by E G Bateman
“I’ll drop it at a dog shelter.” Scott put it in his pocket and looked at Marcel. “What about him?”
“He’s not going to a shelter. He’ll be torn to shreds by a rottweiler.” Dick was horrified. He folded his arms on the counter and rested his chin on them to stare at Marcel’s sleeping face.
“You want to keep him?” The young man looked astonished.
“It’s the least I can do.” He stroked the puppy’s silky ear gently.
She looked around the room. “What about your expensive furniture?”
Dick waved a hand. “It can go into storage.” He didn’t look away from the animal.
Scott removed his hand from hers. “What’s in the envelope?”
Lexi removed two sheets of paper and a flash drive slid out with them. “Looking at the date in the corner, this is a copy of a page from an old desk diary. It’s mostly full of meetings. Do you recognize any names?” She passed it to Dick.
He scanned the sheet. “I don’t think it’s the names. Look at this entry—it’s the registration of a property transfer. The address is where the bar and flower shop are.”
The other man read the second sheet. “This is interesting. He emailed someone at an offsite data storage facility asking for all the files from an industrial scanner created the same week as that diary page. It looks like they used a scanner with its own backup drive. That must mean the documentation was removed from everywhere else. Most people wouldn’t know about this process. It’s lucky for us that Leonard’s contact did.”
“Not so lucky for Leonard.” Dick walked to a cupboard, pulled out a notebook computer, and activated it.
“Okay, what do we know?” Lexi asked.
Scott stepped into the middle of the kitchen like a teacher at the front of the classroom. “They knew about Leonard.”
“But how could they have known?” she asked.
“Perhaps he—or most likely his contact—did something to draw attention to himself,” he suggested. He wrote fiery words in the air.
Leonard, discovered how?
“When you received a call from Dolores, were you alone? How did the conversation go?” she asked Dick.
“I was alone. She told me she’d been asked to help with a situation in town. Then she said she was sending you, and I said, ‘no fucking way.’ She told me the situation had gotten complicated and suggested that if I could help, you’d be out of town faster. Obviously, I was all for that.”
“No offense.”
“She asked if I knew someone who could help us to get information from the clerk’s office. I told her I’d call her back. I called ten minutes later and asked if she was absolutely positive you wouldn’t try to kill me or break my neck again because that shit hurts. And as an aside, Lexi, we haven’t even begun to visit the issue of the dumpster.” He refilled his glass before he spoke again.
“I said I had a friend with a contact in the clerk’s office and I’d try to contact him. We talked about the documents being stolen from the flower shop, and that was what I asked Leonard to look for—discreetly, obviously.”
“I don’t understand this case.” Lexi scratched her head. “First, it was a gang bothering a business-owning shifter. Then–”
Scott put up his hand to interrupt. “Could this be connected to her being a shifter?”
“What?” She stared at him, puzzled.
“We’ve assumed Kate’s being bothered because she’s a business owner, not because she’s a shifter. Tommy and his family clearly don’t want her running a business, and now you’ve seen that Tommy is somehow connected to Caleb and possibly involved in Leonard’s death,” he explained.
“But what does that have to do with Leonard? Why was that worth murdering him?” Dick asked.
“Do you have the pendant?” Scott asked.
“That’s weird too. It went black. Why would it do that?” She pulled it out of her pocket and placed it on the counter.
“It’s tarnished.” He stretched to pick it up and a spark spat from it onto his hand. “Fucker!”
Lexi moved quickly to stand between him and the pendant, but nothing else happened.
“Someone else’s magic has touched that.” He shook his hand out. “Dick, do you have any silver cleaner?”
“Silver cleaner? Sure, I use it to clean my silver daggers. It’s in the solarium with the wooden stakes and everything else that can kill me.” The vampire shook his head.
Scott tried again. “Baking soda and aluminum foil?”
“That I can do.” Dick headed to the utility room.
