by S. J. Harper
When I look at Zack, his eyebrows are raised.
Maybe mine are, too. I don’t have time to think about it. Johnson is once again at his window beckoning us to join him.
“Come on, partner,” Zack says. “It’s showtime.”
CHAPTER 5
Rain is seated in the executive swivel chair behind Johnson’s desk. She looks neither concerned about nor particularly interested in the reason she has been called in for questioning. She’s spinning round and round, studying fingernails lacquered shiny black (what else?) when we walk in.
She doesn’t bother to stop and look up until Johnson makes the introductions.
Her eyes, beautiful and as green as the leaves climbing her neck, flit from Zack to me, then back to Zack. She says nothing.
Johnson makes no move to leave the room and he doesn’t suggest we go elsewhere. Zack and I claim the visitor chairs so that we are both facing Rain. Johnson maintains his post by the door.
“Did your uncle tell you why we wanted to speak to you?” Zack asks.
A half shrug lifts her shoulders. “No. But I assume it’s about Julie.”
Zack nods. “Yes. How well do you know her?”
“We’ve been friends for a while. She’s one of the few kids at the Academy that will talk to me.”
“You know that she’s missing?”
“Yes, but you already know that. I told Uncle Jimmy the whole story. I’m not sure why I’m here.”
Zack frowns. “It’s important we hear it again from you. Can you tell us about the last time you talked to her?”
She nods. “Right before she was supposed to meet me at the library. We’re working on a history project together and she called to say she’d be a little late. She had books she needed to return, and we were going to work on the outline. She never showed. Didn’t answer my texts. The library closes at nine. I knew her folks would freak if I called, so I got Johnny to do it.”
“Who’s Johnny?” I ask.
“He works behind the desk. He’s cool. He pretended to have a homework question. Mr. Simmons gave him Julie’s cell number and said she was at the library, had left a couple hours ago to work on a school project.”
Zack leans forward in his chair. “Then what happened?”
“I kept calling and texting. I didn’t know what else to do. I figured maybe she’d caved to her parents’ stay-away-from-Rain rule and paired up with someone else. But I knew she wouldn’t miss curfew, so after the library closed, Johnny and I drove over and parked in the lot across the street. He called the home phone again. Still no Julie. Her folks were certain she’d be home any minute. We waited and waited. No Julie. After a while, I fell asleep. Johnny woke me up around two when the cops showed up. Then I called Uncle Jimmy. I knew something was very, very wrong.”
“Did you know Julie had a checking account?”
She blinks at the change of subject. “Why would I? Lots of people have checking accounts.”
“With over five thousand dollars deposited in them?” I ask.
Another blink. “Five thousand? No. Have you asked her parents? That’d be my next move. They kept a pretty tight rein on her.”
“Her parents knew nothing about the money,” Zack cuts in. “They thought perhaps it was yours.”
Rain straightens in her chair. Her brow furrows. “Mine?”
“That perhaps she was holding it for you.”
“Why would they think that? Where would I get that kind of money?”
“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” Zack says. “Mr. and Mrs. Simmons think you might have talked Julie into doing something illegal.”
A flash of anger. “Like what?”
“Like dealing drugs.”
Now the anger becomes red-hot. Her hands ball into fists and she leans toward me. “If they think that, they’re the ones that are high. Julie isn’t into drugs and neither am I. I can’t believe her parents. They actually said those things? It’s because of the stupid tattoo, isn’t it? They blame me for Julie getting a tattoo. I didn’t force her, you know. She wanted to get a tattoo and all I did was take her somewhere safe, to someone I knew would do a good job.”
I slip the pictures of Hannah Clemons and Sylvia Roberts onto the desk in front of Rain. “What about these girls? Are you friends with them, too?”
She sniffs. “Not hardly. They’re cheerleaders.”
“You have something against cheerleaders?” Zack asks.
Rain rolls her eyes. “Let’s just say we don’t have a lot in common. Are they saying shit about me, too? That’s nothing new.”
