“Maybe. Maybe not.” I shrugged. “But I haven’t seen much from the Underworld that scares me, Cyrus.”
“Can we please have a nice, normal conversation?” Joey kicked off his sandals and threw himself on my bed. “No monsters. No myths. No magic.”
He picked up my tablet, swiped his finger across the screen, and glared at me. “You just can’t let it go, can you?”
“Give me that.” I snatched the tablet away from him. “I was doing research.”
“Right.” Joey stretched out on my bed. “And how is an article on the Westchester School not related to work?”
I knocked his legs aside to sit down. “Don’t you find it a little strange that we’re flying all over the country now that Elliot has decided he’s going to be a bad guy? What is so special about these places that we have to investigate them right now? With no breaks in between?”
“Not a damned thing.” Joey looked over at Cyrus. “Elliot is scared of you two. He’s well past the whole broken hearted stage. He’s probably been sitting in his dad’s mansion in Malibu trying to plot out his revenge.”
“Not you, too.” I groaned. “No more bad guy puns. I can’t stand it.”
I jumped when I heard another knock at the door. Cyrus shook his head and pulled it open. A woman dressed in a standard hotel uniform pushed a cart inside loaded with enough food to feed an army. I cut my eyes over to Joey who almost knocked me off the bed in his haste to get over to her. My friend rubbed his hands together over the covered trays with a laugh.
“Finally!” He pulled out his wallet and handed her a single bill. “Charge it to this room, will you? You’re a life saver.”
The server gave Joey a shaky smile before she glanced over at me. She didn’t say anything before she all but ran out of the room. Cyrus closed the door behind her and rolled his eyes.
“Your reputation precedes you, Evie. That poor girl was scared to death.”
“Too bad Hera isn’t.” I snatched a yeast roll off of the plate Joey uncovered. I curled up against the pillows across from the feast he was busy setting up on my bed. “Joey, I want you to move in with me.”
“Whoa, Eva.” Joey held up his hands. “We’re moving a little fast, don’t you think? At least buy me dinner before we start talking about a long term commitment here.”
“I just did.” I smirked at his joke. “In all seriousness, I don’t want you to be out on your own when we get back to L.A. If you’re living with me, you’ll be better protected against Elliot.”
Joey fell silent as he picked up his plate. He inhaled three big mouthfuls of pasta before he spoke. “Eva, I love you. You know that. But I can’t move in with you. I do manly things. In a manly fashion. You’d put a damper on all that.”
“You play video games and read The Perfect Shot.” I countered. “That’s not manly. That’s just sad.”
“Again, ouch.” Joey shook his head. “Besides, I can protect myself, you know. I’ve been shooting targets since I was a kid. Elliot doesn’t have a chance against my mad aiming skills.”
“When you shot him at Great Falls, it only slowed him down.” I tore a piece off of my roll to point it at him. “You do realize how close you came to being sacrificed to Hera, right?”
“Are we going to talk about that again? I thought we agreed no monsters tonight.”
“Just think about it.” I popped the bread into my mouth. “If it makes you feel any better, then you can help Cyrus protect me.”
“Do I get a raise?” Joey smirked. “Cameraman. Bodyguard. I can hear the cash registers clinging now.”
“Fine. If you don’t want to move in with me, I won’t make you.” I sighed. “I mean, it’s not like I’d make you pay rent or anything. You could do whatever you wanted with the money you’d save every month.”
“Wait.” Joey lowered his plate for the first time since we started talking. “No rent?”
“No. I own the condo. Bought it from Theia just before we signed the contracts for the second season” I leaned over to take the bottled water Cyrus was offering me. “But hey. No hard feelings. Manly things are very important. I understand completely.”
“Don’t be so hasty, Evie.” Joey grinned. “You won’t be that much of a dampener. When can I move in?”
I returned his grin. “As soon as we get back home. There are three guest rooms upstairs. You can have your pick.”
“Well, I suppose so. I guess I could make a sacrifice or two for your protection.”
