Mind Sweeper (Mind Sweeper Series Book 1)

by AE Jones

  “As you know, Josiah Akers is the head of the Pavel clan and is very well connected, despite the fact the Pavels segregate themselves from the rest of society, supernatural and humans alike.”

  I stared at the board. “What about Griffin? Isn’t he the same shifter who told the Connors not to let me help Trina?”

  “Yes. Griffin is in charge of a large portion of the shifter population. I am not sure how the shifters would play into this equation, if at all.”

  “He still should be questioned anyway,” Dalton said.

  “So should Sebastian.” I studied the list for a moment. “But I think Akers should be the first one we talk to.”

  Jean Luc answered, “Nicholas will need to pave the way for these meetings. He wanted me to call him when you were back in the office. I gave him an update on Misha and what happened today.”

  I glanced over at Dalton while Jean Luc placed the call. A few seconds later Nicholas appeared on the monitor.

  “Kyle, it’s good to see you’re safe.” Nicholas’s eyes moved to Dalton. “You must be Joe.”

  Dalton nodded. “Nicholas.”

  “Jean Luc told me what happened this morning. Doc has forwarded me her findings on the bullet. Do we know anything about the shooter yet?”

  “No…but once Misha is up and moving again, he may be able to give us a description,” I said.

  “Do you think the shooter works for someone on the list?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t think so. I think there is another player in the game right now. My gut tells me it’s linked to Cowell.”

  Nicholas’s eyebrows rose. “The dead priest? Why do you think so?”

  “Because we think the shooter is human, since he was using bullets that are toxic to all supernaturals. Supes don’t normally hire humans to do their dirty work.”

  “So the names on the list are your suspects for what?”

  “They have the means to pay three mil for Hampton’s head. Is there anyone else who should be added?”

  Nicholas sat quietly for a moment before responding. “Are you tactfully asking me whether I should be added?” He shrugged. “If you are simply considering money and power, then I should be on your list. But the more important question is motive.”

  “Except we don’t know what the motive is right now,” I persisted. “We will need to speak to each person on the list. Jean Luc thought you could pave the way for us.”

  Nicholas’s eyes darkened. “I am not convinced you need to speak to them. We don’t want to create waves. My philosophy has always been that we handle a case before involving those in the community.”

  I clenched my fists. “Misha almost died today.”

  “We still need to be cautious.”

  Dalton spoke up. “I think we have moved past caution. Considering the fact there are angels and demons fighting each other in public, I’d say this is not your normal case. Sometimes philosophies need to change.”

  Nicholas was silent for a moment. He stared at Dalton, who met his gaze without flinching.

  “I will make some calls and see what I can do. I’ll follow up in the morning and let you know who you may speak with.” Nicholas signed off.

  I stared at Dalton with awe. That was either the bravest or stupidest statement I’d ever heard. Either way, all I wanted to do right now was kiss him and tell him what a large pair he had.

  Chapter 18

  As a rule, I’ve never been a bath person. I don’t have the patience for it. Showers are my MO—in and out and on my way. Tonight was an exception.

  I leaned back in the bathtub and let the hot water slosh over my aching shoulders. I wasn’t sure whether the pain was because Dalton had shoved me out of the way in the alley, or because I tighten my shoulders when I’m tense. Today was definitely a shoulder-clenching day.

  Replaying events as I rested in the tub, I hoped for an ah-hah moment, where all the puzzle pieces would fall into place. The heavens would open and a choir of angels would sing. On second thought…nix the angels, since these days they were wielding swords and lopping off heads. I giggled. Lord, now I was getting punchy. Maybe it was because I’d inhaled the pint of spumoni ice cream Tony had sent over. Definitely an ice cream headache waiting to happen.

  I thought about the flash I had earlier with the bracelet. What did it mean? I wasn’t exactly the charm bracelet type, especially not heart-shaped charms. Was I cracking under the stress? And what about the freakadilic dream I had where I was trapped. Was it a premonition?

