“No, the bodyguard. I went up to the roof where he cornered me because, get this, he’s my stalker.”
“The bodyguard?”
“Yes. I had to do something pretty drastic to get away from him; hence, the clothes left behind.”
“Where are you now?”
“The office at Dante’s. I spent the night here. I’d have called sooner but I bottomed out, energy wise, and fell right to sleep.”
“I’m glad you’re alright,” he said sounding genuinely relieved.
“So can we arrest them? Solomon and his bodyguard? He told me that Solomon gave him the orders to. Isn’t that conspiracy? Can you get him some time for that?” Hamilton sighed.
“There’s a little hiccup in your plan I’m afraid. Can you come back to Solomon’s? I have your affects in my car.” I felt a little puzzled. Why was he back at Solomon’s? Did he figure out he was guilty already, or did he go back to find me?
“I can be there in a half hour. Is that okay? Or will it be too late?”
“No, that’s fine. We’re not going anywhere.”
With that cryptic remark, he hung up. I leaned back in Jareth’s chair, drinking my coffee and chewing on the toast. I began to get this awful feeling in the pit of my belly that something was wrong. I would leave Aram a note so when he woke, he wouldn’t worry about where I had gone to. This was how Lance found me, rooting through papers on his boss’s desk.
“Miss Cassandra, have you lost something?” he asked desperately, trying to keep the condemnation from his voice. I looked up.
“A piece of note paper or something to write on.” I’d already tucked the flyer with Hamilton’s number on it into my pants pocket. Lance walked towards a printer, opened a drawer underneath and removed a fresh, clean sheet from the pile stacked inside. I stopped rooting instantly.
“Here,” he said, as if the printer should have been the first place I checked. It would have been, if I hadn’t thought Jareth has so much paper on his desk there has to be a blank sheet somewhere and I won’t have to get up. I took the paper from him, folded it neatly in half, and then scrawled on one side –
Gone to help the police. Thank you for last night. I will call you. Cassandra x
I let the little kiss after my name be the only endearment. I didn’t want to give him any false hope that we were a couple again. I still couldn’t decide if that was what I wanted. I know to most guys that would make me seem indecisive and unreliable, but Aram was hanging in there. I missed him a great deal and last night had been very comforting to me. It might sound very feminine of me, but there was no place I liked better than wrapped up in the arms of a man I loved.
I took my little note back to his room and propped it up under the lamp. He’d be sure to see it there when he woke up. I brushed his boyish curls away from his peaceful face and lightly pressed my lips to his temple. His skin was cool and smooth. He wasn’t as cold as he had been, so he was probably only an hour from waking. I left him to his dreams, if he had them, and securing an umbrella from the lost and found, went out into the misting rain.
Chapter Fourteen
When I got to Solomon’s building, two uniformed officers wouldn’t let me in. My identification was locked in Hamilton’s car and I did look a bit messy. My hair was damp and frizzled by the same rain that made my shirt wet and almost transparent. I was thankful to be wearing the little camisole underneath and did not appreciate the officers’ stares towards my chest. I walked down the block to a payphone and dialed his number on reverse charges. Hamilton said he would be right down. I walked back up to huddle under my umbrella next to his car. My feet were soaked from the pelting rain and several puddles on the way over. October was not thong sandal weather.
Hamilton darted out of the building. The rain plastered his hair to his head, and he sought the shelter of my umbrella.
“Hey,” he said with his usual winsome, charming smile. “You look good in men’s clothes.” A small smiled curve my lips as I took that for a compliment, thanking the powers that be he hadn’t said you look good wet.
“Thank you. My things.” Hamilton nodded hitting the little fob on his keychain. The doors clicked and he opened the passenger side for me. He’d made a neat, little pile of my belongings on the seat with my shoes in the foot well. I pocketed my phone, wallet and keys, and clipped my identification to my shirt as best I could before handing the umbrella to Hamilton so I could sit. I took off the sandals and used my destroyed top to dry my feet; it was ruined anyway. I put my boots on and left the sandals in their place. Hamilton relocked the car when I was done and we went back inside together. This time the uniforms had no problem letting me through and were even apologetic. I think because they’d ogled the goodies of another professional.
