by Jess Haines
Hence Veronica being thrown into the “Other” mix in the headline. The news really didn’t give me much to work with. “Drained of blood” sounded like a vamp attack, but “torn to bits” sounded more like something a Were would do. Vamps didn’t have claws to shred with, and were generally too “refined” to bother using their strength to tear the limbs off their victims. However, Weres generally weren’t aggressive enough to do that kind of damage unless they were being threatened on their own turf while under the influence of the full moon. Plus, if they were shapeshifted, most types of Weres didn’t have the right mouth shape to suck blood out of a body.
“What do you make of it?” Sara asked around a mouthful of food.
Harrumphing, I laid the paper down and sipped gingerly at my coffee, reaching for my fork to poke at my eggs again. “I’m not sure. The police don’t have any leads. The way the paper makes it sound, it’s like a vamp worked together with a Were to tear her apart.”
Which isn’t technically possible, since vamps and Weres are pretty much natural enemies and get into pissing contests with each other at the drop of a hat.
Sara reached across to drag the paper over, skimming the article while she munched on her bagel. “We’d probably have more luck if we get the police file.”
I snickered, shaking my head. “Good luck. Unless you’re still dating Officer Lerian, I don’t see how you expect to get ahold of that.”
Her stiff silence told me enough.
“Oh my God, you are? I thought you two split for the last time like a month ago! ‘I’d rather chew my own arm off than go out with him again,’ you said.”
Muttering, she shoved her plate and the newspaper away, not meeting my eyes. “Yeah, well, so what? I changed my mind, big deal. He’s a nice enough guy.”
Yeah. The “nice enough guy” that tended to leave her in tears within a week or two of their falling back in bed together. I didn’t understand it. Mark Lerian was the proverbial tall, dark, and handsome man, though despite his profession and looks, he was one of the nicest guys I’d ever met. There was no conceit in him at all. He didn’t drink, smoke, or so much as cast an eye at other women whenever he was dating Sara. I know she thought she loved him. That’s what she said anyway. If not for the spats they inevitably had, they’d make the perfect couple.
Why these two couldn’t get along was beyond me, but I hated to see Sara cry. What drove me nuts was that she kept going back to him. They’d split up for a few weeks or a couple of months over something or other, usually because he disapproved too vocally of her lifestyle. Sara wasn’t the only one who disagreed with his views that being a detective was “too dangerous for a woman.” Instead of coming to terms, they inevitably fought, broke up, and within a few weeks were acting as if it never happened. Sara would come in to the office one day gushing about how everything was all better between them—then, BAM! It’d be over. Spectacularly over. Again. The record so far was twenty-two days between the rekindled romance and breakup fight. Wonder how long it would last this time.
I shook my head, figuring I’d give her a rough time about her love life when my own priorities were straightened out and I actually had some moral high ground to stand on. “Will he be able to give you anything on it?”
She shrugged, obviously relieved I wasn’t going to pursue the subject. “I don’t know without talking to him first. Since it’s all over the front page, he may not be able to get any useful info if he’s not assigned to the case. He also may not be willing to talk about it.”
Sighing, I finished off my bagel and got up to take my dish to the sink. I busied myself with the dishes as I tried to figure what Veronica’s murder might have to do with me. Who should I contact at The Circle since she was dead? Maybe Arnold would know what I should do. He might even be able to give me some help with Royce, since he’d offered.
That in mind, I turned back to Sara, who was trying to pull out the funnies without being too obvious about it. “Do you mind if I go upstairs and check my e-mail?”
“Nah, go for it.”
She settled back in the chair and I headed up to the office. She’d left the contract open on the monitor, and I skimmed the first couple of paragraphs, feeling my stomach churning with unease. Rather than freaking myself out any further, I minimized the window and opened up the Internet browser, logging into our work e-mail remotely.
I felt my stomach give another lurch—there, amid the massive amount of spam, was an e-mail from Veronica. It was from last night, around the time I was meeting with Royce, and from a personal e-mail address instead of The Circle’s corporate account. She was still alive while I was spilling out The Circle’s secrets to the vamp.
It took a minute for me to focus beyond her name and see what else was there. There was one from this morning from “ArnieGoblinSlayer20,” which I figured had to be from Arnold.
Feeling ill at reading a message from someone I knew was dead, I opened Veronica’s e-mail.
TO: S. Waynest
FROM: Veronica Wright
SUBJECT: RE: Update
Arnold told me you met with him. I know you’re probably with our subject as I write this, and I can only hope you remembered what I told you in our first meeting. I’ve also got some news you need to hear ASAP RE: this assignment. When/where can we meet?
It’s probably too late, but remember, watch and listen. You must find the mark. Time is of the essence, and it may mean the life of you and everything you love if it isn’t secured in time. I’m not threatening you, just letting you in a little late on the importance of this mission. I’m sure you’re smart enough to have realized by now that there’s more to this project that I haven’t told you. Unfortunately, I haven’t been left with a choice and need to give you some additional details and instructions before you continue looking for this thing.
