by J. D. Cavan
“The tie is a clue?” Silvio remarked.
I was feeling better by the minute. Whatever had just happened to me was lifting. “I don’t buy this escort’s story.”
We had gotten the initial NYPD report. They interviewed the escort, who said that her service had sent her to the penthouse, but Miller never answered his door so she promptly left.
“When the escort arrived, he backed out,” Silvio said. “Probably made him more depressed.”
I shook my head. “There’s an empty scotch glass in the living room. I bet they find alcohol in him. He had the escort come in, a couple of drinks, and then he ends up strangled with the tie. That’s why the tie is a clue.”
“She takes his tie off and strangles him with it? Unlikely,” Silvio replied.
“Come on, Silvio, you’re not that naive.” I glanced at Tasso.
Tasso rolled her eyes. “It was sex play with the tie, Silvio. Maybe things got out of hand. He wanted to get strangled, and it went too far. He choked to death and she panicked and fled. This is manslaughter, at least.”
“Or it was planned, but either way we’ve got work to do. You two check Thomas’s bank accounts and see if any money is missing. We could have a robbery-homicide.”
“Where are you going?” Silvio asked.
“Interview the escort,” I replied. I was headed to the escort service. Her story was fishy. I needed a face-to-face interview to see what I could uncover.
Chapter 4
IT HAD BEEN a waste of time.
The escort’s story was consistent with her NYPD report. When I pressed her, she reported that she went to Thomas Miller’s apartment, knocked on the door, stood around for a while, and then left. She actually came across as credible. I had no lead in this case with her.
As soon as I walked into the Society of Justice, I went right to the front desk to meet with Dean. I wanted a briefing on my itinerary. Rather suddenly things had changed priority-wise. I had two issues on my hands: one nasty goblin gang to deal with, and one murder.
Not only had I come up empty at the escort service, but the forensic reports had also come back with nothing. No physical evidence at the Miller penthouse indicating that the escort had been inside. There was no evidence anyone had been there at all. The only physical evidence found at the penthouse was Miller’s body.
“Give me the rundown,” I said to Dean.
“Dr. Blake called. He wants to talk to you immediately about the supernatural containment unit.” Dean raised his eyebrows. “I guess the hot doctor is back in the picture.”
“Hardly.” I knew what Dean meant, even though Blake and I had never dated. I’d never been interested in James Blake, not really. Even though he was handsome and successful, it was Liam I was stuck on, as tormenting as that was.
“Anyway, he wants to know about the new captive. Blackeye the goblin?” Dean made a gross face. “We’ve got a goblin problem now? Is that like having cockroaches?”
“Kind of.” I shook my head in disbelief. “We would have never dreamed years ago that we’d be seriously worried about goblins, demons, and vampires.”
Dean and I went back a long way. We met in college. Before the curse was lifted and all this supernatural stuff was going on, our biggest issue was getting to class on time.
“I still can’t believe Vovk is a werewolf,” he said, “and that I’m dating him!”
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I’m hung up on a vampire, and I’m a witch myself! It’s a brand new world, isn’t it, Dean?”
“It certainly is, with lots of weird obligations. For example, Terry called. She has a bunch of parties coming up but it’s absolutely essential that you make the mayor’s ball. You’re scheduled to make a short speech—”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“I committed you already. It would mean a lot to Terry, even though I know you don’t trust her.”
“I don’t.” I had always wanted to believe that Terry cared about me, but I knew better. Terry cared about one person, and that was Terry. “Alright, I’ll do it. But how about checking with me next time?”
Dean just shrugged. I had given Dean and Vovk most of the responsibilities of running the daily operations of the SOJ, including scheduling. To be fair, the bed I made I had to sleep in.
“You have an SOJ meeting in thirty minutes. Everyone will be there except Brad. He’s tasting wedding cakes with Janice, which reminds me that the wedding is coming up and you are the best woman, in case you had forgotten.”
My head was spinning with the million things Dean was throwing at me, all of which I had no interest in now that real crimes needed to be solved.
