by A A Mize
“A mistake that cost someone her life.”
Rowan sat back in his chair. They didn’t speak again Matthias while they waited. Rowan could feel the humans watching them, waiting for the Turned to speak on the murder further. They wouldn’t get that satisfaction.
33
Walker had Matthias’s bite casts made, measured, and compared to Rachel’s wound as quickly as the department could manage. A process that could have taken days, even weeks, had been performed in a matter of hours. Of course, now Walker owed a few more favors than he wanted to admit, but it would be worth it to prove Matthias was guilty.
The lieutenant was downright giddy as he sat down at his desk, Roberts and Kincaid seated across from him, waiting for him to read the results. Homicide would arrive within the hour and Walker was certain that he would be let off the hook for breaking protocol if he was able to solve the case for them.
A wide grin crossed his face as he took the envelope in his thick fingers, ripping it open in his excitement. His eyes scanned the papers as quickly as he could manage, and his smile slowly faded.
Roberts glanced at Kincaid, the pair of them growing increasingly uncomfortable as the lieutenant’s smile was replaced by a furrowed brow and slack jaw. His face grew pale for a moment, then like a chameleon, it blossomed into a deep cherry red. As much as Roberts didn’t like her superior sometimes the frequency in which his face was going red was becoming of some concern to her. At the rate they were going the man was likely to have a heart attack and although he didn’t speak, she didn’t need words to know that Matthias had been cleared. He wasn’t the killer.
Without warning, Walker shot up from his seat and threw the report across the room. Papers fluttered around the office and he firmly placed his hands on his hips and took a few paces toward the window. All fell silent in the room and without even looking at him, Roberts knew Kincaid wanted nothing more than to flee the little office before the lieutenant blew up again. He bounced his knee, fingers fidgeting with a stray thread on the old chairs they sat in.
They could feel it coming. The tension in the air was nearly palpable but they dared not move. With a growl of rage Walker picked up an ashtray and lobbed it at the wall, shattering the crystal and creating a sizable hole in the drywall. He huffed and cursed under his breath.
“Perhaps we should go get ready for Homicide,” Kincaid muttered, standing slowly and backing away toward the door.
Roberts’s eyes grew wide as she watched him, realizing his urge to run had overcome his fear of drawing Walker’ s wrath.
“Get out, then!” Walker shouted, spittle flying from his bared teeth as he rounded on Kincaid.
“Lieutenant,” Roberts began calmly as Kincaid quickly closed the door behind him, “maybe we can still salvage the situation?”
There had to be something they could do. After all, her hide was on the line, too. Instead of reporting Walker as she knew she should, she allowed him to bully her into complying with what he wanted. It hardly mattered now how she felt about it, the superintendent would only consider what actions she took and she had broken protocol as much as Walker had.
“And how the hell do you suppose we do that, hmmm?” Walker shot back as he leaned across his desk to get in her face. “In case you haven’t realized, I declined to inform Homicide of key evidence in their case. Or what about going to the Iron Lotus without Rowan? Or hell, what about arresting his Pupil without him being present? And that’s just the start of it!”
“Well, if you didn’t have to hold a damn grudge against the Turned, you wouldn’t have gotten us into this mess,” she said through gritted teeth, standing to meet Walker’s gaze eye to eye. She’d had enough of his brutish behavior. “You’re the reason we’re stuck neck high in shit. You demanded those things of us and you didn’t consider the consequences. Instead of looking at the facts, you stuck your head up your own ass and insisted you were right and the evidence was wrong. A rookie could have put this case together and determined that Matthias didn’t kill that girl. He was innocent, and Rowan was right all along.”
“Oh, what? You wanna stand up for the Turned now? They’re monsters! They don’t give a damn about you. They’d just as soon leave you dead in a gutter or make you into one of them. Don’t you understand, Janet? He doesn’t give a damn about you,” Walker shouted back only to fill the space with silence.
Roberts blinked at the lieutenant, confused. “Janet? What the hell are you talking about?”
