by Kelly Goode
‘What else?’ Agent Myles asked.
‘Harvey and I met with Darrick last night,’ JC said. ‘He’s a high-profile vampire who runs a club here in Soho. He has information on the demon we’re hunting.’
‘What information?’
‘Potentially a location and he’s willing to trade.’
‘Trade what?’ Agent Ghent asked. ‘Vampires aren’t usually so keen to talk to S.P.T.F. How can you be sure that you can trust him?’
‘Relax,’ JC replied and I noticed his smile seemed less genuine than usual. ‘All he wants in return is my services. I’m working on the terms and should have something further to report tomorrow.’
Agent Myles nodded. ‘Get that information. Whatever it takes, whatever he wants, you give it to him, understand?’
JC’s gaze flicked over to me for some reason, and I tried to ignore the slow, cold feeling of alarm that crept up my spine.
‘Anything?’ JC questioned.
‘Anything,’ Agent Myles repeated.
I didn’t like the sound of that and checked with Carter to gage his reaction. From the way he’d folded his arms across his wide chest, he didn’t seem too pleased with what he’d heard either. At least I wasn’t the only one who found the idea of trusting Darrick a foolish one.
‘Doctor Porter, bring us up to speed with any forensic progress.’
My attention turned towards the woman at the back of the room, as she sat shuffling her papers into some kind of order. Yesterday’s jeans and lab coat had been replaced with navy tailored trousers and a grey silk blouse. Her auburn hair was twisted into a sleek chignon minus any stationery holding it in place.
Doctor John Alvis sat beside her and gave her a subtle nudge.
‘What? Sorry, oh it’s my turn,’ Doctor Porter said, as if suddenly realising she was the focus of everyone’s attention. ‘Sorry, I was miles away.’
‘You told us Colleen was involved in some kind of car accident before her death. Can you give us any more information about the type of vehicle it was?’ Agent Myles asked.
Doctor Porter nodded. ‘Doctor Alvis and I checked the paint samples and we’re confident it belongs to one of the Ford models - a red mustang.’
‘Excellent. Check the DVLA records for registered owners. Mr Chambers has confirmed that he and his wife are available to talk to us today. Ember, I need you to head out to Primrose Hill.’
‘I’ll go with her,’ Carter said, but Agent Myles shook his head.
‘You’re not cleared to leave. Usually I’d send Ghent or Perry, but Mr Chambers specifically requested the same recruits who came to his office the other day.’
My heart sank as I realised that meant taking another field trip with Harvey.
‘Find Harvey,’ Agent Myles said. ‘Find him and close this damn case.’
42
Harvey felt his climax approaching as the woman bounced enthusiastically on his rigid cock. He kept his eyes closed, imaging she was someone else, that he was somewhere else, until he emptied himself with a low groan of satisfaction. The woman came quickly after, moaning as she fell against him. Her long, blonde hair skimmed painfully against the burn marks on his chest, and the discomfort reminded him that no matter how many women he fucked and pretended was Ember, it would never compare to the real thing.
‘Wow that was amazing. I’ve never been with a demon before. You were wild.’
Harvey flinched as the woman’s lips made contact with the jagged scar on his chest over where his heart should be.
‘We have our advantages,’ he replied. ‘Humans lack stamina.’
She didn’t react to his deliberate insult, or she didn’t understand it.
‘Has anyone ever told you that these marks almost look like a handprint?’ she asked, examining his chest in closer detail. ‘How did you get them?’
Harvey eased her off his lap.
‘I’m late for work,’ he said. ‘It’s time for you to go.’
‘Oh come on, let me stay a little longer,’ she whined.
Harvey ignored her pleas and headed for the bathroom, hoping a shower would wash away the guilt that was gnawing at his stomach. He was angry with himself for bringing the barmaid back to his hotel room.
Harvey stared at his reflection in the mirror, deep into those familiar black eyes that controlled the darker part of his personality.
‘Let me out. Let me have some more fun with the bitch. You know she wants it.’
