by Helen Harper
‘He is.’
‘I need to see him.’ My tone was hard and allowed no room for manoeuvre. For once it worked.
‘Go straight in,’ the doorman told me. He pressed his earpiece and muttered, ‘Supe Squad Short Arse is here for the boss.’
I’d been called far worse. I sniffed and nodded, striding through to the main room of the club. I’d been here once before with Lukas at my side. Then the club had been a bustling hive of activity but at this hour it was virtually empty, save for a few cleaners mopping the dance floor and some staff setting up the tables. They glanced curiously in my direction. When I spotted the furrowed brows, my hand went up to my cheek. It came away sticky and wet. I gazed at the oil on my fingertips. If a few dirty smears were the worst I had to show for what had just happened then I’d done well.
The door at the far end of the large room opened and Lord Fairfax walked through, flanked by several wolves I now recognised as his trusted betas. His face was plastered with a smile but I had a definite sense of underlying tension. ‘DC Bellamy. To what do we owe this pleasure?’
‘I need to see you, Lady Carr and Lord McGuigan,’ I said. ‘All at the same time. Right now.’
He peered at me. ‘Can I ask why?’
‘I’ll explain when they get here. It’s important police business, Lord Fairfax, and I’m expecting your compliance.’
‘I wouldn’t dream of not complying,’ he said, ‘but I can’t speak for the others. We’re all busy people and, despite recent changes in our relationship with Supe Squad, I don’t expect the other alphas will be as amenable as me.’
I was no longer willing to play Miss Nice Guy, or to follow the unwritten rules. ‘You can tell them that if they don’t present themselves here within the next twenty minutes, I’ll make it my sole goal to disrupt their lives from here on in, whether the law allows it or otherwise.’
Fairfax appeared more intrigued than upset by my empty threat. He rubbed his chin. ‘In which case, shall I contact the others for you?’
‘That would be great.’ I pulled out a chair and sat down.
Fairfax turned to his nearest beta. ‘Call the other alphas, will you? Tell them to get here as soon as they can.’
I raised my chin. ‘Not Lady Sullivan. Don’t bother with her.’ Devereau Webb would have to manage without her. If he had a problem with that, so be it. I had my limits.
Lord Fairfax flicked me a look. ‘Very well. Do as the detective constable says.’
The beta wolf bowed and took off. I leaned back. Hopefully this wouldn’t take very long. Fairfax sat down opposite me and watched me for several moments, obviously trying to decipher what was going on. When he couldn’t, he asked, ‘Would you like a drink, detective?’
‘Water.’ I paused. ‘Please.’
Within seconds a tall glass was placed in front of me. Condensation was already forming on its sides. I drained it in three seconds and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.
Fairfax motioned for another one and continued to watch me. ‘You’re the talk of the town, you know,’ he said.
‘Mmm-hmm.’
‘I’ve never heard so much as a whisper about anyone else with your skills.’
I met his eyes. ‘The word “skills” suggests something that I’ve worked at and have control over. Rising from the dead isn’t a skill, it’s a strange quirk of fate.’
‘Fate, and not luck?’
Buffy’s face, as it twisted into a wolf’s, flashed into my head. ‘I’m not feeling very lucky right now,’ I muttered. I glowered at Fairfax, indicating that I no longer wished to talk about it. He got the message and fell silent.
I was on my third glass of water when Lady Carr and Lord McGuigan walked in. Neither of them looked happy.
‘We are not at your beck and call, Ms Bellamy,’ McGuigan frowned, without so much as a hello.
‘Good afternoon, Lord McGuigan,’ I said pointedly. ‘And it’s DC Bellamy.’ I glared at him to emphasise my point. After the hour I’d just had, I wasn’t taking any prisoners.
Lady Carr’s mouth pursed. ‘Is Lady Sullivan joining us?’
‘No,’ I said, at the exact time the lady wolf herself walked in.
‘Good day.’ She strode up and sat down next to me, not looking in my direction.
I turned towards her. ‘Your presence is no longer required.’
The three other alphas looked at me with interest. I folded my arms.
‘You cannot exclude me,’ Lady Sullivan said. Her voice was quiet, but there was no denying the steel underlying her soft tone.
