by Ally Shields
Ryan closed the door behind Barron’s sister. “Neither of us suggested black magic as a cause of death. What do you think she would have said?”
“She wants answers. She might accept it, if we decide to give her the details, but I don’t think we should, at least not yet. She acts cooperative, level-headed, but what if she went to the press or made a careless slip?” Ari gave an emphatic shudder. “We’d have all hell break loose.”
“Yeah, I thought she was pretty solid, but you never know.” Ryan tapped his pen on the desk. “What do we do with all the information she gave us? Carmody and that PR woman seem to have pretty big gripes against the victim.”
“Well, yes, but you know this wasn’t a human killing. Barron wasn’t shot or stabbed, and he didn’t die from being shoved off the cliff. His body reeks of black magic. Unless one of the crew hired a wizard or witch, which would be a really weird way for a human to kill someone, their motives for disliking the victim are interesting, but probably unimportant.” She watched his face deflate. Given a choice, Ryan would much rather find an ordinary, human answer. “Still, it is significant that they lied during their interviews. They didn’t want us to know about the disagreements, which could be a normal tendency to appear in the best light to police—or it might be someone covering up. I not only want to know why, but I wonder what else they’re hiding. One of them must know something that would help us.” She set down her coffee cup and stood. “And no matter how remote the possibility, we still can’t discount a murder for hire. Let’s talk to the entire crew again, especially Carmody, Sara, and Dyani.”
Ryan grabbed his keys, ready to follow her out. “The whole lot of them lied by omission.” Ryan squared his jaw. “Maybe I’ll give them a lecture about impeding a death investigation.”
“OK, but I get to watch.”
* * *
Barron’s crew was still booked into the local River Vista Inn. Ryan had wrangled an agreement from the company lawyers for the group to stay in town until the end of the week. Ari listened to Ryan’s side of the conversation as Ryan called ahead and arranged to use one of the business conference rooms. She cocked an eyebrow at him as he hung up. Carmody had agreed to gather the crew, although not without an argument. Ryan filled her in on their way to the inn.
“He asked what new questions we had and why. When I said we’d discuss it at the meeting, he got huffy, demanded to be told immediately. Reminded me it was his crew. As if that made a difference.” Ryan harrumphed quietly as he reached for the conference room door, pausing to add, “He bitched about the crew wasting time and enjoying the bars and spa too much. I’ll bet the real problem is a growing bar tab.”
Without waiting for a response, Ryan opened the door. Carmody’s expression was chilly. The others lounged around, mostly looking bored.
“Are you going to let us leave town soon?” Cole spoke before anyone else had a chance. “There’s not much to do around here. One night on the vampire strip is about all I can take.”
“I like the hotel pool,” Sara said. “And the spa’s nice. Earlier today I had a great facial.” She’d arrived at the meeting in her swimsuit and cover-up, a towel slung across her shoulders. Cole came in with her and was also in swim gear.
“Shall we get down to business?” Ryan spoke in a normal tone, but the crew grew quiet. “I won’t keep you any longer than necessary, but Ms. Calin and I have a few more questions. Today we’ll be talking with you individually.”
That caused a wary exchange of glances.
“May I ask why?” Carmody stood to one side with his arms crossed.
Ryan’s expression remained bland. “We have additional information to discuss with each of you.”
Carmody frowned. “What kind of information? Do we need to call our lawyers?”
“Suit yourself. In any case, we’ll be interviewing in that room over there.” Ryan pointed to a smaller meeting room to the left. “You can wait here until we call you. Feel free to get drinks or food while you wait, but bring them back here so you’re available.”
The next hour and a half were tedious, sometimes combative. Ryan pulled no punches, laying out the facts if the suspects didn’t.
They interviewed Bev first. If Kelly was right, Bev was the least likely to want him dead. They hoped she’d give them a better picture of what things were really like on the crew. But it was quickly evident she was as unsophisticated as Kelly had implied. When they asked her about the fights and arguments, Bev looked astonished, claimed it was nothing but artistic temperament and that everybody had loved Jase. They let her go after a few minutes.
