Once Upon A Midnight

by Stephanie Rowe

  “You got it.” He paused for a moment. “You sound exhausted, Mina. Get some rest.”

  “Good advice.” And without a goodbye, she ended the call. She planned to talk to Tobias Tolliver the next day, but tonight, her work was done.

  ***

  “SHE IS DANGEROUS,” Tobias said. “If she doesn’t know anything, then why is she coming here?”

  “Calm yourself,” Aalia said, feeling waves of anger and indignation emanating from Tolliver. “She can read your emotions, but she can’t read your mind. Mina Vail knows nothing more than the police. Keep your cool. Even if Eric Bishop doesn’t go down for Samuel’s murder, he will never be trusted by the board again. They’ve already started talking about revoking his partnership.”

  “I think you underestimate Ms. Vail. I’ve done some research on her, and she’s very capable.”

  “I know all about Mina Vail,” Aalia snapped.

  She was tired of being questioned by this human. He suffered from an arrogance born of privileged wealth. He’d surrounded himself with sycophants who laughed at his bad jokes, supported his politics, and agreed with every opinion he stated as if it were fact. If she wanted to keep the money coming in, though, she had to appease him. At least for now. She circled his desk, leaned down and brushed his lips with a kiss meant to seduce. Entice.

  “I have plans for Ms. Vail. Don’t worry. I promise you she will be taken care of.” And when Aalia ascended she promised herself she would make Tolliver pay for his superciliousness.

  ***

  AT SEVEN IN the morning, Mina’s phone alarm went off with a consistently loud and annoying ring tone that sounded like nuclear alarm bells. She bolted upright and grabbed her gun from the coffee table. When she realized there was no attack, she put down the pistol, grabbed her phone and swiped the alarm off. The last thing she remembered was watching The Terminator before she’d passed out on the couch.

  Mina had an eight-thirty appointment with Tobias Tolliver, and if she was late, she might not get another shot at the man.

  An hour later, she was downtown at Samson Technologies. The receptionist tap-tapped her way through Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off” while Mina waited on Tobias Tolliver in the lobby of Samson Technologies. Would Tolliver murder Wilson and pin it on Eric for being his wife’s paramour? It seemed a long shot since it made more sense for Tolliver to just kill Eric.

  The hotel had given Bobby a list of names for the waiters working that night and none of them had been the guy who’d brought the note to their table. So much for corroborating witnesses. Bobby called and told her a contact in the IRS was suspicious of certain accounts handled by Tolliver and Wilson, but they didn’t have any proof. The numbers added up.

  Even Bobby and his connections were coming up short. She wasn’t any closer to figuring out who killed Wilson and why, and why they’d tried to frame Eric. The door opened to Tobias Tolliver’s office and, lo and behold, Kathleen Albright and her perky breasts walked out. The blonde woman’s blue eyes were pinched in annoyance as she crossed the lobby without even a glance at Mina.

  Bitch. The energy pitching back at Mina told her the feeling was entirely mutual.

  The receptionist stopped tapping and rolled her eyes. “Mr. Tolliver will see you now.”

  “Thanks,” Mina said.

  Tobias Tolliver, still looking very Sean Connery behind his large marble desk, barely acknowledged Mina’s presence in the room.

  “Mr. Tolliver, I know you don’t know me, but I’m Mina…”

  A derisive grunt from deep in his chest cut Mina off. “I know who you are, Ms. Vail. You are an only child, father abandoned you, mother unknown...” He shrugged. “Well, we won’t discuss such a sensitive topic. You own a private security agency, and you’re—”

  Mina cut Tolliver off. The part about her mother was enough to know he’d done some heavy research into her background. However, he didn’t seem to know her biggest secret. Good thing or she’d have to kill him.

  Kidding.

  But not.

  “I get the picture. You know who I am.” She met his deep brown eyes. “I have a few questions about the night of the party, if you don’t mind.” She noticed a folder on his desk with a serpent curled into a half-moon inside a triangle.

  When she leaned forward for a closer look, Tolliver slid the file off the desk and placed it in a drawer. His eyes crinkled and lips pressed into a thin line. “Actually, Ms. Vail, I mind very much. I have already given my statement to the police.”

