by T. G. Ayer
I glanced over at Iain and found him watching me. “You’re going to be okay.”
I lifted a brow. “I will be,” I assured him with a large yawn.
“No, I was telling you that you’re going to be okay, not asking you.”
“Big brothers are always far too bossy,” I muttered as I turned over and tugged the blankets over my shoulder. “Just so you know snoring, farting and talking are normal while a person is asleep. I don’t want a rundown or a tally when I wake up in the morning.”
“What about a rating on the stinkometer scale?” Iain asked innocently as he withdrew a laptop from his messenger bag.
“Shut up,” I mumbled, falling asleep within seconds even with the light of my brother’s computer reflecting around the room.
His presence made me feel secure, but as I fell deeper into sleep, I had to consider one thing.
A false sense of security could be dangerous.
Chapter 29
The next morning the doctors discharged me, waiting only to ensure I signed the necessary papers before rushing off. Not a single one of them asked anything about my unusually fast recovery either, and I wasn’t sure if I should be thanking Chief Murdoch for that.
Murdoch came himself a half hour later, his wife Chloe in tow. The couple waited while I gathered my things, then helped me outside.
In the hall, I found Trapper and Stavros, both furious as they stared at my uncuffed hands.
“You’re not even cuffing her?” Trapper exclaimed, glaring at the chief.
“I’m not sure there is a need to. She’s not going to run off, especially not being as weak as she is.”
“Don’t be fooled. She’s not what you think she is,” Stavros called out after us.
Murdoch stopped, then faced the man. “What do you mean?” the Chief asked. Within the supernatural community, it was no secret that Murdoch was well informed as to the species and political alliances within the DarkWorld. Either Stavros was not from around here, or the Walker Council had glaring gaps in their knowledge.
Stavros gaped, unable to respond, not in the middle of a public hospital hallway with dozens of humans around. Such a public revelation of the existence of supernaturals was likely to be punishable by an interminably long sentence, if not death.
The man remained silent, and Murdoch turned away, guiding Chloe and myself out of the hospital.
He escorted me to his car and allowed Chloe to sit beside me. Waving off the cop, Murdoch told the man to follow in his car. The chief had made it abundantly clear that he didn’t see me as a threat, for which I was supremely grateful.
As he drove out of the parking lot, Chloe turned and faced me, taking my quivering hands in hers. “How are you doing, young lady?”
I smiled as I felt the rush of relaxation filter through my skin. “Much better now that you are here.” I sighed. When Chloe touched your skin, it felt like a happy drug had just been injected into your skin.
Chloe laughed. “Evasive as always.” She shook her head. “You’re in for a stressful few days, dear. I need you to be prepared for a lot of emotional upheaval.”
I shrugged staring out the window. “I’m prepared.”
Chloe’s hands were warm around mine, and I felt the tension drift away. Relaxing, I laid my head against the seat and let out a soft sigh. “Sometimes I wonder when it will let up,” I whispered. The best part of Chloe is that as a doctor she respected doctor-patient privilege. So whatever we discussed never went anywhere.
I didn’t use her services often but when I’d done so, I’d always been happy with the caring and sensitivity she showed.
“There are a few people who I know are currently having a worse time of it. My interpretation is that when trials and tribulations seem to worsen to the extent that you don’t believe you can handle a second more, it usually means that you are almost ready.”
“Ready for what?” I opened my eyes and glanced over at her.
She smiled. “We’re all on a journey, dear. Some of us have journeys that are far more important than the rest of us.”
My eyes narrowed as I studied her twinkling eyes and her serene expression. “How did you find out? Did one of them come to you?”
She shrugged. “I have my networks. I need them to ensure my knowledge base remains as wide as possible to benefit my clients.”
I shook my head at her non-answer. “I didn’t expect you to tell me. I just wish we knew more about this whole thing.” Even though I was talking about the Ni’amh, I could not bring myself to say the word aloud, or to mention any of the quintet’s names.
“Perhaps it’s time for a meeting of the minds?”
I shook my head. “I’m not sure everyone is ready. I think we get told only when the powers that be believe we are ready. I’m pretty sure not all of us know as yet.”
Chloe nodded, somber now. “That makes sense. And you need to do what is best for you. Working together is the most important factor in this. I just wish we had more information regarding the…regarding what is meant to happen.” The mage sighed, and I understood her concerns. They were the very same ones that I’d been having these past months since I’d discovered I was part of the Ni’amh.
Chief Murdoch cleared his throat and said, “We’re almost there.”
His announcement made me sit up, awareness of what was about to happen hitting me like a wall of ice. I cleared my throat as Chloe patted my hand. I swallowed and found I felt calm despite the realization of what awaited me at the station. Calmer than I thought was possible.
Then I glanced at Chloe and gave her a dirty look. “What did you do?”
She grinned, her eyes twinkling. “Just a little something to help deal with the next few hours. I’ll come by later to see how you’re doing.”
I couldn’t do anything other than shake my head at the woman. I wouldn’t have willingly taken any form of anxiety depressants, but I had to admit that whatever Chloe had done to me, it felt damn good.
