Son of the Moonless Night (The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 3)

by C. D. Hersh

  “That’s she’s related tae Rhys, nae. But she knows o’ her shifter background. O’ that I’m certain. I could see she was holding back when I questioned her aboot the ring. I dinna know fer certain what she knows, or why she’s holding back. I’ve been tossing the decision tae tell Rhys to and fro. What do ye think aboot it?”

  “Perhaps she chooses not to be part of the shifter world. I’m not sure we should force that on her. On the other hand, if she’s the target of some shifter plot, as Rhys suspects, don’t we have an obligation to let her know why she’s a target?”

  “’Twas my thoughts. But I dinna want tae get Rhys’ hopes up aboot family and have them dashed tae pieces by the lassie. ’Twas thinking this might need a woman’s touch.”

  “And you’ve picked me?”

  “Ye are Rhys’ wife and a police captain.”

  “Of homicide. Unless someone’s died in her shipping yard, I don’t have a reason to approach her.”

  “There’s plenty o’ rogue shifters running aboot over there. We could fix the problem.”

  He looked serious, but he would not do something like that. Killing without reason was not in Eli’s nature.

  “Besides, I’ve absolutely no shifter senses now. How should I feel her out?”

  “Yer a woman, with a woman’s intuition. Besides, I think the telling ’twould be better coming from ye. On both ends.”

  Great. He wanted her to drop two bombs. One on a complete stranger and the other on her husband.

  When she didn’t reply, Eli continued, “If she’s a target o’ Falhman she needs tae know who ’tis the enemy and who ’tis family. We’ve nae idea what notions her mither might have put intae her head. She has a ring, but she hasnae chosen a side yet. ’Twould be best fer all concerned if she chose wisely. If she dinna plan on choosing a’tall, see if ye can get her ring, or at the verra least, convince her nae tae wear it. If a rogue sees she has a ring and reads her aura but sees nae ring aura, ’twill be an open invitation tae kill her and take a ring that’s nae bound tae the wearer. She needs tae know that.”

  “Point taken. I’ll go see her today.”

  “Take Mary Kate with ye tae be yer eyes.”

  “I didn’t think I had a choice.”

  “Ye dinna, but I know ye, lassie. Ye’d slip away as soon as ye’d breathe. We canna have that.”

  “Before, perhaps, but not now, Eli. This . . .” she laid her hand on her stomach where little Rhys or Alexi junior grew, “. . . is more important to me than breath.”

  “And tae me. If I could, I’d die fer the bairn. Mayhap I will someday.”

  The intense look he gave her made her shudder with foreboding. Eli was immortal. What could he mean by that?

  Upon arriving at Fiona Kayler’s office, the secretary ushered Alexi and Mary Kate in post haste where they found Fiona behind a mound of paperwork.

  As soon as she spotted them, she shoved the stack away. “To what do I owe this visit, Captain Temple?” Indicating the chairs across from her desk, she invited them to sit.

  Alexi took a chair, but Mary Kate stationed herself off to the side of the door, scanning the room intently.

  “Temple,” Fiona said. “Any relationship to Rhys Temple?”

  “He’s my husband.”

  “Are you here in reference to his investigation?”

  “No. It’s a more personal matter.” Scooting her chair closer to the desk, she laid her left hand, which bore her Turning Stone ring, on the desk in full view of Fiona.

  Following her motion, Fiona’s eyes widened, then she dropped her hand with her Turning Stone ring onto her lap. “I don’t know you, Captain Temple, so I’m a bit confused. What personal matter might we have to discuss?”

  Fiona’s voice had a slight tremor, but Alexi caught it nonetheless. “Your ring. It’s an exact duplicate of mine and that of my companion. I understand your mother gave it to you.”

  “How do you know that?” Fiona’s arms crossed over her waist, the hand with the ring sliding beneath her elbow.

  “You told Rhys when he noticed the ring. I received mine from my grandmother.”

  “Odd. They must have purchased them from the same jeweler.”

  “It’s tradition to pass them down through the family. Have you read the inscription inside your ring?”

  “There is none.”

  “I have one on mine and so does Mary Kate.”

  Tightening her grip on her waist, Fiona said, “Did you come here to discuss antique jewelry or does this visit have a point?”

  “No. I came here to meet my sister-in-law and decide if I should tell my husband she exists.”

  Fiona’s sharp intake of breath told her she’d hit a nerve.

  “If you’re here because you think you or your husband have some claim on my company, then you’d better get out, Captain Temple. I don’t have a brother.”

  “Actually, you have two. Rhys is the only one who’s alive. His twin died last year.”

  Fiona’s pale complexion went even whiter. Alexi swiveled in the chair and indicated Mary Kate should wait outside. “You know you have brothers, don’t you?”

  “Mom told me on her deathbed, but I never expected to meet them.”

  “What else did she tell you?”

  “Their father is an evil man. That she spent her whole life, since she gave the twins away, hiding from him. She said I shouldn’t trust anyone who had a ring like mine. I didn’t see Rhys wearing one.”

