“Gone?” I said. “She quit?”
“She got a new job,” Kitty said. “Frankly, half the office is relieved. She wasn’t very nice and she’d been taking a lot of time off to do interviews. Of course, we didn’t know she was interviewing at the time. The boss found out that she had her assistant falsifying her attendance records to make it look like she was in the office.”
The gears in my mind began clicking. “How recently did this happen? What about last Monday? We were told Dana was in the office all day.”
“Hey,” the guy next to me said. “I bought her a drink so that I could talk to her, not you.”
“This is important,” I said.
“You’re a chick. Nothing you have to say is that important,” the guy said.
Alec made a threatening noise beside me.
“I can handle this,” I said over my shoulder.
The wereleopard’s arm shot out and knocked the guy straight off the stool. He landed on the floor with a thud. She smiled demurely at him. “Thanks for the drink.”
“Apparently, she can handle this,” I told Alec.
Kitty took the guy’s spot on the stool and he scrambled away, swearing as he went. “Anyhoo, Dana was out for at least two hours on Monday. I distinctly remember because it was Sabrina’s birthday and we had cake upstairs in the fishbowl. Dana never misses out on cake. It was Red Velvet.”
“She lied,” I said under my breath. But no, the examiner found werewolf fur on Tatiana’s wings. There was no evidence of a vampire’s involvement.
“Why would she lie to you about the fact that she was on a job interview?” Kitty asked.
“Because she wasn’t on a job interview,” I said.
She pushed her glasses back to the bridge of her nose. “She wasn’t?”
I whipped around and looked at Alec. “I’m sorry to leave already, but I need to go talk to someone.” Several thoughts were fighting for space in my head. Meadow’s aunt and uncle. The mysterious inheritance. I was close to a breakthrough. I could feel it. I had to get downtown.
Alec slid off the stool. “I’ll join you.”
“No, I don’t think you should,” I said.
“I’ve been ruled out as a suspect,” he said.
I placed a firm hand on his chest. Sweet baby Elvis, that was one nice chest. “Still, I don’t want the appearance of impropriety.”
“I’ll keep your boyfriend company,” the wereleopard said with a flirtatious smile.
“Thank you,” I said.
She looked at me with surprise. “That’s not usually how the woman responds in this situation.”
I shrugged. “It took a lot for us to get to this point. I’m not worried about him.”
Alec reached for me. In the blink of an eye, I was in his arms. He kissed me deeply before releasing me. “Call me if you need me. I won’t hesitate to come.”
The wereleopard sighed. “Why are all the good ones taken?” She guzzled down the ale, despondent.
The parrot flapped his wings and squawked. “I’ve got a good one right here.”
I groaned. “Okay then. That’s my cue to leave.” I grabbed my handbag and raced out of the Whitethorn. If my theory was right, I’d have a killer behind bars before the night was over.
Chapter Seventeen
The fitness center appeared dark from the outside. There was no sign of activity, but I’d passed Jake’s truck in the parking lot. He had to be here.
Slowly, I pushed open the door and slipped inside. I didn’t want to give him any warning. My plan was to pepper him with questions until he broke. I felt my wand poke me in the back and it gave me comfort. Jake was stronger than me in both human and wolf form. If he decided to resort to violence, I had to be ready to defend myself with magic.
At the back of the building, a light glowed. Jake’s office. Bingo.
I crept down the small corridor and peered inside. I snapped back, unprepared for what I saw.
Jake was sprawled across the desk with Dana writhing on top of him. Thankfully, they were both fully clothed. Or mostly clothed. Jake’s shirt was missing and I took note of Dana’s bra hanging from a rafter.
Seeing them together helped the final pieces of the puzzle click into place. I tried to back out of the office as quietly as possible, so that I could alert the sheriff and Deputy Bolan to my discovery. Walking backward was not my specialty, however, and I managed to catch my heel and trip. I landed squarely on my bottom and swallowed my cry when my tailbone hit the floor.
“What was that noise?” Dana asked.
Stupid vampire hearing!