Also, don’t antagonize the subject. You shouldn’t be in any danger, but I’ve gotten word that your cover may be compromised. Wear the perfume and charm at all times after nightfall. The belt may be overkill, so don’t wear it unless your life is truly in danger. Consider them gifts from The Circle.
One last thing—if you’re feeling in over your head, you are. There are more players in the game than I initially thought. I’m trying to buy you time. Don’t screw this up, or losing your PI license will be the least of your worries. That is a threat.
I reread the message. And again. Damn, that woman was good at making me uncomfortable, even when she was dead.
Shaking off the willies from reading a dead person’s e-mail, I clicked open the one from Arnold. I was mentally counting down the minutes until the police might start looking for me in connection with Veronica’s death, since I was probably one of the last people she called or e-mailed before she was killed.
TO: S. Waynest
FROM: ArnieGoblinSlayer20
SUBJECT: V.W. and the belt
Hi, Shiarra, hope this makes it past your spam filters. I am e-mailing you from home, I just saw the news. If you haven’t already, pick up the paper or check the local news on the Net, you’ll see.
I figure by now you’re probably in a tough spot. I might be able to help.
Start wearing the belt at night, no matter what. Don’t leave home without the necklace or perfume on. You might be in danger during the day, too, so call my cell as soon as you get this (212-555-9035).
Arnold
I sighed deeply, running my hand over my face. This whole tangled mess just kept getting better and better.
Chapter 17
I printed out both e-mails and brought them downstairs, going straight to my purse and digging out my cell phone. Sara came into the doorway, leaning against the frame to watch what I was doing.
“Anything interesting in the mail?”
Punching in Arnold’s number, I listened to the other end ring while holding out the printouts for her to read. She sat down next to me on the couch, propping her feet up on the coffee table while she read them.
Ar
nold picked up on the fifth ring.
“Arnold? It’s Shiarra.”
“Oh, thank God.” He sounded both rushed and relieved. “I was afraid you might be dead, too. Listen, if you’re at home, get out. Go somewhere safe, somewhere no one knows you. A hotel maybe, out of the county or even out of state would be best.”
“What?” I knew it sounded stupid, since I’d heard him clearly. I was just so incredulous.
He sighed into the phone, making me cringe at the crackling sound right in my ear. “Look, there’s some crazy stuff happening. Word must have gotten out that Royce has the focus. We were trying to keep it quiet, but somehow a couple of packs of Weres, another coven of magi, and a whole shitload of other vampires found out about it. Even some of the White Hats might know something about it by now. They’re all gunning for it, and him. I wasn’t expecting this or I would’ve given you more firepower when you came by.”
I propped my elbow on my knee and held my head up with that hand, closing my eyes as I tried to think of something useful to say. “What the hell did you guys drag me into?”
“Not ‘you guys,’” he said, annoyed. “Veronica hired you, not me. I never would’ve gone this route if I’d been in her shoes, but she thought she knew best. I tried to tell her the probability of success was less than thirteen percent doing it this way, but no, I’m just the Head of Security for the Arcane Division and she’s the Assistant VP of Purchasing and Acquisitions. Apparently I don’t know squat about these things.”
“Yeah, right, be quiet a sec. It’s a little late to hold a grudge. Not to sound like an unfeeling bitch, but she’s dead and I’m not. I’d like to stay alive. Can you help me?”
He took a deep breath and once again let it out right into my ear. I held the phone a few inches away until he started talking again.
“Yeah, sorry. Yeah.”
“Great. So what can you tell me about this thing?” I asked, trying to rein in my temper. A headache started pulsing right between my eyes, not improving my mood one bit.
“I can’t,” he said, sounding nervous now. “Not over the phone. Where are you now? I’ll come meet you.”
I thought about what I had to get done this morning and gauged the urgency of his tone and what I knew of the situation against the probable amount of hell I’d receive if I missed Damien’s birthday bash.
Sara took my moment of silence to interject a few words. “Hey, what’s he say? Is he going to talk?”
Arnold must have overheard her voice, because he spoke up immediately, his nervousness even more pronounced. “Who was that? Who’s with you?”
I waved at Sara to be quiet while trying to make my tone of voice reasonably soothing. I don’t think it worked. “Don’t worry about it, she’s on our side.” My side anyway. “I’m supposed to go see my family in just a couple of hours. How long do you think this will take?”
“Oh, geez, don’t let the possible end of the world as we know it get in the way of your family plans.” I could almost see him on the other end of the line waving his hands in the air dramatically to punctuate his words. “Your life is about to be taken and probably everyone you know is in danger, but hey, by all means go to the movies or whatever.”
“Are you finished?” I asked, more than a little annoyed. I didn’t ask to get dragged into this, and I was getting pissed off that everyone I dealt with the last couple of days assumed I’d do things their way. That or they bullied me into it.
