by C. D. Hersh
“Don’t you talk to me like that,” Cecil demanded. “I am your father. The only father you’ve ever known, and I deserve, no demand, your respect.”
“Demand all you want, Cecil,” Roc said. “It won’t do you a bit of good anymore. After what you did, we’re through as a family.”
“What about your mother? What am I going to tell her?”
“Tell her you’re a sorry jackass for lying to me. Tell her about what you did to Lila and how you ruined my chances with the only woman I loved.”
“This is going to kill her, Roc. She loves you.”
He thought about his mother and, for the briefest of moments, considered how this would affect her. “Tell her good-bye,” he said softly. “And I’m sorry, and I love her.” Then he hung up the phone before his father could say anything more.
If his father lied about Lila, was he lying about knowing Rhys? Roc had to figure out a way to find out what Rhys knew about Lila. Maybe another trip to her apartment would reveal something, or maybe he needed to check out Rhys’ place.
“I’ve got it,” Rhys said, presenting the vial with Roc’s spit in it.
“Did you have a hard time?” Alexi asked.
“No, but he insisted I spit. Then he didn’t take the vial. I hadn’t expected that. Time to figure out who he really is.” He dialed the number Alexi had given him. “Ms. Romanovski, this is Charlie Landow. I got your name from Alexi Jordan.”
“How is Alexi?” Katrina asked. “It’s been ages since I’ve seen her.”
“Umm. Not good. In fact, she passed a short while ago.”
Alexi cringed, and a tiny gasp came through the line. Several seconds passed before Katrina spoke. “Passed? She’s dead? How?”
“Heart attack,” Rhys said. “But that’s not why I called. Alexi told me-when she was alive,” he hastened to say, “that you’re a forensic specialist and you did some favors for her. I have some personal testing I need done and was hoping to hire you to run the tests.”
“What kind of tests?”
“Familial DNA.”
“You do know you can get those at any DNA lab,” she said. “You don’t need to hire me.”
“I know, but I don’t want the results to get out. It’s a sensitive matter. I understand from Alexi you’re good at keeping things out of the limelight.”
She laughed. “If you mean I can keep a secret, you’re right. Where are you located, Mr. Landow?”
“Cleveland, but I can bring the samples to you. I want to get the testing done ASAP.”
“I’m meeting a client in Cleveland, and I have a facility there at my disposal. We could meet when I get into town.”
“Are you familiar with Cleveland?”
“I’ve been there a few times. Where should we meet?”
“You pick.”
“There’s a seafood restaurant in the Warehouse District. Mermaid’s Cove. Do you know it?”
“I do. What time do you want to meet?”
“I’ll let you know. Can I reach you at this number?”
“Sure.” He’d have to set a different ring tone for her to be sure he answered with the cover name.
“How will I recognize you, Mr. Landow?”
“I have blond hair and a goatee, and I’ll wear a carnation in my lapel. How will I know you, Ms. Romanovski?”
“I’ll be the blonde wearing all black and a gigantic silver Celtic cross.”
“How long will the test take?”
“Probably a couple days, depending on the lab. Do you need a rush job?”
“No. The time frame should be okay. I’ll see you soon.” He pressed his cell phone off. “Now we wait.” He paused then puffed out his cheeks in a sigh.
“What’s wrong?” Alexi asked.
“There’s something else I didn’t tell you about all this twin business. The birth certificates gave the mother’s name, but not the father. I think I know why I have some of these shifter abilities”
“Why?”
“The mother’s name was Kayla McCraigen.”
“As in Eli McCraigen?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know. But if bloodlines play any part in this shifter world, and what Eli has said leads me to think so, could she have been a shifter? Might explain a lot about how I can do all the shifter things.”
“Then you should be okay. Eli’s nothing but good.”
“But wasn’t Sylvia good once?” Rhys asked.
“The old heredity versus environment argument?”
“Yep. Since Roc is bad, I’m wondering if evil came down the bloodline or was instilled by his adoptive parents. I’d feel better if I knew Kayla McCraigen was a good shifter.”
“If the father was a shifter, then what?”
“I’m going to pray he’s good, too. Does Eli have any relatives?”
“Not that I know of. Baron kept most of the shifter world hidden from me to protect me from the people who murdered my family. I’m not the person to ask about this. Maybe you should talk to Eli. After all, he’s your mentor.”
“No.” The word jumped out of his mouth sharper than he intended. “The old man would want to know why I was interested, and it wouldn’t be long before the whole story about Roc came out. Eli would run off brandishing his sword and kill my brother.”