  “He took his ring off when he realized you didn’t recognize him for what . . . for who he was.”

  “Why are you here instead of Rhys?”

  “He lost his brother only a short time after finding him. I didn’t want to expose him to more heartache if you wanted no part of his family . . . or our greater family.” Fiona didn’t blink an eyelash at the term greater family. She decided to press further. “Did your mother tell you anything else? Anything . . . unusual?”

  “Yes, but it was so incredulous I thought she was hallucinating. People do that when the end is near.”

  “What did she say?” Alexi wanted to hear Fiona’s words, not put words in her mouth or mind.

  “That she . . . and my brothers’ father are shape shifters. Like werewolves, I guess. She didn’t get a chance to explain before she died. She left a lot of questions in my mind. Is Rhys a werewolf?”

  “How would you feel if he was?”

  “I don’t know.” Fiona looked at the Turning Stone ring. “Mom was so adamant I not get involved with anyone with a ring I guess I’m scared. But you don’t seem scary. You seem normal. Are you a werewolf?”

  “No and neither is Rhys.” Alexi rose to leave. “Considering what your mother told you, perhaps it’s best if we forget this visit. I do have a request though.”

  “What?”

  “May I see your ring?” Fiona slipped off the ring and handed it to her. The inside of the gold was smooth, the inscription gone. “Looks like your mother filed off the incantation which releases the ring’s magic. Since she felt so strongly, and you’re scared of the truth, I’d suggest you either get rid of this ring or don’t wear it. There are shifters who would kill to get another magic ring.” She held out the ring, and Fiona took it.

  “But you’re not one of them.”

  “No. I’m part of the good shifter society. If you truly want to separate yourself completely from us, I’d suggest you give me the ring. I’m not going to take it from you, or try to force you to accept or reject us. It’s your decision.”

  Fiona slipped the ring on her finger.

  “The other faction, however, won’t ask nicely or give you a choice.” Digging in her purse, Alexi withdrew a business card. “If you decide you want to know more, or give me the ring, call. Please don’t
let Rhys know I visited. I don’t want him hurt by knowing he has family who doesn’t want to know him.” She slung her purse over her shoulder and started to leave.

  “Wait!” Fiona called to her retreating back. “I do want to know about the shape shifters. I’d like to get to know my brother, too.”

  She turned toward Fiona in time to see her remove the ring and tuck it into her bra. “For safekeeping . . . for the moment. I’ll take your advice and lock it in my safety deposit box.”

  “I’ll break the news to Rhys as soon as I can. We’ll be in touch.”

  Chapter 28

  Kat laid the results of her lab test alongside the lab report Olivia had run. Nothing unusual which would indicate murder. Olivia’s report mentioned marijuana. Her victim had no marijuana in his system, but he did have a lot of alcohol. Both basic lab tests, normally used on autopsies, showed elevated potassium chloride in the body which could have led to the conclusion the victims died of a heart attack.

  But she had seen the murder and collected samples from the wounds of the last victim with the puncture marks. Having remembered Owen’s fascination with poisonous fish, she took a chance and ran a series of poison tests. Those tests showed a very different result.

  This man had been murdered. And Owen was the killer.

  With shaking hands, she gathered the tests results from her desktop and headed to Captain Temple’s office.

  She had no other choice.

  Owen had to be turned in.

  The blinds were drawn on the captain’s glass walls, so she hesitated before knocking. Inside, she heard the captain and a man talking. When she recognized the man’s voice, she burst into the room. Owen sat across from the captain’s desk, two of the film crew on either side of his chair.

  “What are you doing here?” she demanded and then she pointed at him. “You need to arrest this man.”

  “Kat?” He started to rise, but the men at his side placed hands on his shoulders and held him in the seat.

  The woman Captain Temple had introduced to the office as the director jumped toward the captain and placed herself in front of her, taking a defensive position.

  Glancing at the director, the captain waved her back. “It’s okay. This is the deputy coroner. What are you talking about, Katrina?”

  Looking directly at Owen, she said, “He’s a murderer.”

  Surprise, shock, horror, and then humiliation flashed over Owen’s face. He opened his mouth. Certain he was going to speak, she turned away and concentrated on the captain. Nothing he could say would make things better.

  Captain Temple cocked an eyebrow, and Kat handed her the reports. After giving them a quick check, Alexi said, “Take Mr.—”

  “Todd,” Owen interjected.

  A curious expression crossed the captain’s face, but then she said, “Mr. Todd into one of the conference rooms.”

  The two crew members hauled Owen to his feet and led him from the office. The captain indicated Mary Kate should leave. She exited and closed the door.

  “Now,” the captain said, “why do you think he’s a murderer?”

  Taking a deep breath to calm her shaking insides, Kat said, “The other night when you asked what I was doing at the crime scene, I had followed Owen. I saw him . . . shift . . . into a woman. He went into a bar.”

  “What bar?”

  “Rogue-something. Part of the neon light was blinking and I couldn’t see the whole name. Anyway, he went in as a woman and came out with a man. The one in the morgue.”

