“I’ve been talking your nose off, sorry.” At her blank lip he said. “Eye? Head?”
Any other time, she would have laughed. “Ear,” she said numbly. “Talking my ear off. I have to go back to work now.”
“I’ll walk with you,” he said, cheerfully oblivious. “Then I can torture Col when I tell him about it later.”
I doubt he’ll care.
He rose to his feet, and walked her back through the crowds, oblivious to Lily scattering a trail of broken heart pieces along the way.
Cadmus watched Jordy puffed up with pride at getting him the information that he needed. Her former roommate was indeed somehow aligned with the man-wolf, working with him in some capacity, and would be able to confirm that the others were man-wolves too. Or at least provide him with what he could use to move forward.
“I even looked up the address where she’s staying.” Jordy relished using the privileges that she had been accorded in her job at the Faire. She named some trailer park that was close to the fair. Cadmus had remembered seeing it in the previous excursions. He shuddered. That was one of the properties that at least one real estate agent he had consulted tried to interest him in.
He’d have to be desperate indeed. Although, why would this woman be staying there?
“You had said she was your roommate? Why is she no longer at the Faire?” Cadmus asked in a silky tone. It was his gotcha tone when he caught his recruits giving faulty or incomplete information. Billy Bob was immune to it, which was why he was not a recruit, but menial labor. Jordy, on the other hand, sped up her speech, and her voice went even higher in pitch.
“She’s staying at the home of another employee and caring for that employee’s children.”
Cadmus was silent for a moment, just to enjoy Jordy’s squirming. And then nodded. “Good, we will go there tonight when you are free of your responsibilities at the Faire. And then we shall take her.”
“You got it, boss!” Jordy’s relief was almost palpable.
Cadmus could almost picture it already. One major step closer to presenting His Terrible Majesty the man-wolf, maybe even a whole group of man-wolves. Or —he almost moaned out loud — possibly learning where to get more. It was delicious. He saw the woman the man-wolves seemed to value in his root cellar, strapped to the industrial stainless steel table in the center, her eyes filled with terror. Cadmus would then use the tools he had purchased, expertly and slowly, to extract pieces of her flesh and information.
He would show Billy Bob how to torture effectively, without prematurely killing your victim.
He couldn’t wait.
Rey had ducked in his seat, a cap covering his head when the bitch made her way through the crowd with the big blond himbo. Were they together? Was she spreading her legs for that roid junkie now? No matter, he’d kill them both.
Despite how jacked up Rey was, this dude had at least 60 pounds of muscle on him. But this right here were two great equalizers: a Sig Sauer P938 and a Glock 19, loaded with hollow points and ready to go.
He’d aerate the big guy first, and then take his sweet time slicing up that whore.
Simon pumped a fist in the air, his lock of hair flopping up and down with the motion. Finally a possible break. He was beyond past due for something good to come out of all of the digging that he and Miller had been doing.
Since Blake Rickert was killed, if the killer was the same person looking into Simon’s properties, there was a possibility that he went to other realtors. With Miller’s help, they had contacted all the other real estate offices in Gardendale that would be capable of handling similar transactions, and asked about recent inquiries into buying up large tracts of land in the area.
Simon hinted that he might have interest in selling, and surprise, surprise. Real estate agents were even more eager to talk with him. He had to spend major time dodging sales pitches, even with agents who did the equivalent of sticking their foot into the door he was trying to close, but all that effort paid off. Big.
They had narrowed it down to three people who fit that profile of looking for large tracts of land, after cross-referencing with many of the realtors. One of them was in town researching a possible location of another tech company.
And then they struck pay dirt.
Oddest thing, said one realtor who had actually met him in person and handled his short-term rental. She reported that he seemed far from one of those Silicon Valley guys, in that he used a fountain pen and leather-bound notebook instead of a tablet or a smartphone. He also insisted on paying her in cash up front, which was why she did an override on all the weirdness that didn’t add up. But she gave Simon the address of the rental property, in exchange for Simon’s promise to have the realtor meet with Rika and possibly set up some kind of employee perk for using her office’s services.
Simon had to admire that kind of moxie, and also reminded himself to check up on expanding Rika’s staff and office space.
Meanwhile, Miller was looking up the address on his phone, and as soon as the call ended, he high fived Simon. “I’m on it!”
“I’ll go with you,” Simon needed to get out from in front of the computer. He thought of the last time he went to check out something with Miller. Yeah, maybe some backup would be good this time. “Let’s take one of the boys with us.”
“Good idea, but not Col, in case he’s recognized. I’ll ask Tybalt who should go.”
Simon nodded. And some time later, they left with Merek, who was hungry for action.
Chapter Forty-Three
Shit. The high security location he had followed her to before came into view. This was definitely no trailer park. It must be that blond guy’s home, and there was no way that Rey would be able to get in. At least not from the front. The little bit of scouting he had done hinted at maybe a way in the back, through the woods. But he had to believe that it would be heavily guarded there too, with advanced sensors much like the ones he was able to recognize from his old job in use here.
He wasn’t going to be able to move on her tonight.
