Then, he turned around, letting the door close behind him, and walked back outside around the corner of the entrance hall, out of camera shot.
“That’s where his body was found,” Spencer said. He slammed a fist down on the table. “Why did he do that? Why would you open a door, stand there, and then turn around and walk back out? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Maybe he forgot something.”
“Around the side of the building?”
I shrugged my shoulders and figured it was time to change tactics, distract him. “Let’s go check out Miles’ apartment. See if there’s anything in there that might give us a clue.”
The janitor had long since vanished but the door was self-locking anyway.
Spencer gave me the keys for Miles’ apartment. “Let yourself in. I’m guna check things out in the entrance hall. See if I can figure any of this out.”
I let myself into the apartment and walked down the small hallway. When it opened out into a huge open-plan kitchen and living room, I was quite impressed.
Remembering he’d died in his kitchen, I went straight there, shivering when I saw the chalk outline of his body on the floor.
I was in the process of trying to figure out what he’d been doing when he fell backwards onto the grey floor when I heard a voices talking.
“Spencer, are you there?” I said, wondering who was talking.
I walked back to the open apartment door and stuck my head out, looking for the detective.
When I saw his attention focused on the stairs in front of him, I looked up and froze.
I knew immediately who she was. Those startling blue eyes and sunshine yellow hair were something I’d never forget.
When I’d last seen her, I’d likened her to a miniature version of Alice in Wonderland. Now, here she was in her full womanly glory. But how the hell had she matured into a woman in three months? She was eight when I damned her to Hell.
Then, like two jigsaw pieces clicking into place—I realised she was responsible for these deaths. This was why the men were seemingly ‘mad’ and talking to themselves on camera. This was why not one drop of blood remained in their bodies.
Spencer turned to look at me and said, “Do you know this woman?”
I flickered my eyes over to Arana. She glared at me with such anger and abhorrence, I knew what she was here for.
“No. Why, should I?”
“Well, this is Arana Wilkins. The youngest daughter who went missing with your mother and your step-father.”
Shit. I didn’t expect him to figure that out. “Like I said, when my mother and that piece of crap disappeared, I never heard from them again. I didn’t know they’d had children.”
“Well, congratulations, you have two half-sisters.” He turned his attention to his notebook and then looked back up at Arana. “Is your sister in the building too?”
“Yes. She’s in the apartment, sleeping.”
Spencer frowned. “At this time of day?”
“We work nights.”
Nicely played. I jumbled options in my mind. The way this was going, only a good old spell or some basic memory wiping was going to fix this.
“I’m also leading your missing person’s investigation,” Spencer said, shoving his notebook back inside his jacket pocket. “Have you got time to answer some questions?”
Arana looked at him, blank and impassive. How was she going to play this? I had already guessed they were probably back to get some kind of twisted revenge on me. It was merely a guess based on the fact I’d be doing exactly the same and we did share blood, after all.
“Anything you need, Detective,” Arana said. “Would you like to come in for a drink?”
“That would be lovely, thank you. Kyla, are you coming?”
I glanced up at Arana and swallowed the lump in my throat. The dark shadows haunting her face told me if I went in that apartment, I wouldn’t be coming back out easily.
“I think I’ll study the crime scene a little longer,” I said, smiling. “I’ll wait here for you.”
“Don’t be silly,” he said. “Come on. The crime scene will still be there later. Aren’t you excited to get to know your sisters?”
I stepped out into the hallway and gritted my teeth. “Oh yes. Ever so.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Lina
When I woke, it was dark. I was surprised at that because I’m normally up and about whilst the sunset is still dying.
I padded into the kitchen, yawning and stretching my arms. When I saw a piece of paper on the worktop, I picked it up and read it.
Lina, gone out for something to eat. Don’t go anywhere. I won’t be long. When I get back we can figure out our evening with the delicious detective xx
Grinning, I grabbed a towel from the heated towel rail and went for a shower. By the time I’d gotten out and pulled a sexy mini red dress on, I heard the apartment door opening, and voices talking.
I opened the bedroom door and almost fell flat on my back. There, stood in our apartment, was none other than Kyla Marshall, the bitch of all bitches who ruined the lives of me and my sister.
Not only that, but the gorgeous detective from the TV was with her. What the hell had my sister been doing?
Arana grinned at me. “Look who I found,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows. “The good detective and his psychological profiler.”
I coughed to help ease the desire to burst out into laughter. The detective had called Kyla to do a psychological profile on the murderer?
That tickled me. A lot.
“Hi,” I said, going straight for the detective with my hand outstretched. “I’m Lina. Lina Wilkins.”
He grasped my hand firmly, giving me a good, proper handshake. His sapphire blue eyes glittered with amusement as I returned his grip. “Nice to meet you,” he said. “I’m DCI Spencer Phillips. This is my psychological profiler, Kyla Marshall. It appears you may be related.”