  “I told you to stop hunting this killer.” The captain paused and studied her, her brow creased in displeasure. “Were you tracking Owen as a huntress? Or for some other reason?”

  “A bit of both. We’ve been seeing each other.” No use hiding anything now. To get justice for those dead men, she’d have to tell everything. Even her complicity concerning Owen.

  “Is he the one you rescued from the bear?”

  “Yeah. He showed up, and I couldn’t just let him out of my sight. Sorry I didn’t follow your orders, but I’m used to working alone.”

  “He told you he was a shifter?”

  “No. Not then. I witnessed him shift a couple of days ago. He worked here disguised as Olivia. The day she quit she dropped what I thought was some lab evidence into her purse, so I followed her. That was a shock.”

  “Because she stole something?”

  “Because I saw her shift. Well, not exactly. She went into a dressing room as a woman and came out as Owen. I gave her . . . him . . . the benefit of the doubt, like you said I should. But when Owen left the alley the night I found the last victim, I knew something bad happened. I took a sample of the man’s blood thinking Olivia hid something in the lab tests.”

  “Had she?”

  “Big time. Those punctures I mistook as vampire marks are probably needle marks. Using mass spectrometric detection following liquid chromatographic separation I discovered tetrodotoxin, histamine, tryptamine, octopamine, taurine, acetylcholine, and dopamine.”

  “Laymen’s terms, please.”

  “Blue-ringed octopus venom. One of the deadliest poisons on earth. Probably one of the syringe needles had potassium chloride in it, which can cause a heart attack. When it’s present in large amounts, like in the lab tests, a heart attack is the logical assumption as cause of death. The other syringe most likely contained the octopus venom. This venom can kill a large male within minutes if not medically treated. The amount Owen may have been injecting could have killed instantly.”

  “Why wasn’t this detected before?”

  “A couple of the marks were located on tattoos and could have been dismissed as needle marks from the art. Another was in the fold at the base of the victim’s neck. He was a rather heavy man. Those bodies also weren’t as fresh as the two I examined most recently. The marks could have easily been missed if you weren’t looking for them.”

  “Excellent work, Katrina.” The captain dropped the lab reports into her desk drawer.

  “Since I’m an eye witness, of sorts, do you need a formal statement from me to charge him?”

  “What I need you to do is keep this information to yourself.”

  “Why? He’s guilty.”

  “Did you see Owen actually kill this man?”

  “No, but he was the only one who could have. There were no other entrances to the alley. He came out and the man was left in there alone. Dead. Olivia . . . Owen . . . took police evidence.”

  “My point exactly. How are you going to accuse Owen of stealing evidence when Olivia took it? You said a woman and the victim went into the alley. Shape shifter evidence is not going to hold up in court, if you even really want to go there.”

  If he’d have been a vampire she might forgive his killing. After all, vampires fed on humans to live, and sometimes passion overruled their sensibility causing unexpected deaths. But Owen’s killings had been premeditated.

  “He’s a murderer.”

  “Of other shape shifters. Bad shape shifters.”

  No way the captain could be sure. She hadn’t seen the men in the morgue shift. Her beliefs were speculation. “What if Owen has killed humans?”

  “I don’t believe he has.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he said so.”

  “So we’re just going to let him go free?”

  “Sit down, Katrina. There’s something you need to know.”

  She didn’t like the serious expression on the captain’s face, but she sat anyway. Her insides shook from the discovery concerning the man she loved. One more piece of bad news couldn’t do much more. Could it?

  “Not only is Owen a shape shifter, he’s my cousin.”

  Stunned, she stared at the captain as a thousand things ran through her mind, sifting
down to the most important questions. Is that how she knew about shape shifters? Is she sacrificing justice to protect family?

  And finally the last query, which she blurted out loud. “Are you a shape shifter?”

  “Yes.” The captain proceeded to fill her in on the Turning Stone Society and the war raging between the two factions. “Owen has indicated he wants to defect to our side, and he has valuable information. Apparently, the rogue kingpin is planning something big. We need Owen. Alive and un-convicted. That’s why you have to keep everything you know in reference to these murders quiet and destroy any evidence you’ve collected.”

  “So you’re never going to accuse him of these crimes?”

  “Just like I’m never going to bring your supernatural activities to light. It’s the way it has to be.”

  “What about justice? You said justice comes through your badge.”

  “It does. For humans. The Turning Stone Society has its own rules. That’s why I didn’t want you to get involved. I appreciate the work you’ve done, and I can use it when dealing with Owen, but your job is done now.”

  “This was premeditated murder, and we don’t even know why he’s killing them.”

  “I’ll find out. Trust me. Just destroy the evidence and walk away from this one, Katrina.”

  The trouble was she couldn’t walk away. In spite of what he’d done, she still loved Owen. Only heaven knew why, because she certainly didn’t understand her feelings for a murderer. If the captain thought there might be even a shred of logical reasoning behind the killings, she had to know. Killing the bad guys was acceptable, wasn’t it? It would make Owen redeemable. Forgivable.