  Mina had expected irritation, maybe even anger, but the emotion she got from Tobias Tolliver was something totally unexpected. The man was amused. Amused!

  “Maybe I’ll have a question or two you haven’t answered.”

  “What could you possibly ask, Ms. Vail?”

  “Do you believe Eric killed Samuel Wilson?”

  “Asked and answered.”

  This was getting her absolutely nowhere. She tried a different tactic. “How did it feel walking in on your wife making love to Eric Bishop?”

  Tolliver’s head snapped up sharply. “How dare you…”

  Ha, ha! The amusement drained from him then and anger took over.

  “I dare. You better believe I dare, mister. So, we can talk about your wife, or we can talk about this case. Either way, I’m cool with it.”

  “I can have you thrown out of the building.”

  “Yes. Yes, you can. But then I’ll go right down to the newspaper and have myself a nice little talk with a reporter about the affair. While it won’t help Eric’s case, it will certainly be print worthy. Scandals always are.”

  “What do you want, Ms. Vail?”

  “I told you, some answers.”

  There was still the undercurrent of anger, but outwardly, he relaxed. “I have no idea what I can tell you, but ask your questions.”

  “Did you talk with Wilson the night of the murder?”

  “No.” His emotions didn’t fluctuate. Mina was using them as a makeshift lie detector and the first response was True.

  “Do you know why anyone would want to kill Wilson?”

  “No.” This time there was a ripple. False.

  “Come on, Mr. Tolliver. What are you not telling me?”

  “Samuel wasn’t the easiest man to get along with, but I don’t know of anyone who would kill him. Other than Bishop.” Partial truth.

  “And why would Eric want to kill him?”

  “He’s your boyfriend. Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

  “He’s not my boy—never mind. Who was the man with the white streak in his hair you were talking with at the party?”

  “I have no idea of whom you speak.” Not only did his emotions jump, his entire body tensed.

  Ding, ding, ding. Liar. “I saw him talking to Wilson and you that night, Mr. Tolliver.”

  “I talked to many people that night. It was, after all, a party. I can’t be expected to remember every person.”

  “Oh, he was quite distinguishable. Not only did he have a white streak down the right side of his head, he was the only guy there dressed like Columbo.”

  “Well, unfortunately, men don’t notice such things, Ms. Vail.”

  Liar. Tobias Tolliver was a polished man, from his perfectly coiffed hair and beard, to his thousand-dollar tailored suit and his manicured nails. He’d have noticed. “Forgive me if I don’t buy it. Not at all. I don’t think there’s much you miss.”

  “You flatter me, Ms. Vail. Is that all? I have a busy schedule today.”

  “One more thing. Why was Kathleen Albright here?”

  “I don’t see what that has to do with the case,” he said, but his emotional meter was pinging off the radar. “Now, if you’ll see yourself out.”

  For a moment, she said nothing, fixing her eyes on Tolliver. The man definitely had secrets, but until Mina’s ability became mind reading, she wasn’t going to find out with the direct approach. She stood, leaning forward, palms flat on Tolliver’s desk. “You have a
nice day,” she said. “I’ll see you around.”

  The meeting had gone much as she’d expected, Tolliver not telling her anything she didn’t already know, but she was still pleased with herself, something she couldn’t keep off her face as Tolliver’s brown eyes scrutinized her. One way or the other, she would find out what he knew, and the bug she’d placed under his desk was a good start.

  Walking out of the building, she pulled out her cell phone and hit redial. “Bobby, how’s the reception?”

  “Perfect, Mina.”

  “Great.” The magic of modern technology at its best. “Call me if you hear anything interesting.”

  ***

  GREER SAT IN a booth across from the Aalia. Her long, dark hair was so black it was almost blue, and her skin glowed with powerful energy. Staring at her, all he could think was, I’d love to wear her skin. Unfortunately, the Caledon rebels had hired him to work for and with the aural, so he wasn’t allowed to kill her.

  “I followed her to her apartment last night,” he said.