Joey finished off his food then started on the next plate he had ordered. I relaxed against the pillows. I was expecting Joey to be dead set against moving in with me. Not that I could blame him. I could understand the need to be independent. But I knew he couldn’t resist the part about not paying rent.
"So have you figured out how our dear producer came back from the dead yet?" Joey pointed at me with his fork. "He scared the crap out of me when he showed up at the office."
I rubbed the bridge of my nose between two fingers to buy time to come up with the answer. The trouble was I didn't have one.
"Honestly? I have no idea. And not even Google is helping on this one. Every time I type in 'mysterious resurrection', I get a whole host of answers. Just none that pertain to our situation."
"What do Cyrus' books say?" Joey took a bite of chicken. "Hell, what does Cyrus say? He knows everything."
"Not everything. I attribute Lancaster's return to Hera's connection to Hades. I'm sure she convinced her brother-in-law to release his soul."
"Brother-in-law?" I tapped my fingers against my knee. "They are related?"
"Through marriage. Hades is Zeus' brother." My keeper batted at my fingers playfully. "It seems that I have failed you, Little One. You should know every connection between the gods by now."
"That's what I have you for, Stick. You are my walking encyclopedia for everything I don't have time to learn."
"Or rather, what you don't want to bother to learn."
Cyrus smirked as he grabbed the remote to power up the television. He flipped through the channels until I sat up with a start.
“Go back one, Stick.”
“I’m sorry?” Cyrus glanced at me over his shoulder. “Which channel?”
“CNN.”
I folded my legs beneath me. My keeper did as I asked. The images on the screen were a blur until he stopped it on the news channel. They were showing the classic picture of the Hollywood sign, but that’s not what caught my attention. The headline across the bottom did.
California Cutter Strikes Again- Another Body Found in the Hollywood Hills.
“Where do they come up with these names?” Joey groaned. “California Cutter? It sounds like a set of infomercial knives.”
“Hush.”
I leaned forward when the reporter started talking. The camera panned out to show a man dressed in an impeccable suit standing about a hundred feet away from a thin line of yellow crime scene tape. He was seriousness personified as he began to talk.
“A fifth body was found in the Hollywood Hills this morning. The L.A.P.D. isn’t releasing any details yet, but many are speculating this is the work of the California Cutter. The serial killer has left four bodies, all with their throats slit and hearts ripped out along the trail leading to the Hollywood sign.”
“Are there any leads?” The screen split in half to show an anchor at a news desk beside the reporter on scene. “What has led you to believe this is the same killer?”
“None. My sources tell me that the police are scurrying for answers on this one, Charles. Four – now five bodies – in three weeks. No trace evidence has been found. And there appears to be no common thread between the victims. Only the method of death and location stayed the same.”
The reporter glanced at someone off camera before he continued. "I'm being told that a small token was found near the body. A glass peacock."
“Elliot.” I breathed. “Guys, we have got to get back to Los Angeles.”
“Evie
, aren’t you making a leap?” Joey stole my bottle water out of my lap to take a swig. “I mean, California is known for its crazies. The killer could be anyone.”
“It could be, but it’s not.” I jumped off the bed. “How fast can we get a flight to LAX from here?”
“You’re serious.” Cyrus tossed the remote in the area I had just vacated. “Do you truly believe that Lancaster is behind this?”
I nodded. “Yes. Look at the similarities between what Elliot did in Montana versus what we just heard.”
I began to tick my argument off on my fingers. “Throats slit? Check. Hearts ripped out? Check. The murders starting exactly three weeks ago after Elliot started sending us all over the country? Check. The peacock thing? Even I know that is a symbol for Hera.”
The air in the room got really thick when I fell silent. I grabbed my tablet off the nightstand and started punching my finger at the screen.
“What are you doing, Little One?”
Cyrus and Joey both huddled around me as I pulled up the airline’s website. I typed in what I needed while muttering to myself.
“That’s why he’s kept us out of L.A. He didn’t want us to stop him from his little murder spree.”
