by Jackie Ivie
“Uh. What...should we call him?”
“He has a name,” she answered.
“But we only know him as Lucifer. That’s not his name?”
“His name is Lucien. You got that?”
“Wow. Your minion is tiny, but she’s rather scary, Lucien. Reminds me of our mother.”
“We don’t have the same mother. You were spawned by Loki’s handmaiden, while I am the product of a union between Odin and the goddess, Freya.”
“In your dreams, rasshole.”
“The crate,” Lucien inserted. He sounded like he was speaking through set teeth. The other twin backed a step to match his brother. Both put their hands up, palms outward. Ashley sank slowly to floor. She even managed to look graceful as she did it. That was pleasing.
“Fine. Ethelstone will fetch it while I deliver the message.”
“Nice try, brother. We will both fetch it. And then we will both deliver the message.”
“Yes. And then we must repair the door.”
“Repair it? Why?”
“We broke it. Akron warned us last time.”
“Lucif—uh. I mean Lucien doesn’t look like he will wait that long.”
“We have to put it back in place. At the very least. So it will close.”
“But that will take—”
“If you don’t move your asses, I’m going to show you why I was called Lucifer.” Lucien interrupted them in a whisper that sent gooseflesh roving Ashley’s spine. Tightened her nipples. She moved her arms higher to hide it.
“Works for me,” one twin replied.
“Me, too.”
“You with me, Ethel?”
“As Darryl says, I am on your six. And don’t call me Ethel.”
A blink of time later, and a truck-sized crate was delivered. They placed it on the floor just inside the doorframe. And then they were dusting their hands and nodding, and if Lucien hadn’t stopped them, they’d have left.
“And just where do you think you are going?”
“Uh...back?” one of them answered.
“Without delivering the message?”
“Oh. Yeah. That. He wants you to call him.”
“No. He only wants a call if Lucifer—I mean, Lucien needs him.”
“Why would I need him?” Lucien asked.
“Assistance.”
“Oh. Yes. That is it. Akron said if you need assistance to contact him.”
“Assistance with what?”
“Some investigation you are conducting. Akron didn’t give us particulars.”
Lucien grunted. “I’m not surprised. You may go. And take Ethelstone with you. I’ll handle the door.”
Both men stopped. Stared. And then one asked. “How do you know which of us you’re addressing?”
Lucien grinned. “I’m playing the law of averages, boys.”
“You are?”
“I have a fifty-fifty chance of being right, regardless of my choice.”
“But you are always right.”
“Yes. You must have the luck of the devil.”
“Oh. Good one, brother.”
The both laughed, and then both smacked each other. This time both of them rocked a bit. And then they tossed an arm about the other’s shoulder, turned, and left. Ashley just shook her head. She didn’t know what to say. Those two were like a small cyclone.
“I suppose you know I wasn’t telling the truth.” Lucien whispered it right at her ear. He should’ve expected the jump she made.
“Which...time?”
“I really do know which twin is which. Did you catch it?”
Ashley swiveled. He was very close. Almost too close, if she wanted her mouth and brain to work. “Oh...I’m going to guess that they’re mirrored identical twins.”
His eyebrows rose.
“And if they ever seriously fought, I know which one I’d bet on.”
“Really? Which?”
“The left-handed one.”
A smile touched his lips. “Ah...you noticed that, did you?”
“It’s barely there, but one was born left-hand dominant. He’s ambidextrous now. That’s what happens when it’s corrected over time. He may even have his heart on the opposite side of his chest. If so, he’d survive a normal killing blow. All of which means in a real fight between them, he’ll have the upper hand.”
“Very good. Very good, indeed.”
“Oh please. No praise.”
“It took me...a bit longer to figure it out. Quite a bit longer now that I ponder it.”
“Well. I told you I’m studying forensics. We learn how to pay attention. Notice the smallest detail. I saw that one moved just a hair slower. Everything else being equal, I hypothesized the left-handed, mirrored-theory. So now...the only thing missing is the crucial factor. Which one is left-handed?”
“Ethelstone.”
“Okay. That solves one riddle.”
“Ready for the next?” he asked.
That’s a very big crate. Easily large enough for a king-sized bed. Mattress...
He was sliding a finger along the top of the box as if she’d said it, but he was watching her.
“Next?” Oh bother. She was giving away her eagerness with the breathless tone in her voice.
“Your murderer.”
“Uh...you’re not going to contact Akron?”
He shook his head. “No. But I am going to consider that a clue. ”
“Right. Well, I think I’ll get started with latent fingerprints. And then, if you have a camera, it’ll be a simple move to get any prints onto a computer, which I also assume you have. Then I’ll be asking if you have access to IAFIS.”
“Of course.”
“You have access to all that?”
“If you can’t find it, ask.”
“You really have access to the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System?”
“We have access to everything. Don’t ask how. I didn’t care enough to ask. The Crusader takes care of technological issues.”
“Okay. I’ll just say ‘wow’ and let it go.”
