by Lesley Davis
“You did. Crystal clear. But I can’t let you not wanting me near these killings stop me from telling you yet again that you need me by your side.”
“What part of no do you not understand?”
“The part that starts with an n and ends in an o,” Ashley replied flippantly. “I’m sorry, Detective, but I don’t do no very well. It’s a bad trait and I try to be penitent about it, but it’s something that’s a work in progress for me.” Ashley shifted on the bench, tucking a leg underneath her. “We don’t have time for you to get all territorial over these cases. You can piss-mark all you want on your next case, but here and now you need me. This killer isn’t done yet, and you need me working with you.”
“I have the whole police force behind me. What makes you so damn important?” Rafe loomed over her, her dark eyes intense as she stared down at Ashley.
“Because of who I am, what I am, and who I know. You need someone who can recognize a demon soul.” Ashley shrugged. “Who better than me?”
Rafe looked skyward and seemed to be offering up a prayer. Ashley was sure she heard “give me strength” escape from under Rafe’s breath.
“There’re no such things as demons,” Rafe said finally.
Ashley couldn’t help herself. She laughed. “Sure. Keep telling yourself that every time you wake up screaming when your dreams take you back into Armitage’s eyes and you feel yourself burning in the sulfur.” She felt a little remorse when Rafe’s face registered the obvious shock of dreams remembered. “You’ve witnessed hell, Detective, seen it and been marked by it. Tell me the fires don’t still scorch your skin when you recall looking into his eyes.”
Rafe’s face took on a haunted look and Ashley desperately wanted to reach out and pull her into her arms to hold her tight. Rafe sat on the bench beside her but wouldn’t look her way.
“Your assault has left you open to these things, Rafe. That’s why I could touch you and heal you. That’s how Eli could help you not be so blinded by what you can now see. You’re marked now.”
Rafe’s head lifted, her eyes filled with pleading. “Then take it all away, please. If you can do it, or Eli. Remove this from me, because I don’t want to see things other people can’t.”
Ashley reached for Rafe’s hand. She noticed how much smaller her own hands were as she held Rafe’s hand tightly between them. “I’m sorry, Neo, but you inadvertently took the red pill, and once you start falling down that rabbit hole there’s no turning back.”
Rafe’s eyes drifted to the people walking past her. “I just want my real life back again.”
“I’m sorry, truly I am. I believe, however, you were marked for a purpose.”
“That’s not very comforting. I’m beginning to lose my mind. I found myself asking the medical examiner today if Armitage had any signs of horns.”
“And?”
“He said it was too hard for him to tell seeing as Dean’s bullet ripped off his face and took out most of his skull in the process. Part of which I’m grateful for—he saved my life—but it does rather destroy the evidence I needed to prove I’m not certifiable.”
“It’s for the best,” Ashley said, then explained herself to Rafe’s sharp look. “I mean, face it. What would people do if you’d gotten proof the guy who tried to kill you was demon bred? What panic would ensue? I say it’s a good thing the majority doesn’t realize it. Then the ones who are aware can deal with it and protect the city from harm and hysteria.”
“It’s not in my job description to be a demon hunter.”
“It’s a tiny clause, written in the fine print. It hardly ever gets invoked until a certain detective bearing the right shield gets initiated.”
“You mean nearly gets herself killed by a demon football player.”
“Semantics. You lived to tell the tale. Admittedly, you can’t tell it to anyone or you’d be forced into retirement faster than a cokehead snorts a line of cocaine.” Ashley smiled sweetly at her. “You’re still one of the lucky ones.”
“Tell me one good reason why I shouldn’t just walk away from you again.”
“You said I was beautiful.”
Rafe shrugged, but her cheeks began to redden. “Being under the influence of demon poison running through my veins no doubt clouded what little judgment I had left.”
“It still counts; you can’t take it back. I heard it and Trinity heard it.”
“Cats aren’t known to be great witnesses.”
