The lawyer didn’t seem to hear most of that, either.
“For now?” he said. “What does that mean?”
The rat-faced one was staring at Nick again, his blue eyes cold.
Again, Nick and Jordan exchanged looks.
Jordan’s expression mostly said, Can you believe these guys?
Nick looked back at the younger lawyer first, answering his question belatedly.
“’For now’ means none of this will enter into the official record unless it ends up being directly relevant in supporting or refuting evidence required to prosecute the case, or works to help establish a timeline in the event we do prosecute the case,” Nick said, reciting the regs more or less verbatim.
He gave the red-faced lawyer a deliberately puzzled look.
“We are the police,” he reminded him.
The rat-faced lawyer let out an openly derisive sound.
Nick chose to ignore that, too.
“Do you have a specific concern, sir?” Jordan said next, turning to the younger lawyer and copying Nick’s polite tone.
“Yes,” the lawyer said, pressing his lips together as he glared between the two of them. “This interview is over.”
Straven had been inhaling a thick lungful of smoke, but at the heavyset lawyer’s words, the vampire broke out in a short laugh, exhaling most of the lungful in the process.
“Oh, come now, Theodore,” they said mockingly. “Let’s not overreact. It’s clear these officers are simply doing their jobs—”
“Detectives,” Nick said, before he could stop himself. “We’re not officers. We’re homicide detectives.”
Straven turned their tinted eyes on Nick, smiling in amusement.
“I am terribly sorry, my dear brother.” He bowed his head, that smile tilting sideways. “Detectives. Of course.” Pausing, still studying Nick’s eyes, they added, “I assure you, I meant no offense. It was simply clumsy of me.”
“No offense was taken,” Nick returned, just as easily. “I just didn’t want to misrepresent ourselves in any way.” He turned from Straven to the younger, heavyset lawyer, lifting an eyebrow. “…Especially since there seems to be some misconception about our role here.”
Straven leaned forward, adopting an overtly feminine pose as they crossed their legs, propping their elbows on their thighs and their chin on their knuckles.
“Ask your questions,” the vampire said. “I’m happy to cooperate.”
“No,” the heavyset lawyer said. “Absolutely not!”
“Quiet, Teddy,” the vampire said, pouting their lips. “Be a good boy and let me help these nice officers… err, detectives… do their jobs. After all, they’re trying to solve Abe’s death. And find out who blew up my pretty building.”
The rat-faced lawyer, who Nick was starting to think had his whole family killed by vampires at some point, or else watched way too many videos by that racial supremacist, Dimitry Yi, shook his head.
“I really wouldn’t advise that, sir—” he began crisply.
“Oh, you be quiet too, Reginald.” Straven gave the older human an exaggerated eyeroll before looking back to Jordan and Nick. “I want to hear the questions. At least wait until they’ve actually said something before you start screaming ‘objection!’ to protect my honor.”
Pausing dramatically, the vampire nodded to Jordan.
“Go ahead, Detective. Ask away.”
Jordan glanced at Nick, pursing his lips briefly, and Nick shrugged.
“You lead,” he said through his headset. “Maybe they’ll calm down if the vampire who isn’t a billionaire talks a little less.”
Jordan looked like he wanted to laugh, but only nodded.
He returned his gaze to Straven.
“Okay.” Jordan cleared his throat. “From the surveillance, including the audio, it appeared the thieves were trying to find something in particular in the safe. Meaning the safe they cracked after they broke into Silverton’s office.”
Jordan paused, glancing between Straven and the lawyers.
“Our surveillance analysts suggest it might have been some kind of tech,” he added after the pause. “Silverton’s organics picked up tech scans… as in, they were looking for something for which they’d already been given specs. Do you know what that could be? A prototype of some kind? Perhaps simply the electronic plans for one?”
Pausing again, he clarified,
“That analysis is the main source of our curiosity around the types of projects the two of you may have been working on together… you and Silverton, that is.”
“You think they were there to steal some kind of new technology from Abe?” Straven said.
“It’s possible, yes,” Jordan said. “They were also conducting body scans on Mr. Silverton himself… collecting readings of all his bio-statistics at a level of detail that suggests some form of replication was the goal. That suggests the burglary and murder may have been preliminary steps in a larger operation. There are only a few reasons why someone’s bio-intel would be harvested in such a way—”
“To break into a security system,” Straven finished for him.
Jordan nodded. “That’s one reason, yes. And the most likely, frankly, given who he was.”
“And you think someone hired them? These two thieves?”
“The security footage and audio strongly suggest that, yes.”
Straven tapped one long finger against their full lips.
For the first time, Nick noticed those lips had been dyed, and carried a faint purple tint.
“Well,” Straven said, leaning back and briefly throwing up their hands. “I can’t tell you about the government project. I really can’t. I’ve signed all kinds of things making sure I don’t. But I also can’t say it’s definitely not potentially at issue—”
“Straven,” the rat-faced lawyer warned.
“Oh, hush, Reg,” the vampire said, rolling their eyes at the lawyer.
Straven returned their focus unwaveringly to Jordan.