“Is that it?” I asked.
Vovk came out from the kitchen and greeted me. He gave Dean a look.
“Vovk and I need to talk to you about something.”
I looked at them curiously. “Okay.”
“Vovk and I would like to adopt Jessica. She needs lots of guidance and she seems to be taken by Vovk, and obviously Vovk loves her.”
“Jess is eighteen years old and has a mother, so adoption seems a little ridiculous.” I bit my tongue. I didn’t want to hurt Vovk’s feelings. Things had been hard for Vovk lately. Ms. Doyla, the woman he’d taken care of as her butler, had left to return to her home in Northern Europe. Vovk had taken on Jess as his project and responsibility. “Vovk, you’ve done a wonderful job with Jess.”
He smiled. “Thank you, Ms. Lila.”
“It’s up to you; it’s a personal decision to adopt Jess.” If Dean and Vovk wanted to take on a half-demon teenager as their own, I wasn’t getting involved. I needed to get things off my plate, not add to it.
“It’s not all personal. We’d like to make sure Jess is under our health insurance,” Dean said.
“We don’t have health insurance,” I replied. I had been trying to keep costs low since I was refusing to take any more money from Terry. Terry was beyond loaded, but her days of trying to buy me were over.
“That’s exactly my next point, we need insurance,” Dean pressed.
“That’s a good one. A vampire and werewolf who need health insurance?”
“We aren’t all supernatural, and Jessica is only half-demon. Her teeth haven’t been cleaned in years.” Dean gave me a stern look.
I sighed. “Okay, health insurance and dental.” I wasn’t sure where I’d get the money for it. Since I’d stopped taking cash from Terry, things at that Society of Justice had been tight—very tight. We hadn’t had any cases since the Dead City. Demon de-possession had paid pretty well, but that was months ago.
Vovk joined the conversation. “Also, Jessica needs more of an eighteen-year-old girl’s life. We don’t want her growing up too fast.”
“Fine, okay.” I had no idea what Vovk meant exactly, but I needed to keep the conversation moving.
“We need your help because Jessica looks up to you very much. But just running around solving crimes is not very normal for a girl her age,” Vovk continued.
“Just tell me what do to and I’ll do it.” My patience was growing thin. “Now are we done?”
“No,” Dean interjected. “There’s someone in the waiting room who wants to talk to you.”
“Who?”
“Nessa O’Shea.”
“She wants to see Liam, you’re mistaken.”
“She specifically asked for you.”
“Oh boy,” I said. This was where Nessa told me what I already knew. She’d been in love with Liam for vampire centuries, and I was supposed to butt out of their unfinished and unresolved vampire affair. I didn’t want to deal with this, but I might as well get it over with.
* * *
I GRABBED A quick cup of coffee, a dark heavy roast. I was going to need it. I sat down at the meeting table as Vovk escorted Nessa into the room.
“Detective Stone, thank you for seeing me, I am so very grateful.” Nessa seemed to almost bow a little to me. Besides the thick Irish accent, she spoke in a
n oddly formal manner.
“Not a problem, have a seat.” I offered her coffee and she politely refused.
She removed her cloak and sat down. Her body was incredibly ripped. She wore a tank top showing her chiseled arms. When I first met Nessa, she seemed to have walked right out of a Disney movie, playing the beautiful princess. Now she looked like a superhero. Her long wavy blonde hair seemed almost fake it was so perfect.
Nessa gazed at me, her eyes a stunning hazel color. “Liam is very fond of you, and as you know, I of him. But I want you to know that I did not come here to stir trouble for you or the Society of Justice.”
“So why did you come here, Nessa?” I asked.
“When Liam and I fought the vampire in Ireland years ago as mortal humans—Temple Warriors we were called—it wasn’t just he and I. My father led us. His name was Lorcan O’Shea. He was fearless. We defeated the vampire from overtaking Ireland, but there was one of them that survived. The leader. His name was Kern. He killed my father.” I saw her eyes flare in anger and anguish. I felt her pain. Even though I now knew my father was alive somewhere, I hadn’t always known. There had been time I thought he’d been killed.
