I let out a frustrated sigh. “Leo said it was an emergency, and I needed to get here right away. He made it sound like the studio was on fire.”
“Charlie stocked all the restrooms today,” Malik assured me. Malik’s mention of the bathrooms meant no one had forgotten my reaction to being called in to deal with a toilet paper emergency.
Charlie was one of the maintenance people, but he also took care of most of the custodial work, so we could avoid having too many outsiders around. He was one of the few humans working on the show, and he was also Malik’s boyfriend, which boggled my mind every time I saw them together. Charlie was most comfortable in his well-worn jeans and old country music concert t-shirts. I had a feeling, when he wasn’t at work, he wore cowboy boots rather than work boots. His dishwater blond hair was usually messy and on the long side. Charlie was also quiet and preferred to stay in the background. Yet, it was no secret to the public he was involved with Malik. I figured he must truly love the annoying vampire to put up with all of that.
“If you see Leo, tell him I’m leaving in ten minutes and turning my phone off,” I told them before waving to the door so they’d know I wanted to be alone. We were not discussing their argument anymore. I wondered how long their characters had to date before I could write in a dramatic break up.
“Sure thing, Mel,” Cat agreed as they both headed out of my office.
I scanned my emails for anything important. Emails were something I also checked from home, but I’d been too busy to do that today, so I figured this was a good time. Glancing at the clock on my computer, I saw it had been nine minutes since my warning had been issued. I began logging off my computer and getting ready to make a break for it.
“Mellie Mel!” Leo chirped in an overly cheerful voice as he waddled into my office. “The kids aren’t having issues, are they? They told me they’d stopped by your office.”
“They’re fine,” I assured him, figuring he wouldn’t listen to a word I said about the issues with Malik and Cat, so why bother? Honestly, there was nothing he could do. Those two needed to learn to work together like adults.
To say Leo was disturbing to look at would be an understatement. I’d heard humans say he looked like a portly older man with thinning white hair and rosy cheeks. Humans rarely saw a demon’s true form, which was often a good thing. In Leo’s case, he was just shy of four feet tall, with legs that were unnaturally short for his round frame. His feet were always bare, probably because it was hard to find shoes when you had three long toes that curled upward. His face was a strange mix of human and pig, with a snout and beady red eyes that never blinked. His mouth was wide and looked relatively normal, unless he stuck out his short back tongue, which he did often to lick his blood-red lips. On top of his head was a tuft of white hair mostly covering his short horns. As always, he had a cigar sticking out of the corner of his mouth.
I waited for him to tell me what he needed, and then waited some more, until I finally lost my patience. “Why am I here, Leo?”
“This is your office, Mellie Mel,” he replied, before puffing on his smelly cigar and letting out a hacking cough that filled the room with the brimstone scent of his breath.
My glare must have gotten through to him because he finally decided to stop being an ass and tell me why he’d insisted I come down here. Apparently, he’d figured out I was getting ready to leave if he didn’t get to the point soon.
“One of the actresses was murdered,” he said as if it was nothing to worry about, and it probably wasn’t to him. “Police already cleaned up and got statements from the people who were working at the studio this morning, but some detective wants to talk to someone high up on the show. I’ve had one of the interns keeping him away from rehearsals while he looks around. I need you to talk to him.”
“Why couldn’t the shade come to me?” I demanded. Detectives weren’t always shades, but they usually were, so I felt safe with my assumption.
“He’s a human,” Leo explained. With that, he disappeared in a puff of smoke. He couldn’t actually vanish into thin air, but Leo had been puffing on the cigar enough to create a smoke screen, and the man moved like a cheetah when he wanted to. His great speed was the only thing that had prevented me from causing him serious physical harm over the years. Especially on days when he dropped shit like this in my lap.
“What the fuck, Leo?” I shouted, storming into the hall with every intention of tracking down the bastard. There was no sign of smoke in the hallway, so I wasn’t sure which way Leo had gone, and I knew he wasn’t going to answer my calls.
