Ghost Hunter gh-4

by Jayne Castle

  "I'm aware of your family history," he said quietly.

  "Of course you are." She opened her eyes and turned her head on the seat to look at him. "It's one of the reasons you wanted to marry me."

  He concentrated on the narrow street. "What's your point?"

  "Regardless of my personal issues with the archaic traditions of the Guilds, I do have a strong sense of loyalty to them and a respect for their role in history. I also have an appreciation of their ongoing importance as emergency militias. I am not stupid. I realize that catching the blue freak is extremely important. You'll have my full cooperation in your investigation."

  He paused at a stoplight.

  "Thank you," he said quietly.

  "You're welcome."

  "By the way, I would never, ever call you stupid. One of the things I admired and respected about you from the beginning was your intelligence. I think you know that."

  "Yes, I do," she said. "I apologize for implying otherwise."

  "Damn. If this conversation gets any chillier we're both going to freeze our frickin' asses off inside this car."

  Her mouth twitched. "I agree." She straightened in the seat. "So, on to business. When do you want to go to The Road to the Ruins?"

  "Can you really get us inside tonight?"

  "I think so, yes." She looked at her watch. "It's almost midnight. The place will just be starting to come alive." She reached into her purse. "I'll phone Garrick and Phillip. I'm sure they'll still be awake. They're late-night types. We can stop by their place on the way to the club and pick up the pass."

  "What about Rose?"

  She reached up and patted the dust bunny. "I think she's had enough excitement for one evening. We'll drop her off at my apartment."

  *****

  GARRICK LATTIMER SLIPPED HIS WELL-MANICURED HANDS into the pockets of his intricately embroidered black silk dressing gown and rocked gently on his silk-slippered feet. He surveyed Cooper with grave interest.

  "So you're a friend of Elly's, and you're visiting from out of town," he said.

  Cooper walked across the white carpet to take in the view of the Dead City. The interrogation had begun, he thought.

  From the moment Garrick and his companion, Phillip Manchester, had opened the door of the apartment a few minutes ago, he had known he was under close scrutiny by the pair.

  This was going to be almost as bad as the day he invited Elly's father into his office and informed him that he would like to discuss the possibility of a Covenant Marriage with his daughter, he thought.

  Garrick and Phillip were both urbane, middle-aged, and physically fit in a way that suggested regular spa and gym maintenance work. It had been clear from the start that they were very fond of Elly.

  Their elegant white-on-white apartment was punctuated with valuable-looking Colonial-era antiques, the occasional elegantly lit alien artifact, and a judicious amount of pre-Era of Discord art. One large bookcase was filled with rare books.

  The expensive, tasteful surroundings and the pair's polished veneer hadn't fooled Cooper for a second. He knew a couple of tough specter-cats when he saw them. Garrick and Phillip might be living a comfortable, sophisticated lifestyle these days, but he was willing to bet that somewhere in their pasts they had both spent time doing things that were a lot more dangerous and demanding than operating a fashionable antique shop.

  Immediately following the introductions and a few pleasantries, Phillip had whisked Elly into the study to collect the magic nightclub pass, leaving Garrick alone with Cooper. Not an accident, Cooper knew. More like a setup.

  "I'm from Aurora Springs," Cooper said, choosing his words carefully. Elly's description of him as a friend had rankled.

  Garrick nodded, as though some inner suspicions had been confirmed. "You're the ex-fiancé, then, I take it."

  Cooper swung around, concealing his surprise with an act of will.

  "She told you about me?" he asked.

  "Elly mentioned that she'd been engaged for a time back in Aurora Springs." Garrick sank gracefully into a wing chair, twitching the fabric of the silk pajama trousers beneath the dressing gown. "She did not tell us much more than that. Never even gave us a name. Phillip and I were made to understand that the experience had been painful and that she wished to put it behind her and start anew."

  "Painful."