“I’m sorry to hear that, Nessa.”
She nodded graciously. “The day my father died was the day Liam left. It was the same day my mortal soul left me and I became a vampire myself.” Her suffering was significant, I could tell. Dealing with Liam’s wounds helped me understand that. “So I’m here now to heal all of this.”
“And you’re hoping Liam can help you?” I asked, knowing that she would say yes—and knowing that I wouldn’t believe that her motives were that pure. I felt horrible for her, but I knew she loved Liam and would do anything to restore whatever relationship they had together.
“Yes, and maybe I can help Liam heal also,” Nessa said. For some reason that ticked me off. That had always been my unhealthy role to play with Liam. I felt my face get red.
Liam and I had gotten very close to sharing our true feelings for each other until Nessa came along. Who knows where it would have gone if Liam and I had taken the risk of being together. Maybe it would have gone nowhere, but at least we would have given it an honest try. Now that was all over. The flirting, the banter, and even the arguing. All because of Nessa.
“What kind of healing does Liam have to do?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“He has his own torment. But won’t I speak for him.”
Dean walked into the room and interrupted. Thank God he did. I couldn’t hear about Nessa’s feelings for Liam any longer. I wasn’t sure what Nessa meant by Liam’s torment. I was pretty sure I knew most of Liam’s tragic past, but maybe not.
“Sorry to bother you, but you have a meeting to run,” Dean said. Nessa stood up and bowed again. She thanked me for my time. I mouthed thank you to Dean for saving me as Nessa walked out the door.
A moment later, Liam walked in. He had a curious look on his face. He must have passed Nessa on his way out.
“What did she want?” he asked.
“Nessa? She told me that if I tried anything with you, she’d kill me.” I smiled.
“Honestly,” Liam said. All the fun was gone with him.
“She told me about her father and how he was killed by a vampire named Kern. Oh, and that now she’s here in New York City to heal from all this.” I shrugged.
“Kern,” Liam muttered. A stern and dark look descended over his features.
“Who was he?”
“I fought him for years. Irish vampire. He came all the way to America from Dublin. Extremely dangerous.”
“Where is Kern now?
“I lost him decades ago,” Liam replied.
I was about to ask him more questions about Kern when I noticed Dr. Blake calling me. I excused myself. I had to take the call. Liam promptly left.
“Dr. James Blake, back in town,” I said.
“When do I get to see you?” Blake asked. He surprised me. I knew Blake liked me, but he wasn’t wasting any time.
“Is that what all the fuss is about with the new supernatural containment unit? You just want to see me?”
He chuckled. “Actually, the cells have a million violations in coding, God forbid something happens down here.”
“I know. We’ll fix it. I just need you to hold the goblin for now. He’s the leader of a nasty gang who, by the way, are likely to try and spring him.”
“Alright, I’ll beef up security. But what do I get for doing you this favor?”
“To get to be a good guy.”
“I do want to see you, Lila. How about dinner tonight?” Blake asked seriously.
He was handsome and charming and had everything a woman would want, but I truly had too much on my hands. Plus, even though Liam was preoccupied with Nessa, I felt an annoying—and likely unhealthy—loyalty to him.
“Not tonight, sorry James. Got to run to a meeting. Thank you for the cells.” I hung up.
Chapter 5
BY THE TIME I got downstairs, everyone was sitting around the meeting table.
I carried my coffee mug. I knew I probably shouldn’t be drinking coffee at eight o’clock at night, but it’d been a long day.
“We have immediate concerns. The bank robbery today conducted by a goblin now in holding. I have an informant and he tells me that this goblin, his name is Blackeye, runs a goblin gang. Anyone have knowledge of this?”
All I got was shaking heads. I wasn’t surprised. The curse had been lifted only months ago, so intelligence on the supernatural criminal underworld was still very new.