After seeing that bitch with the himbo, Rey had stayed in the parking lot, only moving to make sure there was always at least one car in front of his. The himbo had walked her back about 45 minutes after they had initially left, and then walked out alone afterwards. A few hours later, he had come back to the Center, and they left with two small children.
Rey had watched as they had strapped the children into the back seat of the red Subaru SUV, and the blond muscle head opened the driver’s side door for her. The way Rey used to, at the beginning, before things went sour between them. The throbbing in his hand reminded him to stop being such a pussy. He was only watching now because her days were numbered, and he was ready to add Blondie to the death count too.
He no longer cared about bringing her back to El Monstruo alive.
Dead. Dead would work too. And maybe El Monstruo would add her bones to the necklace he wore under his shirt.
Col pulled his hand back quickly. He had reached out to stroke his Lily’s arm gently, but she moved away, as if his touch burned. Since she had returned to the house that evening, it had been thus. He was baffled as to why this distance had suddenly sprung up between them. He watched her now, her warmth turned towards Aylwyn.
And even Barric, that swine, had made no bones about his delight in her presence. He received many of her smiles as well. In fact, everyone did.
But towards him, there was only a chill, colder than the iciest winter storm.
“It’s bedtime, Clover and Brady. Time to say your goodnights to everyone!” Katie was trying to round up the two, but the little girl slipped away.
“Col,” Clover was tugging at his fatigues. “Will you tell us a stowwy again?”
“Yaahh!” Brady screeched his agreement. Col was about to answer, but Lily cut him off.
“I’ve got it. Don’t bother.” She managed to relay this to him without meeting his eyes. To him, that cut deeper than the sharpest sword. No,
her turning away without another word to him, before marching off with the kids cut even more.
“Ooh, burn!” Aylwyn yelled, making a sizzling sound. Barric laughed, and Col’s mouth pressed tightly shut.
“It seems perhaps fortune may smile on me if I press my suit on Katie Cooper after all,” Barric said, ignoring the rumbling that came from Col’s throat. “Methinks that she is not looking favorably unto you.”
“Or perhaps our repast together today has reminded her that she need not settle on you.” Aylwyn laughed. He and Barric gave each other a high-five.
Col wanted to shift and beat both of them senseless, or at least Aylwyn for having the temerity to have spent his time at the Faire courting his Lily.
He watched as she walked away, chewing his lips, and then strode after her. He would know the reason for her anger.
A wave of dizziness swept over him suddenly and he staggered, his hand on the wall, black spots swimming in front of his eyes. When he blinked the spots away by sheer force of will, she was gone.
The house was modest, almost charming. And not at all where he expected a possible killer to be staying in. Using skills that Simon knew better than to ask about, Miller had gotten them into the small, two - story structure.
They had already parked the car a short distance away. The realtor had mentioned that there was a gravel road that passed for a driveway. They would be able to hear any car arrivals, but having their own car there would be a dead giveaway that someone uninvited was inside.
There was no other neighboring house —something that the client had insisted on, according to the Realtor —no one that could look into windows or see the beams of flashlights moving about, but Miller still cautioned them to move about carefully and keep their lights focused away from windows.
It didn’t take long to go through the living room area or the kitchen. There was a door leading to a basement or storage area, but they would check it once they finished the upstairs.
One room had signs of being occupied, with contents strewn about the desk. The bed was made, but bore a slight impression in the top cover, as if someone had sat on the edge of the mattress.
The hasty search did not yield Blake Rickert’s laptop, a Dell XPS 13. Blake’s associates had been interviewed by the police, and informed them that the dead realtor had the same model as the entire office. Miller had acquired that detail from his friends on the force.
The only signs of a computer they found was a charger for a MacBook. Well, Simon thought, if this person was the killer, leaving Blake’s computer out on the desk would just be too easy. Nor did he leave out his own computer, so that Simon could have a little look-see.
Meanwhile, Miller was searching under the bed, and behind furniture, while Merek had opened up the closet door, his senses alerting him to something inside. The hinges of the folding doors squealed in protest at being pulled, but open they did, to reveal a row of dark suits and a Piel leather garment bag. Merek gave a low whistle of appreciation.
“Good taste.” He held out a suit, and held it against Miller. The owner of the suit was about the same height, but with a slimmer build.
Merek confirmed the faint trace in the suits of the men’s cologne that he had found in the bathroom, and continued assessing the contents of the closet. Next to the garment bag were two large shopping bags from a local outdoor gear retailer, with clothing items that were completely at odds with the designer suits hanging up. An empty shoe box, that once contained a brand new pair of Keens, size 12, was at the back of the closet floor.
Nothing fishy about buying a whole new wardrobe that didn’t look anything like the clothes that carried your fragrance, offering to pay for a rental property in cash, and inquiring about huge lots of land for sale…from a realtor who ended up dead after you were supposed to meet him in his office. Nope. Nothing at all.
Simon just needed to find information, like a real name, something he could trace. Maybe in the papers on top of the desk, he would get something, anything to feed into his computers.