  I sat up in the now-tepid water and shook my head. My bed called to me. Tomorrow would be a busy day. If Nicholas actually heeded Dalton’s advice and called the names on the list, we could have some interesting conversations ahead of us.

  After drying myself, I slathered on moisturizer and pulled on my normal sleeping attire of boxer shorts and a tank top. Wiping the steam off the mirror, I took a gander at my forehead. Doc should be able to take the stitches out soon. I opened the bathroom door and was surprised to find Booger waiting for me. As I walked through the kitchen, I checked his food dish, and it wasn’t empty. Maybe he was coming to appreciate me?

  I plopped down on the couch and Booger actually jumped up and sat next to me.

  My cell rang and I picked it up off the coffee table. It was Dalton.

  “What’s up?”

  “It’s been a long day. I was just calling to see if you’re okay.”

  “Stop it!” I hissed.

  “Ahh…Sorry, I shouldn’t have called.”

  “No, wait. I didn’t mean that. I wasn’t speaking to you. Booger is trying to rub his chin against my phone.” I pushed him away. “I’m doing better. A tub of ice cream and a hot bath did the trick.”

  “I’ll have to keep it in mind the next time I do something to piss you off.”

  “You might want to buy stock in Ben & Jerry’s, then.”

  He chuckled. “Got it. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Good night, Galahad.”

  * * *

  It was just seven o’clock when I pulled in the storage facility’s back bay area. I balanced the box of cannoli and the bag of breakfast sandwiches and maneuvered my way between the shelves until I reached the morgue door. Balancing the box and bag, I typed in the key code and the door swished back. Doc stood next to a lab table scrunching her shoulders up and down as if trying to get the kinks out of them.

  “Did you sleep here last night?”

  “Yeah, Boris had the two guards posted overnight to guard Misha. But I stayed to make sure he was recovering.”

  “How is he this morning?”

  “Cranky. Please tell me you brought him some food.”

  “Yep.”

  She fell into step beside me on the way to Misha’s room.

  “I didn’t have much here to feed him this morning and he’s not happy.”

  “But being hungry is a good sign, right?”

  “It’s a very good sign.” Doc knocked on the door. “You have a visitor.”

  “Come in.”

  Doc opened the door. Misha sat up in bed looking almost back to normal. Thank God. “How are you feeling today, Mish?”

  “Good.” He glared at Doc. “I’m ready to get out of here.”

  Doc sighed before speaking directly to me. “I told him he has to stay in bed at least one more day and then we’ll see how things go.”

  “How am I supposed to get my strength back when you’re starving me to death?”

  Doc rolled her eyes at me and I suppressed a chuckle. “Well, I brought you two breakfast sandwiches and a box of cannoli.”

  “I can always count on you, Kyle.”

  Doc grimaced. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

  I sat down and handed him the sandwich bag first. “Eat these while they’re still warm.”

  Misha dug into the first immediately, and the smell of eggs and ham filled the air. He groaned after the initial bite. I sat for a few minutes watching him eat and breathed a sigh of relie
f. He was going to be fine.

  As he unwrapped the second sandwich, I spoke up. “So, Boris is your father, huh?”

  “Yeah.” He studied me for a second. “What did you think of him?”

  Ooops. Shaky ground, here. “At first, before I knew he was your dad, I thought he was an arrogant ass.”

  Misha snorted slightly. “And after you knew he was my father?”

  “I still thought he was a bit full of himself, but he was scared for you, which didn’t seem to bring out the warm and fuzzy in him.”

  “Father can be a bit intense when he doesn’t get his way.”

  Which was putting it mildly. “So why the big secret about your lineage?”

  “My father is a very influential man. It is not common knowledge outside the clan that he is my father. He does not want me to be used as a pawn against him.”

  My opinion of Boris just went up a notch. “Makes sense. But I have to ask you something about your powers.”

  Misha flinched slightly, then proceeded to stuff the last of the sandwich into his mouth and begin chewing. He wasn’t going to put me off so easily.