“As for what that tech might be,” Straven added. “I really have no idea. Abe always was a busy boy. He always had a number of irons in the pot, but he didn’t talk to me about anything that didn’t pertain directly to me, if you catch my drift.”
Nick’s mouth twitched.
He couldn’t help hearing some kind of layered meaning in that, too.
Overall, his impression was that Straven was enjoying himself.
He was definitely playing games with words.
“…Abe had multiple contracts going with the I.S.F., I do know that,” the older vampire mused, exhaling dark smoke as he leaned back in the pink couch, disappearing more into the fuzzy upholstery. “He worked with them quite frequently though, so nothing unusual there. Not to mention the H.R.A. Still, he’d been climbing the ladder internally, as one does. I suppose it’s possible he finally got put on a project that piqued the interests of the wrong people.”
Batting their eyelashes at Jordan, Straven added,
“…But, given how those government-types like their little secrets, and how much Abe did, too, I suspect you’ll have to go directly to them, handsome, if you want any real information. You obviously can no longer ask Abe.”
Straven winked at Jordan, taking another drag of the dark, pungent cigarette.
“…Particularly about this new toy they’re working on,” they added coyly. “Whatever Abe might have been keeping in that nasty little box of his…”
Nick didn’t let his reaction reach his face, but internally, he frowned.
Had he or Jordan told Straven how the bomb had been detonated?
He didn’t remember it, if they had.
He made a mental note to find out if someone internally had done so, and who had contacted him to let him know about Silverton’s death, when Straven was first notified about the Sphinx.
In general, Nick was more and more convinced Straven wasn’t solely toying with them. The older vampire definitely knew a lot more about this than th
ey should know.
Wynter’s fingers squeezed his thigh.
Nick’s mind immediately forgot everything but her.
He didn’t look over, but found himself understanding what the squeeze meant, apart from pulling his attention.
She’d just told him he was right.
She was definitely reading them.
The lawyers, at least.
The understanding didn’t help with his reactions to her.
His hand closed over hers, massaging her fingers and thumb without taking them off his thigh. He fought to keep his expression still when she slid nearer to him on the couch, adjusting her hand further towards the inside of his leg. She didn’t go near his cock, but it blanked his mind for a few seconds, anyway.
They definitely needed to come up with a less-distracting signal.
He focused back on Straven with an effort.
The vampire was watching him and Wynter again, a keen interest just visible behind the enhanced irises, not to mention the faint smirk they used to hide that interest.
Now Nick saw less interest in Wynter herself.
Straven definitely seemed to find Nick the more fascinating of the two of them.
“Just how personal was your personal relationship with him?” Nick blurted. “Silverton?”
Jordan glanced at him, quirking an eyebrow subtly.
It occurred to Nick he might have interrupted an ongoing conversation between Jordan and the other vampire, since he’d more or less stopped listening for those however-many seconds Wynter had been rubbing his thigh.
“Yes,” Straven said, adjusting his back in the couch.
“Yes?” Nick said.
“You are asking if my relationship with Abe was very personal, are you not? The answer is yes. It was. Abe was probably my closest friend. We were very close.”
Jordan’s raised eyebrow shifted back to aim at Straven.
Clearly, that wasn’t an answer he was expecting.
“What kind of personal relationship?” the human detective said.
“Sexual at times, off and on… and, well, personal.” The vampire watched Jordan take that in, then glanced at Nick. “That’s what you meant, isn’t it, Detective Midnight?”
“Yes,” Nick affirmed.
Jordan’s lips pursed. “You say you were sleeping together off and on. Currently, were you off, or—”
“On, actually,” Straven cut in. “Quite on.”
“And you didn’t think to tell us that?”
“No one asked,” Straven pointed out, opening his hands in a kind of supplicating, helpless gesture. “Anyway, what does it matter? He was robbed. By some kind of hit-robbers, correct? How is it even relevant, who he was fucking, or who was biting him?”
“It’s not,” the older lawyer broke in. “We demand you desist from this line of questioning at once.”
Nick gave him a faintly amused look. “Do you, now?”
That time, Jordan gave Nick the warning look.
It was too late, though.
Before Jordan or Nick could open their mouths again, the curtain twitched from behind Nick. The scent of more humans entered along with the displaced air.
From the amount of displaced air, those humans were big.
Nick turned his head, staring at the two huge males standing there, wearing dark red shirts and high-tech headsets. Their presence couldn’t have screamed “security” more if they’d had the word written across the front of their chests.
“I’m afraid we’re going to have to ask you to leave,” the older lawyer said. His voice held a faint but easily discernible note of satisfaction. “If you require our client’s statement in more detail, we will have to do this formally… down at the precinct. Or you will have to make a formal appointment, during business hours.”
Nick glanced at Jordan, who lifted an eyebrow, not bothering to hide his reaction.
Then Nick inclined his head, placing his hands easily on his thighs and rising to his feet.
He couldn’t help but notice Wynter rose in exact synch with him, and without moving away from him, even with both of them standing.
Jordan rose a beat later.
“Well, then,” Nick said, smiling as he held out a hand to Straven. “I guess we’ll be talking to you again, sister-brother. Presumably under circumstances your lawyers find more… palatable. I doubt they will be as comfortable, though.”