“Is anybody that naive?” Ari asked when the door closed.
Ryan shook his head and called in the next witness.
The two cavers, Mary Ann and Rico, were second and third in line. They both admitted their anger over the company shares but denied doing anything about it except informing Carmody they wouldn’t work for his company again. They claimed the tension on the crew was nothing unusual.
“Film crews are touchy,” Rico declared. “They spend too much time worrying about their image instead of the job. This is my third expedition for film and my last. It isn’t worth the extra money. I’m sticking with scientific explorers from now on.”
“Why didn’t you mention this expedition involved the caves?” Ryan asked the question as if it were a proven fact.
Rico looked surprised. “I thought you knew. All you asked about was the treasure.”
It wasn’t much, but at least they had confirmation that the caverns were the intended filming site. With two cavers on the film crew, it wasn’t exactly a big surprise.
Cole was interviewed next, and he flirted with Ari throughout the questioning. He admitted he and Jase had argued but appeared shocked they thought he might commit murder over the disagreement. Ari couldn’t bring herself to view Cole as a serious menace, unless someone had threatened to cut his pretty boy face.
When Ari stepped out to call Tom, the photographer, for the next interview, she found him hugging his ex-girlfriend, Bev. She was snuggled against his chest and wiping her eyes. Tom had definitely benefited by Barron’s death. He had his girl back.
“That was a touching scene.” Ari turned to Ryan in the interview room once the door closed. “He was comforting Bev with his big, strong arms.”
Tom’s cheeks turned red. “Yeah, um, she’s upset. Bev’s not very strong. She’s led a pretty sheltered life.”
“She seemed devastated by Barron’s sudden death. I wouldn’t think she’d get over that so quickly.”
Tom sighed. “She’d be just as upset if it was a stray puppy. I know what she’s like, Ms. Calin. She’s flighty, but I don’t care. She needs someone who sees beyond the beauty.” He gave Ari a serious look. “I plan to be around. Someday I’ll marry her.”
“That’s a pretty serious declaration. Didn’t it bother you to see her with your boss?” Ari asked.
“You think I killed Jase to get Bev back, but you’re wrong. I’d never do that.” He ran his fingers through his sandy hair, the resulting disorder adding to his boy-next-door look. “I knew I’d have to pick up the pieces when he dumped her. Jase isn’t into commitment. I’ll admit I was pissed, because I knew Bev would get her heart broken. But I wouldn’t try to harm him.” He wrinkled his nose in distaste. “That’s not how I handle things.”
“How do you handle something like that?” Ryan locked his gaze on him.
Tom frowned. “Patience, I guess. Hang in there long enough, and you’ll eventually get what you want.”
Or you could give fate a nudge.
Although Ryan tried, he failed to ruffle Tom’s laid-back demeanor. Ari suspected the photographer might really be the easy-going type he appeared to be. It was too early to draw any definite conclusions.
The interview with Dyani, the Native American, was far from the casual chat they’d had with Tom. Although the young woman wasn’t defiant or openly angry, she wasn’t cooperative either, and h
er discomfort was palpable. Her expression remained stoic; answers were limited to one or two words, or more often nothing except a shrug. She denied withholding any information on the treasure and said she didn’t know why Barron had asked her to join the crew.
“I’m an archeologist. I assumed the site would be something like a prehistoric dig.”
It was the longest answer she’d given. Ari perked up, immediately suspicious. Why was Dyani volunteering an opinion now, especially a theory they hadn’t heard before? “Did Barron say it was prehistoric or imply it by anything specific?”
“Well, no, I just thought…”
And that was the most they got. When Ari asked her about the caves, the young woman said she hadn’t known there were any nearby.
“I’ve never worked in a cave. Why would he hire me for that kind of expedition?”
“That’s funny.” Ari kept her tone casual. “There are cavers on the crew, and they knew this was a caving expedition.”
“No one told me.”