“You’d be surprised what she’d say under oath if I promised her tuna.”
Rafe grinned. “You’re crazy.”
“Then that makes two of us, doesn’t it? We crazies have to stick together against an insane world.” She looked deep into Rafe’s eyes when Rafe turned to stare right back at her.
“And what are you exactly?” Rafe asked. “With the glamour and the golden light show. What does that make you in this world of two halves?”
“You don’t think maybe I’m demon spawn too?” Ashley was intrigued how Rafe would answer. Intrigued and a little scared. Rafe never broke eye contact with her. Ashley felt like she could see into Rafe’s very soul and, in that very moment, Rafe could see right back into hers.
“I don’t see an endless hell when I look into your eyes.”
“What do you see?”
“Too many things that I can’t even begin to think about,” Rafe said, looking away.
“We’ll get back to those things,” Ashley said, her heart lightening at Rafe’s obvious interest. “Now, are you going to stop banning me from your office, or are we going to start up clandestine meetings where we share information and devise a plan of action to catch this killer?” Ashley stretched her arms along the back of the bench, her fingertips in reach of Rafe’s shoulder. She ached to brush her hand over the stark white of the formal shirt. “I’m all for the cloak-and-dagger stuff, meeting in dark corners, sneaking around like erstwhile lovers.” She quirked an eyebrow at Rafe’s face. “Or I could just come into your office as myself or glamoured as someone else and we could go down that route.”
“I don’t want you employing your shape-shifting,” Rafe said. “If I do decide to introduce you to the team, what do I tell them?”
“Tell them exactly what I am. A private investigator placed on the case.”
“Placed by whom?”
Ashley hesitated. “A higher authority.”
“The chief of police?”
Ashley laughed loudly, drawing the attention of the passersby. “I am going to love working with you. You’re such a riot.”
“I’m not trying to be funny. Who is your boss?”
“Someone who wants the demons put back in their rightful place. Can’t I just leave it at that?” She recognized the suspicious glint in Rafe’s eye, as well as the look that spoke of questions she wanted to press further on, so she was surprised when Rafe remained silent.
“Eli’s your boss, though, right?” Rafe finally asked.
“Kind of. He’s the one I get the heads up from to go find these ladies left in the dark.”
“That might work. Still doesn’t explain how you get a call to the sites before the police do.”
“The demon telegraph has its own nine-one-one.”
Rafe looked up at her building then back again. “Don’t make me regret bringing you in on this with my people.”
“You won’t. And for the record, strictly between you and me, I’m not a demon. Not entirely, anyway.”
“There are degrees of demon?”
“You’d be surprised what there are.”
Rafe stood and reached down a hand to help Ashley to her feet. “I really don’t need to hear any more. I already know way too much for what’s left of my sanity.”
“I can try to filter information to you on a need-to-know basis, if you like.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“Do I get a desk right next to yours?” Ashley asked, smiling innocently up at Rafe.
“I’ve got enough tr
ouble trying to work out some kind of plausible cover story for you as it is without you distracting me.” Rafe led them both across the street with more care this time, then courteously held the door open to her HQ for Ashley.
Ashley smiled inwardly, enjoying the sweet kindness Rafe just couldn’t hide from her even when she knew she drove her to distraction. It seemed only fair, as being in the presence of Rafe Douglas did curious things to her too. “I have a degree in religious and occult ideology and symbolism, which might be a way in for me here.”
“You can get degrees in the occult?”
“I believe I mentioned religion first in that statement.”
“Yeah, but no one studies religion unless they want to be a priest or something. You studied the occult in class? How does that work? Does everyone bring in their own Ouija board for ‘Spook and Tell’?”
“Aren’t you a wit?” Ashley made a show of looking around the police station. “This is a novelty. It’s the first time I’ve stepped foot in here as myself,” she said for Rafe’s hearing alone and got a sharp glare in return. “Don’t worry. I promise I’ll always tell you who I’m glamouring as so you don’t look like a total ass when everyone sees one thing and you’re stuck seeing just little old me.”
