Darkness Falls
Page 38
‘I’ll bet he is. Agropharm shareholders wouldn’t welcome another scandal involving the family.’
‘I think they’re drawing a line under it and hoping that’s an end to it. And DCI Johnston’s a career copper. If his bosses tell him to drop the case, he’ll do it.’
‘Do you think it will all go away now? The vampire recruitment at Ravenwood, I mean.’
Gabriel shook his head.
‘I doubt it. We may have rid the world of the Vampire Regent, but you heard what Sheldon said: there’s someone else out there, someone meaner and stronger. A vampire king. Sheldon obviously had his own agenda, but I’m convinced he was only following orders at Ravenwood. So I can’t imagine the king, or whoever’s behind it, will abandon their plans. In fact, we’ve probably made things easier for them.’
‘How?’
‘Politics, honey,’ he said, stroking her hair. ‘The way they were talking, I think Sheldon and Benjamin were planning an uprising, a sort of vampire rebellion. Sheldon was the Regent, a stand-in for the king. Maybe he heard the king wanted his throne back.’
April felt a sinking feeling.
‘So you think we’ve actually helped the Ravenwood conspiracy?’
Gabriel smiled.
‘We’ve destroyed a key part of their operation and removed two ruthless killers, I’d say that’s pretty good going. But no, I don’t think it’s over, not by a long way.’
‘And it’s not over for us anyway, is it? You’re still … well, still you.’
Gabriel smiled and ran a finger down her cheek. ‘No, but I’m still here, thanks to you.’
April thought for a moment.
‘Gabriel, can I ask you something?’
‘Anything.’
‘What Sheldon was talking about that day? How you didn’t know yourself and how you were involved with Isabelle’s death and maybe even other murders? What was all that about?’
‘They are – they were – vampires, remember? They’re masters at manipulation, mind-games. None of it meant anything. I think they hoped if they framed me for Isabelle’s murder then I’d be out of the way, no more trying to infiltrate their organisation – and Isabelle and her investigations would come to an end as well. Two birds with one stone. I have to admit, I had no idea they were on to me.’
He pulled her closer.
‘I’m so sorry, April, I put you in danger, I should have seen it sooner. I was so convinced it was the Regent who turned me, I wasn’t looking at it properly. I guess we have to keep looking.’
‘We have to. I can’t stand not kissing you for much longer.’
He kissed her cheek.
‘It won’t be long.’
They walked up the hill hand in hand. As they reached a corner, April stopped.
‘Listen,’ she said nervously. ‘There was something else.
When I was angry with you over that Jessica thing, I went with the Suckers to some club and …’
‘… and Ben made a move on you. I know.’
‘What? How did you know?’
‘He boasted about it, April. Never forget, Benjamin Osbourne was a monster hiding behind this mask of charm. Don’t ever feel bad for falling for that. And anyway, I was asking for it, I should have told you about Jessica before that. I just … I was feeling guilty too, and I suppose I didn’t want anything to ruin what we had.’
‘No more secrets?’
‘Never.’
‘Although I do feel bad. I’ve been giving my mum such a hard time about her cheating on my dad when maybe I’m no better.’
‘You know, it doesn’t get any easier as you get older. All the time I’ve had on earth, and I still make mistakes. Maybe you shouldn’t be so hard on her.’
April glanced up the hill towards her father’s tomb.
‘But it’s not just the cheating and the way she treated Dad. It’s the fact she lied to me about it. That’s what I can’t forgive.’
Gabriel nodded.
‘So what are you going to do?’
‘I’m going to stay with my Granddad. I can’t go back to Highgate right now.’
They walked a little further, finally sitting down on a low tomb covered in green moss. They were hidden from the path, but they had a wonderful view of London, spread out under the white sky before then. He kissed her then. Not on the lips, but on her neck, on her fingertips, her cheek. He stroked her hair from her face and looked into her eyes.
‘Are you happy now?’ he asked her.
‘Happy? I’m always happy when I’m with you,’ she said.
‘Don’t duck the question,’ he laughed. ‘Remember all that stuff about living in the moment, savouring the beautiful feelings when they’re there?’
She pushed him on the shoulder.
‘I’ve given you my undying love, what more do you want?’ she smiled.
‘Undying love?’ he asked. ‘Is that a joke?’
‘Well, you know what I mean.’
Gabriel wrapped his arms around her.
‘Hmm, I’m not sure,’ he said with a grin, ‘Why don’t you show me?’
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Avril Horner, Emeritus Professor of English at Kingston University for taking the time to give a one-person tutorial on the gothic and to Dr Ann Rowe for the introduction and her own invaluable feedback (along with Poirot-style guesswork on what’s in store in book three). Thanks also go to Dr Jim, as always, for his road map to the dark side and ‘Minty’ Johnston (no relation) for police procedure and intrigue in Pat Val.
Big love to Eugenie Furniss – so lucky to have someone with such passion and commitment in the Ravenwood corner. Thanks also to Cathryn ‘M’ Summerhayes for stepping into the breach and to Claudia for tea and efficiency. Special thanks go to Gillian Redfearn whose world class editing made this book ten times better (NB. it’s not really her bookshop, although I suspect she’d like to own one just like it). Equal thanks to the rest of the Orion team: marketing guru Mark Rusher (and his teen Eclipsers), Jon and Jon, Louise and Nina at Indigo and especially Jennifer McMenemy for her tireless mousework.
Double thanks to JK, Dr Alan Thompson, Kathryn Rowe, Scott and Tom, Will and Far, Ted for actually reading it, Lucy Fleming Brown for keeping it real and Diggo for ‘judo moves’ when deadlines loomed. And last but definitely not least love and gratitude go to Linda Butt for her limitless kindness and generosity just when it’s needed the most.
Also By Mia James:
By Midnight
Copyright
A Gollancz eBook
Copyright © Mia James 2011
All rights reserved.
The right of Mia James to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published in Great Britain in 2011 by
Indigo
The Orion Publishing Group Ltd
Orion House
5 Upper Saint Martin’s Lane
London, WC2H 9EA
An Hachette UK Company
This eBook first published in 2011 by Indigo.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978 1 78062 044 2
All characters and events in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor to be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
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ends