Harvey shook his head, as he fought the burning sensation beneath his skin as his demon tried to claw his way to the surface. Ember hadn’t seen this side of him. She didn’t understand the relentless force of the darkness that tried to break free on a daily basis.
This was his curse, and drinking too much last night had made it harder to stop the demon from taking over, as it had when he’d ripped Chief Andrews’ beating heart from his chest.
‘You’re weak. Pathetic. I’ll defeat you eventually and then I’ll escape. There will be no stopping me. Ember will be the first one I visit –the first one I break, but then again, deep down we both know that you’ll enjoy seeing her surrender as much as I will.’
Harvey slammed his fist into the mirror, shattering the glass. He switched on the shower, watching the water turn pink as it mixed with the blood from his hand. He blamed last night’s blip on JC. Together they’d knocked back the beer and whiskey like water until his inner-demon was able to override logic and convince him that spending the night with a woman was the only thing that would make him feel better.
Harvey chose Kay, partly because he felt bad about dropping her in it with Darrick over the hidden drugs, and partly because she’d said no to start with.
His demon enjoyed a challenge.
After showering, Harvey dried and then wrapped a towel around his waist. He bandaged his hand as best he could and then returned to the bedroom. He was not surprised to find his bed still occupied.
‘I told you to go home,’ he growled, before realising that Kay had fallen asleep. ‘Damn.’
Harvey felt no remorse as he nudged her in the ribs to wake her.
‘Damn,’ he repeated, following the sound of his ringtone as his phone suddenly burst to life. He eventually found it beneath a pile of clothes, and snapped a greeting at the person at the other end, causing them to inhale loudly before speaking.
‘Harvey? Where are you?’
Hearing the concern in Ember’s voice was like a kick to the stomach, and he sat down on the edge of the bed.
‘Hey, sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. Are you ok?’ he replied. ‘Has something happened?’
‘You didn’t report in this morning. I was…I mean…the team were worried about you. Agent Myles is on the war path.’
Harvey felt the bed move and he cursed as Kay picked the worse possible moment to do as he’d requested and wake up again.
‘Who are you talking to?’ she asked sleepily. ‘Come back to bed. I’ll make it worth your while.’
‘Did I hear someone?’ Ember asked. ‘Who are you with?’
Harvey put the phone against his chest to muffle the sound as he told Kay once again to go home.
‘Harvey? Harvey? Are you still there?’
Harvey put the phone back to his ear. ‘Yeah, I’m still here, Ember. I’m sorry I missed the meeting. I was…err, busy tracking the demon.’
Kay seemed determined to cause trouble as she trailed kisses across his bare back.
‘We’ve been summoned by Mr Chambers,’ Ember said. ‘I’ll text you the address and you can meet me there.’
‘No,’ he said, shaking off Kay’s embrace. ‘Wait for me at HQ. I’m coming right now.’
He disconnected the call before Ember could say anything to the contrary.
‘You,’ he said, pointing to Kay, ‘have to go.’
‘You’re no fun. What’s changed since last night?’
‘Everything.’
Kay pouted, but when she realised that sulking wasn’t going to cha
nge his mind, she got out of bed.
‘Fine, I’ll just grab my clothes and go.’
Harvey watched her collect her bra and knickers from the floor. As she bent over, he noticed a series of fresh marks on the back of her thighs. Some looked like claw marks, others like puncture wounds, and he wondered why he hadn’t noticed them last night. Probably because he hadn’t cared what she’d looked like after she was naked.
‘What happened to your legs?’ he asked.
‘Like you give a shit,’ she replied, pulling on her skirt and top.
‘Are they fang marks?’
‘Some of them are.’
‘What did Darrick do to you?’
Kay’s bravado slipped for a second, and Harvey saw the genuine fear in her eyes before she brushed it off.
‘Let’s just say he wasn’t very happy about me selling drugs in his club and wanted to make sure I understood the consequence of my actions.’