I released his hand and tried my best to look at Kyla with a poker face. I couldn’t show a reaction, not in front of the detective. “Hi,” I said, trying to sound friendly.
“Hi,” she replied. “Nice to meet you.”
I couldn’t read her expression. She was doing an excellent job of being poker faced. Perhaps it was a family trait.
“Please, take a seat,” said Arana, motioning towards the grey sofa. “What would you like to drink? Tea, coffee, a soft drink?”
“Coffee for me, please,” replied Spencer.
“I’m good, thanks,” said Kyla.
Spencer narrowed his eyes at her and whispered, “Don’t be so rude.”
“What? I’m not thirsty.”
I smirked to myself and followed Arana into the kitchen. Even though we hadn’t discussed anything, this seemed like too perfect of an opportunity to pass up. We had to act; now.
“We need to figure something out, quick,” I whispered.
Arana filled the kettle up and flicked it on. Then, she banged around the cupboards with mugs. “We have the rope. That deals with her. All we have to worry about after that is him.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “He’s human. Just knock him around the head or something.”
“I still haven’t eaten,” Arana replied. “Maybe he could be my food.”
“No, Arana. Don’t you remember what happens if we drink the blood of someone who wasn’t going to cheat?”
She sighed. “Yes, I know. We burn up and die.”
“Right. There’s no way we can seduce him with her in here so that’s out of the question.”
“Ok, so what do you suggest?”
“We need to hit them both at the same time. We need to get the rope around her and knock him unconscious.”
“Then what?”
The kettle began to rumble, signifying our quick plan needing to be finalised.
“You get the rope around her neck,” I said. “I’ll deal with him.” I reached across and picked up one of the empty mugs. “Now.”
“Now?”
I nodded. “Now.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Kyla
I knew as soon as I stepped foot in that apartment that I was done for. Still, from the moment I’d committed those murders I knew something would come back and bite me in the arse.
When I saw my two sisters whispering to each other in the kitchen, I concentrated as hard as I could but couldn’t make much out because of the damn kettle boiling in the background.
“What’s up with you?” Spencer said.
“Nothing,” I replied, clasping my hands together.
I figured I had two options; blast them both with a fireball right now and escape, leaving Spencer with millions of questions, or let it ride and see what happened.
With my elemental powers only growing stronger by the day, they wouldn’t be much of a match for me anyway.
The problem here was Spencer. He was unwittingly a referee caught in the middle of a bloody family feud.
When the kettle flicked off and my delightful sisters walked towards us, each holding a mug, I knew something was going to happen. They were making their move.
Lina walked up behind Spencer, a funny little smirk playing at the corner of her mouth.
Arana ambled around my side of the sofa, featureless and impassive.
I looked up at Lina, whose pretty features still reminded me of Snow White, and saw what she was about to do play out in slow motion.
“No!” I shouted.
I jumped forwards, towards Spencer, aiming to cover the back of his head. The hand with the mug in had already been swung back and was now coming down towards his human head with frightening speed.
Spencer looked at me, then turned to the side, looking up at Lina. The cold blue mug connected with his cheekbone, knocking him back into the sofa.
I lunged for Lina, anger boiling through my veins. My palms heated with energy, ready to fry her skinny little ass.
Before I knew it, I was being jerked backwards across the sofa. Something tightened around my neck, restricting my air intake. The energy in my palms fizzled away.
“Fucking bitch,” Arana said, leaning into my ear. “We’ve got you now.”
I could do nothing but watch in horror as Lina hit Spencer three more times with the mug.
When the mug itself shattered, sending pieces of porcelain and blood all over the apartment, I knew that Spencer’s knowledge of the human world being the only world was now well and truly over.
He slumped back onto the sofa with a groan. His eyes fluttered shut and then he fell limp.
This was it. I was now on my own.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Sam returned back to the Worthington estate at around ten p.m. She was surprised to see the house in darkness.
“Where’s Kyla?” she muttered to herself.
She parked the car on the carriage driveway, right outside the front door, and fished her house keys from her pocket.
When she opened the door, she almost fell backwards when Maxi came rushing at her, yapping and barking.
“Alright, alright, it’s not that exciting,” she said, giggling at the friendly little fella. “You know mummy can’t take you with her when she goes to work.”
Walking into the kitchen, Sam almost tripped over Maxi another three times. He was darting in and out of her legs, barking with an incessant need for attention.
“What?” she said. She sighed and put her hands on her hips, looking down at the dog. “Are you hungry?”
Gently pushing him out of the way with her feet, she walked to the other end of the kitchen and opened the door to the pantry. Grabbing a tin of dog meat from the shelf in front of her, she turned around and waved it at Maxi.
“This what you want?”
He twirled around in a circle, still barking and yapping.
Sam laughed at him and walked over to his food bowl, taking a plastic fork from the pantry before she did so.