I add the photo of Julie and line them up in front of Rain. “No. They’re also missing. This now makes three. Three girls missing in three days. You’re a smart girl, Rain. We need your help. If you know something, if you are hiding something, please, tell us. We believe these girls have been abducted. Every hour that goes by lessens our chances of finding them.”
The anger drains from her. She begins to tremble. “Why would you think I know something?”
“You’re Julie’s best friend. A girl suddenly falls into something that nets her two hundred, cash, per week? That’s something she shares with her BFF.”
Rain shakes her head. “I don’t know anything about any money. If I knew where Julie was, if I could think of anything, if I do think of anything . . .” Her eyes well up with tears. “My first day of school, all anyone did was stare. They judged me because I didn’t look like all of them. That’s why Julie’s parents don’t like me. That’s why they’re blaming me. Julie is my friend. That first day, that awful, awful day, she invited me to sit with her for lunch. Then we just laughed as they stared at both of us. If it wasn’t for Julie, I would have dropped out.” She turns to Johnson. “You can test me right now, a drug test, or a lie detector test. I’m telling the truth, Uncle Jimmy.”
Johnson steps forward. “Okay, that’s enough. Rain, wait for me outside. I’ll take you home.”
The girl hurries past us, makes straight for the door, and slams it shut behind her. The tension in the room is thick and oppressive.
“Do you believe her?” Johnson comes around the desk and takes his seat.
“Do you?” Zack asks.
Johnson draws a hand over his face. “I do, but Christ, she’s my niece. I want to believe her.”
“She volunteered for a polygraph,” I point out. “We could pursue that, but my gut says she’s telling the truth. If she knew something she thought would help, I think she’d tell us. She seemed genuinely surprised by the money. I say we try to follow the money, see if we find any more similar connections between the victims.”
“Do it,” he says simply. “I’ll see about the warrants. And interview the families of the other two missing girls. Rain said she and Julie didn’t know them very well, but Rain didn’t know Julie had fifty-two hundred dollars stashed away, either. Maybe they weren’t as close as she thinks.”
He looks at his niece through the glass walls, standing with her back to the office, her posture rigid. “She’s a nice kid. She hasn’t had a particularly easy life. Her mother is a bit of a flake. I want to believe her. It’s up to you now to prove I can.”
We watch as he leaves us, approaches his niece, and puts an arm around her shoulders. She leans against his chest a moment; then the two walk toward the elevators.
“So,” I say, turning to Zack. “What do you think?”
Zack’s eyes are still on Johnson and his niece. He’s quiet until the two enter the elevator and the doors close. “I think we’d better run those financials on all the girls, Rain included. If we find something, we can always circle back and schedule another interview with her.” His gaze is on me now. “A special interview. One without Johnson.”
I know what he means, of course. Using my natural talent to ferret out the truth is tempting, but it comes with a price. Demeter frowns on any use of power that might draw attention to an Immortal on earth. Each use of my power risks Demeter’s wrath. Finding
one of the missing, saving them, tips the scales in my direction. A justified risk for the greater good is tolerated. Necessary, so that I can continue with the mission, so that I can bring another victim home, so that maybe, someday, I can go home.
It’s almost five o’clock and all but one of the agents, Garner, has left. We join him at his desk.
He waves his hand at two stacks of reports. “I’ve compiled the police reports here, in chronological order, and the background information you looked at earlier, here. I’m afraid I didn’t find much. I was going to start reviewing the security footage from the campus next.”
“You got it already?” asked Zack.
Garner nods. “Came in around twenty minutes ago. If you’d rather I work on something else first, I can. My wife is visiting her folks in New York and I have nothing to go home to except a frozen fillet of fish. She’s trying to get me to cut down on red meat.”
Zack grins. “Well, as a matter of fact, we could use a little more help. We need financials run on the missing girls. And Johnson’s niece, Rain.”
Garner raises an eyebrow but turns to his computer.
“Think we can have them in the morning?”