  "Yes. And now, after all these months, you show up out of nowhere." Garrick smiled coolly. "Forgive me, but we can't help but be curious and somewhat concerned. Elly has no family here in Cadence City, so those of us who consider ourselves her friends feel rather protective of her."

  "I appreciate that," Cooper said. "Probably more than you know. I've been worried about her."

  "She's doing quite nicely with her little business. Got a growing clientele. She has made a number of friends, but I think she gets a little lonely at times."

  Cooper looked at him from across the room. "Meaning?"

  "Meaning that, after all these months away from her hometown and her family, she is probably somewhat vulnerable emotionally." Garrick put his fingertips together and stopped smiling. "Phillip and I would be most unhappy if it transpired that you were here to take advantage of her or hurt her a second time."

  Cooper whistled softly. "You guys play rez-ball with solid quartz, don't you?"

  Garrick inclined his head. "We do play hardball, yes. I would advise you not to be deceived by appearances. Phillip and I have gone upmarket in recent years, but I assure you, we have not forgotten the lessons we learned when we were in a, shall we say, less savory end of the business."

  Cooper nodded slightly. "I believe you."

  "Good." Garrick looked satisfied. "I'm glad that we understand each other, Cooper. Enjoy yourself at The Road tonight."

  Chapter 17

  TWENTY MINUTES LATER, FEELING VERY MUCH IN control again because she was the one with the coveted amber pass and knew where to park, Elly guided Cooper to a side street near the nightclub.

  "The car should be reasonably safe here," she said when he opened her door. "But you might want to do the license plate ghost trick, just in case. This was once an old warehouse district. Most of these buildings are deserted now, and that means there are a lot of transients."

  He gave the poorly illuminated neighborhood and its seedy, run-down buildings a quick survey.

  "Yeah, I think I'll do that," he said.

  When he had a tiny little ghost going near the license, he took her arm.

  The streets, parking lots, and lanes around The Road to the Ruins were crowded with expensive vehicles. Cabs and limos prowled the scene, disgorging their well-dressed passengers. Women in glittery little dresses the size and weight of handkerchiefs mingled with men who were attired in everything from tailored dinner jackets and trousers to designer leather coats and jeans.

  The club occupied one of the Colonial-era warehouses. Elly had driven past it during the day and noticed that it was virtually unnoticeable, just one more aging Old Quarter building. The only thing that marked it as unusual was the black-and-amber-trimmed door. There was no number on the door. Part of the allure of The Road was that you had to know the address or know someone who did know it.

  Elly assessed the crowd and concluded that she and Cooper blended in quite well. Neither of them had changed since dinner with the Londons. The deep violet sheath and high-heeled sandals that she had on fit in with the other trendy evening dresses.

  Cooper wore a sophisticated, slouchy black jacket over a sleek, gray silk shirt and black trousers. He glided through the flashy crowd like a shark through a school of rainbow eels.

  "There's the VIP entrance," Elly whispered, pointing to a second, unobtrusive doorway marked off with velvet ropes.

  Two squat, massive men, who appeared to be twins, guarded the VIP door. They were dressed in silver-studded leather. Each wore a single gold earring. Their shaved heads gleamed in the flaring torchlight that lit the front of the club.

  One of the twins glanced b
riefly at the pass that Elly showed him. With a crisp, sharp movement of his chin, he indicated that she and Cooper could enter.

  "Ever been to Earth World?" Elly asked as they walked through a doorway that opened as if by magic.

  "The big theme park in Resonance?" Cooper asked.

  "Yes."

  He looked thoughtful. "Not that I recall."

  'Trust me, you would have remembered. They've got all these rides and exhibits designed to show you how things worked back on Earth before the time of the Curtain. There are clunky little cars that you drive without using amber to rez the engines and miniature houses where you can't even turn on the dishwasher with psi energy. Really weird."

  "Doesn't sound familiar."

  "Sheesh. Do you mean to tell me that your folks didn't take you there on vacation when you were a kid?"

  "We usually spent our vacations at one of my mom's excavation sites."

  "That is pathetic."

