The Devil Walks In Blood: Nick Holleran Private Investigator Book Two (Nick Holleran Series 2)

by David Green

  I hold out my hand and she takes it. “Me too, kid. Me too. But first things first, huh?”

  The upstairs of The Styx looks empty as we duck in out of the daylight. Blinking, my sight adjusts, and I see Guz standing behind the bar where he always is, cleaning some already sparkling glasses.

  “Ruby here?” I ask, and head towards the stairs leading to the basement without waiting for an answer.

  He bobs his head once without so much as looking at me. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever heard the dude speak. Shame. I’ll bet he has some stories. I take the steps two-at-a-time, so fast I hurtle through the tasteful, shimmering beads that separate the stairwell from the lower Styx, sending them swinging.

  “Jesus H Christ,” Ruby shouts, as I explode into sight. “Will a day go by where I don’t see your sorry ass?”

  I glance around. Several ghosts linger near the stage, and by the jukebox, tapping his foot along to the outlaw radio sounds, is Waylon, an old cowboy ripped right from the Wild West. How he ended up in Portland beats me, but I like the guy. To hear him tell it, he must have run across most of the famous faces of the era—Billy the Kid, Doc Holiday. Hell, he says he met his end when Wyatt Earp himself ran him outta Tombstone and his horse took a wrong turn into a canyon. He glances over at me when he hears Ruby’s yell and grins, his teeth appearing beneath his thick, grey moustache.

  “Hey, bucko. Think you can help me over here?”

  He’s pointing at the jukebox. Vamos by The Pixies. Wish I had the time to appreciate his choice. I slip in a quarter and give him a nod.

  “Catch you later, Waylon.”

  Nice fella.

  Diana’s headed over to the bar. Ruby smiles down at her. I follow, and that motherly look disappears as soon as she lays eyes on me.

  “What am I now, your secretary?” Ruby asks, as I lean against the bar.

  I don’t take a seat. I ain’t staying. I’ve already wasted more time here than I wanted. Selecting songs for a dead cowboy wasn’t what I came here to do.

  “That skin-walker, Jim, said you wanted him to leave details of a case you discussed with me, like you don’t have your own office. Although, for the record, he seemed pretty shook up. I told you we were getting Wendigo sightings around these parts. Maybe it’s time you looked into it.”

  “When I can. Remember Marvin Clancy?” Something in my voice wipes the scowl from her face. “He’s got Rosa.”

  “Shit.” Rubes slaps a hand against the counter. “What the Hell for?”

  “He wants me,” I reply, pointing at myself with both index fingers, “and shit-for-brains here didn’t put an end to his nonsense early enough. He turned up at Tony’s last night, in the middle of our date. I played the danger down for Rosa because I didn’t want to ruin her evening and she went snooping around after him. Now he’s using her to get to me.”

  “What do you need, Nick?”

  I want to reach out and hug the lady, but I’ll need to put a pin in it until someone’s life isn’t in danger.

  “I’m pretty low on supplies and I don’t know what Marv’s capable of, other than that he can take a toilet to the face pretty damned well. There’s something else too. Creatures in the mist that forms out of nowhere, the last two nights. They’re stalking me. I need holy water, bullets, a crucifix, Battenspurgers and Expungers. I don’t wanna walk in there unprepared.”

  Ruby bites her lip, stares at the ceiling. I can see her doing an inventory in her mind. She sighs.

  Now, in my experience, that’s not the best kind of reaction when you’re asking for help.

  “Shit, I don’t have much, but I’ll give you what I can. There’s holy water, a handful of bullets, and I’ll give you my crucifix.” She pulls a necklace over her head with a palm-sized iron cruciform dangling from it. “But I only have one Battenspurger, and no Expungers. Sorry, Nick. That’s it.”

  I take the necklace, the metal cool against my palm, as she grabs a clear bottle from under the counter and places it in front of me. Holy water. Rubes always keeps a supply of it. It’s an excellent deterrent for rowdy ghosts and demons. I run through my updated inventory. It ain’t great. Not a disaster either, mind.

  “Thanks, Rubes. I owe you… What, three times now?”

  “Nick, at this stage, I think I’m taking it as a given you can’t pay me back.” She smiles, but I can tell it’s forced and it soon slips from her face. “Listen, with no Expunger, you know what that means, right?”