‘I can and I will.’ I lifted my head and looked at the others. ‘I should apologise for my dishevelled appearance,’ I said. ‘The reason I look this way is because I narrowly escaped an attempt on my life on the way here.’ I pointed at Lady Sullivan. ‘Orchestrated by her.’
I was gratified to notice that all three of the other clan heads looked shocked.
‘Ridiculous,’ Lady Sullivan dismissed. ‘For one thing, we now all know that you can’t die. So an attempt on your life would never occur – and I would certainly never agree to such a thing.’
I didn’t deign to answer that but Lady Carr was more persuadable. ‘Sullivan makes a good point,’ she said. ‘If you truly can’t die, there can’t be an attempt on your life.’
I schooled my expression into a mask. ‘As I’m sure you all know, I can die. It just so happens that twelve hours after my death, I reawaken. Someone who wants to know why that happens might kill me, take possession of my body and then observe what happens next. And perhaps perform some experiments on my temporary corpse in the meantime.’
I leaned forward. ‘One Supe Squad detective has already been killed this year as a result of werewolf activity. The Met Police bigwigs decided that it was in everyone’s best interests to keep the circumstances of his death quiet – there’s already enough anti-supe sentiment without adding fuel to the fire. Let me be clear, however. If there are any more attacks on me, I’ll broadcast what happened to Tony Brown to the world. I will also seek retribution for any hurt caused to my person. No matter what you may think of me – and Supe Squad in general – I am a police officer.’
I turned my head and met Lady Sullivan’s eyes. ‘Try anything like that again and you’ll live to regret it, I promise you.’
From the fleeting emotion that showed on Lady Sullivan’s face, I half expected her to deny her culpability again. Instead, she dropped her gaze. For a werewolf alpha to show submission like that was extraordinary.
‘Very well,’ she muttered. Then, ‘I apologise.’
Lord Fairfax’s nose wrinkled with disapproval. ‘I’m very unhappy about this. Although I am wholly innocent of Sullivan’s actions, and I would have prevented them had I known about them, please accept my apology, DC Bellamy.’
Lady Carr rolled her eyes. ‘Brown nose.’
Lord McGuigan nudged her in the ribs and mouthed a word at her. I couldn’t be sure, but it looked like ‘Horvath’.
‘Clan McGuigan,’ McGuigan said aloud, ‘also extends its shock and apology, DC Bellamy. In fact, we would like to offer you some protection. I have several well-trained werewolves who are more than capable of ensuring that such a thing doesn’t happen again.’
Lady Carr jumped on the bandwagon. ‘Clan Carr’s wolves are more suited to that. I will send you my own personal protection. They will see to your safety.’
My spine was ramrod straight. ‘I neither want, nor need, any protection. What I want is to walk the streets without fear of attack from your damned werewolves. You might consider things are bad now, and that you preferred how things were run before I came along, but think about it. If I go, what comes next will be everything you never wanted. My boss, DSI Barnes, will see to that.’ I gazed at each of them in turn. ‘Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.’
I received four grudging nods of agreement. Lady Carr rose to her feet and prepared to leave.
‘Sit down,’ I snapped. The werewolf
alpha immediately sank into her chair. She looked surprised; it was probably a long time since anyone had told her what to do. Tough. I wasn’t in the mood for playing around.
‘I wanted this meeting for a reason other than my well-being.’ I checked the time. ‘There is a human, who I imagine is already waiting outside, who wishes to speak to you. I told him I’d try and arrange a meeting for him. In return, he will provide information that will hopefully lead to the capture of the person who attacked a vampire yesterday. Last month Lord Horvath helped with your problems. Now it’s your turn to help him with his.’
Fairfax shrugged. ‘Fine by me.’
‘That is perfectly acceptable,’ Lady Sullivan agreed. The other two alphas nodded.
I almost laughed. I had no doubt that if Lady Sullivan hadn’t tried to have me killed, they’d all have put up far more of a fight, regardless of my deliberate mention of Lukas. They’d have agreed in the end, but they’d each have wanted to make a show of denial first. The wolves enjoyed asserting their power in a way I’d not seen from Lukas or any of the vamps. Maybe it was a good thing I’d nearly died again.