‘What did Darrick do to you?’ Harvey repeated.
‘He punished me,’ she said, fumbling with the door handle. ‘Funny thing is I understood the pain. When he hit me with his belt or dug his fingernails into my skin, it was his way of dominating me, controlling me. What I didn’t understand was why he called me Ember when he fucked me afterwards.’
‘Ember? He called you Ember?’
Kay nodded. ‘If you know that girl, like I think you do, you need to warn her. Darrick is obsessed, and he always gets what he wants. She’s not going to get away from him like last time.’
43
Harvey stole a glance at Ember as she sat in the passenger seat beside him. Her arms were folded and her eyes remained fixed on the road ahead. She hadn’t tried to engage him in conversation and her only movement was the slow clenching of her jaw. He recognised when someone was wound tight enough to explode.
Any hurt or anger was his fault. He shouldn’t have followed her to Wild Side last night, and he certainly shouldn’t have danced with her. He’d been out of line and wished he could take back what he’d said. He did care about her. More than he should.
So why had he spent the night in another woman’s arms?
‘Anything you want to say before we get there?’ he asked, testing the water.
Ember turned to face him. ‘Do you mean about the case?’
‘Safer ground for us.’
Harvey flicked his indicator, taking the road past Primrose Hill Village. It was an exclusive and sought after address in London. The paths were lined with trees, providing cover and privacy for the huge modern houses and their owners. There were plenty of bespoke shops, cafes, and restaurants while still being close enough to transport links back to the City and West End.
‘Why didn’t you teleport us here?’ Ember asked.
‘I didn’t think you liked teleporting with me.’
‘I like being stuck in a car with you even less.’
Ember put her hand to her mouth, as if surprised by her spiteful remark.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I’m tired, but that was uncalled for.’
‘Don’t worry about it.’
As they drove down the road, each house seemed bigger and better than the one before it. Several celebrities were residents, as well as some rich supernatural creatures that had cashed in over the decades. Colleen’s parents lived towards the park, suggesting that Mr Chambers’ empire was doing very nicely for itself.
‘I’m dreading telling Colleen’s parents that she was pregnant.’
Harvey looked across at Ember again. ‘Maybe they’ll have some idea who the father was, although Mr Chambers seemed outraged at the thought of his daughter having a boyfriend.’
Ember didn’t reply and Harvey didn’t push the conversation as the Chambers’ property appeared in the distance.
He really should have just teleported here.
The estate consisted of a large double fronted white house with so many windows that Harvey didn’t envy the window-cleaner. He pushed the button to open his electric window and spoke into a small security box. He was impressed to see a camera swivel in his direction, probably noting his number plate.
Entry was granted with the minimum of fuss, and once the huge metal gates opened, he eased the car onto the spacious gravel drive. Harvey parked amongst a lavish collection of cars, which made his own top of the range motor seem ordinary by comparison.
‘Let’s get this over with,’ Ember said, as she unclipped her seatbelt and got out of the car.
Harvey removed the key from the ignition and followed her to the front door where a woman stood waiting. She was dressed in a formal black and white uniform, but looked too old to be the housekeeper. Her back hunched noticeably and her hands were gnarled with age.
‘Mr and Mrs Chambers are in the library. This way please.’
They stepped into a grand foyer, complete with piano and crystal chandelier before being escorted towards a set of double doors.
Harvey nodded his thanks, but the woman did not meet his eyes. It was as if she sensed his demon, so refused to acknowledge him. He allowed Ember to enter first and heard her let out a small gasp, which she tried her best to mask with a cough.
The library was circular and filled floor to ceiling with books. Harvey looked at Ember and found an almost childlike delight on her face that was strangely endearing. Her green eyes scanned the shelves eagerly and he guessed she was unaware that her mouth was open.
‘I see you’re a book lover, Ms Lane.’
Mr Chambers sat in the centre of the room and beckoned them towards the two red leather armchairs opposite him.