Twenty minutes later, the young man had polished the silver pendant.
He cast a spell looking for magical or cursed objects and the pendant glowed green. Lexi looked around the room to see if anything else glowed. Fortunately, it didn’t, and as Scott continued his work, the green glow around the pendant subsided.
“Will this be your mirror trick again? Isn’t the pendant a little small for that?” Dick stared at the little piece of jewelry.
“Is it safe to ask if you have a mirror?” the other man asked.
“I moved them all to the spare room after seeing what you did with the one in your motel room yesterday. I planned to have them ground to dust.” The vampire headed down the hall.
He returned with a framed wall mirror and propped it against the wall next to the countertop. Scott held the pendant before it and rolled his finger in the air. The reflection changed from the three of them to black. He continued to roll his finger until they saw the group of men around her at the party.
“There’s Caleb staring at my breasts again. What a creep.” She sneered.
Scott set it back a few minutes and let it play forward. “He’s not looking at your breasts, he’s looking at the pendant.”
Lexi realized he was right. He was looking directly at it and seemingly at them through the mirror, which was even more creepy.
In the replay, Dick leaned forward on her right side to pass the envelope to Betsy. She remembered seeing that at the time. What she hadn’t seen was Caleb using that moment’s distraction to mutter a word. She watched his lips move, and the picture turned black.
“Caleb’s a sorcerer? Shut the front door!” Dick’s mouth was agape.
He picked the photocopy up and gazed at it with a sigh. Under it was the envelope. Scott took it, looked inside, and shook a photograph out.
The young man raised his eyebrows. “Of course, we could be jumping the gun assuming Leonard was murdered over Kate’s case.” He put the picture in front of Lexi, who glanced at it. To her surprise, she saw herself.
“I don’t understand. I don’t recognize this picture.” She frowned as she stared at it.
Dick peered over her shoulder. “That’s Jackson Square in New Orleans. You must have been there.”
“It’s not only that. I assumed this evidence would prove I’d been there when I was a child. This picture isn’t that old.”
The vampire tapped the photograph. “And you don’t recognize the man you’re with?”
“I have no idea who he is.” She tried to force a memory—anything—but nothing came.
“What age would you say you are in that picture?” Scott looked from the image to her.
“Maybe fifteen or sixteen.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and turned to Dick. “You asked Leonard to look into this months ago, right?”
“Yes.”
“So why would it all blow up now?”
The vampire stood and tapped his chin in thought. “I think you’re right. This is a distraction. Whatever happened to Leonard must have been related to the case.”
“It’s clear what we need to do next.” Lexi finished her coffee and put the empty mug down.
“It is?” He swiveled to face her.
She smiled. “Whenever I have a question I can’t answer, I find someone to help me think it through.”
“Isn’t that what we’re doing here?” he asked.
“My method inv
olves knuckle-dusters.” She stretched and then curled her fingers.
He nodded. “I like it. It’s expedient. Perhaps we should borrow one of those shifters.”
“Yes. We need to find Tommy or one of his little friends.” She cracked her knuckles.
“Preferably not Tommy. I don’t think our client will be happy if we knock her boyfriend senseless,” Scott added. He had his phone to his ear.
“By the time all this is over, she might pay us to do that.” Lexi smirked.
I might do it for free.
“The pack tends to congregate at a bar off the highway.” Dick picked his dinner jacket up and draped it across his arm.
“Not Kate’s place?” She was surprised.
“Not for their pack meetings and until Kate’s married, she’s not part of Stan’s pack. Also, the other place is out of the way. Jesús will take you to your motel. I’ll meet you there.” He untied his bow tie.
She looked at Scott, whose face was creased with worry. “What’s up?”
“Dolores isn’t picking up.”
“Keep trying.” The other two exchanged looks of concern.
Scott put his hand on the countertop while he redialed with the other, and she slipped hers into it. He flooded her with as much magic energy as she could tolerate and only stopped when her hair began to rise with static electricity.