He tightened the belt on his robe, putting all sorts of definition to his frame before he turned. She watched as he strode to the portion of table that was still standing, straddled his stool, and then he put both elbows on the table in order to rest his head in his hands. Ashley waited several seconds before retrieving her parachute pack from where it had fallen. She took it to an exam table, opened drawers beneath it, revealing gloves, dusting compounds, and in one cabinet all sorts of tech gadgets, including a camera with wireless capability. She’d say wow again, but Lucien seemed to have forgotten her existence. He was still posed in one position, studying the pages before him as if the answer was written somewhere.
She shook her head. Turned her back on him. And got to work.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Okay. She didn’t want to bug him, but she’d found more than one print. She’d dusted them, examined them with his Sherlock Holmes’-sized magnifying glass, and found one that wasn’t smeared. Whoever had tried to kill her –no. Correction. Whoever had killed her...well, they hadn’t been careful enough. They’d left a clear partial print. That was lucky. It was an arch. Better yet, a vertical core arch. Even luckier. Fingerprints came in three main categories: Whorls, Loops and Arches. Whorls were about 65% of the population. Loops were about 30%. Arches were 5. She had an arch with a vertical core and that meant much less search time and a lot less time looking at minutiae. She almost let out a whoop.
Ashley glanced over her shoulder at Lucien before celebrating in silence. If all he wanted to do was sit and think...well. She didn’t need his help anyway. Everything she needed seemed to be in this laboratory. It was up-to-date, perfectly maintained, and he even stored things right where she would have. But he’d locked access to every computer, even the old, apartment-sized one over by the fireplace. And she’d only tried logging onto that one when she got desperate.
Looks like she’d have to break
into his thought process after all.
“Lucien?”
He turned and looked over, pinning her in one spot with the blank look in his eyes.
“Um...sorry to disturb you, but I need the computer code.”
He rose and came over, but he wasn’t walking. He was floating. That just made him taller, and more dangerous-looking as he loomed closer. It also made the folds of his robe ruffle before he reached her and dropped to his feet. Damn he was impressive. Fit. Massive. Gorgeous. And this was absurd. She only wanted a code. Although any of these exam tables looked like they’d withstand all kinds of things...like thrusting.
Oh. She really had to keep her mind on task.
He typed something onto a keyboard so rapidly that she missed it.
“You know, Lucien. If you tell me your code, I won’t have to bother you again.”
“Bother me?” He frowned. “Who said you were?”
“Okay. Well. Whatever you were doing, it looked intense. And I had to break into it because I got stymied. You did say you can hook into AIFIS, yes?”
Another flash of his fingers and the site opened. Ashley sent the photo and watched the search. She tried to ignore him placing four more laptops on the table and opening them one at a time. Four. That was interesting.
“You’re going to help me now?” she teased.
“I was always helping.”
He typed something into one of his laptops, before moving to the next. She watched as all kinds of words slid down the first screen, none of it making much sense.
“I was pondering, Ashley.”
“Oh. Really? Not much to ponder, is there? I was killed. Somebody did it. I’m going to find out who would do such a thing...and then I’m paying him a visit.”
Lucien tipped his head and regarded her for a long moment. And then he smiled. Dang! That mark really highlighted everything about him. It gave a sinister edge that added unnecessarily to his sexy vibe. And she really needed to concentrate here.
“Why do you think Akron offered his assistance to me?” he asked.
“Uh...I’m going to say it’s because he knows something.”
“Good. So, now ask yourself...what is it he knows?”
“Call him. Ask.”
“I’d rather figure it out. And he knows it. We’ve done this before.”
“Right. Men. Hey, tell you what, Lucien. You guys run along and play mind games and I’ll just go about the business of figuring out who my killer is.”
She focused on the flashing images of fingerprints on her screen. Looks like they really did have access to AIFIS. That was impressive. Lucien was putting his second laptop into a search. She wasn’t going to look. She wasn’t.
“We’re assassins, Ashley.”
“Oh. Yeah. I heard that part. Something about how everybody dies sooner or later, and since you need to feed...why not get paid, too? You guys don’t do much to improve vampire image, do you? Oh. Wait. I’m one now, too.”
He snorted softly. It could be amusement. It could also be exasperation. She didn’t look to verify.
“Why do you think Akron was there, Ashley?”
“Where?”
“That particular range of the Cascade Mountains. Where you fell.”
“What does that matter?”
“He rarely leaves the castle. He sends others to do his bidding. Yet. For you. He was there.”
“Well...he probably needed to feed.”
“Ashley. He was there because he knew to be there.”
“Oh. Okay. One of those Icelandic twins did just say he was psychic.”
“True. But everyone has psychic abilities. They just don’t tap into them. The reason Akron was there is because he somehow knew how important you are to me. That being the case, I’m pretty sure he was there because he couldn’t allow you to actually die. And he knew you would...because somebody paid for that.”
“Wait a minute. Are you saying he was paid to kill me?”
Her head jerked up. It matched the move her body made. If Lucien hadn’t put a hand on her arm, she’d have slammed into the cabinet behind them.
“Of course not.”
“What makes you so sure?”
He started another search on his third laptop. This time she saw numbers filling the screen. It still didn’t make sense. And she still wasn’t asking.