Lord Fairfax addressed one of his betas, who was standing guard at the exit. ‘Go and see if there is a human waiting outside. His name is—’
‘Devereau Webb,’ I supplied.
‘If he’s out there, escort him in,’ Fairfax ordered.
We waited in silence – and it wasn’t a friendly silence. It was one of the silences where everyone felt awkward, the sort that grew and grew, creating chasms of twitchiness and discomfort. We avoided each other’s eyes, Lady Sullivan in particular.
When Fairfax’s beta reappeared with Devereau Webb in tow, we breathed a collective sigh of relief. I was thankful that Webb had taken me at my word and hotfooted it here from his home. Whatever he wanted to discuss with the alphas, it was clearly important and I was intrigued.
If Webb was aware of the tension, he didn’t show it. He swaggered into the room behind the beta wolf, his shoulders back and his hands in his pockets. With a confident smile, he strode up to us, grabbed an empty chair and sat down, spreading his legs so wide that his knees brushed against Lord McGuigan’s.
Rather than appearing unhappy about the contact, McGuigan looked charmed. That made one of us, then.
‘Thank you, DC Bellamy,’ Webb said. ‘I’ll take things from here.’
It was an obvious dismissal but I ignored it. I crossed my legs. ‘The floor is yours, Mr Webb.’
I was certain he would demand I left the meeting but he seemed to think better of it. He offered a lazy shrug and an amiable smile. ‘Very well, detective.’ He looked round the small gathering. ‘First of all, let me thank you all for coming. I know that you are important people and your time is precious.’
Lady Carr clicked her tongue. ‘Yes, yes. Get to the point, young man.’ I imagined it was a very long time since anyone had called Devereau Webb that.
‘I am here seeking a boon. I understand that your recruitment policies are stringent and there are numerous rules about who can be turned into a wolf. I also know, however, that you often look for new blood to keep your clan lines as healthy as possible – and that you only recruit the very best.’
I blinked. Devereau Webb wanted to become a werewolf? Was that what this was about?
‘And you believe you are the very best?’ Lord McGuigan drawled, shooting a derisive look in my direction, presumably for bringing Webb here with such a routine and mundane request.
‘I’m not here on my own behalf,’ Devereau replied easily.
Interesting.
‘We’re waiting with bated breath,’ Lady Sullivan said, sounding quite the opposite. ‘On whose behalf are you here?’
‘I’ll get to that.’ Webb leaned forward, his expression growing more serious. ‘I’m not sure what DC Bellamy has told you about me. I might not be a supernatural being like your good selves, but I have considerable power and many connections.’
‘We all have those.’ McGuigan folded his arms and looked away. I reckoned he was about twenty seconds away from standing up and walking out of the door. Webb had better get to his point quickly.
‘Let’s just say,’ Devereau said, ‘without naming any names, I possess some damning information concerning several highly placed politicians. I’m in a position to negotiate with them – in fact, I’ve already done so. I know that you have the run of St James’s Park during the full moon. I also know that it’s far too small to meet all your needs. I have an agreement whereby exclusive use of Regent’s Park will be granted to one clan and one clan only. Certain areas will be off limits.’
He smiled faintly. ‘The zoo, for one. The sports pitches at the Hub, for another. But the area of available land is still considerable. This is the sort of gift that money can’t buy.’
I didn’t need to check the alphas’ expressions to know what a coup this was. It was no secret that St James’s Park was small and crowded when all four clans had to use it on the night of the full moon and every wolf in the city was compelled to transform. To have exclusive use of even part of Regent’s Park was a game changer.
‘And in return for this gift?’ Lord Fairfax enquired, his tone so deliberately bored that I knew he was practically salivating at the thought of having such a vast space at his clan’s disposal. ‘What do you want?’
‘You permit one person, who I name specifically, to be bitten enough to turn into a werewolf. That is all. I don’t expect this person to receive special benefits. What they do once they are turned, and whether they end up as a ranked wolf or otherwise, will be up to them. I’m confident that the person in question has extraordinary potential and they’ll prove an incredible asset to whichever clan takes them on.’