She was lying, but Ari couldn’t decide if Dyani was hiding something or just resistant to authority and not wanting to get involved. She had a chip on her shoulder, but that could be from anything. One thing Ari was pretty certain of—if Dyani knew something, she wasn’t giving it up unless they found leverage to use on her.
When the interview was over, Ari stretched her back and looked at Ryan across the conference table. “I don’t believe her, but I can’t tell you why. Who’s left?”
He checked his list. “Only two. Sara and Carmody.” He looked at his watch. “Maybe another hour. So far we’ve got next to nothing, and I don’t believe any of them. I’m going to need a beer or two when this is over. A few of my squad are going to the Woodland Inn to shoot pool. Care to join us?”
“Let’s see what time we finish. Then I’ll check in at home.”
Ryan grinned. “Got to ask the SO for permission?”
Startled, Ari’s gaze flew to his face. SO? She couldn’t believe he’d referred to Andreas as her significant other. What a totally inappropriate term for the darkly dangerous and domineering vampire prince of Riverdale. She snorted in response. “I’m trying to be considerate and keep anyone from panicking. It’s a whole new thing when a bunch of people start worrying about where you are and what you’re doing.”
“Some of us have always worried.” Ryan’s expression turned serious. “You tend to draw enemies to you. The really scary kind. Vamps, wolves, demons.”
“Doesn’t anyone think I can protect myself?” She sighed. “The O-Seven has everyone jumping at shadows. Honestly, this protectiveness has become obsessive. If I’m not home right on time, they start calling. Andreas, Gabriel, even Samuel, Andreas’s security chief. It’s weird. They finally agreed to back off during the day, so I’m doing my best not to give them a reason to worry.” Anxious to put an end to the conversation, she stood abruptly. “I’ll get Sara.”
When Ari returned, Jase Barron’s Public Relations person followed her into the hotel conference room and turned a professional smile on Ryan. She displayed a casual ease under questioning and laughed off his questions about the bitter breakup with Jase.
“We were consenting adults with a public image to maintain. I have no regrets. Nor did Jase. The big fight was all for show. His TV ratings went up.” Sara’s glittering look matched her smile. “It was a publicity stunt.”
“That isn’t how others saw it,” Ryan said.
“They weren’t supposed to.” Sara gave an impatient jerk of her head, as if he was being dense. “We delivered several convincing performances in front of witnesses. It would have been pointless if no one believed us.” She stuck to her story. “If you come up with more questions, you’ll find me at the pool.” She pushed back her chair and sashayed out, whipping her towel behind her.
Ryan frowned at the door she’d left standing open. “She’s lying too. But I’m not convinced she’d hire some witch to kill for her. She might pull the trigger herself.”
“Good point.” Ari shook her head. “Re-fashioning the truth seems to be part of life in Hollywood, but I think she’s protecting her reputation more than anything else.”
That left them with Max Carmody. If he’d called the lawyers, they must have advised him to cooperate. He came into the interview willingly enough but immediately went on the offensive. “You haven’t even told us how Jase died,” he complained. “Except some gibberish about his heart, which nobody believes. There’s something odd about everything that’s happened here. I saw his sister Kelly today. What did she tell you?”
“What do you think she said?” Ari asked. “Something worrying you?”
He scowled but didn’t meet her look. “Not at all. I’ve nothing to hide.”
“Did you talk with Mrs. Falk?”
“No, she avoided me, and that isn’t like her. It’s time you gave me some answers. What exactly happened to Jase?” He continued to gripe for another five minutes before finally subsiding. “I want out of this one-horse town, and I don’t understand why we’re still here.”
“Because your lawyers preferred cooperation over material witness warrants.” Ari heard the undertone that indicated Ryan’s patience was wearing thin, but he went on calmly enough. “I don’t think they wanted the kind of publicity that would arise from failing to cooperate in the investigation. Until we solve this case, we may need to talk with you more than once. If you haven’t conferred with your lawyers recently, I suggest you take any further complaints to them.”
“I intend to do that,” Carmody muttered.
“In the meantime, I expect your cooperation.”