“Your alleged brother,” Alexi said.
“My brother,” Rhys replied. “The evidence is growing, and I feel a connection.”
“We don’t know he’s your brother.”
“Any more than you know Sylvia tried to kill you. You’re one-hundred percent positive and you don’t even have any evidence. I’ve got a birth certificate, a twenty questions twin test, and a DNA sample.”
“What twin test?”
“When I got the DNA Roc wanted to test out some theory he’d been reading about. How separated twins had similarities in their lives. We matched on a lot of the questions.”
“He could have faked all those twin answers. Checked you out.”
“No way he could have known some of those things. Besides, you haven’t experienced what I have whenever we touch. There’s something uncanny there.”
“Shifter sensing?” Alexi asked.
“Yes, but something more. Different. Deeper.” Did he dare tell her he was beginning to believe what Roc believed? That their blood called to each other.
“You should ask Delaney about Eli and his family,” Rhys said.
“Why don’t you ask her?”
“No way. She’s already got eyes on me and I’m not sure why. Prying into Eli’s private life wouldn’t go over well. You’re the logical choice. The womanly bond and all.”
“I’ll see if I can get some girl time with her. Maybe go out for drinks.”
Rhys frowned and opened his mouth to protest.
“Shifted, of course,” Alexi interjected.
“I don’t like it,” he said. “You should have your girl time here. Where you’re safe.” He hugged her to him, electricity jumping between them. Stronger, since they were both shifters. He savored the sensation a moment before continuing, “We still don’t know who tried to kill you or why.”
She harrumphed and gave a little shove to his chest, effectively putting space between them. “I do. Sylvia, because she wants you.” She placed her finger on his lips as he started to speak, silencing him. “I know, I can’t prove it. But a woman knows these things. You need to be careful in dealing with her and your brother. Anyone involved with her can’t be good.”
Frustrated, he moved away and ran his fingers through his hair. In his head he knew she was right, but his heart wanted Roc to be better than Alexi, or he, suspected. At the very least he hoped he wasn’t totally evil. Was there a chink in Roc’s armor? A crack Rhys coul
d reach him though? Sway him to their side?
Alexi came alongside him, gently touching his arm. “I know how badly you want this to work out with Roc, but you need to prepare yourself. This isn’t going to end well.” She tapped her chest with her index finger. “I know it, in here.”
Rhys swallowed the lump rising in his throat. His heart wasn’t far behind Alexi’s. He hoped he could do something about the looming conflict.
Chapter 29
The office door opened and Delaney entered, followed by a young blonde dressed completely in Goth black. A gigantic Celtic cross swung from an equally large chain wound around her neck. Harry set his papers aside.
“Delaney,” he said with a quick tip of the head.
She hugged the files she carried to her chest, and his gaze followed the motion, his body responding to what he knew lay hidden behind the folder clutched in her arms. He was pissed at her, yet she still intrigued him. He had it bad. He swallowed the emotions clawing in his belly.
Shifting his attention, he eyed the blonde warily. Where had Delaney found this one? “What can I do for you, miss?”
“This is Katrina Romanovski, the forensic scientist I told you about,” Delaney said. “The one who will be helping me with those cases we talked about. Katrina, this is Captain Williams.”
Katrina extended her black, fingerless gloved hand to him. “Nice to meet you, Captain Williams. I’ll try to stay out of the way of your staff while I’m helping Delaney.”
A fission of annoyance ran through him at the casual way Delaney made it sound as if he’d been read into her cases, and for a second he considered ignoring the proffered hand. That’s downright rude, his conscience whispered. You’re not mad at Ms. Romanovski.
He stood and gave the blonde’s hand a quick, perfunctory shake as he scowled at Delaney. “Thanks, considering the FBI is overrunning us already. I’m sure my people will appreciate being given space in one of our offices.” A knock sounded on the door. “Come in.”
Gladys opened the door and stuck in her head. “Sorry, Captain. Your blinds are closed, and I didn’t realize you had someone in here. I’ll come back.”
He signaled for her to come in. “Ms. Romanovski and Ramsey were leaving, weren’t you?” He pinned Delaney with a pointed stare.
Katrina glanced at Delaney, who shrugged then waved her toward the door.
She leaned in toward him as she passed and whispered, “You don’t have to be such a pain in the ass about it, Harry.” Then she breezed out of the office.
“What’s going on?” Gladys asked.
“More of Delaney’s shenanigans,” he said with a sigh as he sat. “What do you want?”
“I was coming to tell you Agent Ramsey had a strange woman in the office, but I guess you know that already.”
