by Helen Harper
Damn it. I was fed up of being a curiosity to every supe in London. ‘I still don’t know what I am. I still don’t know anything more about why I can do what I do.’
He shook his head. ‘That’s not what I mean. I want to know more about you as a person. What’s your favourite colour?’
Uh… I blinked. ‘Blue.’
‘Music?’
I looked around, ostentatiously checking for eavesdroppers. ‘I have a secret penchant for eighties pop. A-Ha. Duran Duran. Eurythmics.’
His brow furrowed. ‘You’re kidding me.’
‘Nope.’
Lukas looked vaguely horrified. ‘D’Artagnan. I thought more of you than that.’
I folded my arms. ‘Oh, yeah? What kind of music do you like?’ I raised an eyebrow. ‘Jazz?’
He made a face. ‘Good grief. No.’
I considered. ‘Death metal with some decent thrash thrown in for good measure?’
‘What are you talking about?’
I grinned.
‘Remind me,’ Lukas sniffed, ‘to introduce you to some real music soon. Handel. Mozart. Debussy.’
I wrinkled my nose. ‘Didn’t he play for the Smiths?’
‘No.’ Lukas broke off a piece of bread, a glint of amusement in his face. ‘But he was a remarkably charming man.’
‘You can be quite charming yourself,’ I said, the words falling out of my mouth before I had the chance to stop them.
Lukas watched me. ‘Does that make you Cinderella?’
It took a second for his words to sink in. That was flirting. Right?
Lucas smiled slightly before winking as if to suggest he was merely speaking in jest. And then the waiter appeared to take our order.
Chapter Fourteen
The address Devereau Webb had given me was for a road on the edge of London’s East End. While Lukas and I had kept the conversation light over dinner and I sensed he was relaxing after his terrible day, the mood changed dramatically after we paid the bill and left. Grim anticipation filled Tallulah’s shabby interior and I noticed Lukas’s fists clenching and unclenching.
Although there were cells at Supe Squad, they were in a state of disrepair and certainly not suitable for holding anyone. If the man who lived at this address was the same man I’d seen in the CCTV footage, then I’d arrest him and take him to the nearest police station for questioning – and charging. I’d already scoped out the station and called ahead. In the event that we got our man, they’d dispatch a couple of uniformed officers to meet us at the house. I wasn’t sure how they’d react to Lukas’s presence but that was a bridge I’d cross when I had to.
‘It might not be him,’ I cautioned, when I pulled up in the street.
Lukas stared ahead. ‘I know.’
‘And if it is him, we have to tread carefully. We’re not in Soho, Lukas. There are a lot of laws to abide by. I’d get into serious trouble if anyone found out I’d brought you along. That means you need to do exactly what I say.’
‘I understand.’
‘You’ll have to stay in the car.’
His head whipped round. ‘That wasn’t part of the deal.’
‘If I don’t follow procedure, he could get off on a technicality.’
Lukas muttered something under his breath.
‘Lord Horvath…’
‘Don’t,’ he said. ‘Don’t Lord Horvath me.’ His black eyes met mine. ‘Unless circumstances demand otherwise, I will do as you say. I will stay in the car.’
Circumstances? ‘Lukas,’ I started.
‘If he tries to hurt you or runs,’ he elaborated, ‘you can’t expect me to put my feet up and watch.’
‘Okay,’ I agreed. ‘But I need you to keep your cool and stay where you are unless that happens.’
Lukas’s expression didn’t alter. ‘I give you my word.’
Some of the tension eased from my shoulders. No matter what mask Lukas was displaying, I knew his emotions were running high – but he would keep his promise. He was that kind of man. I nodded and unclipped my seatbelt before getting out.
‘Keep an eye on him, Tallulah,’ I whispered. Then I straightened my shoulders and stalked to the door.
The house was a small, Victorian, terraced property. Judging from our location, and the identical red-brick houses along the street, it had probably once been a railway worker’s home. Two up, two down and a small garden out the back; even when it was built, it would have been unremarkable. If you were a criminal without the network of someone like Devereau Webb and you wanted to hide in plain sight, you couldn’t have chosen better than here.