  “I better not run into any ghosts that need a severe ass-kicking?”

  “Ha-fucking-ha. It means you can’t kill Marvin Clancy. Nick, he’s a Devil Worshipper, and he understands Hell. If you kill him, you’ll have to deal with his ghost right away, else he’ll cause more trouble dead than alive, and you can’t stop that without an Expunger. Think before you act. Please?”

  Shit. Well, best laid plans and all that. To be honest, ‘kill Marvin Clancy’ wasn’t much of one.

  I’m glad Ruby spelled it out for me, because I hadn’t considered it. I could’ve marched in there, like the Wheeler place not two nights ago, and let the bat right out of Hell. I don’t have the time to go hunting fae to make an Expunger either. If I did, my luck would bring Queen Lilith down on my ass quicker than you can say Tuatha de Danann.

  “Sure thing, boss. Got that Battenspurger?”

  Ruby disappears into the back room then returns with a small, metallic egg. She holds it between her index finger and thumb, grabs a handful of napkins, wraps it up and lays it on the counter. She tosses me a magazine for the Ruger, too. Ruby’s good people. I pocket the ‘egg’, tucking it inside my jacket, patting it down, but not too hard.

  Gotta be careful with the Battenspurger. See, it may look like metal, but it ain’t. Battenspurgers break, and when they do…oh, boy. All I’m saying is, you don’t wanna be anywhere close when that thing goes off.

  “One more thing,” I say, flicking my head at Diana, who’s perched herself on a barstool nearby. “Keep an eye on her.”

  The kid lets out a squawk. “What? No way. I’m coming! I can help.”

  I meet her hollow sockets. There’s no doubt she could help me, but Marvin’s instructions were pretty clear. “Diana, he’ll know I didn’t come alone. He can see you, remember? And you’ve sensed the things out there. Even if he doesn’t have some way to hurt you—and as a Devil Worshipper, it ain’t likely—those monsters might. He’s already got Rosa. I can’t let him harm you too. Being dead doesn’t mean you’re immortal.”

  She bows her head. I reach out and give her shoulder a comforting squeeze.

  “Will you come back?” she asks.

  “Yes,” I say. “We’ve got a job to do, remember?”

  They always say ‘don’t make promises you can’t keep’, but I’ll die trying.

  Diana throws herself forward, and wraps those washed-out arms around my neck, rocking me back with the force. The barstools behind me shift backwards, and only Ruby’s reflexes stop the bottle of holy water from spinning off the bar. Man, this kid’s got so much power I almost reconsider bringing her with me. Almost.

  I pry my neck free of her frigid grip.

  “See you soon, kid.”

  Snatching up the holy water, I nod at Ruby and make my way upstairs. It’s odd, I ain’t been alone in days, and going up those stairs I feel like I’m missing my skin. Guz ignores me as I pass him by and emerge into the sunlight, dazzled by the glare.

  As I’m stood in the doorway, I feel it. That unseen weight pressing on me, against my chest, a too-cold breeze on my skin.

  “I’ve had enough of this crap,” I mutter, patting my jacket down, thinking fast.

  Letting whatever’s watching me think I’ve stepped out for a smoke but forgot my cigarettes, I scowl and head back inside. Throwing a finger up against my lips in Guz’s direction—like I need to, dude wouldn’t s
ay boo to a…forget about it—I barrel past the chairs and tables towards the stage, and slide under it.

  Then, I wait.

  It’s worth a shot, right?

  My hunch pays off. The door of The Styx swings open and in strides the unmistakable form of Suraz. He pauses, glances around, and I feel that pressure again for a moment as I shuffle back into the shadows. The Nephilim nods at Guz, who must have cleaned every glass in this place six times and has moved onto his seventh, then strides downstairs.

  Why the fuck is Suraz following me? My guardian angel? Or something else?

  Guess I’ll find out tonight. He’s not let me out of his sight in two days, and I aim to misbehave. Marv said to come alone, but it’s not like I can tell a fucking Nephilim to stay away.

  All I need is long enough that Marv thinks I’m playing by his rules. Once Suraz figures out he’s lost me, he’ll track me down again pretty quick. Then he can play his part. My ace in the hole.

  I hope.