He smiled. “Thanks, Gladys. I knew I could count on your office grapevine.”
“Next time I’ll try to beat her to the punch, Captain.”
Another knock sounded on the door. Gladys opened it and beamed as Rhys stepped in. “Hi, ya sugar,” she said.
“Good morning, Gladys.”
“If that’s all, Gladys,” Harry said in a dismissive tone.
“Sure, Captain. I’ll keep you informed.” She squeezed by Rhys, smiling sweetly at him as she passed.
“You’re a little red, Captain. Is everything okay?” he asked as he closed the door.
“Nothing some time away from Agent Ramsey won’t cure.” Motioning Rhys toward a chair, Harry continued. “She had the audacity to pretend she’d read me into her cases when she introduced me to her forensic scientist.”
“Why does she need her own forensic scientist?”
“Damned if I know. But she’s brought one in, supposedly for cases she’s taken over. Our cases.”
“Which cases?”
“The one involving Paul Forrester, who surfaced at Settler’s Landing, and George Mann, the other body brought in at the same time as the dead desk clerk from her apartment building. She’s claiming they’re cold FBI cases. Did you know she told the coroner who those men were? How the hell did she figure that out?” He jerked his pen from the desk holder and scribbled something on the paper in front of him. “Cold cases, my ass. She’s up to something and it’s not what she’s claiming. My gut is screaming.”
“Your gut is usually right,” Rhys said, a frown creasing his forehead.
What was bothering him? Was his detective’s gut telling him something about Delaney? “Spill it, Temple,” he said. “What do you know that you’re not telling me?”
The lines on Rhys’ forehead smoothed out as he put on a front Harry had seen him use before. “Nothing, Captain.”
“That’s a big fat lie, Temple. I can read worry all over you.”
“Oh, I’m worried, all right, but not about Delaney’s cold cases. It’s Alexi. We’re no closer to finding her killer. She’s getting cabin fever. If we don’t make some headway I don’t know how long I can keep her home.”
“She doesn’t have a choice,” Harry said matter-of-factly. “Her safety depends on keeping her head down and out of sight. But, I can’t say as I blame her. Alexi’s always been a woman of action.”
“That’s what worries me.” Rhys changed the subject. “Do you have any idea why Delaney needs her own forensic people?”
He shook his head. “Not a clue. Unless it has something to do with the picture of you and her daughter I saw in her apartment.”
“What picture?”
Harry made a disgusted sound. “She hasn’t asked you about the photo of you and her daughter?” He held out his hand like a traffic cop stopping cars. “Don’t bother answering. Of course she hasn’t.” He sighed. “The first night I went to her apartment, I opened a book and a picture of you and her daughter fell out of the pages. It was dated about a month ago when you were pursuing Alexi, romantically. I wanted to confront you because I thought you were two-timing Alexi, but Delaney asked me to keep quiet. Said she wanted to talk to you. Right after that she started using Gladys to gather street cams showing you entering and leaving the apartment building. Seems as if talking to you translated to spying on you.”
“Wait. You think I was messing around with Delaney’s daughter?”
“Crossed my mind, especially after I saw you with her after Alexi allegedly died. Must have crossed Delaney’s, because after she saw the photo she was off in lala land. Didn’t hear a thing I said to her, even when I offered to do her right there on the couch. No response at all.”
“You didn’t.”
“I did. Offer that is. But I don’t mess around with a woman who’s not interested, and after she saw the picture, she wasn’t interested in anything else.”
The frown reappeared on Rhys’ forehead, and he stood. “I gotta go, Captain.”
“Hey, what did you come in here for?”
“It can wait.” He spun on his heel and ran out of the office so fast the window blinds rattled from the movement.
Harry shook his head. Delaney wasn’t the only enigma in his office. He dialed the coroner. “Blake,” he said when the coroner answered. “Remember the forensic scientist we talked about? Agent Ramsey is bringing her down.”
“Any idea what she’s working on?” the coroner asked.
“No. Give her everything she needs. Maybe you can get some clues from the supplies she requests. Figure it out for me and keep it quiet.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“If anything comes up, call my cell. I’m going out for a bit.” Harry hung up the office phone and locked his desk. If anyone could figure out what Katrina Romanovski was doing in the lab, Blake could.
Knowing he’d left the problem of her activities in good hands, Harry went to visit Alexi. Rhys’ reaction to the information about the photo of hi
m and Lila raised more questions than it answered. Maybe a careful interrogation with Alexi would give him some clues about Delaney, her daughter, and what part Rhys played in this drama.