“Ms. Blackwood?”
Turning, I found the man I assumed was the human police detective. He was probably a couple of inches taller than six feet, with brown eyes and soft brown hair that was sprinkled with grey. He looked as annoyed to be there as I was, and that actually improved my mood some. Misery loves company.
“That’s me,” I replied with a forced smile.
He either didn’t notice my annoyance, or chose to ignore it.
“I’m Detective Giovanni. I was told you would be the person to speak to.”
“About?” I asked before quickly adding. “Let me rephrase that. I know you’re here about a murder related to the show, one of our actors. Not to sound like an idiot, but I’m not sure what I can do for you. I just got here. When my producer called me in, I thought he needed me to deal with a toilet paper emergency.”
The detective’s annoyance morphed to confusion. “Toilet paper?”
“Yeah. Long story,” I told him. “Who was killed?” I was sure it looked bad that I wasn’t freaking out about a murder, but I’m one of those people who doesn’t react right away to bad news. It takes time to sink in with me. Also, it was hard to react when I didn’t even know who’d died. Things still felt unreal.
“Amber Tate,” he said curtly, and I got the feeling he was pissed about having to explain this to me.
I racked my brain, trying to place the name, until it finally came to me. Amber was a human who’d joined the cast earlier in the season. We didn’t have many humans on the show, because none of us wanted to pretend to be human at work. There were a few humans who knew about the preternatural world, like Amber. She’d been a goth girl, playing a vampire, and I had to admit that I’d barely spoken to her in the time she’d worked on the show. She’d been a good actress, and I’d given her more lines in the next few episodes. “What the hell happened?” I demanded. There were a couple of reasons I was suddenly pissed off. First, I’d just realized I was going to be forced to rewrite big chunks of the next few episodes. Second, I felt bad that I wasn’t having a stronger reaction to this poor woman’s death.
“You seriously don’t know anything about what happened?”
I was beginning to wonder how many times I would have to say that before he believed me.
“Yes, I know exactly what happened,” I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “That’s why I told you I didn’t know in the beginning of our conversation. I like asking questions that I already know the answer to.”
Rather than looking pissed at my bitchy attitude, he flashed a sheepish smile. “I apologize for being so rude, Ms. Blackwood. I was told you were my contact during this investigation, so I assumed you at least knew what had happened.”
“Fucking Leo,” I muttered under my breath.
The detective let out a startled bark of laughter. “That is who told me you’d be my contact. Let’s start from the beginning. Amber Tate’s body was found with a stake through the heart,” he explained. “According to security, they don’t have any record of her being here, and her car was not here. It was a security guard doing his rounds who called to report the murder. Can you think of any reason she might have been here late last night or early this morning?”
That explained how the human police had gotten involved. Lot security must have found the body, and they were all humans who knew nothing about the preternatural cast and crew on Night High. When we were filming or had rehearsals, ou
r own security worked, but no one should have been here last night or this morning. “I’m not sure why she would have been here. I suppose it’s possible she forgot something, but her car would have been here if that was the case, right?”
He shrugged. “One would assume she’d driven herself here. Had she received any threats?”
“I don’t know,” I replied. “To be honest, I’m not sure I ever spoke to her. I know who she played on the show, and that’s about it.”
“So, you can’t think of anyone who might have wanted to put a stake through her heart?” he pushed.
“I can’t figure out why someone would put a stake through her heart like she was a vampire,” I replied before remembering who I was talking to. “You don’t think there’s some crazy person out there who believes in vampires, do you?” Any member of the preternatural community would have known she was human, making it more likely another human had killed her.
“It’s possible one of your fans has started to believe the actors are actual vampires, werewolves, witches, and whatever other nonsense you have on this show.” He shook his head. “Sorry. That was another asshole statement.”
I waved off his apology. “It’s fine. You aren’t a fan of my show. Was there anything else you need from me, now that you know I can’t help you find the killer?”