“No problem.” Garner’s fingers are already working the keyboard. “They’ll be on your desks when you get in.”
I remember Zack telling Sarah earlier he probably wouldn’t be home for dinner. Although it looks now like he could be, he makes no move to leave. Instead, he removes his jacket and loosens his tie. He takes a seat next to Garner. “If we both work on this, we’ll get it done faster. When we’re finished, I’ll spring for steaks at Donovan’s, and you can drive me home. Deal?”
“Are you kidding? For a steak, I’ll come in early to start reviewing the surveillance.”
I touch Zack’s shoulder. “I can stay, too.”
Garner looks up from his keyboard. “I think we’ve pretty much got it covered.”
“There you go,” Zack says. “No need for you to stay late. Besides, you have someone waiting for you. Right?” His tone is teasing, playful, but an unmistakable sadness shadows his eyes.
You could have had someone waiting for you, too.
I’ve known from the beginning that Zack doesn’t love Sarah. But something keeps them together. I guess I was hoping that something would be enough. That Sarah would make him happy.
Obviously, she hasn’t.
My cell phone vibrates announcing a new text. Hot vampire here with cold champagne. Awaiting your arrival. K. Kallistos may not be perfect, but there’s an honesty about our no-strings-attached relationship that’s refreshing. We understand each other. We know what we want and accept what we can’t have. Kallistos may be complicated, but the arrangement we have isn’t. And it’s such a damned relief not to have to watch every thought, every action.
Hot vampire here with cold champagne. Awaiting your arrival.
I don’t bother to answer Zack. He and Garner are busy chatting away. I just grab my purse and head for the elevator.
* * *
Day Two: Tuesday, September 3
I gave up trying to sleep long ago. The sun has yet to rise, but the city below is waking. From my vantage point on the sofa of the penthouse, I can see the outline of buildings. Random windows dotted with light shine like beacons against the dark blanket of the bay beyond.
My laptop sits open on the coffee table in front of me. Three images appear side by side on the screen—Julie Simmons, Hannah Clemons, and Sylvia Roberts. I wonder what kinds of sinister secrets those sunny smiles and sparkling eyes are masking. What I wouldn’t give right now to question just one of them.
I pour the last cup of coffee from the pot and walk out onto the balcony. The edges of my silk robe flutter in the predawn breeze. Two hundred dollars per week, per girl. No more. No less. Zack’s text confirming Hannah and Sylvia both received and deposited the same amount of money came while Kallistos and I were in the tub. It was around midnight when I noticed the message. Ever since, I’ve been chomping at the bit for more details. As soon as the sun comes up, I’m going to call Zack.
“Did you get any sleep?”
Kallistos encircles my waist with one arm.
“No.” I lean back against him and close my eyes. “I came out to the living room so I wouldn’t wake you.”
He sweeps my hair aside and kisses my neck. The gesture is tender, not passionate, not possessive. “I’m afraid I’ve grown used to having you in my bed. I miss you when you aren’t. I wish you’d reconsider and move in.”
I turn to face him. His chest and feet are bare. The fact that he’s wearing pajama bottoms is testament to the fact that we didn’t have mind-blowing sex to the point of passing out last night.
“You aren’t going soft on me, are you?” I ask him.
He tugs on the tie of my robe until it opens. Then he reaches for my hand and places it over his erection. “Does this feel like I’m going soft?”
“I wasn’t referring to your . . . equipment,” I say.
Kallistos cradles my head in his hands, then leans down for a kiss. He starts at the corner of my mouth before moving to my lower lip. “I know what you were referring to,” he murmurs, his breath warm and inviting. His hand presses firmly over my mound, fingers sliding across the silk of my gown to slip between my legs.
“This is supposed to be a relationship of convenience,” I remind him.
He pulls me hard against his body. His hand tangles in my hair at the base of my skull. He grabs hold and forces me to look into his eyes. I see anger, frustration, and something else, something I can’t quite identify. Regret?