“Thank you, I think.”
“I’d hate to make your life difficult.” Ashley chuckled at the incredulous face Rafe made at her. Ashley followed her into the elevator, trying not to be obvious about checking out Rafe’s butt in her suit pants.
“Difficult seems to be par for the course these days,” said Rafe as she pressed the necessary button.
“Then let me try to make it a little less fraught for you. We’ll catch this guy, Rafe. I know we will.”
“From your lips to God’s ears.”
“Amen to that.”
Chapter Ten
Rafe wasn’t entirely surprised by how quickly Ashley won over Dean and Alona. There was something about Ashley that drew people to her and put them instantly at ease. Rafe was at a loss to explain it; she was afflicted with the same pull, no matter how hard she tried to fight it. She tried to pretend to be interested in something on her desk and not watch Ashley totally wrap her team around her little finger. She was brought out of her musings when Ashley brushed against her shoulder and handed her a USB stick. Rafe lifted an eyebrow at it suspiciously.
“You’re about to let me in to share your work. Turnabout is fair play. I have my own photos of the scenes,” Ashley whispered in her ear. Rafe’s body instantly reacted as the erotic heat slammed straight down to her gut, causing her muscles to twitch. She barely heard Ashley continue. “I thought it would be prudent to share these, now that we’re a team.”
Rafe willed her body to stop reacting and coughed to draw everyone’s attention. She shot up from her seat, careful not to touch Ashley and slipped away from her. She reached out a hand for the USB.
“I need to ask you both a very big favor,” Rafe said, looking first at Dean and then Alona.
Dean seated himself on the edge of Rafe’s desk. Folding his arms over his chest, he nodded. “Yes.”
“I haven’t told you what it is yet.”
“I’d follow you anywhere, into anything, Rafe, and pretty much do anything you asked. I’m in, whatever the favor is.”
“I second that,” Alona said.
“Even if it might cost you both your badges?” Rafe watched them closely. Neither changed their expressions.
“If it comes to that, then we’ll deal with it.” Dean shrugged. “Now I’m just really intrigued.” His grin ignited a matching one in Alona, and Rafe had to smile at their excitement.
She flashed a look over her shoulder at Ashley. Could she put her trust in a woman she barely knew? She took another look into Ashley’s clear blue eyes and, choice made, held up the USB stick. “Ashley has certain information on this case that we don’t have access to. I’m asking for you not to question it or her and definitely not to speak of it outside this room. We just need to use it in conjunction with what we gather ourselves. She’s here to help us.” Rafe paused before she continued, hoping she was doing the right thing. “There might be an occult angle to these killings. Ms. Scott is going to work that angle for us. She has a degree in religious and occult ideology and symbolism and is going to use her expertise to see if we need to look further in that direction.” She hoped that was an explanation her team would accept and leave it at that. She caught Ashley’s look of surprise. Well, I can hardly tell them you hunt demons, can I? This way I’m touching close enough to the truth so I’m not lying to my team.
“The occult?” Dean’s eyebrows rose and he gave Ashley a steely glare. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Stranger things have happened,” Alona said. “You can’t honestly say this killer is normal. He’s got something weird fueling his need.”
“The bosses don’t know about this. Detective Powell is not to hear a word about this. It stays in this room. We continue our side of the investigation, and Ms. Scott will follow her own leads. But we’ll work both angles together.” Rafe stared Dean down until he calmed.
“I don’t give a fuck about jurisdiction or who’s in the lead. I want to just get this bastard and take him off the street.” Dean looked over at Alona. “What say you, Officer?”
“I deal in information that comes from many sources. I don’t care what its origin is as long as it’s accurate and can be used in a court of law.” She held out her hand for the USB stick. “What do we have here?” she asked as she began pulling information from the device as soon as it was in her computer.