“There’s been a murder also, a rich guy uptown, Thomas Miller. An escort service might be involved. I’m working on it with Agent Tasso and Detective Ortega, believe it or not.”
“Why do they want the SOJ involved?” Liam asked.
“Commissioner Gallagher ordered it, but I don’t exactly know why yet. Miller was a high-status guy. When a young millionaire gets offed it makes everyone real nervous.” I didn’t mention my strange breakdown at the penthouse. The uncanny sense I had that I’d been there before.
Jess sat next to Vovk, twirling her long brown hair.
“Any news from the demon world?” I asked her.
“Nah, they’ve been silent since we beat down the Orobas demons. Is this meeting almost over?”
“You’ve got something better to do?” I asked.
“I’m hungry and bored.” She sat on the end of her chair, tipping it backward. Her hair had blue streaks in it and her fingernails were painted glossy black. I think I was getting the point. A brooding, goth teenager look.
Nick took the cigar stub out of his mouth. “What else is new? The demon girl is hungry.” Jess stuck her tongue out at him.
“Nick, what about the Central Park Pack?” I asked. Being a werewolf himself, I knew Nick would at least have an update on them.
He crossed his enormous arms. “The CPP has finally found their alpha wolf. Julian Collins is his name. I don’t know a lot about him, but what I’ve heard is good. He’s very smart, should be a solid leader.”
“Does Julian Collins know what we expect?” I asked. We had drawn up some rules so we could get prepared for the supernatural gangs. They were making gains organizing in Manhattan and we had to have some bylaws for them to follow.
“No criminal activity. All legit, as far as I know,” Nick replied.
The message we’d sent to the supernatural gangs was that the SOJ had one major rule: any business they conducted had to be legal.
“Thank you, Nick. Any news on the NYC Vampires?” I asked.
“That’s the gang we should be concerned about. But we don’t have a bit of info on them.” Nick glanced at Liam.
“I don’t have anything on the vampires either,” Liam replied. “They know I’m with the SOJ.”
“Since you are a vampire, do you at least have a sense of what they might be up to?” Nick followed.
Liam considered it. “My sense is that we’re not going to s
ee it coming. The leader, whoever they choose, will likely be an unpleasant surprise. I hate to talk badly about my own kind, but the vampires are a sneaky bunch.”
Although the SOJ had a say over how the gangs conducted business, we had no say over the leaders or alphas they elected. They had complete authority to choose their own bosses.
I was about to move on when Nick interrupted. “What about the witches? They should have a fully functioning coven by now, right?”
I noticed everyone was looking at me. I shrugged. “I’m brand new to my druid witch ancestry.” I wasn’t going to mention my dark Akantha bloodline. That was personal, just for my therapist Dr. Edwards and I to figure out. Outside of owing Liam some kind of explanation about it at some point, I’d keep it secret—unless it affected my ability to run the SOJ.
“OK, Blackeye is running the goblins and Julian is running the werewolves, but we know nothing at all about the vampires or the witches,” Dean remarked as he took the meeting notes on his laptop.
“Yes, that’s correct.” I drank more of my coffee. “We have some missing variables.”
“So what are our next steps?” Nick asked, chomping on his cigar.
“This is what we need to do. We have to find the goblins’ hideout and raid it. I’m not waiting for them to build their forces so they can bust Blackeye out of holding.”
“On what legal grounds?” Dean asked, peering up from his screen.
“Blackeye was involved with a very serious bank robbery, cops were hurt. That’s my grounds.” I found myself getting edgy. Maybe it was just the bad day and the fact that I was on my fifth cup of coffee.
“When we find the goblin hideout, I’ll go with you,” Nick said.
“Me too,” Liam followed.
“Me three,” Jess announced. Vovk shot me a look. I knew instantly what he was thinking. It was time for me to try and make Jess’s life more like that of a normal eighteen-year-old.
“No, Jess. I need to use your skills in a different way here at the SOJ.”