I paused outside for a moment and looked at the house. The curtains were drawn and there was a glimmer of light somewhere inside. That was good, I decided. With luck, this could be over in seconds.
I glanced at Lukas, who had stayed true to his word and remained inside Tallulah. Then I leaned forward and rapped hard on the door. Alright, let’s be having you.
The curtains in the front room twitched. I moved closer to the doorstep, angling my body so that whoever was inside couldn’t see me. The last thing I wanted was for them to get spooked and run before I could make a positive identification. Rather than be reassured by the police, some members of the public had the opposite reaction and gave in to baser instincts to flee, whether they’d done something wrong or not. As we’d been told at the Academy, until you were in the position where the police knocked on your door late at night, you couldn’t know how you’d react.
The curtains twitched again and there was a thud. A moment later, I heard footsteps clumping towards me. Excellent. I crossed my fingers.
There was the rattle of a key in the lock. I waited patiently until the door was opened a crack and a wary male voice called out, ‘Yes? Who is it?’
I couldn’t see the speaker’s face. He was behind the door and the hallway lights were off. The best I could make out was his outline, and I needed more to be sure that this was our guy.
‘Good evening, sir,’ I said politely. ‘I’m Detective Constable Emma Bellamy. I’d like to ask you a few questions, if I may.’
‘Now? It’s after nine o’clock at night!’
All the better to throw you off balance, I thought. ‘It’s important.’
There was a heavy sigh and the door opened further. At the same time, he flicked on a bright porch light. I blinked rapidly. It was shining directly in my eyes, making it hard to see anything.
‘Sir,’ I said, ‘can you please turn off the light?’
‘I want to see some identification.’
I delved into my pocket for my warrant card and held it up. ‘If you turn the light off first then—’
‘Are you alone?’ he demanded. There was a beat of silence. ‘Wait. That car…’ The man sucked in a breath. ‘Is that Lord Horvath in there? The vampire?’
‘Sir,’ I said, tense now, ‘you need to turn off the light.’
I raised my arm to shield my eyes but it didn’t help; I still couldn’t see his features. But he’d recognised Lukas and that told me a great deal. Few people outside the supernatural community could put a face to his name.
The man’s voice altered significantly. ‘Well, well, well.’ He sounded very satisfied. ‘Isn’t this a turn-up for the books?’ A split second later, he slammed the door in my face.
I cursed. ‘Sir!’ I shouted through the closed door. ‘Come back here!’
It was a wasted effort. Lukas was already out of Tallulah and running towards me. I gritted my teeth and jumped up, using my elbow to smash the light over the doorway and break the bulb. While my vision restored itself, I shoved my shoulder against the door to force it open.
Lukas burst past me with one leg raised. He kicked the door and it sprang back, the wood splitting. There was a crash from beyond and I hissed, ‘He’s running.’
I sprang into the house and glanced into the room on my left. The television was on but no-one was in there. There was no doubt in my mind that the man, whoever he rea
lly was, had scarpered through the back. There had to be a rear entrance.
I darted through the drab hallway into the small kitchen, and spotted the glass-plated door immediately. It was locked. I had to marvel at the calm thought process of someone running from the police who’d taken the time to bar the way behind them. Few people were that careful when they were under pressure. It made me even more convinced that this was the man who’d attacked Moira and inadvertently caused her death.
‘Out of the way,’ Lukas said.
I did as he asked. With calm efficiency, he grabbed a heavy plant pot and threw it at the door. The glass shattered. I leapt forward, knocking the shards out of the way so we could get to the garden and the man’s escape route.
‘What’s going on? Ted? Are you alright?’ It was a neighbour from the next house.
‘Police!’ I shouted. ‘Call 999!’
There was a muttered ‘Fuck!’ Then I heard nothing more. I hoped they were already on the phone but I didn’t have time to look back and check; I was already sprinting after my target with Lukas by my side.