Hamilton shook out the umbrella and placed it by the door to drip while I pushed the button for the elevator. I also did a quick heat spell to dry out my shirt so it didn’t look like I’d been in some sorority wet t-shirt competition. The elevator carriage was still on the ground floor and Hamilton had to rush to get inside.
“So what’s going on?” I asked him once we were safely ascending to the top floor.
“After you vanished on his property and I couldn’t find you, I came back this morning with a warrant for a full search. I kept the finding of your torn up clothes on the street, on the low down.” He grinned at me and I felt my cheeks flame.
“Thank you for that. My modesty and I appreciate it. What did you find?”
“One of the guest bedrooms had been in use, but it’s been cleared out. No sign of Solomon or his bodyguard. I had to call for the building super to let me in.”
“What about his creepy manservant guy?”
“I talked to him about an hour ago. His day off apparently. However, he did tell me something useful.” I turned more towards Hamilton, leaning in to hear it like we were exchanging naughty gossip.
“When he left at about eleven last night, Solomon was not alone. He was having an argument with another man. Very low voiced, so he couldn’t make out what was being said, but it sounded hostile.”
“Maybe Solomon was telling him to lie low and Rin didn’t want to.” Hamilton blinked at me.
“What did you say?”
“The bodyguard, my stalker, he told me that his name is Rin.” Hamilton went very quiet for the rest of the trip up, which was mercifully short. I couldn’t work out if he was mad at me because he thought I’d been holding out information on him.
“Hamilton, I forgot about his name. I wasn’t holding out on you, I swear.” Hamilton stopped and shook his funk off.
“It’s not that. I’m just not feeling positive about our chances at finding him. At the moment, our biggest concern is where is Solomon? Why can’t we find him?”
“Did you find the cubby off the master bedroom closet?” Hamilton nodded.
“Yeah, creepy little dungeon. It seems Mrs. Solomon’s accusations weren’t quite that unfounded. Looks like he was also getting it ready for a new occupant.”
“When I found it, it just had some hooks and was bare.” Hamilton nodded his head in the direction of the bedroom.
“Take a look now. You’ll see what I mean.”
He let me peek in the secret room. It had changed since yesterday. Manacles and chains hung from the hooks, pillows were put into one corner and a large pail in the other. Solomon was getting another pet for himself, but where? The black magic market was shut down. I’d shut it down with a little police help. I came out of the room with a little shudder rolling down my body. No one deserved to be treated like that. Not like a wild animal.
“I’d like to punch the little prick in the face for woman kind everywhere.” Hamilton cracked a sly grin.
“You’re a real firecracker, anyone ever tell you that?”
“I do believe I have heard that before.” He signaled towards the living room with his thumb.
“We’re in here.” I followed him into the room and saw several people I didn’t
know. They were all gathered around the large door that led to the personal bank vault of Philonius T Solomon. I leaned into Hamilton.
“Five bucks says it’s where he keeps his porn.”
“Call me an optimistic but I was hoping for a fortune in gold doubloons.” I smirked as Hamilton covered one eye and walked a few paces as if he had a peg leg.
“What do we have me hearties?”
A thin man if you could call someone who looks about twelve a man with thick-framed, black glasses and thick tuffs of blond hair looked our way.
“We drilled so I could get a cam in,” he said with a deep voice that didn’t match his appearance. “Its got glass plating, meaning we can’t just drill the lock.” He pointed to his screen and we both leaned in to look. The picture flickered a little and he hit the edge of the monitor.
“You see those bolts of titanium? If we break that glass, they’ll lock into place and we won’t get in without a blowtorch and a long wait. James is going through the guy’s computer system trying to find maybe a hint to the combination.” I walked to the door and placed my big hands on the wheel.
“Did you check to just see if it was open?” I started to turn it and gasped as they stared disbelievingly at me. “It’s open.”
“Really?” The wheel clicked and refused to go any further.