  Climbing out from under the stage, I dust myself down—and ensure the Battenspurger’s intact—then make myself scarce. As I jog down the sidewalk, my cell vibrates in my pocket. Another message from Zia. Reading her first escaped my mind.

  I flick it open, and read the information, my eyes growing wider with each word. She’s got the name of the guy who lived in my office when Diana died. His date of birth, his family details and his occupation. Still running, I dial her number. She answers before the first ring’s out.

  “Much obliged, Zia. I owe you one. Tell me, this guy still alive?”

  She laughs. “Alive and kicking, unless you thought I omitted his death date for a joke.”

  I try to keep my breathing steady. Running and talking’s tough, and I ain’t as young as I used to be. “I don’t always get your sense of humor.”

  “Can I assume that, if you’re asking if he’s still alive, you want to speak to him?”

  “Oh, I’d love to speak to him. Can I get an address? I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks, Zia. Pretty sure there’s a story in this.”

  “Hey, maybe it’s one I can actually print this time.”

  I hang up and pause to catch my breath. As I do, Zia’s message arrives and I scan the address she sends. It’s the name that keeps drawing my eye.

  I know that name. I really don’t believe in coincidences.

  A DAY IN THE LIFE

  The chair crashes to the floor, taking me with it. The landing knocks the wind out of me, but I’m still trapped. My captor turns and, without pause, pulls me upright, chair and all, like I weigh as much as a ragdoll.

  The ropes binding my wrists and ankles bite into my flesh. The whimper that escapes my throat is genuine. I’m defenseless, powerless, small. Worse, I’m on the verge of panic. Whatever he’s planning for me, for Nick, can only be bad.

  Why did I follow this creep? Because I knew Nick had gotten in way over his head? Because I can’t ignore a mystery? Because I wanted to pay him back for the time we’ve wasted?

  He made an effort. Some part of me thought I should too.

  Dumb, Rosa. Real dumb. Next time, pay him back by getting dinner.

  Marvin Clancy leers at me, the ragged cut across his forehead weeping blood down his wide face. Nick’s handiwork, I’m pretty sure. He hasn’t even bothered to patch it shut. Those black eyes of his bore into mine and I shiver.

  “I do hope Mr. Holleran comes through for you, Ms. Riberio. Either way, this will all be over soon enough.”

  He moves away, back to the book he’s reading on the table. His back is to me, for all the good it does when I can’t get free. The book’s an ancient, leather-bound thing, like nothing I’ve ever worked with at the library, and he’s engrossed in the ritual it details.

  Damn it, Nick. Why didn’t you tell me he was a Devil Worshipper? Always keeping secrets. When I get my hands on you…

  No, that’s not fair. I wanted him to let me in, tell me about his case. The old Nick would have lied at the restaurant, slunk off to the restroom without telling me about his trouble, then let me go home none the wiser. He’d have already been pulling away and I’d have lost him again without even realizing.

  Instead, I’m trapped in a cabin in the woods with a lunatic who can lift me without even trying. But the strength isn’t what terrifies me most. It’s those eyes. Cold and black.

  Until he talks about Nick. Then they change. One second, anger; the next, a feverish passion burns in them. I don’t want to rile him up. He hasn’t hurt me, and I hope to keep it that way.

  I’ve dealt with men like him before and they prefer women scared, but not hysterical. They desire control. Power. I screamed so much when he caught me at his place that he gagged me, and only untied me once the tears stopped and I promised I wouldn’t yell, his meaty fists bunched up, knuckles white. Then he brought me here.

  Wherever here is.

  “Don’t know why you think Nick will come,” I gasp, voice shrill and wavering in my ears.

  I’ve seen crazy people snap before, and I’m alone here. If he does...

  No, I can’t think about that. Not now.

  “We hadn’t spoken in years. Whatever we might have had, it’s not there anymore. I’m not the leverage you want.”

  “Do not underestimate yourself. I’m sure seeing you again has rekindled the old flame. He will come.”

  He puts the book down, leaving it open on the table. It’s written in symbols I don’t recognize and there’s a silver eye on the cover that freaks me out when I glance at it, like it’s staring back at me, through my eyes and into my soul.