“What about the episode?” Joey put his empty plate back on the cart. “We can’t leave in the middle of filming.”
“Yes, we can.” I typed in my credit card number and hit ‘Send’. “We will come back on Thursday to finish it up, I promise. But for now, we need to figure out how we can stop his madness.”
“How?” Cyrus began to pace in front of the television. “How do you propose we stop him, Eva? Violence?”
“If it comes to that.” I shrugged. “Ok. Three tickets purchased for one flight to LAX. It leaves at 6 a.m. so you better be ready to go, Joey.”
“Always.” Joey ruffled my hair, snatched another roll off the tray, and headed to the door. “What are you going to tell Leyton and Elizabeth?”
“The truth.” I closed my tablet down before tucking it in my messenger bag. “They can stay here if they want.”
“I’ll tell them.” Joey threw open the door. “Good night, Evie. See you before the dawn.”
I watched him go then fell back on the bed with a groan. I knew Elliot had gone insane. I’d seen it for myself. But for him to go out and start murdering people?
I didn't want to believe it. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe Joey was right and I was taking a leap. Putting together a puzzle that didn't exist. But I knew better. I felt Cyrus sit down next to me, but I didn’t open my eyes as I started talking.
“What happened to him, Cyrus? The Elliot I knew would have never hurt a fly. Now, I’m convinced he is out there slitting people’s throats.”
“Perhaps it isn’t him.” Cyrus offered, but I could hear the doubt in his voice. “There are many people who could have committed the murders.”
“Not like that. Not so soon after what we learned in Montana.” I cracked open one eye then closed it when I saw the look of concern on my keeper’s face. “I won’t do anything stupid, I promise.”
“You never do.” Cyrus wrapped a strand of my hair around his finger and tugged on it. “Reckless? Yes. Foolish? At times. But never stupid.”
“Thanks for the pep talk.” I opened my eyes. “Sleep?”
“I think that’s a wonderful idea.” Cyrus smiled. “Go. Get ready for bed. I’ll push the feast out into the hallway.”
I pulled myself up, grabbed my pajamas out of the bag, and was back in the bed ten minutes later. Just before I felt my exhaustion lull me to sleep, I whispered a prayer to Apollo against my pillow.
Please let me be wrong.
Chapter Three
I didn’t stop from the second we landed at LAX. Joey and Cyrus grabbed our bags while I picked up the tab for parking my cars. Then we were off. I refused to go by the condo first. I had to see Elliot. I had to confront him.
Even if my heart was screaming at me that I was wrong. I had to be. I didn’t want to believe that the man I had once loved could stoop so low. But I knew better. Elliot had turned into a killer when he sacrificed our Native American contact to Hera. He would have killed Joey too if I hadn’t stopped him in time.
“We’re here, Little One.” Cyrus pulled into my parking spot at Theia Productions. I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. It was just after eight. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“No.” I opened the door. “But it’s the only one I’ve got. Let’s go.”
The three of us marched inside without a word. I ignored the co-workers who tried to greet us. I didn't even stop by the coffee shop on the first floor. I kept going until I reached the door to Elliot’s newly minted office that was given to him when he took over as the producer to Grave Messages.
I threw open the door and stormed inside. If Elliot was surprised to see me, he hid it well. He swiveled around in his chair as I crossed the room to his desk.
“What in the hell do you think you are doing?” I hissed. “You can’t just go out and murder people.”
“Hello to you too, doll.” Elliot gave me a cold grin. “Your dog must have been watching the news again.”
“Cyrus is not a dog.” I snapped. “Tell me you are not the California Cutter, Elliot. Surely you haven’t gone that far off the deep end.”
Elliot grabbed my wrist and jerked me forward until his nose was touching mine. “You are making a pretty serious allegation, Sibyl. You sure you got the right person?”
I studied his hard blue eyes for a moment before I nodded. I didn’t want to believe it, but somehow, I knew that my prayer to Apollo had gone unanswered. Elliot was the man the police were looking for. “Yes. Yes, I do.”