I took a deep breath and got out of the car when Chief Murdoch opened it. I remained still, made no sudden movements as the cop from the hospital closed in on me, cuffs in hand. “I’m sorry, Miss. I’m going to have to cuff you now.”
I glanced over at the chief. “A charge has been laid against you, and a warrant is out for your arrest.”
“I wouldn’t have expected anything less,” I murmured, lifting my wrists to allow the cop to clamp the cuffs around them. I could escape them easily enough, so I didn’t feel intimidated by them.
I just felt demeaned by the whole process. By how easy it had been for a group of people to come together to overturn centuries of tradition, how easy it had been for those people to spread their views, to turn the heads of previously loyal friends and clan members, how deep their roots had spread that they could wield the law on their own behalf.
I blinked as the cop walked me into the station, expecting the hustle and busyness to hit my senses hard. But nothing happened. I was calm, tranquil even. And I glanced over to Chloe who walked behind me.
She lifted an eyebrow.
I turned away and shook my head, unable to remain annoyed for more than two point seven seconds.
Murdoch led me through the warren of desks and to the right of his glassed-in office. “Where are you taking me?” I asked softly. This wasn’t the way to the general holding cells.
“Interrogation rooms are here. If they want to interrogate you, we need you to be available for whenever they arrive. The advantage of these interrogation rooms, as opposed to the ones down in general lockup is that we see governmental agencies here. Which usually requires cells of better condition and better amenities.”
Murdoch threw open the door and led me inside what looked like a small apartment. To the left were a tiny kitchen and a small four-person dining set. The middle of the room contained a sofa—that looked a lot like it converted into a bed—a coffee table and a small TV as well as a shelf filled with paperbacks and magazines.
&nbs
p; To the right, and directly in front of us was another table, this one resembling most fancy boardrooms, with gleaming oak and soft leather chairs. There weren’t any mirrors inside the room. Nor did there appear to be any surveillance equipment.
I stared around me, and Murdoch smiled. “Completely secure. The place is for high-profile suspects.”
“And those you prefer to appease.”
He pursed his lips. “It’s all a political game in the end, Kai. In your position, you will find that out all too soon.”
I sighed and waited as another cop brought in my bag that Iain had left with me this morning. He’d taken away my washing and promised to return with anything else that I might need.
The cops left, and Chloe said her goodbyes, leaving too but not before assuring me that she would come by later in the day. I was so grateful, but for some reason, I didn’t allow myself to show it.
She seemed to understand, patting my cheek and smiling before leaving in silence.
For some reason, watching Chloe leave seemed to amplify my hopelessness.
A sense of foreboding sank in, and I couldn’t shake it.
Chapter 30
I sank onto the sofa, wincing as I pressed against my healing rib. “I’ll let you know when Trapper and Wade request to see you,” said Chief Murdoch.
“Aren’t they already outside, chomping at the bit to see me without delay?”
The Chief laughed. “They will need to make an appointment. We’re currently debriefing the suspect and going through our preliminary assessment process. Representatives of the parties pressing charges will have to make an appointment, which of course can take a while as we confirm security clearances and warrants.”
I smiled, unsure what to say. I wanted to ask him why he was doing this for me. “Thank you,” I said instead.
He waved me off. “I’m not blind. I can see when someone is being railroaded. Something’s fishy in the state of the walkers, and although I can’t get involved and may not even be privy to the details, I can do my bit to ensure that the innocent have the same rights as their wrongful accusers.”
I lifted my chin. “What makes you so sure that they are wrong?” I asked, my tone even. I wanted to see if his expression would reveal his true feelings, but nothing changed, and neither did his heartbeat nor his body temp.
Murdoch laughed. “Supreme High Councilman David Horner has always been known to be an excellent judge of character. Beyond that, I know Logan Westin well enough. If he trusted you, then I don’t think anyone can make me believe his judgment was wrong. You’ve always looked out for the underdog, you always fight for what’s right.” He nodded slowly. “That’s all I need to know.”
I smiled, but the expression was more sad than flattered. As much as Murdoch was giving such a glowing character reference, I wasn’t sure that it would matter in the end.
“You’ll find gunshot residue on my hands.”
He nodded. “Yeah. The tests were positive.” He glanced at me. “You up for debriefing me? If not, I’ll come back.”
I shook my head and sank deeper into the sofa, pulling my leg up under me. “I’m happy to do that now. No point in waiting.”
Murdoch nodded. “I’ll be back in a bit.” True to his word he returned in less than two minutes bearing a small voice recorder and a notepad. He set them on the coffee table and headed over to the kitchenette. “Coffee, hot chocolate, tea?” he asked as he busied himself grinding beans and filling a French press with grounds.
I inhaled the scent and laughed. “I can’t decide between coffee and hot chocolate.”
“One mochaccino coming up.”
We remained silent as he prepared the drinks and brought them over, then dug inside the fridge for a box of donuts. “Right. We’re all set now.” I nodded and sipped the delicious drink. The man made a mean mocha. He cleared his throat, bringing my attention back to him. “So, can you tell me everything that happened that led to the incident at the abandoned house?”