Walker stopped dead, his face draining of color. He’d said too much, and now Roberts stood with her hands on her hips, waiting for an explanation. The lieutenant fell back into his chair, all of the fire in him gone in an instant.
“Well?” Roberts prodded, awaiting his explanation.
Walker rubbed his hands across his face. He leaned forward, his elbows propped on his desk as he lifted a cigar and turned it around in his fingers. “When I first became a police officer I fell in love with an officer from a different district. Janet. She was young, beautiful, driven. Everything I was looking for,” Walker began, his eyed locked on the cigar. “Eventually we were married, had a couple of kids, and we both climbed the ladder in our departments. We were told about the Turned, and at first everything was okay. We didn’t have much of an opinion on them. It was just another part of the job.”
Roberts hand gripped her hips tightly. Again she was afraid to move but this time it was out of shock. Walker was actually opening up to her. Finally, she would know why he hated the Turned so much and maybe even why his rage against Rowan was so intense.
“Back then, Rowan’s Mentor, Horus, was about to pass on his territory in order to become an Elder. There was a lot of paperwork to take care of to transfer rights to the territory, so they were here in the station a lot in the weeks leading up to the leadership exchange. During that time, I was working nights and Janet came by to keep my company while I was dealing with them. She and Rowan talked a lot while I was with his Mentor and eventually she left.”
“You mean, she’s Turned?”
“Yes. She fell in love with Rowan and decided his life was what she wanted. She saw her children becoming adults and wanting to strike out on their own. She was starting to get wrinkles and I think the thought of growing old scared her. Then there were the Turned. Capable of eternal youth. Life. Freedom.”
“Did Rowan Turn her?”
“No. She approached him about it and he refused. I remember her being upset before she disappeared, but I didn’t know why until later. She found another Turned and got him to do it. Last I heard she was seen leaving the city with him. I don’t know what happened to her after that.”
Roberts was at a loss for words. It explained a lot but not everything. Why hate all Turned? He didn’t even have a logical reason for hating Rowan except that maybe he had sparked something in Janet that made her crave something new. Perhaps not knowing which Turned Janet ran off with was the cause for the general anger toward them. But then again grief and loss can make people react in strange ways. He was blaming all of them for the actions of one.
“I’m sorry that happened to you, but Rowan isn’t responsible for that. You going after him like this isn’t doing you any favors. So, what now?”
Walker put the end of the cigar in his mouth and chewed it. “I have no idea.”
34
Candlelight flickered faintly over a tub full of bubbles. Incense burned in the corner, sending tendrils of smoke toward the ceiling. Ivanka breathed in deep, popping a piece of chocolate in her mouth. She swirled champagne in a glass, watching the bubbles float to the top.
Joel sat quietly behind her, rubbing her shoulders over the top of the clawfoot tub. He was dead tired from work, but she had managed to talk him into catering to her. Not that he wasn’t doing it willingly; he couldn’t wipe the smile from his face as he felt her soft skin under his palms. She’d been feeding from him regularly since she’d told him she was Turned but it meant she wasn’t feeding from anyone e
lse. He hated to imagine her doing those things with another man.
“Ow,” she winced and he realized he’d gripped her too hard.
“Sorry.”
“What’s on your mind?”
“Just work stuff,” he lied. He didn’t want to tell her about his jealousy. If lying would keep her close, he’d do it willingly.
“Why don’t you tell me about it?” she asked passing him a piece of chocolate.
Joel gratefully took the sweets between his lips, kissing her fingertips. She giggled and settled back into his hands. He hummed and chewed, pushing his fingers up her shoulders unto the base of her hairline. Curly brown locks were tied into a loose bun, exposing the curve of her neck. Things like that have been appreciated with women before her but it didn’t seem to distract him in quite the same way as it did with Ivanka. He found that several seconds had passed from the time that he swallowed the chocolate until she finally drew his attention to the fact that she had not got an answer to her question.
“Joel?”