‘This is quite a collection, sir,’ Ember replied, as she sat down.
‘I cannot take the credit; it is my wife who has a passion for words. My job revolves around photos, publicity, and the here and now. She’s the one who gets lost between the pages.’
Harvey sank into the buttery soft, leather armchair and turned his attention to the slim woman who was absently leafing through a book. Her skin was deathly white and as she turned to face him, the pain in her dark eyes was as stark reminder that she’d lost her daughter. It almost made him reconsider what he was planning to do.
Almost, but not quite.
‘We appreciate you both taking the time to talk to us,’ Harvey said, directing his comment to Mrs Chambers, who did not respond.
‘You can’t imagine what this is like for us,’ Mr Chambers said, lighting a cigar and settling back in his chair. ‘But we understand that you need to conduct interviews in order to find the person responsible for Colleen’s death. That’s why we’ve agreed to this meeting, right Linda?’
Mrs Chambers did not even answer her husband and Harvey wondered whether she spoke to anyone anymore.
‘We’re trying to piece together Colleen’s movements before she died,’ Ember said, crossing her legs and placing her hands in her lap. ‘Can you-’
‘What was her childhood like?’ Harvey cut in, steering the conversation back to where he wanted it.
‘Happy,’ Mr Franklins replied a little too quickly for Harvey’s liking. It was a throw away answer, as if he hadn’t been bothered to consider anything else.
‘Could you elaborate?’ Harvey asked. ‘Did she have playmates? Toys? Holidays?’
Mr Franklins blew out a puff of thick cigar smoke. ‘She had all of that and more. We moved to this house when Colleen was already a teenager, but she wanted for nothing from a young age.’
‘And were you there for her when she had a problem? When she needed someone to talk to, could she come to you?’
‘I tried to be an attentive father, but if you’re implying that I put work first then you’d be right. I did what I had to do to keep my family in the life they were accustomed to.’
‘Did Colleen resent that?’
‘Not at all, there were plenty of people in her life that she could turn to - an au pair when she was young and then selected, trusted friends when she was older.’
‘And you Mrs Chambers?
’
Harvey decided to give the woman another chance to speak. She held his stare until he saw the tiniest flicker of fear or maybe guilt in her eyes, and then she looked away.
‘Look, I’ll be honest with you, my wife was not happy with you coming here today…I’m sorry I’ve forgotten your name.’
‘Your wife doesn’t have to talk to us if she doesn’t want to,’ Harvey replied, deliberately ignoring the part about his name.
‘Linda is in pieces about all this,’ Mr Chambers continued, ‘but I persuaded her we need to be open and honest, so you can catch the monster that took away our baby.’
Mrs Chambers met his eye again, and Harvey had a split second to decide whether to ask the questions he really wanted to. He’d never played it safe before, so he went ahead with his planned attack.
‘Mr Chambers, I could tiptoe around the reality of your daughter’s murder so not to upset you and your wife, but that’s not going to help catch her killer. I don’t think you knew your daughter. Not at all.’
44
I discreetly shook my head at Harvey, trying to deter him from his blatant attack on the Chambers, but he disregarded my caution.
‘You need to answer some difficult questions,’ Harvey continued. ‘Like why your daughter joined a coven of witches? Why she supported the bombing of Wild Side? Why she frequented nightclubs run by vampires?’
Mr Chambers considered the questions. I could tell he was angry from the slightest twitch of his right eye.
‘The answers are not difficult nor do they upset me,’ he said, ‘because I don’t know why she did any of that. Foolish youth, I suppose.’
‘Did she have a boyfriend?’ Harvey asked.
‘No.’
‘Lover?’
‘No.’
‘Pimp?’
‘Harvey, that’s enough.’ I said, and my voice was strangely high pitched. I turned my attention to Mrs Chambers who was opening and closing her book like a broken puppet stuck on repeat.
‘Please excuse his behaviour,’ I continued. ‘S.P.T.F. are doing everything they can to apprehend your daughter’s killer.’