He growled something harsh under his breath, but a second later he said calmly, “I’m done. But I’m thinking it would behoove me to stick with you for the next day or two, at least until this blows over. Especially after what happened to Veronica. I don’t want to see the same thing happen to you, and I feel partly responsible for putting you in this danger in the first place.”
“Uh, yeah, about that,” I started, suddenly remembering with crystal clarity and a sinking heart how Royce had laid down his terms. “I’m kind of in a tough spot at the moment. Royce found out what I was after, and he said he’s buying out The Circle’s contract. He wanted me to tell someone if there were questions, refer them back to him, but afterward cut all ties with The Circle.”
Arnold went quiet. I could have just about died of embarrassment, sure he must have figured out that I broke under pressure. When it came, his voice was low, even, and controlled, belying the near-panic of a few moments before and the geeky exterior he put on.
“What else did he say? Did he literally say ‘cut all ties with The Circle’ or how did he word it?”
My, he was taking this much better than I thought he would. I was starting to see why they chose him for the head of security.
“He actually said, ‘You are to end all contact with The Circle except to tell them that your contract with them is null.’ He also told me I need to turn the belt over to him, but I can keep the other stuff. I’m supposed to keep my mouth shut about that little statue thing. He also wants me to sign papers.”
“Good God, and you agreed to this? Willingly?”
“I had to!” I couldn’t keep from raising my voice, and I jumped when Sara put a hand on my shoulder in a silent attempt to calm me down. It didn’t work. “He’s threatened to bring my family into this. I didn’t want to do it, but I didn’t have much choice at the time. I’m trying to do the best I can with what I’ve been given, so at least give me some credit for that. Besides, I’ve got a plan to deal with him anyway.”
To his credit, he at least made an attempt at sounding sheepish. “Sorry. Under the circumstances, it just sounds a little extreme, even for a vamp. He must want something out of you to put you in that kind of position.”
“No kidding.”
“There’s a bright side to this, though, since he didn’t tell you to cut ties with all employees, just with ‘The Circle.’ That means I can still technically help you as long as I’m doing it as your friend instead of as part of the coven, under the corporation’s cover. I’ll waive any fees since I’ve got a personal stake in this anyway.”
Well, fancy that. I hadn’t even thought of Royce’s terms that way. Maybe I did have more slack to work with than I thought, and I was really lucky Arnold was going to help me get through this pro bono. Getting a professionally trained mage to act as your metaphysical bodyguard generally was something only the very well-to-do could afford.
“Thank you.” I felt like ten-pound weights had just lifted off my shoulders. “I’m really grateful for all your help. You’ve already done a lot for me.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Like I said, I’ve got personal reasons for doing this, it’s not all for your sake. Oh, and where is this thing with your family? Are you leaving now? I’ll just meet you there and stick with you until I can figure out a better solution to keep you safe.”
Recalling the dice, the coke-bottle glasses, and the weird T-shirt, I couldn’t help cringing at the idea of having him show up at my brother’s birthday party. They’d probably think I was dating him, and I’d have to go along with it since I couldn’t tell them what he was really doing there.
“This can’t wait just a few more hours?”
He sounded less enthusiastic than I felt. “No. I don’t want to take any chances at having another death hanging over my head. Especially a preventable one.”
“Great.” I sighed, steeling myself for the inevitable twenty questions from Sara, my brothers, and worst of all, my parents. What the heck could be so dangerous as to merit having a mage bodyguard at a family barbeque? “Then you’re going to have to keep quiet around my relatives about what’s going on. And be prepared to deal with my overprotective brothers.” And politically incorrect parents. I sincerely hoped they wouldn’t realize right off that he was a spark. And even more, that they wouldn’t say something offensive.
“No sweat. Give me the address.”
I did, feeling more and more uneasy by the minute. My family hated that I was a PI instead of doing something “safe” like nursing or waitressing or being
a secretary somewhere and “letting a man take care of me.” I briefly thought about asking him to pretend to be human, then realized resignedly that would make me even worse than my family for trying to make him be something he wasn’t. Besides which, I doubt he had any way of tamping down the aura that followed in the wake of any actively practicing mage.
“Great, I’ll meet you there in about an hour?” he said.
“Yeah, maybe an hour and a half.” I made a face at Sara as she mimed being love-struck, clasping her hands over her heart and fluttering her lashes goofily. I smacked her in the arm, wincing when she hit me right back. “See you there.”
As I ended the call, Sara once again kicked back in the chair, examining her nails. “You really think your dad isn’t going to notice he’s a mage?”
I shrugged, staring at the phone in my hand. “Maybe not at first. Eventually he’ll figure it out.”
“Guess you better get ready to face the music then.”
“Yeah,” I muttered, rising with a groan to head to the shower. “I guess so.”
Chapter 18