Ashley moved before the big screen as the photos were uploaded. She pressed into Rafe to whisper, “Why does no one pay attention to the religious bit?” before stepping away. Rafe barely heard her as her full attention was on the screen, her mouth dropping open as the first photo was one taken from a height above the alley. The vantage point clearly showed the victim’s blood had been spread around the body as if fanning it.
“Why did none of our crime scene photographers go above the area?” Dean hastened to enlarge the photo. “Look how small she looks, yet check out all the blood. That isn’t a natural pooling; it’s spread too high.” He looked at Ashley. “Did you take these?”
Rafe grimaced. So much for no questions asked.
Ashley merely nodded. “I was on a fire escape in the apartment overlooking the alley. I only had a few moments with the body on the ground.” Copying what she’d seen Dean do, Ashley pulled another photo to the forefront, and the tide of blood was more visible around the body. “It looked like the blood had been disturbed.”
“He’s playing in it?” Alona asked, joining them.
“It looked spread out, messed with, as if its pouring out underneath her just wasn’t enough for him,” Ashley said.
“He needs a broader canvas for his art,” Rafe said.
“He needs time for this,” said Dean. “And he needs to be clean enough from spreading it that he doesn’t draw attention to himself after. Christ, what does he look like when he’s finished with this? He’s got to be covered in blood.”
“Which brings us back to the butcher in our profile.” Rafe brought up a picture from the most recent killing, again, taken from above. The blood was once again spread out. She tilted her head a little to get another view. “He only managed to spread it on one side this time.”
“We still think he picked a poor area to do all he wanted to for this one,” Dean pointed out. “Too many chances of being caught by the people at the bar nearby.”
Ashley pointed to a photo. “Can you get anything evidence-wise from him running his hands through the blood?”
“Not if he’s wearing gloves, and we needed to have checked the previous scenes closely in the blood itself.” Rafe groaned as a thought struck her. “Oh God, how many walked around her blood and never considered it was an actual clue here?”
“We’ll consider ourselves warned for the next time.” Dean made a f
ace at his own comment. “Unfortunately.”
Rafe continued going through the photos. The rest were like their own scene of crime pictures. She gave Ashley a sideways glance. “You should have been a CSI.”
“Been there, done that,” Ashley said. She then spoke under her breath for Rafe alone, “How do you think I get in so close once the police start arriving?”
Rafe asked Alona to make copies of the photographs. “Please send a copy to Blythe and tell her we think he’s playing with the blood for some reason. Maybe she can add it to her profile for us.”
“You have a profiler?” Ashley asked.
“She’s a friend helping me out.” Rafe felt Ashley’s stare burning through her before she looked up.
“A friend?”
“We were at the academy together. She joined the FBI and I chose a detective’s shield. We’ve been friends for years. I decided to ask her advice; she’s not officially assigned to the case. It’s strictly off-the-record.”
“Oh, a sneaky friend. I like the sound of her already. I’d be very interested in what she has to say about this killer, if I can read her profile?”
Rafe reached over for the printout she kept on her desk. Ashley read through it quietly, then nodded. “When do I get to meet this marvel?”
“I might have to keep you two apart for my own sanity’s sake.”
“Oh, now I’m really interested in meeting her. I’m sure she could tell me plenty of stories about you.”
“I’m sure she could, which is exactly why I’d make sure you two never meet.” She caught Dean watching them with a thoughtful look in his eye. “Detective?”
“I’m just mulling over how Ms. Scott gets to the crime scenes before we get a call.” He shrugged. “I know we’re not supposed to ask questions, but you can’t blame a guy for being curious.”
“I have a great many informants on the street. I’ve cultivated them for years, both in this city and in others. Not everyone turns a blind eye to what happens in a city. They are the ones who call me.”
“But you’re just a PI. Don’t you usually get the errant husbands to follow or the cheating wives to chase?”