There was no easy route out of the garden, so the man must have vaulted over the fence. He had the advantage – he knew the area. He wasn’t a vampire, however, and he didn’t possess supernatural skills.
Lukas pulled away from me and sailed over the fence as if it barely existed. I was less than a metre behind, scrabbling up and over it. When I landed, I realised we were on a narrow path that snaked between the terraced houses. It was overgrown and strewn with weeds – and there was no sign of our target.
Lukas’s head was raised upwards, his nostrils flaring. He didn’t possess the perfect scenting abilities of a werewolf, but he was still better at sniffing out a trail than the average human. His eyes narrowed and he jerked his head to the left. ‘That way,’ he bit out.
We started running. Lukas pulled away from me, flying down the path. Regardless of my enhanced physical abilities, there was no chance I’d keep up with him. I did my best, though, my feet pounding the dirt and condemning several stringy dandelions in the process.
Within seconds, Lukas was at the far end of the path. His head jerked from right to left as he scanned the street for any sign of our prey. He spun back in my direction. Ted, if that’s who he was, had leapt into someone’s garden rather than head for the road. Now all we had to do was work out which one.
‘His scent?’ I called.
Lukas pounded his fists in frustration. ‘I’ve lost it. There are too many conflicting smells.’
Damn it. I hissed and started peering into the gardens. Lukas tilted his head, listening for any suspicious sounds. I glanced at him briefly and then away again.
Wait a minute. There was something there.
I jogged a few metres until I was in front of a wooden fence. I bent down and peered more closely. That was a muddy handprint – and it was still damp. I jumped, bracing my hands on the top of the fence so I could look down into the garden below. There, planted in the earth next to a dormant rose bush, were two heavy footprints. Someone had jumped over the fence at this very spot. It could only have been one person.
As I heaved myself over, I beckoned to Lukas but also placed a finger to my lips. It would be easier to round up our target if he didn’t realise we were right behind him. Silence rather than speed was the key. Lukas nodded his understanding as I landed in the garden with a soft thud, making footprints of my own. A second later he was by my side, his movements lithe and cat-like.
The garden belonged to another small, two-storey house, although it had double patio doors rather than a single back exit and was semi-detached instead of terraced. The curtains were drawn but I could see light and hear muffled voices beyond them. If Ted knew his neighbours well, he could have knocked on their window and hidden in their house. But that would be strictly a short-term option, and it didn’t sound as if the family inside had just encountered a surprise night guest.
Lukas and I swivelled round, searching the darkness for clues. We both spotted the side gate at the same time. I checked it. It was off the latch. He’d gone this way.
The snicket at the side of the house led out onto another paint-by-numbers residential street that curved away to the right at the far end. I squinted, then I drew in a sharp breath and ducked down, grabbing hold of Lukas’s arm and bringing him with me. Up ahead, on the opposite side of the pavement, was the stumbling silhouette of a man who appeared to be limping. No-one else was visible.
We stayed low but kept moving in a bid to catch up. Our target disappeared momentarily as he rounded the bend. I crossed the street so I could keep a good distance behind him, while Lukas sped up in a bid to get closer. Without saying a word, we’d formed our own capture net.
When I finally pulled round the bend and saw what lay ahead, I knew that Teddy Boy didn’t stand a chance. This street was a dead end; less than a hundred metres away a row of garages blocked the way out – and our limping man was darting into one of them. He probably thought he’d made a clean getaway.
There was a loud clang as the metal garage door closed behind him. I put on an extra spurt of speed and caught up to Lukas. He flicked me a sidelong look of triumph.
‘Let’s make sure there aren’t any more back exits first,’ I whispered as we drew closer to the garages.
Lukas shook his head. ‘High wall to the rear blocking any way out from the rear. No side exit because he’s not in the end garage. The roof is flat but there aren’t any skylights. He’s in there and he’s trapped.’
I allowed myself a smile. ‘Stay here,’ I said, ‘and I’ll—’ I hadn’t finished my sentence when Lukas started striding ahead. ‘Hey!’ I hissed.