The vampire waited until they had finished, then called Jesús’ name.
“Huh? What?” The confused young man scrambled to his feet.
“Why are you sleeping on the job?” Dick frowned.
“I don’t know. I’m so sorry, Mr. Levin.” He looked mortified.
“Has everything been quiet here this evening? No guests or calls?”
“Nothing, sir.”
“Drive my friends to their motel. Take the Jaguar and stop on the way back and pick up whatever the dog needs. Food, bed, bowls—whatever you think is appropriate.” Dick looked at his watch and turned to Lexi. “It’s midnight. I have about five hours.”
Chapter Eight
“How are you?” Lexi asked Scott as they watched the shifter bar from their car at the back of the parking lot.
He stared ahead. “I’m fully recharged.”
She repeated the question, demanding a better answer. “How are you?”
“I’m okay. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“If we were still in the cult, you might not even be active yet.”
“I’m twenty-eight. I’d have been active long ago if I’d been able to match with someone I could trust.” He sighed. “Well, I’m getting a crash course now. I’m not a liability, Lexi. Anyway, what happened to you out there earlier? I picked up some disturbing emotions.” He turned in his seat to face her.
“Don’t divert the issue. You can’t ignore the possibility that your empathy might slow you in a confrontation.”
“You mean, I might slow you.” Color rose in his cheeks.
“Yes, that’s what I mean.” She smiled. “If you feel like you’re losing it, cloak yourself. Give me one less thing to worry about. Promise?”
“I promise I won’t get you killed.” He looked at his hands in his lap and drew a deep breath. “I would never—”
The back door opened, and Dick hopped in. “Would it kill you to clean this thing?” He shoved takeout boxes across the back seat.
“What did you hear?” She knew he would have been hiding in the shadows before they arrived.
“Apart from you two bickering? There’s something going on. I think there are two shifter packs in there. One group seems quite vexed with the other.”
A window shattered at the front of the bar as a man careened through it. He landed, turned into a wolf before their eyes, and howled with rage.
Scott opened his mouth to say something and Lexi snapped her hand to his lips but Dick had beaten her to it. She looked her friend in the eyes and shook her head once. He nodded and removed Dick’s hand. In wolf form, their hearing was exceptional. They’d hear a whisper in a car less than a hundred feet away.
The wolf shook his head and bounded in through the window.
More howls filled the air as shifters turned inside the bar.
“This—” Scott started before he paused and removed Dick’s hand again. “I’ve cloaked us. They can’t see, hear, or smell us. As I was saying, this doesn’t look good.”
The vampire nodded. “I agree. I’m really not feeling this. Walking into the middle of that would be suicide. No good joke ever started with ‘a vampire walks into a shifter bar.’ I think we need another plan.”
The young man straightened and grinned. “I’ve got one. A vampire walks into a shifter bar and asks for a steak. Wait, no, you won’t like that one.”
Lexi tightened her lips, then sighed. “We’ll meet you at your place.”
Dick exited the vehicle and looked at the seat again. “Seriously, this makes your motel look like the Ritz.” He disappeared into the night.
“Maybe we should go back to Kate. She might be able to suggest someone who can talk to us.” Scott took the keys but was stopped by her upraised hand. A side door had opened, and a tall, dark-haired man with a walking stick stepped out, holding a cellphone to his ear.
She stared at him. “Wow! They don’t make them small, do they?”
“This isn’t going well. They insist it wasn’t them and it’s getting quite heated,” the man said into the phone. “Something’s going on. When we got here, they were already fairly somber. It sounds like a couple of their pack members are missing or dead. Stan’s not here, but they’re all very evasive about where he might be.”
“Maybe we should borrow this guy?” Scott suggested. Lexi nodded her agreement.
The man listened to his caller for a few more seconds. “Okay, I’ll go in to see if I can make any sense out of this.” He disconnected, turned to step through the door, and instantly fell asleep.