“Nope, locked up tighter that a nun’s chastity belt. I could get it open for you if you want.” The tech looked at me scornfully. He hadn’t appreciated my joke.
“I’ve been working on it for over an hour. What makes you think…” I waved a finger at him chidingly.
“Choose your words carefully. Anything you say may be thrown back in your face with vicious sarcasm.” The tech ground his teeth.
“I am one of the best safe crackers in the country. If I can’t open this baby in over an hour of trying, you won’t be able to. It’s impossible.”
“Oh he don’t know me very well, do he? Nothing is impossible.” He growled, tapping his screen.
“I have the best, top of the line equipment. What do you have?”
“A charming smile and a can do attitude.” I looked at Hamilton who shrugged, amused by our banter. “What will it hurt to let me try? If I fail you can take great glee in telling me I told you so.” He glared at me.
“Stubborn woman,” he mumbled under his breath, but I heard it as if he’d spoken out loud. I beamed at him.
“I’m not stubborn. My way’s just better. You capitulate?”
“Fine,” he said, offering me his equipment, but I shook my head. “Don’t tell me your old school.” I kept grinning.
“The oldest school there is. You and your fancy equipment will want to move back a safe distance.” Carlson, the only face in the room I recognized, smiled at me amused as Hamilton was. He retrieved the man’s scope and helped him carry it back to the far wall. It looked expensive and I didn’t want to accidentally blow it up. I placed my hands on the door. It was a tumbler lock, so I focused on the circular movement of spinning. I took a step back, and then another. I kept my palms up and flat, focusing power. Magic’s mostly about will. You will mystic energy to take a form, to be the tool and achieve what you can’t with your physical body. I smiled at the tech as I rotated one hand left in a circle and the other right. Okay, I was showing off just a little.
“Wax on, wax off,” I said in my best Myagi impression. The tumbler spun. I curled one finger and it clicked and spun the other way. I lowered a second finger and again, it changed direction till I lowered a third finger. There was the sound of metal releasing and the large wheel spun. The metal groaned and air hissed through the gap like a hermetic seal breaking. I pumped my fist in the air.
“Witchcraft one, technology zero.” The tech guy gulped while Hamilton, with Carson’s help, pulled the door wider so I was first to see what was inside.
“Okay who had dead guy? ‘Cause you win the pool.” Hamilton looked around the door, taking in the sight.
“Well shit.”
Philonius T Solomon lay in the middle of his vault floor, his eyes wide and staring. A pile of gold coins crushed his small body so that only his head showed. I could already tell that this had to be Rin’s work. Why would he turn on and kill his employer? What was it the butler had heard them arguing about, and why was it enough to kill over? Hamilton looked at me. I could read the question in his eyes and gave a slow nod.
“Okay, nobody touch anything. We’re calling this in. Call Cameron.”
* * * *
I watched Cameron check the guy for a pulse. I found it a little funny because the guy was clearly dead. I donned a pair of the white gloves and leaned against the back of the vault. I was trying to see the origin of the spell. The gold coins smothered him like a golden blanket, all his limbs obscured. Cameron looked at me as the camera flashes made me blink.
“We need to get these off him. I can’t get time of death unless I can get his liver temp.” It took me a minute to realize he was asking me to help. I pushed off the wall and knelt down next to the body. I pushed aside a swath of coins heavy as lead, only to have them hit the floor and replicate so there was twice as many. I jumped, startled. Cameron was also wide-eyed. I leaned in, plucked one coin and placed it on the floor. Nothing happened.
“Okay we are going to have to stack these very carefully,” I said, starting to make a pile on the empty bottom shelf. Cameron followed suit. Carefully we began to reveal more of the body, first his shoulders, then his arms. His left fist was clenched tightly around something. Lividity had set in so prying his fingers back was a sickening experience. It was a gold coin much like the others. As I pulled it away from contact with his flesh all the other coins vanished in puffs of black dust. A Chinese symbol glowed yellow on his forehead. Frog, the animal associated with the sin of greed. Someone made croaking noises.