And then Simon’s blood chilled.
Staring right back at him on the papers he just flipped over was his own image. Walking with the boys and Miller. Through the staff gate that day Col had thought he scented his abductor.
Miller muttered an expletive under his breath. Merek had come up beside him, and was less shy. There was no denying it.
There was a connection between this person looking into his properties and Col’s abduction. A strong likelihood that Blake Rickert’s death was tied into it as well. And somehow, this person got these images from the security feed.
“No way Puma’s involved.” Miller shook his head.
“Puma didn’t go through the footage.” Simon thought of that person that had volunteered to go through the video. Jordy. That was her name. She was eager—in retrospect, maybe too eager—to do so. And come to think of it, the major anomaly in Ops that Puma had come to him with was what had happened with Trish, that led to Jordy getting promoted to Trish’s spot even though she hadn’t been working there all that long. He couldn’t see how Jordy did it, or even confirm that Jordy did something to Trish, but it was awfully convenient.
He’d bet money that if he were to run the security footage through a program to detect deletions or editing, he’d find some. At least the bits that showed the guy they were looking for, coming in through the staff entrance.
Merek was already downstairs, eager to search out the remaining areas. “Yo, found something!”
Miller raced downstairs, while Simon finished looking through the rest of the papers on the desk. Nothing but more printouts, showing clear images of each of the boys. He then put everything back the way he had found it, and went to see what Merek had found.
The door that led to a basement area was open, and apparently they had found a light. Simon went through the doorway and—
The narrow, brick walls instantly began closing in on him. Oh Geez the ceiling was so low, too low, the stairs thin planks of wood. The smell of death, the feeling that all the air was being wicked away from him. The last time he had felt like this, his parents had—Oh Geez, Oh Geez Oh Geez. He could almost hear that chilling voice again. It’s time—
Miller was almost lifting him out bodily from the small stairwell into the kitchen area, where Simon leaned against the counter, tapping his pendant furiously, his heart pounding. Miller ran cold water in the sink, and led Simon over to run his wrists under the calming liquid.
Merek’s huge form emerged from the basement. Miller looked up at him from where he was holding Simon. “You got the pictures?
Merek grunted.
“We’ve seen enough, Simon. We should go as soon as you’re ready.”
Simon shut off the tap. His breathing was still ragged, but at least it was at a slower pace. “I won’t need to go downstairs. But tell me what you found.”
“Human remains.” Merek said, as Simon gulped. “The hiker that we had been searching for. And another male. And the remnants of Magickal workings. Miller Armstrong is correct. We must needs tell the Vixar and the others of this with no delay.”
“Shouldn’t we call the cops?”
Miller shook his head. “We can phone in an anonymous tip, but I would wait a bit. Whatever happened, didn’t happen in the last few hours. We don’t want to spook the person who did this, because they might leave the area and make it ten times harder to find them. Get the information you need, and then we can hand this over.”
Simon nodded. And promised himself that he would do right by the hiker. And the other victim. As soon as he got to the bottom of this.
Chapter Forty-Four
The flame from the fire pit flickered, casting a glow on Col’s drawn features. The sad strains of Beauty of the Beast by Nightwish wafted on the smoke, dancing as if in mockery of the large man’s pain.
“What is this?” Barric growled, and he got up to his feet, across from Col.
“I swear to you, Brodher or not, If y
ou change that song now you shall surely lose a limb,” Col lashed out.
To everyone’s surprise, Barric merely chuckled. “I merely wished to identify the name of this song. Forfend your undergarments from winding.”
“He means ‘Don’t get your panties in a twist’.” Aylwyn helpfully translated.
Col buried his head in his arms in a groan. With luck, the flames from the fire pit would reach out and immolate him.
“Col.” He raised his head at the voice of his Vixar. Tybalt had taken the seat beside him. “I would speak of what ails you. Having known my own Destine, I would give anything in mine possession for just two minutes in her presence once more. And nothing less than Death, for to rend us asunder evermore.”
A heavy silence followed his words, filled only with the crackling of the flames, and the chittering of the crickets, who cared not for Col’s pain.
“Mayhap Destines are not as they were in our time.” Col scowled, staring into the red heart of the fire. “Mayhap she finds me wanting in some way, and wishes not to be mate-bonded with me.”
“Pussy.” Barric growled. Col started to lift his head, as if to fight, but then lowered it. It was an admission that mayhap the dark bearded Brodher was correct. Whether he meant Col was likened unto a vulgar reference to a female part, or an even worse comparison to a feline creature, it mattered not. Katie Cooper did not want him. As Aylwyn would say, End of.
“Didst she tell you that herself?” Barric pressed. “Or is this mere conjecture on your part?”
“No, but—”
“She still bears your scent,” Aylwyn said.
“Aye, she does.” Barric confirmed, surprising Col. It was most unlike Barric to offer words of encouragement. Unheard of, in fact.
“It is unlike you to surrender so easily, based solely on supposition, Waryeor.” Tybalt said. “And it is unbecoming of you to show your belly so readily.”
Col: His Destined Mate Page 31