“I’d find it more convenient to have you here all the time, to be able to fuck you anytime I want.”
I push him away and head inside. “Yeah, well, good luck with that.”
He follows me inside. “You think you’ve come to terms with it. But you haven’t.”
“Come to terms with what?” I’ve busied myself by gathering up the coffeepot and empty cup. By the time Kallistos answers, I’ve made it as far as the dining table.
“Not being able to have who you really want. Armstrong.”
It’s not said in anger or recrimination, but once the words spill from his lips I can’t seem to walk any farther.
The delicate china cup begins to rattle against the saucer. I look down. My hand is shaking. He takes the cup from me along with the pot and sets them on the table.
“Talk to me,” he says, pulling me back over to the sofa.
“I can’t. Not about this.”
“Are you afraid you’re going to hurt my feelings?”
“You have no feelings.” As soon as I speak the words, I regret them.
“Don’t mistake control for lack of passion. I know the rules. I know how to play the game. I’m not some naive, idealistic boy. I was once. Not anymore.” He places my hand over his heart. “I am devoted to you. I will forever remain so. Demeter is the only one who could jeopardize that, and her ability to do so, her power to do so, is extremely restrictive.”
“As long as I live without love,” I whisper. “As long as I don’t give my heart.”
Kallistos drops my hand. “Just stick with me, kid.”
“You sure that what we have is enough?”
“I am.”
I smile. “But what if that changes? You know, I’ve been told I can be pretty irresistible.”
Kallistos gets up, walks over to the bar, and despite the fact that the sun has just risen, he pours himself a drink. “You may be irresistible. But I’m not. At least not where you’re concerned.” He swallows the scotch, then sets the glass down. “I can walk in the light, but I’m not of it. I’ve done things, had to do things, will continue to do things. Do you understand?”
I’m not sure I do.
His back is to me. Heaviness bows his shoulders. “I’m not the hero, Emma. I’ll never be the hero. I can’t be redeemed.”
Kallistos straightens, draws a breath, continues. “Will you come to
me tonight?”
The uncertainty in his voice is wrenching. I nod, then find my voice. “I will.”
* * *
When I arrive at the office, Zack and Garner are both sitting in front of a large flat-screen monitor, coffee mugs in hand. “Got started early on the surveillance footage?”
“We haven’t been at it long,” answers Zack. “Coffee’s fresh.”
“Anyone need a refill?” I ask.
Garner pauses the display. “One’s my limit. The wife says caffeine isn’t good for my blood pressure. Listen, I’m gonna run to the deli and pick up one of those bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches. Want anything?”
Zack and I exchange amused looks. Only Garner seems to have missed the irony.
We both mutter, “No, thanks.”
“Did you get my text last night?” he asks, following me to the coffee station.
“Yes, but I figured it was too late to call. Fill me in.” I pour the last of the pot. It’s barely half a cup.
Zack’s already pulling out a new coffee filter to start a fresh one. “Not really anything more to report. We found accounts for the other two girls. All three are using a bank close to the school. It looks like deposits were made at a nearby ATM during lunch period. Apparently students of certain academic standing were allowed off campus for lunch.”
“What about Agent Billings? Did he turn up anything on Julie’s computer yet?”
Zack shakes his head. “He just came in a minute or two before you.”
The coffee is now brewing. “So, where do we start?”
“I figured we’d start with Hannah’s folks, then swing by right after to connect with Sylvia’s. I called last night. They’re expecting us.”
I dump what’s left in my mug into the sink, then give it a quick rinse. “Let’s go.”
CHAPTER 6
Armed with the knowledge that both Hannah and Sylvia had accounts similar to Julie’s, Zack and I head out first to interview Hannah Clemons’ mother. Our reports indicate that she and her husband have recently separated. She and Hannah live in Lakeside, a bedroom community in East County. The drive should take no more than twenty-five minutes because by the time we start out, midmorning, we’ve missed the commuter traffic that often clogs the 52E.