“Go.” Elliot released me then turned to a pile of papers on his desk. “What is done is done. And you are supposed to be in Oregon.”
“That’s why you’ve been running us ragged, isn’t it?” I rubbed my wrist as Cyrus appeared next to me. “You are afraid of me. You know I will stop you.”
Elliot laughed. He actually threw his head back and laughed.
“I am not afraid of you, girl. I have the most powerful goddess in existence on my side.” He snapped the papers down. “And what, exactly, are you planning on doing to stop me?”
Elliot was standing in front of me before I realized he had even moved. He started to lean in, but stopped when Cyrus’ weapon came between us.
“Ah, yes. Your keeper.” Elliot sneered Cyrus’ title. “Always there when you need him. Always ready to protect the hold he has on you.”
“Elliot,” I warned. “Stop this. Right now.”
“Or what? You’ll go to the police?” Elliot chuckled. I shuddered at the sound of it. “Go ahead. See how fast they dismiss you out right as another star looking for publicity. I’m the King here, baby. I can destroy you any time I want to.”
“When did you get so cheesy?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “And last time I checked? Your dad was in charge. Not you. He’s the only reason you’re even allowed in the building.”
“Leave.” Elliot’s voice grew deeper. Colder. “Go back to playing the starlet. You have no business here.”
“No. I am staying here. In L.A.” I stomped my foot against the carpet. “And if this doesn’t stop, I’ll go higher than the police. I’ll find a way to keep you from hurting anyone else.”
I turned on my heel and headed out of his office when Elliot’s next words made my heart grow cold.
“I’ve heard Hera put a bounty on your head, Sibyl. I’d be careful if I were you. There is more than one way to put you out of commission.”
***
“I hate him. I hate him. I hate him.”
I threw my bags down in the foyer when we reached the condo. For his part, Cyrus was good to me. He listened to me rant and rave about Elliot all the way home. Even Joey kept quiet as I unleashed my anger in the car. Cyrus disappeared into the kitchen while I collapsed on the couch.
“Can I get in on your solo conversation?” Joey
stood in front of me with his hands tucked into his pockets. “Or do you still have more colorful words to add to my vocabulary?”
When I didn’t respond, Joey plopped down on the couch next to me.
“If it helps, I think you’re right about Elliot. I think he’s dangerous.” Joey held up his hand when I started to interrupt him. “But I also think that Elliot’s right about the police. You will be laughed out of the station if you try to tell them that the son of Theia Production’s owner is a serial killer.”
I rested my elbows against my knees before burying my face in my hands. “Then what do we do, Joey? I tried killing him once and it didn’t work. Going to Joseph Lancaster isn’t going to do any good either.”
“What about the paparazzi?” Cyrus had appeared in front of me with a coffee mug in his hand. He passed it over to me. “If they follow your every move, why not his?”
I took the mug with a nod of thanks as I thought about what Cyrus had said. “You’re amazing, Cyrus. Have I ever told you that?”
My keeper winked at me as Joey pulled his phone out of his pocket. He stood up and went over to the windows as he dialed. I raised an eyebrow in my camera man’s direction as I sipped on my drink. Joey spoke in hushed tones for a second before he laughed.
“Thanks, man. I owe you one.”
He pressed a button on his phone and grinned with such triumph, I wanted to laugh. Instead, I raised an eyebrow at him.
“What are you doing?” I watched him put the phone back up to his ear. “Joey?”
“Calling every press hound and paparazzi I know. If we can keep the spotlight on Elliot, we can slow him down. Surely he wouldn’t kill somebody with cameras present.”
Cyrus nodded. “It will buy us time. I need to contact Apollo to see if he is aware of the bounty on you, Little One.”
I felt absolutely useless as the two of them became immersed in their phones. I tapped my fingers against my mug with anxious anticipation. I was two seconds away from driving back to the office to keep an eye on Elliot myself when Cyrus began to whistle between his teeth.
The Oracle Series: Vols. 4, 5, & Grave Endowments Page 3