“Leaving an open Missing Person Case constitutes a loose end. The Vampire Assassin League doesn’t leave loose ends. And...here’s verification. I did a check of our recent history. We gave a quote for your death. Apparently we charged too much. It was declined. Do you wish to see the email trail?” He turned the first laptop around.
“No.” The word was clipped. Angry-sounding. It didn’t carry any of her shock when it should have.
“Very well. I’ll move on. Looks like your story is all over the web. There’s a very large search taking place. Several state agencies have joined in. If you want, you can read all about it...here.” He turned the second monitor towards her.
“You were searching for news of my death?”
He smiled again. And dang! She really loved that mark of his. How it moved with his expressions. The dark, sinister aspect it gave him. As if he needed that. She nearly sighed in appreciation.
“Actually, I was searching for persons who had been in the same plane with you.”
“I could have told you that.”
“True. But you were busy. And I didn’t know if you knew full names. Aliases. And birthdates. Things of that nature.”
“What do you need those for?”
“Murders for hire get grouped into three main categories, darling. Money. Emotion. Position. But when checking for reasons, money is always the first option. And you seem to be worth quite a bit. Look here.”
He called me darling. Oh my. Ashley forced herself to focus on where he pointed to the third laptop screen.
“That’s a nice number. What of it?” Ashley commented.
“That is the current state of your trust fund. I’d say it makes an excellent reason for your murder.”
“Wait a minute. That doesn’t match the last trustee report I got last quarter. That doesn’t look like enough zeroes.”
“Really? That’s an even better reason, love.”
He just called me love! She was soaring, but he just chattered on as if he’d said nothing of much import.
“Somebody with access to you will have a recent large infusion into their bank account. They might have placed it in an off-shore, hidden account. That’s why I needed all that info. You see? I am following the money trail. And look—”
Her computer sent a buzz that interrupted him. They both looked at it.
“I have a match.” Ashley’s hands were actually trembling as she clicked on the image.
“As do I. Let me see. Mine says Claudine Johnson. No. She’s going by Claudette on this transaction. Looks like she just put a nice fat deposit in her new Caribbean bank account in the amount of—”
“Stop!”
Ashley interrupted him. If her blood really was still pumping, it was cold. Her screen showed the exact same name. Claudine Johnson. Her roommate.
“I don’t want to know how much, Lucien. O...kay?”
Her voice broke. This wasn’t fair. Being undead should make it so her heart didn’t hurt like this. The one person she’d called a friend? No. No. No. And then Lucien was there, his arms wrapped about her as he lifted her against him. As if he knew. And then he was whispering in her ear.
“Ashley. Love. People do terrible things for money.”
She shook her head.
“Horrible things. Things they regret.”
“Oh. I’m sure her fat bank balance will help with that.”
“Money can’t salve a conscience forever.”
“Oh. A nice pad, a few pairs of thousand-dollar shoes, and a high-end sports car should probably work just fine.”
“At first. But not always. You can change it.”
As
hley slid her head sideways along his chest, looked up into what were usually solid black eyes. But right now, they were red. Dark, blood red.
“How?”
“Well. You could kill her outright...or...maybe? Just maybe...you might consider spending a few years haunting her. When she least expects it. I’ll help.”
Oh. He had a wicked smile. The slight glimpse of his fangs only added to it. And a moment later she matched it.
“So. You ready for the real villain?”
“We already know. Claudine.”
“Ashley. Love. This Claudine person was merely the tool. Your real killer is the one who paid for the hit.”
“I suppose you know that, too?”
“Money always leaves a trail. Ashley. Despite how careful the perpetrators are. Money has a way of baring its ugly head, especially blood money. You just have to know where to look. I know who deposited the funds in her account. Now I know that it matches the person who sent the original hit request to us.”
“Oh. Let me guess. It’s my step-brother, no doubt. Bob-the-Blob.”
“Really? You would be wrong. According to news accounts, your brother is working the search and absolutely distraught. I don’t believe it’s an act.”
Ashley blinked. It’s not Robert?
“All right,” she replied. “Tell me who it is.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Ashley’s fortune was managed by three trustees – brothers with snooty-sounding names. They were all lawyers, known collectively as The Brinn Group. Thurston, Marston, and Cranston. Her father had been friends with the middle brother since boyhood despite their differences. Marston wasn’t a thrill seeker. He was all lawyer. He didn’t have an adrenaline-fueled cell in his body. He’d gone into business with his brothers, they’d taken Ashley’s money and invested it, and everyone lived well on the proceeds while the trust just kept growing. Her last report showed it to be a sizeable inheritance. On paper.
She could have checked on it. Actually...she hadn’t cared enough to check on anything. As long as they paid the bills she sent, she was fine with their handling of her money.
The original trust amount had come from life insurance. She’d received a hefty payout from the loss of both parents. That had been close to seven figures. The amount had been trebled with a wrongful death pay-out. That lawsuit had been brought by the other skydiver in their accident. If she remembered correctly, he was a paraplegic now. If he still lived. Ashley hadn’t really thought to check on him, either.