“I was also told you could help me contact Amber Tate’s family.”
“I don’t work in personnel.” I had no idea who to even direct him to in the personnel office. Actually, I didn’t even know if that’s who would have the information, even if we did have a personnel department. “Listen, I don’t know who keeps track of that, and I wasn’t close to Amber Tate.”
“I might be able to help,” Cassie, one of the witch makeup artists, said from the door to my office. I didn’t know her well and was surprised to see her at my office. “Amber lived with her grandma. I don’t know the number, but I’m sure it’s listed as the emergency contact in her files.”
“Thank you, Cassie,” I told her. “You heard what happened?”
“Not really,” Cassie replied with a shrug. “We’ve all been guessing. I just heard Amber’s name when I was walking by.” She hurried off without waiting for a response.
“There you have it,” I told the detective.
Detective Giovanni let out an exasperated sigh. “It would really help if someone could tell me how to reach her next of kin.”
When I said nothing, he nodded and set a card on my desk. “I’ll track down the show’s producer again. Call me if you can think of anything that might help with the case.”
I pulled out one of my own cards and handed it to him. “I’m not sure what I can do to help, but call me if you think of anything.”
He nodded. “Thank you again.”
I nodded and watched him walk out the door, torn on what to do next. Much as I wanted to head back to Trevor, I needed to deal with the script issues Amber’s murder had created. Mentally going over the schedule for the week, I realized she had a lot of lines.
This was supposed to be Amber’s big break, and I wiped my tears, annoyed that my delayed reaction to her death had decided to rear its ugly head while I was still at work.
“Ms. Blackwood,” the detective said, popping his head into my office again. His face softened when he saw my tears, which I was trying hard to cover. “Sorry for barging in on you,” he continued, pretending he hadn’t noticed me crying. “Do you have a business card for your producer?”
I nodded, handing it to him. After taking the card, he hurried out of my office, this time closing the door behind him.
I wondered if Amber’s death had been because some human believed there really were vampires after watching the show. That had me hoping the killer would go after one of the real vampire actors. Wouldn’t the killer be surprised when they realized vampires were much more capable of protecting themselves than poor Amber had been?
Chapter Nineteen
The Lover
My first kill had been almost as good as sex. When Zahrel had told me he needed death magic, some instinct had driven me to the place where Night High was filmed. Normally, I wouldn’t have been able to slip past the guards, but thanks to Zahrel’s magic, they hadn’t noticed us driving through the gates behind another car. Going there had been a gamble, and I hadn’t been sure I’d find anyone worth killing. As it was, Zahrel was annoyed that we’d only been able to kill a human.
“Did you hear the way that pathetic human screamed when she realized we were going to kill her?” I asked Zahrel with a laugh.
Lounging in a chair in the corner, he was barely a shadow now, but his silky voice glided across the air, stronger than before the kill, but still weak. “Her pathetic human blood was not enough to satisfy my needs.”
I frowned, annoyed that he was complaining when I felt such a rush of power. I hadn’t been able to sleep since I’d plunged the stake into her heart. The stupid human enjoyed playing vampire, but she didn’t seem to enjoy dying like a vampire.
“If you don’t find me more potent blood soon, I’ll be useless to you,” he warned, and it seemed that his shadowy eyes glowed red for an instant. “I may even be pulled back to my prison before either of us gets what we want.”
I glared at the annoying demon. “Don’t worry. We’ll kill someone else. This is all I could manage on short notice.”
He glared right back at me. “You could have managed a better kill had you not been so determined to kill someone associated with that ridiculous television show. What was your reasoning for going all the way down there?”
“Melina Blackwood works on that show,” I spat out. Saying her name made me want to kill someone else. I’d wanted to kill her, but I’d have to be satisfied with sending the slut to a demon prison as Zahrel’s plaything.