“Very funny.” Cameron looked at me blankly and then we heard it again. Cameron leaned down, placing his ear to the dead man’s chest. The croak came again. Cameron gave me a warning look to prepare myself as he pried the corpse’s mouth open. A frog hopped out startling both of us. It sat croaking on the body’s chest. It was green with a bright yellow underbelly. It seemed to stare at me. I looked at the coin I was holding. It was pure gold and on one side there was a frog on a lily pad. I held the coin out, empty lily pad up. The frog leaped, turning to mists that hit the coin. I flipped it from side to side, two lily pads, and two frogs.
“Puts new meaning to a frog in the throat, huh doc.” He blinked at me and his face suddenly creased with humor.
“Oh very good, yes.”
“You got one of those little baggy things?”
“In my kit outside.” I got up, stepping over the body. I didn’t like to watch him take liver temp. I put the coin into the bag, sealed it in and labeled it – Do Not Touch! Once this case was over, I was going to insist that these items be turned over to an enforcer so they could be properly destroyed. Hamilton sidled up beside me as I stared at the coin.
“What was it this time?” he asked.
“Greed. I’ll say one thing for him, he certainly know which sin is appropriate.” Hamilton took a step closer to the vault.
“You have time of death yet?”
“Just looking at that now.” My stomach roiled as I heard the thermometer slide from his flesh. “I’m going to go with an educated guess of around midnight.” Hamilton made notes in his little pad as I pushed up onto my feet.
“What about cause?”
“His chest was crushed under the weight of the coins. I’d go with asphyxiation, but I’ll do the post mortem before I rule officially.”
“Okay thanks Doc.” I walked away a few paces, taking in some deep breaths. I jumped a mile when my phone started ringing. It was my office. I took a walk into the corridor and further looking for a quiet spot.
“Hey Trink, what’s up?”
“Where are you? You need to get changed. You’re going to be late.” I rubbed my temple slowly as she babbled.
“Slow down. Late for what?”
“It’s Halloween.”
“I know it’s Halloween. I planned on holing up with a beer and a DVD later.”
“No, you’re going to a party remember. The king invited you. You can’t turn down a personal invite. Simian called to make sure we knew.” I groaned thinking about the werewolf shindig. I so didn’t want to go to a party after this.
“It’s a costume party. Everywhere is shut. Where am I going to get something to wear?”
“I think I can fix something up but you have to come home. The party starts in an hour.” I gave a very martyred sigh.
“I’ll try.” I hung up the phone and headed back towards the living room. All hell had broken loose: Rourke. She was going for Hamilton’s jugular. I tried backing out of the room but she caught my movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned on me.
“You! Why is it whenever there is a homicide in this town I find you?”
“Just lucky I guess,” I mumbled, but she heard me. Her eyes narrowed.
“I’m taking charge here and I want you gone Farbanks.” I ground my teeth and pulled the gloves off, throwing them to the floor. I was sick of this whole pissing contest. I knew from gossip that her department’s audit had not gone well. She needed a win to justify her department’s expenditure and lack of results. She was extra pissy as a result, too.
“Fine. I got better fucking places to be.”
“Different maybe, but better is debatable,” said Benjamin not missing a chance to take a dig at me. I glared at him.
“You have your whole life to be a jerk Ben. Can’t you take a day off?” I turned on my heel to leave.
“Cassandra wait.” It was Hamilton’s voice that called me. If it had been anyone else, I might have kept walking. I turned my head back to see what he wanted.
“I still need you here.” I shook my head.
“No you don’t. I’ve given you all I can. You know who you’re looking for. Finding him is a police matter.” I turned again and headed for the door. I was sorry to leave Hamilton to deal with Rourke by himself, but I was so tired of the bullshit and infighting. Aram was right. Far as I knew, Rin was a human. It was their job to bring him in. I’d done what I could. I’d given my advice but I was not trained as a cop. I couldn’t and wouldn’t interfere in interdepartmental squabbles and chain of command, as an outsider.
Deadly Sin (Cassandra Farbanks) Page 14