  “He sounded concerned for your well-being when we spoke. Perhaps you are underestimating his affection for you? I have watched Mr. Holleran for some time. I know his character. When he arrives, which he will, and does what I need him to do, you may leave. I will have no further use for you.”

  “I may leave? Like there’s a better option on the table?”

  Marvin turns those cold eyes on me. He’s huge, so big his head brushes the rafters of the tiny log cabin. I’m thankful he lit a fire, though it wasn’t for my benefit. He’s preparing a ritual, he says. Chalk pentagrams and etchings cover the floor and walls and a part of me regrets ever meeting Nick Holleran.

  Except that he’d have died if we’d never met, and no matter what he says, there’s something sacred in life. I believe that all the more when Marvin looms over me. This man would kill in the blink of an eye. He has. I recognize a predator.

  “If you remain here, you will bear witness to the Father. You will bask in his presence. Even one as sightless as you could not miss him.”

  “I don’t see why meeting your father would make me wanna stay.”

  The words escape my lips before I can pull them back. A nervous quip, the panic filling up my chest and flooding my brain, slipping off my tongue. One of the things I missed about Nick since the last time we were together. He never seemed to be without a line, and he appreciated one in return.

  I can usually swallow them at the wrong moments, unlike him, but right now my thoughts, and mouth, are all over the place.

  If I’d been thinking straight, I’d never have been stupid enough to get myself into this mess. Nick and me, we’re both in danger, and it’s all my fault.

  I wince as Marvin takes a step closer, but he drops to his haunches, a wide smile on his face that doesn’t reach his soulless eyes.

  “Not my father, Ms. Riberio. He is nothing but a disappointment. To me, to you, even to the merciful God he was so pathetically enamored with. He spent most of his meaningless life in service to the deity who put us all in Hell to begin with. Fitting for such a meek, unremarkable man. I am speaking about Lucifer. When Mr. Holleran arrives and provides his assistance, we will meet Lucifer. The true Father. We exist in his realm and long have I desired to pledge myself to his service. I have acco
mplished much through my studies, devoted myself to him from the moment my first death opened my eyes. When I meet the Father, my life’s work can finally, truly begin.”

  I knew Marvin’s elevator didn’t go up to the penthouse, but staring into the man’s face, I realize he’s unhinged. Nick told me about Hell—an obsession with him, and me acting as his therapist often drove a wedge between us—but the intensity with how Marvin talks about it is something else. Does Nick deal with people like him all the time?

  His world is something I’m not sure I can handle and I tried to throw myself into it headfirst. I thought I was ready.

  Nick always kept me at arm’s length when it came to his cases, but he doesn’t always see the full picture. He told me he’d warned Marvin off last night, but as my taxi passed him, I saw the look on his face. I knew he’d come for Nick, and I wanted to stop him. Find out where he lived and call the police, tell them about the stalking, warn him off myself if I had to.

  God, I want to scream, cry, beg. But I know it won’t help. I’m here until he has Nick.

  I lower my eyes and shrink backwards, the only protection I can give myself if Marvin flips.

  Keep him talking. He’s a narcissist. A man with a plan. He wants everyone to see how special he is.

  “What does Nick have to do with Lucifer?”

  I’d have thought the Devil was a little above Nick’s pay grade. What would the ultimate evil want with a Haven P.I.?

  Marvin leans forward, forcing a flinch out of me. He smells…too clean. Like a crime scene after it’s been bleached. Sweat pours from his face, mixing with the blood oozing from his wound. A watery-red bead drops from the tip of his nose and lands on my lap. He’s so close. It’s like he’s backing me up without moving me, and I hate getting pushed into a corner.

  “Because he won’t have a choice. I believe Lucifer, for reasons known only to him, is protecting Mr. Holleran. Since his rebirth, he has been so unremarkable, stumbling through Hell with his eyes half-closed. Then, two days ago, the Father visited him. Now, his Nephilim follow him. There are ways to summon Lucifer, but I have no wish to put him in my thrall. I am not worthy of that. Instead, I wish to serve and take my place at his feet. But the Father’s interest in the detective presents me with an opportunity. My friends will put Mr. Holleran’s life in danger. If that does not work, it will force me to harm you until he relents and summons the Father himself. He says he cannot, but I do not believe him. If he refuses, I will kill him; a long, slow death. If nothing else, that will catch Lucifer’s attention.”