“Sorry,” he said, pecking her cheek. “There’s just a lot going on right now. We had a hell of a time dealing with a dead Rogue this morning. Some poor woman found him laying in a pool of blood.”
Ivanka’s muscles tense under his hands. “Oh? Where was he found?”
“In the Quarter. Not too far from the Square. Had blood seeping out of everything. Never seen anything like it in my life. Never smelled anything like it either. It was like the worst of Bourbon Street with a few rotting bodies tossed in for variety.”
“Sounds terrible,” she said, her voice trailing off.
“I’m sorry, is that upsetting to you?”
“No, it’s fine. Do you know who killed him?”
“Matthias. He’s the Pupil to the French Quarter Leader, Rowan. Do you know them?”
“Sorry, I don’t. If you’ll excuse me, I have a call to make.” Ivanka rose quickly from the bath, water spilling onto the floor. She left a trail of soapy water in her wake and the door slammed so hard behind her some of the candles went out. Joel was left staring after her, confused at her sudden change in her demeanor. Had he said something wrong?
He peered out the door at her, pacing nude across her bedroom with the light of the moon on her. She was speaking in a hushed but frantic tone, clenching her fists and stomping her feet. It was a childish display and yet Joel couldn’t help but want to go to her and comfort her. His hand tightened around the doorknob, a strange feeling grew in the pit of his stomach. Instinct told him to run; to flee the house and never look back. Something was wrong.
She must have felt him staring at her because she turned and blew him a kiss. With that small gesture he suppressed his worries and as he watched the bubbles slide down her body he realized he was wrapped around her finger again.
Joel sighed, leaning his head against the door with a smile as she finished her conversation. It was spoken too quietly for him to hear but he no longer cared. She tossed the phone onto the bed and returned to him, her fingers stroking his cheek.
“I’ve been so selfish, my love. Let me pamper you,” she said, unbuttoning his shirt. “Why don’t you get into the bath for a while? Relax a little.”
“But what about you?”
“Don’t you worry about me.” She stood on her toes and pecked his cheek, the sweet smell of chocolate on her breath. “Get undressed.”
Joel did as she said without question and slid into the bath. The heat of the water encased him, his muscles loosening before her fingers even began to massage his shoulders. She’d slipped into a rose-pink bathrobe and sat behind him as he had for her, running her fingers through his hair and caressing his skin with the tips of her manicured nails.
“Why don’t you tell me more about your day? Finding a dead Rogue; that must have been traumatizing.”
“It was weird, that’s for sure,” he admitted, feeling proud that she was interested in his work.
“And what about my ID? You haven’t been in trouble for retrieving it have you?”
Concern seeped into her words and his heart twisted.
“No, it’s okay. I pulled the security tapes and erased anything that showed me going in there. They thought at first it was Matthias’ Mentor stealing evidence but I guess that theory didn’t make sense, so they dropped it. I won’t lie, I’m a little worried they might find out what I’ve done.”
The more he thought about what he’d done and how he’d covered it up, the more he realized that it was a terrible decision. He could lose everything, including his freedom, to keep Ivanka out of it. How was it that the severity of his offence hadn’t occurred to him before? Panic rose in his chest an instant before his head was pushed below the surface of the water.
Ivanka’s hands tangled in his hair, holding him under. He flailed his arms and legs, struggling to grip the edge of the tub and pull himself up but she was too strong. Her inhuman strength overpowered him easily, his adrenaline rush was no match for her. His nails tore at her wrists and arms, tearing out of instinct to get her to let go but even as black blood darkened the water before his eyes, she didn’t let up.
His lungs burned, aching for breath until he couldn’t hold on any longer. Water filled his mouth and throat, rushing into his belly an instant before his airway swelled closed. Air pushed past the water, shooting bubbles toward the surface. He tried to force the water from his mouth but only sucked in more, his heart beating furiously in his ears before the whole world went black.
Ivanka dried her hands on a fluffy pink towel, staring at the ashen face of her lover. He floated only an inch from the bottom of the tub, his lungs and belly too full of water to allow him to come to the surface. For a moment she admired the way his hair drifted gently around his face and the way his eyes stared past her. It reminded her of someone.