What was probably a booming laugh came from Zahrel, but it sounded like faint echoes bouncing off the walls of the room.
“I am fine with you finding me victims tied to my female, but I will not be happy if I am forced to survive on human blood again,” he warned.
His attitude pissed me off, and I decided it was time to remind him who was in charge. Standing, I sauntered across the room until I stood close to him. “Try to remember, demon, you may be powerful, but I’m the one who summoned you, and I can send you back just as easily.”
Zahrel’s entire form glowed red, and I saw the flames licking around the shadows. Still, he said nothing. While the demon might not like it, I was the one in charge. I had summoned him, and he could do my bidding or return to his prison alone.
The flames were instantly extinguished, and Zahrel faded into wisps of smoke that glided around the room. “As you say, Mistress.”
I shivered as his voice slid along my body, wondering if perhaps it would be smarter to send him back to his prison. Zahrel was weak now, and I was almost afraid to find out how strong he would be once I obtained more powerful blood for him. The one thing that prevented me from sending him back to his prison was the knowledge that he could not only help me get Trevor but also make the slut pay. Dangerous or not, I was willing to feed Zahrel’s power to get Trevor.
A tremor ran through my body, much like when I’m extremely turned on. Soon, I would get to enjoy another kill. I’d bet the slut was trying to figure out how to deal with the fact that one of her actors had been murdered. It was unlikely she cared much since the actor was human, but it would still be an inconvenience.
“I need to see Trevor,” I told Zahrel. “I’ll be back later.”
I could swear I heard Zahrel hiss at me before calling me a fool, but I ignored him. I couldn’t wait any longer to see Trevor. Zahrel’s ethereal form trailed along behind me, which was annoying.
“You don’t have to come with me,” I snapped at him.
“Don’t you know anything about summoning a demon?” he asked.
I hated him for bringing up my ignorance. I didn’t know much about summoning a demon, but I refused to admit that. “I k
now I can send you back.”
“Unless that is your wish now, you can’t be away from me,” Zahrel stated.
That stopped me in my tracks. “I have work tomorrow. I can’t bring a summoned demon with me.”
He chuckled at my distress. “For every ten hours you spend away from me, you must spend at least ten with me. You really should have learned more about summoning demons.”
“Fine,” I snapped, seething at his condescending attitude. “Let’s go see my warlock.”
Chapter Twenty
Trevor
I was sitting on the sofa with Mr. Whiskers, watching television after finishing our pizza. I’d also needed to search for his breath freshening treats before cuddling with him on the sofa. Since the first time I’d met him, I’ve been amazed at how easy it was to bond with Mr. Whiskers. A California condor is a somewhat intimidating bird, and I’m not a bird person to begin with. None of that seemed to matter, and I’d ended up petting him and chatting with him that first day. Sure, I couldn’t understand him, but he could clearly understand me.
“After I convince Melina to marry me and go through with a bonding ceremony, I’ll be able to understand what you’re saying better,” I told him, rubbing the soft feathers on his back.
Mr. Whiskers’ head bobbed up and down excitedly, and he jumped off the sofa to do a little dance, proving how much he loved me. Now, if I could get our witch to love me this much, we’d be doing great.
When my phone buzzed, I figured it was Melina calling to tell me she was stuck at work. Having seen her there several times in the past, I knew how devoted she was to her job. The show and her familiar, who was currently fighting with a throw pillow, were her babies. Looking at the screen, I didn’t recognize the number, so I sent the call to voicemail. If it was important, I’d call them back later.
My lips twitched when a bit of stuffing from the pillow hit me in the face. The pillow was definitely losing the fight.
“I feel the same about those pillows, but my sister, Jessa, is going to be pissed the next time she visits me.” Mr. Whiskers looked at me, cocking his head to the side to study me. I figured he was wondering why anyone would care that much about a pillow. This time I was guessing. He might have been wondering who Jessa was.
Shamelessly Spellbound (Spells That Bind Book 2) Page 8