  “I have been working with you for ten years, Mish. How come I didn’t know you were telekinetic?”

  He swallowed and then crumpled the wrapper, throwing it into the bag. “Have you told anyone?”

  “I mentioned it to Doc. I didn’t know it was a secret. She told Dalton and me not to tell anyone about it until I spoke to you first. What’s the deal?”

  He sighed before continuing, “Since my father is our clan leader, the next choice to succeed him would be one of his children. I have two other brothers who are in line for leader.”

  “Are you the oldest?”

  “Yes, but clan succession does not work that way. The one who has the strongest powers is given the role.”

  “And your telekinesis tips the scales in your favor.”

  “Yes. The last thing I want to do is lead the clan. My younger brother Aleksei is being groomed for the leadership role, and he will make a good one.”

  “No one will hear it from me, and I’ll make sure Dalton zips it, too.”

  He reached for the pastry box, opened it and grinned like a kid in a candy store. “Thanks again for the food. Now it’s my turn to ask you something.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “What did you talk to my father about yesterday?”

  “The price on the street for Hampton’s head has gone up to three mil. Doyle gave us a list of supes who have the resources to pay that kind of money.”

  “My father was on the list.” It was a statement, not a question.

  “Yes.”

  Misha reached for a cannoli and powdered sugar sprinkled onto the sheets. Doc was going to kill me.

  “He does have the money. What did he say when you questioned him?”

  “That he’s not involved, and that he would have the elders work on those drawings you gave him.” I waited for a response, but none was forthcoming. “I have to get going. Will you behave today for Doc?”

  “Only if you bring me a treat later.”

  “Fine. Since, you’re feeling better, let me ask you another one. Did you get a good look at the guy who shot you?”

  “Good enough.”

  “Why don’t you call Jean Luc today and describe the guy to him so he can start a trace?”

  Misha’s eyes lit up. “I’ll have Jean Luc bring me a computer so I can build something in the facial recognition program. Maybe we can find the bastard before he hurts anyone else.”

  Back in the lab, I found Doc sitting at the desk drinking a giant mug of coffee. “I think I’ve calmed him down for a while.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Are you up to checking my forehead?”

  She set the mug down and stood. “Yep, is something wrong?”

  “No, I just wondered when you would take the stitches out.”

  Doc pushed back my bangs and stared at my head. “You’re looking good. But you still need to wait a few more days. Scalp wounds can be tricky and I want to minimize any scarring.”

  “Thanks. I’ll be back later with more food for Misha. He promised to be good today if I bring him another treat.”

  “I owe you one.”

  I pointed to my forehead. “I think we’re even. I better get to work.”

  “Before you go, tell me how things are going with Joe.”

  “Fine,” I answered automatically.

  Doc chuckled. “That sounds convincing. Misha told me you’re pissed because you think Joe tricked you.”

  I bristled. “Yeah, what of it?”

  “After almost losing Misha yesterday, I shouldn’t have to remind you life is short and you better smell the roses and grab onto a decent man when you find one.”

  “Thanks, Dear Abby, I’ll keep it in mind.”

  “Fine, I’ll cut the crap and get to the point. You can’t compare every man to Jack.”

  My stomach clenched. “I knew I should never have agreed to truth or dare after a whole bottle of wine. You can’t throw drunken confessions back in my face.”

  “Jack was a user. You were twenty years old, Kyle. Trying to find your way in the world, and he manipulated you. Would you have honestly thought of scamming casinos out of money on your own?”

  I didn’t bother answering. What was the point?

  “Joe is good for you. I’ve never seen you so engaged with someone before. Let him through the wall you’ve built around yourself, or you’ll spend your life wondering what could have been.”

  I almost fired back a glib response, until I caught sight of Doc’s expression. “I’ll take what you said under advisement.”

  “It’s all I can ask.”

  Chapter 19

  Jean Luc glanced up from his computer screen with bleary eyes.

  “Misha would be proud,” I teased as I walked into the office.