Dana poked her head out of the office. “What are you doing here?” she asked when she spotted me on the floor. Her voice sparked with anger and suspicion.
I scrambled backward like a crab. “I came to see Jake, but I can see he’s busy, so I wanted to show myself out.”
Dana gave her boyfriend a menacing look. “Are you cheating on me again, you filthy animal?”
Jake appeared in the corridor. “No, baby. Of course not.”
“I wanted to set up personal training sessions with Jake,” I lied.
Dana eyed me carefully. “How personal?” She turned to Jake. “I am not going to marry you if you keep this up. I can’t constantly wonder about you when you’re not with me.”
Jake held up his hands. “I swear, baby. There’s no one else. There never has been. You know that.”
I tried to rise to my feet, but Dana was too quick for me. Stupid vampire speed! She was beside me in a nanosecond, her foot pressing hard on my stomach.
“Don’t move,” the vampire said. “You look familiar.”
Jake came over to examine me. “She’s the one asking about Tatiana.” They exchanged looks of alarm, the realization settling in.
“The investigation is over,” I lied. The tip of my wand dug into my back. I had to reach it somehow, but Dana was too fast for me, especially when she was practically on top of me.
The vampire studied me. “Over? You caught the killer?”
“Yes,” I said. “A werewolf named Nola.”
Dana didn’t remove her foot from my stomach, but she appeared to take the news in stride. “Thank the devil. It’s about time justice was served. Isn’t that right, Jake?”
“Absolutely,” the werewolf said. “I can’t believe it was one of my own.”
“She’s an Arctic wolf,” I said. “Not quite your pack.” I gestured to Dana’s foot. “Would you mind removing your foot? I’d like to stand.” And leave. Quickly.
Dana lifted her foot, but I sensed her hesitation. “Why can’t I read your mind?” she asked.
I hopped to my feet and took a step backward. “My boyfriend is a vampire. Alec Hale.”
Dana’s eyes flickered with recognition. I figured if she knew Alec was my boyfriend that she’d be less inclined to—you know—kill me.
“Can you teach me how to do that?” Jake asked.
Dana shot him an annoyed look. “So you can lie to me, Jake? I don’t think so. We’re not going to start our lives as husband and wife with secrets.”
“How about I leave you two to enjoy your special time?” I said. “Sorry to interrupt. Jake, we can discuss training another time.”
Dana studied me. “Why are you so nervous?”
“Because you’re a vampire with an anger management issue,” I said. “And you just accused me of cheating with your boyfriend.”
Dana scrutinized me. “Tell me. How did Nola kill Tatiana?”
“According to the evidence, Nola knocked her on the head and threw her in the pool where she drowned,” I replied. “We found werewolf fur, too.”
“That’s right,” Jake said. A look of confusion crossed his face. “And the evidence matched Nola’s?”
Dana swiveled toward her boyfriend and smacked him in the stomach. “Of course it matches Nola’s, idiot. She’s the killer.”
“I’m glad that’s cleared up,” I said. “I’ll see you around.” I took a step backward.
<
br /> “It’s probably best that you don’t tell anyone about Jake and me. We’re trying to keep our relationship low-key in light of Tatiana’s unfortunate passing.”
“We’re getting married,” Jake said.
I thought Dana was going to sink her teeth into his neck until it snapped. “Shut up, Jake,” she said.
“What?” Jake’s expression was pure innocence. “What does it matter if everyone knows now? Tatiana is dead and they arrested Nola. We’re not suspects anymore, which means we can leave town and start our life together.” He hooked his arm around Dana’s waist. “I can’t wait to shout it from the rooftops. Dana Ellsworth and Jake Goode are finally getting married!”
“Good luck to both of you,” I said, and turned to leave. I now had enough information to have them both arrested. I just needed to alert Deputy Bolan.
“Hey, I told you when you interviewed me that I was leaving town as soon as the investigation was over,” Jake said. “If you know Nola’s the killer, why would you come to me now to start personal training?”
I froze in my tracks and swiveled around. “I thought you might be able to set me up with a daily routine before you go. I mean, you’re the best in town, right?”