‘He ran,’ he said simply. ‘I’m not letting that happen again.’
I cursed. As Lukas reached for the garage door, I started after him. Nothing had changed: I was still the police detective and, while Ted Whoever remained human, that meant he was mine to deal with. Not Lukas’s.
Lukas pulled the string to raise up the canopy-style garage door.
‘Police!’ I called, re-asserting my authority. ‘You have to stand down imm—’
And then, before I could finish my sentence, there was a blinding flash of light and a deafening bang and I tipped forward to the ground.
Chapter Fifteen
Panic descended. My throat felt as if it were closing up and I couldn’t breathe, no matter how much I gasped. I scrabbled at the ground, cold seeping upwards from where I’d fallen. There was gritty dirt and something wet beneath my fingers. My vision had gone and the ringing in my ears was overwhelming. My stomach lurched and nausea threatened to overtake me. Then air rushed into my lungs and I blinked, and the world started to right itself. Sort of.
I choked and spluttered, raising my head to gaze blearily around me. Everything still seemed fuzzy around the edges and the tinnitus continued unabated. I yanked my leg out of the dirty puddle it was lying in.
Lukas. Where was Lukas?
I rubbed my head, and tried to stagger up to my feet. My knees gave up halfway and I sank down again, just as a figure marched towards me, arms swinging. Not Lukas. I squinted, then ice filled my veins when I realised it was Moira’s attacker. His lips moved. He was saying something to me, but I couldn’t hear a damned word. He had the sort of cheesy grin on his face that I’d normally associate with a gameshow host or a dodgy car dealer. His mouth moved again. He crouched down until we were face to face.
He reached out and I flinched, expecting pain. Instead, he brushed back a curl of hair. His fingers went to my mouth. I raised my hands to try and push him off or defend myself, but I was still too disorientated. My hands flailed and he gently knocked them away. With his thumb and index finger, he pulled my lips apart and examined my teeth.
Vampire, I thought dully. He’s checking to see whether I’m a vampire.
He nodded to himself, seemingly satisfied. The shark’s tooth necklace round his neck shivered. His hands moved towards my body and I squeake
d, suddenly terrified. All he did, though, was remove my warrant card from my pocket and examine it. He pursed his lips.
At that moment, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lukas lurch up from the ground less than ten metres away.
The man moved. Ted. Was he Ted? He was still grinning. He casually loped over in Lukas’s direction. Now he’d find out what a mistake he’d made – Lukas would flatten him. I heaved myself upright once more, this time managing to stay on my feet. I started to stagger towards them, ready to provide what support I could.
Lukas’s eyes met mine and I recognised relief – and something else. Then he turned his attention back to Ted.
Something was wrong. Lukas swayed unsteadily and his face spasmed, contorting into a snarl. I saw his fangs grow more prominent. Then Ted simply raised his hand. What was that? What was he—? I yelped as he pressed something into the side of Lukas’s neck. Was that a fucking syringe?
Almost immediately, Lukas’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed. No. NO. Not on my watch, buster.
I gritted my teeth and staggered forward. Ted’s head turned slowly. He seemed surprised to see me and, as he watched me, his brow creased. Then he shrugged and reached down. He grabbed Lukas under his arms and dragged him towards the open garage.
He wasn’t taking Lukas. I wouldn’t allow it.
Everything felt as if it were in slow motion. I forced myself to move as fast as I could but I was certain I was going to keel over or throw up – or both – at any moment. I shuffled and stumbled and forced my way forward. I tried to speak, to tell him to stop but my mouth didn’t seem to be working properly.
Ted bundled Lukas’s inert body into a dusty car inside the garage, then he reached into the glove box. A moment later, I was staring at the muzzle of a gun which was pointed right at my face.
Over the ringing in my ears, I heard something like a shot. Bastard. Had he shot me? Was that twice in one damned week that I was going to the morgue because of a gun? I opened my mouth and screamed in frustration, staring down at my body. Where had he hit me? Where did it hurt?