  Aalia blinked her dark brown eyes. “Was she alone?”

  “Are you asking if Bishop was with her?” The aural had an unhealthy fascination with Mina Vail. He knew Vail was half-aural, but the other half of her made her nothing better than a mongrel. A mutt. A filthy half-breed.

  “Just answer the question.” She drew power into her hands, enough for him to feel it.

  Greer believed, like his fellow Children believed, that eventually all power would be bred out of their kind. The intermixing with humans caused a dilution in their genetics, and soon, like other species who’d had fallen prey to mankind, other worlders would disappear as well. The new queen cared too much about humans and not enough about her own people.

  “She was alone,” he said. “But that’s not what I find interesting.” He’d watched the events unfold the night of Wilson’s death. The uniformed cop first on the scene had a personal grudge against Semina Vail, and it only took two beers and three shots of whiskey to loosen his tongue.

  The aural crossed her arms. “Stop playing, Greer. Tell me what you know.”

  “The homicide cop, the one handling Wilson’s case. He and Mina Vail used to date. And, he lives across the hall from her. Should we make plans for their deaths?”

  She leaned forward. “No,” she said. “Right now, no one has connected the cases, but if they do, we’ll have more to deal with than a nosey private detective and a cop.” She tapped her chin. “Besides, I have other plans for her.”

  “You’re the boss.”

  She smiled, her dead gaze locked on his. “Yes, I am.”

  Chapter Nine

  THE DAY DISAPPEARED quickly and every new lead came to a dead end. By evening, Mina was back at her apartment playing connect the dots with potential suspects. Tolliver, The Albrights, the widow, Eric Bishop, and the mystery man. Investigation had never been her strong suit. Mina’s skills had been in fixing problems, permanently, not solving puzzles. Eric had texted he would be over at nine in the evening with some news. Mina had debated calling him and getting his information over the phone. No sense tempting fate, but every time she picked up the phone, she couldn’t bring herself to make the call.

  The doorbell rang. Mina peeked through the peephole. She’d expected to see a very tall and delicious Eric, but no one stood on the other side. She opened the door. On the floor in front of her threshold, a small cardboard box only one inch thick and four inches squared with a two by three card on top rested at her feet. She picked it up, moved back inside, and closed the door.

  The card read, “For Gavriil Doyle.”

  Mina’s stomach clenched. A love gift from his new girlfriend, probably. And oh, irony, it had been delivered to her door instead. She crossed the hallway and knocked. No answer. She stooped to place the package in front of his door but stopped halfway to the floor. What if someone else picked it up? She would hold on to it for him so it wouldn’t get stolen. She’d keep it safe for Gav. Give it to him in person so he could see she wasn’t jealous and that she’d moved on as well.

  Yeah, right. She hated the idea of him kissing another woman, touching someone else the way he touched her. And what if he fell in love? Mina dropped her right arm. The package thumped against her thigh.

  Back inside her apartment, Mina put the small box on her kitchen counter. She sent Gav a text. Talking to him was suddenly too hard. When and if he arrived, she’d give him the box. Even thinking about letting Gav go made her soul hurt.

  Forty-five minutes and an order of take-out later, a knock sounded at the door. “Mina,” came Gav’s muffled voice.

  She straightened her electric blue razor-strap tank top and brushed at her gray yoga pants before she walked to the door, and opened it. “Hey.”

  And there he was, all handsome and dreamy with his dark hair and blue eyes. Even without his looks, Gav had always been a stand-up guy. Nice, loyal, and morally ethical. The last one had been a big reason why she couldn’t make long term work with him. If he knew about her past, he’d see her in the same light as all the criminals he took down. But, Jesus, watching his shoulders and triceps flex as he kept his hands tightly crossed behind his back, Mina wished it could be different between them.

  Instead of hello, he said, “You have something for me?”

  “Yes.” When she’d strolled to the box on the counter, Gav stepped into the apartment. “It smells like garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and soy sauce.”

  “You always did have a great nose.” She handed him the package and gestured to the Chinese take-out boxes on the coffee table in the living room. “Pork dumplings, ginger chicken, lo mein, and some sticky rice.” Mina shrugged. “I have an extra set of chopsticks if you’re hungry.”

