“I told you that you wouldn’t believe me.”
Mira didn’t say anything. She did believe—she just didn’t want to.
“Anyway,” Detective Burke said, “the questions would have taken longer, but you threw us for a loop.”
“Glad I could help out,” Mira said.
He chuckled.
“Look, Detective—”
“Ian,” he said.
“What?”
“Call me Ian. It’s not like we’re complete strangers.”
Mira frowned and looked at him in profile. “We’re not?”
He grinned. “Your name sounded familiar, so I looked you up.”
“And?” Mira said when he didn’t continue right away.
“We had a few classes together in college.”
“Oh.” To Mira college had been one big blur, and she’d really like to keep it that way. “Sorry, I don’t remember.”
“You looked busy,” Ian said. “We talked at a few parties as well.”
Ugh. Mira really didn’t want to remember the parties. Her addiction had sprung up around those parties. “What classes did we take together?”
“I remember you in logic and reasoning, abnormal psychology, and statistics. I’m pretty sure we were in the same calc class, but I dropped early and took it the following semester instead.”
Maybe that wasn’t all bad. By the time Logic was over, she had been getting her life back on track.
“How do you remember me?” Mira asked. “Those classes weren’t exactly small.”
“Quinton Franks was in the same fraternity as me. I think you two knew each other.”
“You know the mayor’s son?” Mira bit her lip. Quinton was the reason she had worked with the police. She had pulled herself out of addiction and away from a group of friends, which were a cult when it came down to it. Then she’d jumped back in to pull Quinton out, though not for any noble reason. It had kept her out of jail and out of trouble.
“Yeah. He said you helped him out of something when I asked him about you.”
Helped him out of trouble? Well, yeah, you could say that, even though he resented her for doing it.
Wait, what?
“You asked him about me?” Mira asked.
“You’re surprised?”
“Well, yeah. I was a mess in college.”
Ian shrugged, but kept the grin.
Mira joined him, but wanted to kick herself when she felt her face turn red.
Then she thought about the file that Ian and his partner might receive tomorrow. It was enough to kill any lightened mood.
“Um, I really was a mess in college…” She had no idea what was in that file and wasn’t sure what she should tell him.
“Who wasn’t?” Ian said.
Maybe saying nothing was the best bet. “I guess so.” She forced a smile. “Small world, though.”
“It is,” he said, glancing over at her.
Her insides felt fuzzy at the look. “I guess that means you should call me Mira.”
Ian was cute, but that smile set him over the top. Knowing the weirdness that he was about to see in her file, Mira tried to cement the picture in her mind. It might be the last time she saw it. At least directed at her.
“Nice house,” Detective Burke said as he pulled into the driveway.
She looked up at the big house as they drove beside it, toward the back. “Thanks, but, um, I rent the apartment over the garage.” She pointed to the top of the three-car garage that had been built to match the house. “Will I see you tomorrow?” Mira asked, thinking what Ian might discover about her and Quinton the next day.
Ian appeared to think that over. “It’s hard to say. I guess that depends on what turns up.”
“That’s understandable,” Mira agreed. “But after… well, after you get more information on me, you may have some questions.”
“I’m sure we both will,” Ian said, looking more serious.
“Yes, but yours might be more… specific and not about the case. No offense to your partner,” although Mira privately thought she wouldn’t care about offending Detective Flint, “but I don’t think I’ll feel as comfortable answering your questions with him around.”
“Gabe’s a good guy when you get to know him,” Ian said. “Don’t get put off by the whole lie detector trick he does.”
“I think I’m more put off by the fact that he thinks I’m guilty of… I don’t even know what. But guilty of something.”
“I shouldn’t be saying this, but you’ll find out soon anyway. There’s been another death that may be related. We’ve been given the case and he thinks you know something you’re not telling us.” Ian hesitated as he stopped the car next to the stairs to her apartment. “If there is something you’re not telling us, you need to let me know what it is.”
Mira sighed. “I didn’t hurt Sally, if that’s what you’re getting at. And I don’t know who did.”
“I don’t think you killed her.”
“And your partner?”
Ian didn’t say anything.
“Well, I’m sure I’ll see you tomorrow.” Mira opened her car door.
Ian got out as well. “I’ll walk you to your door.”