  He leaned back and stretched. “I just spoke to him. He wants me to bring him a computer so he can work on a facial recognition image of the man who shot him.”

  “My fault, sorry. I told him to call you today and give you a description, but Misha being Misha…”

  “Saw it as an opportunity to play with his gadgets. I was planning to go over and relieve Doc today anyway.”

  “Make sure you take him some food by lunchtime. He should be done with the cannoli well before then.”

  “Lunch will depend on how long our meeting with Josiah Akers takes.”

  I took a step forward. “He’s agreed to see us?”

  “Yes. Nicholas talked to him last night, and he has agreed to meet with us at his offices in Tower City.”

  “Great.”

  Dalton’s voice chimed in behind me. “What’s great?”

  I faced him. “We’re going to pay a visit to Josiah Akers today.”

  “When?”

  Jean Luc stood. “Now.”

  As we headed down Superior, Jean Luc negotiated morning rush hour traffic while filling us in on Akers’ background.

  “He runs a number of business chains throughout the Midwest. Laundromats, automatic car washes, and storage units.”

  “That’s an interesting combination,” Dalton interjected.

  “Not really,” Jean Luc replied as he drove into the garage and took the parking ticket. “Pavels do not like dealing with humans, so it makes sense they would invest in self-service businesses.”

  Jean Luc always amazed me with his insights. “What about Akers himself? What do we know about him?”

  “He is older than I am, although I do not know how old, since they are very secretive. He has been in charge of the clan for more than one hundred and fifty years.”

  “Anyone in line to succeed him?”

  Jean Luc pulled into a parking space. “Succession in the Pavel clan is not through lineage. It is through power and determination, with a little blood lust thrown in for good measure. Rumor has it the previous leader was Josiah’s uncle. He was killed by a rogue demo
n. Josiah stepped up and assumed command shortly thereafter.”

  I nodded. “Anything else we need to know before we go in?”

  “Pavels’ disdain for humans is pretty strong. So I should be the one to interrogate him. Try to stay calm, Kyle. If you make him angry, we will not get anything out of him, and then we will have to deal with Nicholas afterwards.”

  I smiled at Jean Luc. He was so cute when he was being all preachy. “Got it. I will be the poster child of diplomacy.”

  Jean Luc rolled his eyes. He wasn’t so cute after all.

  We took an elevator to Akers’ offices on the upper floors. No side trips to peruse the stores on the lower levels or grab a burger at the Hard Rock. When the doors opened with a ding on the fifteenth floor, I immediately knew we were in demon territory.

  There were several large-ass males standing at the far end of the hallway outside a closed door. “Does he rent this entire floor?”

  “Yes, so behave, or we will not make it back to the elevator in one piece,” Jean Luc murmured.

  We walked down the hall, and within seconds a man who seemed to be lacking a neck greeted us. On second glance, he did have a neck, but it was short and thick and dwarfed by his massive head. I hoped they didn’t all look like this one. The image of a low-budget alien movie invaded my thoughts. Laughing in Akers’ face was not going to win points or influence anyone, demon or not.

  “Josiah is available to speak with you now. Follow me.”

  The demon spoke directly to Jean Luc, barely acknowledging Dalton’s or my presence. I could see how this was going to play out already, and I didn’t like it much. Dalton must have sensed my irritation, since he shook his head slightly at me. I took a deep, calming breath.

  At the end of the hallway, I was relieved to see the guards standing outside the doorway did, indeed, have necks. Maybe I could avoid an interspecies incident after all. Before we could go through the door, one of the guards held up a wand metal detector. Was he serious? I stood there glaring at him while he ran the wand over my body. There would be no strip searches today. He did the same with Jean Luc, who wore a bemused expression.

  When they got to Dalton, I bit my lip to keep from laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. Dalton was wearing his gun holstered to his belt. He pulled out his wallet and showed them his badge, shaking his head when the guard motioned for him to give him the gun. Before the guard could protest, a voice came through the door.