His tone had reverted to formal, and I straightened too, understanding the severity of the interview. “I’d taken my bike—well Logan’s bike—out and was heading to the city to run an errand.” Murdoch nodded and lowered his head to make notes. I was good at reading upside down so I was able to tell that he’d more or less written what I’d said. I inhaled slowly and continued, “Marsden came out of nowhere and almost blindsided me. At first, I’d had no idea that it was him, but he’d raged and yelled, and when he looked back, I saw his face.
“I guess I was curious so I followed him. He led me to the derelict house, and I was about to leave when I heard voices. I wouldn’t have gone in, but it sounded like shouting and since he’d already been violent on the road I thought I should check it out. Abandoned house, woman’s raised voice, angry man. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but I felt like I ought to find out. My responsibility as an alpha anyway.” I managed to pull off a few lies well enough as I spoke.
Murdoch nodded. “Did you see or hear anyone else around?”
I shook my head. “I waited just to be sure. But not a soul.”
“Did he take anything inside with him?”
“I hadn’t arrived in front of the house until after he’d entered the doorway and by then all I could make out was his back.”
“Did you recognize the woman’s voice?”
“Not until I was upstairs outside the room.”
“Did you have any weapons on your person?”
I nodded. “My daggers in my boots. I’d left my crossbow at home. I’d gone out on a quick errand, so there was no reason to weapon up.”
“Do you own a gun?”
“I do. But none are standard revolvers.”
“We’d like access to those weapons. You can be present while we check them out.”
I nodded, feeling my heart thud rapidly against my ribs. “They’ll be at my dad’s place in Tukats. He’ll be happy to show you my weapons.” I wasn’t concerned because we’d been prepared for such an occasion. We kept a separate locked cupboard in the kitchen, with a collection of weaponry that contained all manner of herbal concoctions within the vials. Similar to what Tara gave me, just nowhere near the same potency, and within legal parameters of herb usage.
“So what happened when you entered the room in which the victims were talking?”
“I didn’t enter immediately. I was outside the door. To be honest, I was thinking of leaving. I’d begun to assume Marsden was having an affair and that whatever was happening in the room was something I didn’t want to see.” More lies, but Murdoch smiled at that then waved me on. “I probably would have left had I not seen the woman’s face. It was Stella Alvarez. She works for us at our house. And she was agitated. Which is why I stayed.”
“Did she see you?”
“No. Neither of them saw me. Not until the gun went off. I rushed inside and saw Stella on the floor. Marsden was standing over her. He wasn’t helping her or anything, and I assumed he’d shot her. I applied pressure to the wounds, but it was too late. Stella died within a few minutes. And that was when the gun dropped from her hand.”
“What was Marsden doing?”
“He’d been standing and watching, and going on about how Stella was unstable and that she’d shot herself. And with the gun dropping from her hand, I had to wonder if he’d been honest about it. But as soon as I picked it up, he moved toward me. I wasn’t sure what he was going to do, and I was shocked when he grabbed my gun hand. He pointed the gun at his chest and said I was going to go away forever. And then he pulled the trigger.”
“So he shot himself just so you would go to jail?”
I glanced up at Murdoch, but he didn’t appear incredulous. Just curious.
I nodded and drained my mug. I set it on the coffee table and said, “I don’t believe he wanted to kill himself. But we struggled. He was forcing me to pull the trigger and shoot him, and I was trying to pull the gun away from him. It was stupid, come to think of it. Either one of us co
uld have had our heads blown off. But I wasn’t thinking straight. It was just so unbelievable that anyone would do such a thing.”
“What did you do then?” he urged.
I rolled my shoulders. “I tried to stop the bleeding, but I think he hit something vital because the blood was just gushing out of the wound. Both the back and the front.”
“So through and through,” Murdoch said as he nodded and wrote something down.
“Yeah, the front of his chest was a mess. It was too close I think. Probably what caused so much of the damage.” I sighed and pressed my fingers against my forehead.
“How long after that did Marsden’s men arrive?”
I let out a soft laugh. “Probably seconds. I was still putting pressure on the wounds when the two men arrived. I didn’t even know they were there until someone punched me in the head. I fell to the side, and of course, Marsden’s wound began to bleed again.”
“Did the two men do anything to help the victim?”
“Stavros was yelling, asking me what I’d done. He barely gave me a chance to respond. Punched me in the stomach and then in the face. He was so fast I was barely able to defend myself.”
“Were you armed at the time?”
I began to shake my head then stopped. “I had two knives, one in each of my boots.”
“Did they see the knives when they walked in?”
“No.”
“So when they walked in they saw an unarmed woman, stemming the bleeding wound of an injured man.”
I nodded. “He was prepared to hit me again. Would have had Justin not walked into the room.”
“And this was?”
“Justin Lake. He’s a friend of the family.”
“Any idea what he was doing with Stavros?”
I shook my head, deciding ignorance was better than conjecture. “No idea but I was damn glad he got there. He warned Stavros to stop, but the man was brutal. He kept punching me, threatened to shoot Justin who just said he wasn’t afraid of being shot. Then Stavros threatened to shoot me in the head.”