“Of course I am.” He stood perfectly erect, soaking up the admiration.
Dana rolled her eyes. “Are you that much of a moron, Jake? Apparently, a woman doesn’t need magic to pull one over on you. A little ego stroke and…”
I didn’t wait around to hear the rest. Instead, I bolted for the door.
I heard the snarl behind me and whipped around with my wand in my hand. “Glaciare!” I turned quickly and aimed too high. I missed the wolf completely, covering a picture on the wall in a sheen of ice instead.
He surged forward and I ran. I threaded my way through the row of elliptical machines and climbed up onto the seat of a stationary bicycle so that I could grab one of the ribbons that hung from the ceiling. I shimmied to the top to stay out of reach. The wolf jumped and snapped his jaws. I swung forward and caught the next ribbon, then tucked my legs under me—not as easy as it sounds when hanging from the ceiling.
Dana’s fangs glimmered in the dim light. I had to make another move. The vampire could easily vault from a piece of equipment and grab me. With my fingers curled tightly around the ribbon, I maneuvered my wand to point at Dana. The way she was looking at me made the back of my neck prickle. Her expression was cold and calculating.
“You can’t kill me,” I said. “Then the sheriff will know it was you. That you were covering your tracks with Tatiana.”
Dana folded her arms. “How ironic would it be if both girlfriends of Alec Hale and Sheriff Nash were murdered in the same week?”
The large wolf watched with angry eyes as I swayed overhead.
“Tatiana manipulated them,” I said. “Just like she did to Jake. You’re all victims of Tatiana’s treachery.” Of course, that didn’t give anyone carte blanche to kill her.
“She was supposed to be my best friend and she destroyed my relationship with Jake. For fun. I wasted years being bitter and angry with him. I should have believed him when he first told me.” She cast a glance at the wolf. “I guess I needed a few years to thaw out.”
The wolf howled.
“I know, baby.” She turned back to me. “When Jake suggested luring her back here, I was all for it. Tatiana didn’t deserve to live. All she did was spread misery and pain. She was a disease that needed to be eradicated.”
My arms began to ache and my hands grew slick with sweat. I wouldn’t be able to dangle much longer. A variety of spells ran through my mind. I had to tackle Dana first, then Jake. She was the bigger threat while I was up here.
“Come down,” Dana said. “Don’t make this harder on yourself than it has to be.”
“I’m not making it harder for me,” I said. “I’m making it harder for you.” And then I realized what would make it even harder.
I released my wand-free hand from the ribbon and reached into my pocket. Pain radiated down my other arm as I fought to hold on. I closed my hand around the small drawstring bag inside and began to chant in Latin.
Dana saw I was up to something. She ran to the nearest elliptical machine to launch herself at the ribbon. She leaped into the air just as I disappeared. She swiped at the empty air and missed, dropping to the floor. Thankfully, she was too consumed by confusion and rage to notice the swinging motion of the neighboring ribbon—the one I’d grabbed in my invisible state.
“What in the devil’s name?” Dana said. She stood beneath me, hands on hips. Her head swiveled, trying to understand what happened. “Can that witch teleport?”
I gripped the ribbon with both hands and tried to stay motionless. The spell wouldn’t last forever. I had to sneak out before I reappeared.
The wolf sniffed the air and growled. Crap on a stick. Jake could smell that I was still here. At least he was on the floor.
I waited until Dana turned her head again and oh-so-carefully reached for the next ribbon. The closer I could get to the exit, the better.
“Jake, find her trail and track her,” Dana ordered. “We have to stop her before she gets to the sheriff.”
The wolf circled below me, trying to locate my scent. I had to make another move. My heart was hammering so hard and fast that I was sure they could both hear it. I reached for the next ribbon and, thanks to the wand I still clutched in my hand, my fingers failed to make it all the way around the material. I fell to the floor, albeit still invisible.
The wolf whipped toward me and growled. Although I knew he couldn’t see me, he could sense my presence.