Carmody sat down. Ryan questioned him about the details of the partnership and a potential court fight over the business, but Carmody insisted the partnership papers would hold up in court.
“I can’t believe Kelly would tell you that,” he said. “The agreement already includes provisions for his kids. They get one third of present and future profits. She should have read the documents before making wild accusations.”
When Ryan brought up the disagreements over the production end of the show, Carmody scowled. “Ridiculous. No two artists agree over those things. We worked it out.” He gave them a narrow look as he pushed his chair back and stood. “I don’t know how you think I caused some kind of alleged heart attack, but you’ve got the wrong man. Jase was my meal ticket. Don’t you think I understood that?”
* * *
Before Ari had a chance to call Andreas about her after-work plans, he called her with plans of his own. His tense voice immediately got her attention.
“I’m taking the jet to Toronto tonight. Can you come?”
“To see Daron? It’s not the best time. Not with an unsolved murder case on my docket. Is this social or trouble?” She already knew the answer, but she waited to hear how bad it was.
“I was not available when Daron called, so I do not have the details, but Samuel reported I am needed at a meeting with Ursula. I have no idea why, but you know Daron would not exaggerate the necessity. I am awaiting his return call but preparing to leave immediately.”
Ari’s stomach tightened. The elder vampires and their damned enforcer. Anything that involved them was bound to be serious trouble. She told Andreas she’d meet him at the club and disconnected.
She cancelled the beers with Ryan, and less than ten minutes later she walked into Andreas’s office and found him on the phone.
“It will take four hours, door to door. I can only guarantee my own presence. There is a complication.” Andreas listened as someone on the other end was talking. “Soon.” He disconnected and turned a troubled face toward Ari. “Ursula has insisted on the honor of my presence.”
“So, ignore her.”
“Oh, she provided for that alternative.” Andreas grimaced. “She offered to come here. Which I want to avoid. I would much rather keep the O-Seven’s emissaries away from Riverdale. I have no choice but to go to Canada. Daron and I had a chance to disc
uss this, and in some ways, it is not such a bad idea. It is an opportunity to make a statement, to demonstrate strength and unity while under Daron’s protection.”
“Is Daron’s protection enough? Will this enforcer honor any boundaries or rules?”
Andreas shrugged. “She represents the O-Seven. They tend to make their own rules.”
“That’s my point.” She bit her lip. “Ryan isn’t going to like my leaving town during a murder investigation, but I think I should go with you. Isn’t that what Daron suggested—the part you weren’t going to tell me—that you and I need to present a united front? We’ve been through this before. Vampires place a high value on displays of loyalty.” She studied his face. His expression didn’t reveal much, but his slowness in answering did. He needed her with him. “When is the meeting?”
“In four hours. If all goes smoothly, I will be back by dawn.”
“Perfect. Let’s do it.”
“Are you positive, cara mia? This is not yet your fight.”
“Yeah, right. I’ve been part of this fight since we met.” She quirked a smile at him. “What could be more fun than irritating some nasty, old vampiress?”
Chapter Four
Within thirty minutes, they were seated on board the private luxury jet they’d confiscated from Sebastian’s hidden properties after his death last November. Ari had called Ryan on the way to the airport, explaining they were going to meet the O-Seven’s enforcer but would be back by morning and give him the details then. He’d hesitated, but accepted her decision without protest. She’d gotten off the hook because Andreas was along. Annoying, but better than a long hassle.
Ari held a coffee cup in her hand, but her thoughts were playing pinball inside her skull. Maybe she should lay off the caffeine.
She’d never met an enforcer, but as a daughter of one of the original seven vampires, the much-feared O-Seven, Ursula had to be dangerous. The elders and their minions had ruled the vampire world for thousands of years without opposition, growing stronger and more arrogant with the passage of time. They lived somewhere in Europe, and until two years ago, Ari hadn’t heard much about them. Lately the O-Seven had invaded a large portion of her life and become a very real threat to the local vampire rulers Daron and Andreas and—by extension—to her. Why couldn’t they leave the States alone? And Canada, for that matter.