  "I thought it was sort of interesting at the time." He shrugged. "But maybe you had to be there."

  "Right. Well, the reason I mentioned it is because this club is what you might call an adult version of Earth World. Over the top."

  "Thanks for the heads-up. I'll try not to walk around with my mouth hanging open."

  He was very cool about it, she thought, watching him out of the corner of her eye, but he had to be at least somewhat impressed by the lobby. Sure, he had been around. That didn't change the fact that there was nothing like The Road to the Ruins back home in Aurora Springs.

  The black-and-amber theme had been expanded upon in the lobby where the ebony walls and floor gleamed in the natural green glow of a number of large alien artifacts. The relics were museum quality and emitted a faint tingle of psi energy. The collection included a massive quartz sarcophagus, a couple of elaborately worked columns, and an assortment of urns and vases. The pieces had been placed at random around the shadowy space in a way that suggested the viewer had just walked into a mysterious, heretofore undiscovered archaeological site.

  A wide, shimmering waterfall lit with green lights formed a curtain across one entire wall. The cascade of chartreuse water splashed into a pool to the accompaniment of the sultry beat of a rez-jazz number. An amber-colored pathway snaked around the rim of the pool and vanished behind the waterfall.

  A hostess dressed in a diaphanous gown decorated with three strategically placed fabric triangles appeared.

  "Please allow me to show you to your table," she said softly. She gave Cooper an intimate smile before she turned to lead the way along the waterfall path.

  The back of the hostess's gown plunged so low that it revealed an inch or two of the cleavage that divided her buttocks.

  Elly glanced at Cooper and saw that he was watching the woman's swaying hips. There was an expression of amused interest on his face.

  "If you start drooling," Elly warned, "I swear, we're leaving."

  "Sorry. It's just that you don't see a lot of dresses like that one back in Aurora Springs." He turned his attention to the waterfall. "You know, I don't want to be a poor sport or look like I'm from out of town, but I just had this jacket cleaned."

  "Don't worry, you won't get wet," Elly assured him. "It's actually a series of waterfalls, and they're all very carefully placed to give an illusion of a solid wall of water."

  The path wound through the tiers of cascading emerald waters. When they emerged on the opposite side, Cooper checked his coat and seemed satisfied that it had not sustained any water damage.

  The hostess led them to a curved booth upholstered in black velvet. The table was inlaid with glass and amber and lit from underneath.

  When they were seated and the hostess had departed, Elly leaned back and watched Cooper take in his surroundings.

  The lobby decor only hinted at the atmosphere of exotic, alien mystery that the decorators had obviously sought to achieve. Here in the main room and in the casino, a portion of which was visible from where she and Cooper sat, the theme had been pushed to the max.

  The entire back wall of the old warehouse had been removed to expose the section of the glowing Dead City Wall behind it. The expanse of luminous quartz provided the ultimate in mood lighting for the interior of the club, bathing the scene in an otherworldly glow.

  Several more massive artifacts were strewn about the scene. The effect of so many relics massed together combined with the wall, itself, infused the intimate darkness with the gently intoxicating aura of psi energy.

  A singer dressed in a long, green, skintight gown breathed the words of a lush, sensual song of doomed passion into the microphone. On the glowing dance floor, couples drifted in the shadows.

  Elly smiled, feeling a little smug. "Pretty amazing, isn't it?"

  "Well, it sure isn't the Rendezvous Room back in Aurora Springs," Cooper said.

  "Certainly struck me that way the first time Phillip and Garrick brought me here. Okay, I got you inside. Now what happens, Mr. Enforcer?"

  "The first rule of investigation is to avoid attracting attention. We're going to act like we're a real couple out to enjoy each other's company tonight."

  "How do you suggest we do that?"

  "We order drinks, and then we dance."

  She stiffened, her mind flashing back to the few times they had danced together. On those occasions she had tended to melt like over-rezzed amber in his arms. Dancing with Cooper was dangerous.

  "What's the matter?" Cooper watched a waiter glide toward them through the shadows. "Afraid to dance with me?"