“You smell her, Jake?” Dana squinted in my direction, but she was slightly off the mark.
I backed away slowly, trying to reach the door. Only a few more steps.
Dana’s lips curled into a cruel smile at the same time my body stopped tingling. “Going somewhere?” she asked sweetly.
The wolf lunged and I raced for the door. Sharp nails sliced my back and I cried out in pain. I felt the blood seeping from the wound. I fell into the door and pushed it open with my body, spilling onto the walkway. I flipped onto my bottom, ignoring the pain, and kicked the door closed before my attackers had a chance to follow me outside.
I summoned my will and pointed my wand at the door. “Glaciare!” Ice covered the door and sealed it shut. I couldn’t believe I remembered that spell. The last time I’d used it was to save Cephas. Actually, that wasn’t strictly true. I’d used it chill a bottle of white wine a few weeks ago, when I was too lazy to stick it in the freezer for a couple of hours. Magic had its perks.
Dana pounded on the door, vowing to tear me into pieces. I dragged myself to my feet and pulled out my phone to call for help. It wouldn’t take Dana and Jake long to break through one of the side windows.
Before I finished dialing, lights flashed behind me. I spun around to see the sheriff’s car pulling into the parking lot. Sheriff Nash shot out of the car like it was on fire.
“Go around the side before they leave through the window,” I yelled. Between the invisibility spell and the ice spell, I was too drained of energy to perform any more magic.
The sheriff disappeared around the corner of the building and emerged a few minutes later, appearing satisfied. “They’re both down. I’ll just need to transport them.”
“Down?” I echoed. “How did you manage that?”
He patted his jacket. “Tranquilizer gun.”
I finally relaxed. “How did you know to come here?” I asked.
The sheriff refused to meet my gaze. “I saw unusual activity and decided to check it out.”
I closed my eyes, the realization setting in. “You were patrolling again, weren’t you?”
He raked a hand through his dark hair. “You know I worry about you, Rose. Without knowing the who or why of Tatiana’s death, I was concerned that you might be a target.”
“You don’t need to worry about me,” I said. “It’s not your
job.”
He didn’t get a chance to argue because Deputy Bolan pulled into the parking lot, his siren blaring. “I’m here!” He hopped out of the car without even bothering to close the door. “What happened?”
“Jake and Dana,” I said. “They were in cahoots this whole time. They lured Tatiana here with the promise of a fake inheritance and then killed her. My guess is Dana hit her in the head with the chair and then Jake pushed her in the pool in his wolf form. That’s why his fur was stuck to her wings.”
Deputy Bolan’s expression darkened. “Revenge is an ugly business.”
“You should take another sample of Jake’s fur while he’s still in wolf form,” I said. “It’ll match what was found at the crime scene.”
“I’m surprised he actually gave a sample the first time,” the deputy said. “He had to know it would be a match.”
“Did he bring the sample or did you have him turn and take it from him at the office?” Sheriff Nash asked.
Ohhhh. “He didn’t submit a sample of his own fur, did he?”
“Doubtful,” the sheriff said.
So even if the lab hadn’t botched the samples, they wouldn’t have found a match. Jake was smarter than he appeared.
“I bet it was Dana’s idea,” the sheriff said. “There was a reason she and Tatiana were friends before the fallout over Jake. Cunning doesn’t begin to describe them.”
Hmm, good point. I gave Jake too much credit.
“I wasn’t there when Jake brought in his sample,” Deputy Bolan said. “I guess we’ll need to review protocol with everyone in the office.”
The sheriff hooked his thumbs through the belt loops of his tight jeans. “Good idea, but I’ve got to accept responsibility, too. If I’d been more involved, I could’ve prevented it.”
“You couldn’t have been more involved,” I protested. “It wouldn’t have looked good.”
“Since when do I care about that, Rose?” he said. “This is my town and crime here is my responsibility.”
“Do you need help getting them into the car?” I asked.
“We’ll take it from here,” the sheriff said. “You can come by the office tomorrow morning to give me the full story. Right now you should go see a healer to take care of those cuts on your back.”
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