When she forked his food into his bowl, she stood up, proud of herself for quietening the attention seeking canine.
But Maxi continued to bark at her.
She looked at his water bowl, noticing it was full. “What? What do you want from me?”
Maxi ran to the front door and stood there, barking, each bark becoming louder and louder.
“A walk? Really?” She sighed and went to him, snatching his lead from the hook by the kitchen door. “Have you seen the time?”
When she bent down to put it on him, he snapped his jaws at her and growled.
“Whoa, totally not cool, dude. I don’t understand what you want from me.”
Maxi scratched at the door and started whining.
Sam sighed. “If you want to go outside, I need to put your lead on. Kyla will kill me if you run off.”
Deciding to make a second attempt, Sam leaned down to put his lead on, but again, he went for her, growling at her with bared teeth.
“Fine.” She stomped into the kitchen and threw his lead across the kitchen island. “Stupid dog.”
Sam took her phone from her bag and decided to call Kyla about her dangerous dog. She knew Maxi was Kyla’s familiar but that didn’t mean the little sod could go around threatening to bite people when he’d been left home alone all day.
When all she got was answerphone three times in a row, she closed her phone and shrugged her shoulders at Maxi.
“I can’t help you. I’m not psychic.”
After making a cup of tea, Sam headed upstairs to a nice hot bubble bath and some music to drown out the damn dog and his noise.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Spencer awoke with a pounding headache. He groaned and put a hand to the left side of his face.
When he felt something warm and sticky on the palm of his hand, he opened his eyes to see blood all over his hand.
“What the…?”
He attempted to sit up but was beaten back down by the bolts of agony slicing through his temples. Fumbling through his pockets, he found his phone and dialled 999.
Ten minutes later, paramedics and cops were crawling all over the scene. Whilst the paramedics tended to Spencer, insisting he go to hospital, Spencer called his boss.
“Spencer,” said Robert. “This is rather a late night phone call. What’s up?”
“I’ve been attacked,” he said. “And the profiler, Kyla, has been kidnapped.”
“What? Are you ok? What happened?”
Leaving out the details of the two sisters being the missing girls from the local disappearance case he’d taken on, he relayed the situation back to his superior.
“Well, it sounds to me like you found the killers without even knowing it. Well done, boy.”
“Now I have two serial killers on the loose and a woman who’s potentially going to become victim number six.”
“Get yourself fixed up first, Spencer. You can’t work if you’re broken. I’m presuming you haven’t read your emails?”
“No. I’ve been out cold for over an hour.”
“There’s another three bodies so if your profiler is killed, that’ll be body number nine.”
Spencer groaned. “Marvellous. I’ll get on it straight away.”
“Not before your sort yourself first though, Spencer. Like I said, you can’t work if you’re broken.”
Spencer rolled his eyes. Busted face or not, he had to do something other than just sit on his arse in a hospital bed.
“Yes, boss,” he said. “I’ll keep you informed.”
“Good. I’ll send Michael and Nathan down to pick things up whilst you recover.”
Spencer ground his teeth together. They were the fuckers that had indulged in a spitroast with Evie. No way were they getting their filthy hands on his case.
“No,” Spencer said. “I’ll be out by morning, there’s no need.”
“Let me speak to one of the paramedics.”
Spencer begrudgingly handed his phone to one of the women tending to his wounds. He kept eye contact with he
r, pleading silently for her to lie to his boss.
When she placated Robert Whitstable and passed the phone back to Spencer, Spencer breathed a sigh of relief.
“Ok, we’ll do it your way for now, Spencer. Anything else happens and I’m sending them down. Understand?”
“Yes, boss.”
The line went dead. Spencer thanked the paramedic and relaxed a little whilst they finished cleaning him up.
He thought back over the strange connection the three women had. All from the same mother. The two younger ones had been fathered by Kyla’s ex-boyfriend.
The girls were now apparently adults in the space of thirteen weeks. For just a moment, Spencer found himself wishing Mulder and Scully were real people because he was as sure as hell that he had himself an X-File here.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Kyla
When I woke up, sometime later, I found myself alone, in a dark room.
My head felt like a guy was inside it, banging around on his bongos, having a real fun time at my expense.
Slowly, piece by piece, things drifted back to me. My sisters had found me, strangled me into unconsciousness, and then seemingly dumped me wherever the hell this was.
I soon realised my hands were cable tied together and looped through a rope that bound my feet. I was sat on a wooden chair with a piece of rope or something around my neck.
When I tried to summon my magick, nothing happened. I tried again and again, eventually screaming in frustration when I realised my magick wasn’t working. I was all but a helpless human once more.
“Well, well, well,” said a strange, gravelly male voice. “I never thought in a thousand years I’d get to meet one of you and see that rope in action.”
I turned my head to the sound of the voice but soon realised whichever way I turned, the voice seemed to be there. It was echoing. Where the hell was I?
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