“You sent for us?” a man said from the doorway of her bedroom.
“I did. I need you to take care of this body for me,” she said, rising from the tub to greet him.
Goliath was what his Mentor had called him and there was little wonder for how he got his name. The man was around six and a half feet tall with rippling muscles and meaty fists. Dark brown hair lay slicked against his skull and a full beard grew thick on his square jaw. Coal black eyes stared hard at her, awaiting instruction as his brother ascended the stairs behind him, blocking out the light from the main floor.
Samson. Identical to Goliath except for his long hair tied low at the nape of his neck and a scar that stretched from his right temple toward his chin but disappeared under the hair of his beard. The two were great hulking brutes that would sell their own mother for a quick buck. How the two of them had stayed together and loyal to one another for nearly a century was mystery.
“That all?” Samson asked, his voice rumbling deep in his chest as he peered past her toward the bathroom. “You called both of us out here for one body?”
“Don’t sound so disappointed. You’re both getting paid so why does it matter?”
“We’re bored,” Goliath replied.
“Well you won’t be for much longer. I have something for you to do as soon as this body is out of my tub.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“I need you to round up some of your Rogue friends and make some trouble around Jackson Square.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“Anything that’ll get the Leader’s attention. When he comes out to handle the situation I want you to rough him up a bit. Don’t kill him or you won’t get paid,” Ivanka shot, making herself clear. “I just want to send him a message is all.”
“What’s his name? What’s he look like?”
“Rowan. He’s pale, with long black hair, and will most likely be dressed in Victorian clothing.”
“Yeah I know the guy,” Samson nodded. “He killed my Pupil some years ago. I’d be glad to have a go at him.”
“Don’t kill him,” Ivanka said more firmly. “If you don’t think you can control you
rself then stay the hell away. But if you see his Pupil, feel free to kill him.”
“Matthias? Isn’t that who Azazel was supposed to kill?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, he wasn’t up to the task.”
Samson and Goliath exchanged glances. Ivanka could see the what they were after. She knew there was a possibility that they would be unwilling to complete the job at the current rate once they found out Azazel was dead, but she was willing to pay the price.
“I’ll pay you double if you bring me Matthias’ head,” she offered, and the men nodded agreement.
“Fine. But if one of us gets killed by Rowan, the other one won’t hold back. If my brother doesn’t come back, I’ll bring you that black haired son of a bitch’s heart on the end of my blade,” Goliath said, pulling a curved blade from his pocket.
“Relax. They’re be so many Rogues on him, Rowan won’t have time to kill anyone. Now, about getting this body out of my tub?” she said, hands on her hips.
“Anywhere in particular you want him?” Samson asked, hoisting Joel’s corpse onto his shoulder, soaking himself and the floor around him.
Ivanka pinched the bridge of her nose, breathing deeply. “I don’t care. Toss him in the river if you want, just get him out of here.”
Samson ducked out of the room, Joel over his shoulder like a sodden sack of potatoes. Elizabeth wouldn’t be happy if she saw the water trailing across her beautiful hardwood floors. Ivanka would have to clean it up before she came home.
“When do you want us to stage the attack?” Goliath asked.
“As soon as you can get enough Rogues on the job. And remember; you kill him, you don’t get paid.”
“Got it,” he grumbled. “I’ll let you know when it’s done.”
The hulking man left the room, closing the door behind him. At last she was alone with her thoughts. The police were getting too close. Matthias was a perfect ruse, but it hadn’t lasted long enough. He was free, likely to wait for a trial from the Elders concerning theft but cleared of murder. They would have to go after someone else and she was certain that Joel’s superior had seen her ID, even if it hadn’t been processed when it was stolen. Turned items always took longer to get into the system, which would have been fine. She could have been in and out by the time they processed it but him stealing it only served to bring attention to it. They would know her name. Her face. And soon they would likely know her secret.