‘If they are so extraordinary,’ Lady Carr said, taking the words right out of my mouth, ‘then why go to such lengths? Why not simply take the usual route and petition us to be turned? If they’re as wonderful as you seem to believe, they’re sure to be selected.’
Webb’s left eyebrow twitched. Ah-ha. Now we were getting to the crux of the matter. I watched him, fascinated to hear what he was about to say next.
‘Let’s say that time is a factor and the normal routes are not open to this person.’
‘You mean they’re sick,’ Lady Sullivan said flatly. ‘And you think that becoming a werewolf will cure whatever ailment they suffer from.’
I gazed at Webb, checking his reaction. His eyebrow twitched again. Lady Sullivan was right.
‘Leukaemia,’ he admitted.
All four alphas exchanged glances. ‘We don’t tend to advertise the fact that werewolf transformation curbs cancer,’ Fairfax said. ‘After all, there are strict limits on our numbers,’ he nodded towards me, ‘which are set by the government and which we have no control over. We can’t trigger the change in someone merely because they are sick, and there are only so many sob stories one can listen to. We can’t even permit “accidental” transformations to occur.’ He drew air quotations around the word. ‘Our procedures to guard against them are strict.’
Webb inclined his head. ‘I am aware of all that. I’ve done my research.’ He smiled faintly. ‘The Carlyle Library, in particular, has proved very helpful. I know that approaching the vampires is out of the question. Turning into a bloodsucker doesn’t remove illness. In fact, in some cases it can accelerate the symptoms and make matters worse. But I also know that the reverse is true with werewolves. If this person is turned, they will also be cured.’
‘It is unorthodox, but Clan Sullivan is prepared to recruit your person.’ Lady Sullivan smiled at him. ‘We are very welcoming to newcomers.’
‘Hold on a minute,’ McGuigan blustered. ‘Clan McGuigan would like the opportunity to speak up. We will take this person. And,’ he gave Lady Sullivan a glare, ‘we are considerably more effective with new werewolves than other clans. We haven’t had any murderers in our ranks. Unlike some others,’ he added pointedly.
Lady Carr cleared her throat.
‘The Carr Clan has spaces available. We can move on this within the week.’
Fairfax stood up. ‘Mr Webb,’ he intoned. ‘This club belongs to my clan. Why don’t the two of us go somewhere more private and discuss your proposal further? I have a room beyond that door where we will be undisturbed.’
‘Just because we chose to meet here doesn’t give you an advantage!’ McGuigan snapped. ‘I have a far grander property less than a stone’s throw from here, Mr Webb. We can go there immediately.’
‘We all have grander properties, you idiot,’ Lady Carr muttered.
I blocked out their bickering and focused on Devereau Webb. He wasn’t displeased by the sudden jostling for his attention, but he wasn’t thrilled by it either. There was more to this than he was telling us.
‘I thank you all for your interest,’ he said. ‘I’ll allow you all time to think over my proposal.’ He reached into his jacket, drew out four identical envelopes and passed one to each alpha. ‘Inside those envelopes, you’ll find draft legal agreements for the future use of Regent’s Park, including any and all restrictions. You can examine the land yourselves and I will grant you enough time to consider all the advantages. Then, in twenty-four hours, I will bring the recruit here to be turned. If more than one of you want to go ahead, the recruit will choose which clan to join.’ He gazed round them all. ‘Does that sound suitable?’
There was a beat of silence, then all four alphas nodded agreement. I breathed out. Devereau Webb did have a way with people. He was effective at compromise and at deflecting disagreements. But there was still something he was holding back. I’d lay money on it.
‘Good.’ He got to his feet. ‘In twenty-four hours, then.’ He turned and started to walk towards the door.
I sprang up. ‘All four of you stay here,’ I instructed. I caught up to Webb. ‘Wait a minute.’
He glanced at me. ‘Ah, yes. DC Bellamy. I’d almost forgotten about you.’
As if.
Webb reached into his jacket pocket and drew out another envelope, far slimmer than the previous ones. I didn’t take it. I was waiting to hear what he had to say first.