Dick carried a chair into the garage. “What were you thinking? It was ill-advised to move one dog into the house. Now, I have two. Where is he?”
“He’s in the trunk.” Scott walked to the back of the car.
“Bad Marcel!” Jesús said from within.
The vampire’s head spun to the open door. “What now?” He strode into the house and closed the door behind him.
Lexi and Scott puffed and groaned as they pulled the man out of the trunk and sat him in the chair.
“Hello. Come on, wake up.” She tapped their guest’s cheek.
His eyes snapped open and alarm filled his face when he realized he was unable to move.
“Don’t panic. I have some questions and I don’t want you to shift and rip me to pieces before I get the answers.” She tried to sound more reasonable than she felt but itched to get the knuckle-dusters out.
He stared at her.
“Oh! Scott, he can’t speak.” She looked at her teammate, who waved his fingers in the air.
“My bad, sorry.” She gave the man an apologetic grin.
Their captive sniffed. “This place smells of vampire.”
“Well, we’re in a vampire’s garage and this is the vampire’s fucked-up car. We were attacked by shifters and clueless human thugs tonight. We’re trying to work out what the hell’s going on. I’m guessing from the phone call we overheard it wasn’t your pack, but you might be able to help us.” She removed her jacket and the shifter’s face went expressionless at the sight of her scar.
He glared at her. “You’re Kindred? I don’t smell much shifter or vampire in you.”
“I’m ex-Kindred,” Lexi explained.
“I’ve never heard of anyone being ex-Kindred.”
“We’re a dying breed. Literally.” She leaned on a workbench.
“May I move my head?” he asked. His voice was slow and measured. He was well-spoken and didn’t seem as hostile as she had expected.
She flicked a glance at her friend, who stood behind the man. Scott complied.
The man looked aro
und. “This is William’s place.”
“What makes you think that?” This wasn’t going at all as she had hoped.
“I’m sitting in an original 1956 Eames Lounger. That’s his car, which appears to have been shot up. And hanging over there near the washer? Well, those are definitely his Burberry boxers. I hope he’s okay.”
“You have to be kidding me. Is there anyone he hasn’t—” Lexi pinched the bridge of her nose.
Scott sighed. “We’re like the world’s worst kidnappers.”
She caught the man’s mouth twitching and rolled her eyes. “Dick,” she shouted.
The vampire walked in wearing pink rubber gloves and carrying a pooper-scooper. “This dog’s shitting every— Edward? Oh, dear God, Edward, I’m so sorry.” He turned to her. “You kidnapped Edward? What’s wrong with you?” He dropped the scooper and pulled off the gloves.
“It was your idea to kidnap a shifter,” she replied.
“I didn’t mean Edward. He’s the Alpha of the San Bernardino pack and a very close friend. Edward, this is awful. Come into the house.” Dick marched to the door and glanced back, confused that the man wasn’t following.
“If I might move now?” Edward looked at Lexi.
Scott released him.
The shifter rose from the chair and turned to face Scott, who held the walking stick out. “Thank you.” He followed the vampire into the house.
“Nothing seems to be going to plan.” Her friend headed to the door.
“You are not wrong.” Lexi slammed the trunk closed and, shaking her head, walked into the house behind him.
The other two men were talking as the friends stepped into the kitchen.
Edward chuckled. “It’s okay, don’t keep apologizing. To be honest, I’m kind of amused and I’ve been meaning to drop by anyway.”
“Well, that’s embarrassing.” She flopped onto a bar stool.
The shifter took his cell phone out and held it to his ear. “It’s me. I got a call and had to run. I’m dealing with something. How did the meeting turn out?”
She stood, went to the coffee machine, and pulled a mug out to pour herself one.
The man continued his phone conversation. “Oh. Well, that’s not surprising, is it? Okay, head back. I might have answers in the morning.” He disconnected.