Straven shook Nick’s hand back, their lips holding a faint pinch that still appeared to hold more humor than anything.
“I do apologize, brother,” the older vampire said, batting his eyes at him coyly. “They do get protective. You know how it is.”
Their eyes rested on Wynter, then flickered to Jordan.
“Humans can just be so… sweet. Especially when they feel loyalty to one of our kind. I’m far too tenderhearted to explain to them that their ministrations are, while much appreciated, wholly unnecessary. Anyway…” That lip lifted more, turning into a full smirk. “What would be the fun in that? This way, I get to see you and your handsome partner again.”
Nick stifled a snort, keeping his expression blank.
Before he could speak, Straven added,
“…And perhaps the lovely Ms. James, too, if you will permit it?” Straven’s shockingly pale green and crystal eyes flickered from Wynter’s face back to Nick’s. “After all, we vampires can be quite protective of our pets, as well.”
Nick felt his good humor fade.
“You’ll hear from us,” Jordan said, inserting himself between the two of them once Straven released Nick’s hand, maybe from something he saw in Nick’s face. “I’ve sent our personal contact details to your people. Feel free to call us any time, prior to any formal interview, I mean… if you happen to remember anything you think might help us.”
“Will do, officer,” Straven winked at Jordan, holding his hand a beat too long. Then, as if remembering something, the vampire glanced past him, at Nick. “Oh, I mean detective. I do apologize… my mind is just a sieve right now.”
Nick ignored the smile there.
Taking Wynter’s hand, he turned without another word.
Hardening and squaring his shoulders, he walked her directly into and between the two massive humans who loomed by the door. Nick didn’t bother to make eye contact with either of them, or to slow his pace enough for them to make a point of letting him through. He carved a hole between them instead, forcing them to step back.
Then, in the opening they left, he brought Wynter carefully to the door.
Behind him, he heard Jordan let out a low snort.
Chapter 7
Too Late
Nick stood in the alley, looking only at Jordan.
“So Morley says that’s it for the night,” the other detective was saying. “He says you can skip checking in… he has you down for late duty. So no blood checks until after-shift tomorrow.”
Jordan glanced at Wynter.
It was a bare whisper of a look, but Nick caught it.
“Got it,” Nick said neutrally, not following the human’s gaze. “Does he want me to run down anything more with the painter?”
“Not that he said.” Jordan glanced back at him. “He’s got the day guys working a few angles… including setting up a formal interview with Straven, presumably at one of his properties, not down at the precinct, whatever that lawyer said. It sounded like Morley didn’t want to risk the media getting ahold of it, if he hauled him downtown. He also doesn’t want to risk pissing off Straven, by putting him through all that.”
“Yeah,” Nick muttered, glancing down the alley. “We can’t have that.”
Two robo-taxis were making their way towards them down the dead-end alley.
Jordan snorted a little at Nick’s words, punching him lightly on the arm.
“They’ve got a few things on Silverton,” Jordan added. “Morley didn’t go into all of it, but he said to pass on it looked like he was a fight fan. A big one. He was into a lot of the post-fig
ht shindigs… particularly the non-human ones. So he might ask you to look into that end of things, too.” Pausing, he added, “Your next fight? It’s in two days, right?”
Nick nodded, once.
He wondered if he should be disturbed Jordan knew that.
“Yeah,” he said, noncommittal. “Friday. Another late afternoon one. Farlucci tries to schedule mine early when he can. I guess that’s part of the ‘noninterference with police work’ deal he signed with the I.S.F. It costs him a fair bit to cancel fights.”
Jordan nodded. “Makes sense.”
He noticed the robo-taxis then, and jumped a little, like their presence there startled him.
It still blew Nick’s mind a little, how bad human hearing was.
Then again, by human standards, the robos were quiet.
“Okay,” Jordan said. “Well… good night.” He looked at Wynter deliberately that time, and Nick again didn’t follow his gaze. “You, too, Ms. James… Wynter. I hope we didn’t bore you too much, with all of this shop talk.”
“No,” she said.
Even her voice made Nick flinch.
“…It was quite interesting, actually,” she said, a faint thread of humor in her voice, as if she’d seen Nick’s flinch. “I hope it was all right that Nick dragged me in there.”
Jordan let out a short laugh. He was walking towards the robo-taxi in the back, the one closer to the alley’s mouth.
“I’m used to his crazy-ass shit by now,” Jordan called back with a half-smile.
“Liar!” Wynter called after him.
At that, Jordan laughed for real, even as he jerked open the taxi’s door.
Giving them both a short wave, he disappeared behind the tinted windows.
Almost immediately, the robo began moving smoothly backwards out the alley, going faster in that direction than it had on the way in.
Nick still hadn’t looked at Wynter.
He glanced down at his hand instead, which still held hers.
His mind spun with what he was doing with her.
His mind spun with what he should do now.
He’d crashed her date, like Jordan said. He’d pretty much ended it.
He still couldn’t force himself to feel bad about it.
The Prescient: A Science Fiction Vampire Detective Novel (Vampire Detective Midnight Book 3) Page 12