  He had vanished. Right along with Elise.

  Gabriel was convinced that he was the perp. They just needed evidence now to prove that theory. And they needed a thread to follow to find Elise.

  It was past midnight. It was officially the next day and they’d run out of time.

  Sophie came out of one of the bedrooms. “I got nothing. It’s clean in there. Too clean, if you ask me.”

  “Keep looking. There has to be something. He sent her tons of letters. He had to have constructed them somewhere.”

  She went into the next room as Gabriel surveyed the living room looking for the spot to start his search. There was a coffee table with a drawer in it. He pulled it open and searched through the contents. Magazines. Copies of Better Homes and Gardens, Men’s Journal, OK! Magazine, and Time were stacked together.

  All the love letters had been constructed with letter cutouts from magazines.

  He took out a copy of Time and started to flip through it, searching for any missing pages or cut pages. Nothing in that one. He picked up another. Again, every page was intact. He went through them all but one and found nothing. The last one was an old edition of OK! Magazine. There was an article in there about Elise.

  Gabriel thumbed through the pages. Everything was in order until he came to the article on Elise. The two pages comprising the article had been cut and ripped apart. He spread open those pages, set them on the table and took several pictures. He then slid the magazine into an evidence bag and labeled it.

  They had their first real evidence that Rory was the letter writer. But they needed more to ensure a conviction would stick. Right now, though, his main goal was to find Elise. Everything else would have to come second.