  "Don't be ridiculous." She needed to fortify herself for the ordeal, she thought.

  "What can I bring you?" the waiter asked, setting a bowl of nuts on the glass-and-amber table.

  "I'll have an Emerald Ghost," she said.

  "A fun drink," the waiter said approvingly. He gave Cooper an inquiring look. "And for you, sir?"

  "Whiskey," Cooper said. "Straight up. First Generation, if you have it."

  "Of course, sir. The Road prides itself on a well-stocked backbar. I'll return in a few minutes."

  When he returned he carried a small tray that held the whiskey and a tall glass filled with a frothy concoction adorned with a familiar-looking swizzle stick. He set the violently green drink and the whiskey on the table and left.

  Cooper watched Elly sip the drink through a straw. "So that's an Emerald Ghost."

  "Uh-huh." She drank some more very quickly.

  "Looks like something that oozed out of the catacombs."

  "It's very tasty." She was feeling better already, she decided. She could handle a dance with Cooper.

  He drank a little whiskey and sat quietly, absorbing his surroundings.

  "Ready to dance?" he asked after a few minutes.

  She slid out of the booth and allowed him to escort her onto the dance floor. Think of this as going undercover for the sake of helping the Guild catch a bad guy, she told herself. You're just playing a part.

  Cooper drew her into his arms, enveloping her in his heat and masculinity. She waged a brief but valiant struggle with her willpower, but the sensual rhythms of the music were her undoing.

  Dancing with Cooper was one of the good memories of their time together in Aurora Springs.

  Last night's bout of passion had been all fireworks and hot lust. Tonight was a different proposition altogether. Dancing with Cooper was all about a slow, seductive heat that built steadily deep inside, intoxicating her senses.

  "Did I ever tell you that I like the way you smell?" he said, his mouth very close to her ear.

  "Uh, no. No, I don't think you ever said anything like that."

  "Drives me crazy."

  "Really?" She tipped her head back to get a better look at his face. "The way I smell drives you crazy?"

  "Is that so hard to believe?"

  "Well, yes, frankly. I mean, I certainly never noticed you going crazy when we were dating back in Aurora Springs."

  His big hand pressed a little more firmly against
the place where her spine curved into her rear.

  "In hindsight," he said, "I think it's fair to say that there were some serious communication problems between us back in Aurora Springs."

  "I'll go along with that."

  "But I assume that at least one of those miscommunications was clarified last night," he said quietly. "You now know that I like the idea of having sex with you. I like it a lot."

  She knew she was blushing and was grateful for the alien light. "You're absolutely sure that what happened last night wasn't just the result of the afterburn?"

  "I've been burned before," he said moving his mouth closer to hers. "Trust me, last night was different."

  And then he kissed her, right there in the middle of the shadowy dance floor. Not just a brief, fleeting little brush of the lips, either. This was a deep, heavy, straight to the pit of the stomach kind of kiss. Slower and more deliberate than the kind of kisses he had given her last night, but just as intense.

  She couldn't believe it. Cooper had never kissed her in public, let alone in the middle of a dance floor. Granted, it was highly unlikely that any of the other couples noticed, let alone cared. But, still, it wasn't the kind of thing that Guild bosses did. They were usually too concerned about their images.

  Public displays of affection presented a twofold problem for a man in Cooper's position. On the one hand, a Guild exec did not want to appear to be a lecherous womanizer. Historically, the heads of the Guilds had a longstanding PR issue in that area. In addition, a Guild boss also had to make sure that he didn't give the members of the organization-always an overly macho lot-the idea that their boss was the kind of weak-kneed guy who allowed himself to be dangled on a string by a woman.

  But Cooper was kissing her as if he didn't give a damn about his image. Of course, no one here knew who he was, but still. This kiss felt like he meant it.

  She was crushed tightly against him, and she was very aware of his erection. He was fully aroused, she thought, dazzled by the knowledge that she'd had this effect on him.