  She wanted to take the words back as soon as they fell out of her mouth. She had a little over an hour before Eric was due to arrive, and she was inviting Gav to eat with her? It was as if she’d fallen off the stupid truck.

  Gav nodded, almost mechanically. “Okay, but I can’t stay long.”

  “You have a date.”

  “Something like that.”

  Mina let out her held breath, but did it slowly and controlled so he wouldn’t know just how much she’d wanted him to say he’d stay or how much him having a date hurt. Did she have the right to be jealous? No. Especially when she also had the hots for Eric, who she didn’t want to share, either. She plopped down on the couch, grabbed the extra set of chopsticks, and held them out to him. “Cool.”

  Gav looked her up and down from the dining area. “I see you got all dressed up for dinner. Special occasion?”

  Aside from the yoga clothing, which happened to be über-comfortable, she’d pulled her hair back in a ponytail. She straightened her spine and rolled her shoulders back. “You obviously lack the sophistication to appreciate casual wear.”

  “Obviously.”

  He strolled to the fridge, rummaged around for a minute, then made his way into the living room with two diet sodas. Mina took the one he offered her. She glanced away from him, suddenly unable to meet his gaze. “Thanks.”

  She’d made love to two men in the past week, and instead of feeling like a shameless hussy, she felt as if for the first time in her life, things were falling into place for her. As if, finally, her restless energy had found a home. Not with one guy, but with two. She wanted both of them, and she knew in her soul, she’d never be able to choose between them. You shouldn’t have to, a voice in her head said.

  “I am seriously messed up,” she muttered.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  “You know you’d look good in a burlap sack, right?”

  She raised her eyes and drank in his gorgeous face and to-die-for body. “Whatever.” She smiled, though. She couldn’t help herself. He still wanted her. Still loved her. She could feel the emotion pour from him. “Shall we eat?”

  Gav smiled, flashing his pearly whites, as he took his first bite. He could be a poster boy for a tooth
paste ad.

  “Quit grinning like that. You’ll blind me.”

  “Can I help it if I have a dazzling smile?” He raised an eyebrow.

  Even with the Lo Mein noodle dangling from his lips, the man was gorgeous. And his mouth—oh, that mouth—well, it would get a five-star review from even the toughest critic. She ate some noodles—salty, sweet, and spicy. All delicious. She swallowed them and said, “Don’t flatter yourself, cat boy.”

  “Ouch.” His face grew somber, and Mina noticed for the first time he was holding the small brown box. Before she could ask him about it, he added, “So, your new boyfriend’s a murderer, eh?”

  “Talk about ouch.” Mina arched her brow. “I know he’s a suspect, Gav. But Eric didn’t do it.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “I…” How could she be sure? She had difficulty reading his emotions, but in her bones, she knew Eric was innocent. “I just know.”

  ***

  GAV STARED AT Mina while she sipped her diet soda. He was fairly certain Eric Bishop was innocent as well. Destan Gray had phoned earlier. Gray’s agent had arrived in Kansas City earlier in the day. They were meeting at Gav’s apartment at eight-thirty, which meant he had about thirty minutes to torture himself pining for a woman he couldn’t have. At least, a woman he couldn’t have in the way he needed.

  “I miss you,” he said in a moment of raw honesty.

  Mina bit into a dumpling. “How’s Galinda?”

  “Who?”

  “Your girlfriend.”

  Gav inwardly cringed. ”Rachel.” Rachel was a pride female. A woman he was dating out of obligation to his parents. Unfortunately, his heart had already chosen a mate, even if his brain told him it could never be. He wished he could be done with Mina, completely and forever. He thought avoiding her would make his feelings fade, but it only strengthened his desire for the tall, raven-haired beauty. But it took two people to have a relationship, and with Mina, he’d been the only one trying.

  “Her name’s Rachel, but I call her sweetheart most of the time,” he said as Mina took a bite of her dumpling.

  Her eyes bugged for a moment before she started coughing.