“You don’t have to.” Mira spoke more quickly than she’d intended. She only planned on being here until he left. Lance’s house wasn’t too far away. She could walk there.
“Be careful,” Ian said as Mira rushed upstairs.
“You too,” Mira called. She opened the door and flipped on the inside light. “Thanks for the lift home.”
She dashed inside before he could say anything else. Hopefully he would only assume she was in a hurry. Being rude wasn’t her intention, but more than ever, she wanted to rush over to Lance’s and see what was going on.
Alchemy, the larger of her two black cats, wound around her legs as way of greeting. Oracle stood in the window, barely glancing up to acknowledge that she was home. Mira went over and patted him on the head anyway. It wasn’t like him to ignore her.
There had been another death and they had talked about the occult. Mira couldn’t get those two facts out of her head as she fed the cats. She watched the clock, letting five minutes go by before she went back out into the dark evening.
Chapter 4
Thoughts about the growing case filled Mira’s mind. Was it Helen that had died? She should have asked, but they likely wouldn’t have told her anyway. When she stepped into Lance’s palatial house, Mira ignored the grandeur, for once, and sought out Della after hanging her coat in the coatroom.
If it had been Helen, she’d find out tonight.
There were more people present than Mira had expected. Maybe ten people were in the parlor, and she knew more would be in the ballroom. Many avoided meetings that were held at Lance’s house. Most hear the word vampire and either run away or show up with the torches and stakes.
There’s good reason for it. Vampires were vicious monsters, for the most part. It was a little-known secret among the supernatural community that there was such a thing as a non-feral vampire. Lance was one of the few known civilized vampires, but he hinted at others.
Still, the word vampire conjured certain images.
The buzz of curious energy was strong among the group. There was a wide gap between three elves and others in attendance. They seemed bouncy. An energetic elf isn’t necessarily a good thing.
Although Mira was looking for Della, Robin was the one who found her when she stepped into the ballroom.
Mira loved her sister, but found her awkward to be around. Robin had joined a coven, and after Mira’s bad experiences with other witches in college, Mira no longer liked the idea of being that dependent on others.
“This is quite the crowd,” Mira said, glancing nervously at the twenty or so people milling around. “Have you found out anything?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Robin said.
“How does something like this even get called?”
/> “The elders are the only ones that can call an emergency meeting of this size. Even the humans are here.” Robin gestured to a group of people that seemed packed together a little tighter and keeping a little further away than the others, much like everyone else was staying away from the elves.
Mira barely glanced at them, noting that it was only the older humans, and calling them human was a stretch. Looking around more, she saw that William Strike, a witch hunter, and John Parnell, a psychic, were chatting with other races. They weren’t exactly the run-of-the-mill humans on the street.
“Have you seen Della?”
“Some of the other sorcerers are in the corner,” Robin said dismissively. “She’s probably with them.”
The idea of the instant power that sorcerers had available to them had always been an affront to Robin’s sensibilities as a witch. Mira had seen the aftermath of sorcerers using their magic and thought it was an equal exchange. Work magic fast and fall on your face from exhaustion afterwards; plan, create anchors, and take time on your magic, as witches do, and you can go for days.
“I don’t see her,” Mira said. “How are the kids?” Mira asked as she moved back toward the parlor again.
“They’re doing well. You wouldn’t believe the amount of stuff they do after school.” Robin filled her in on the family while waving and saying hello to people as they walked through the rooms.
“Oh my,” Robin said, catching Mira’s attention.
“What?” Mira asked.
Robin lowered her voice. “Mr. Harker is here.”
Mira followed her sister’s gaze and spotted Emmit. He gave a polite nod in her direction, a gesture she repeated, adding a smile, before looking away again.
“Of course he’s here,” Mira said, keeping her voice light. “Everyone is.”
“Who’s here?” Della asked.
Mira turned to the fiery redhead, glad to see her.
“Mr. Harker is,” Robin said. “Everyone’s been talking about him.”
“What are they saying?” Mira asked.
“He’s mysterious,” Robin said.
“And gorgeous,” Della added with a sigh. “He looks tense, though.”
“People want to know what he’s doing in town,” Robin said, not commenting on his looks. “I mean, he’s a Harker.”
From Robin’s tone, she could have been talking about her favorite celebrity.
“He is cute,” Mira admitted.
“And he’s coming this way.” Robin gripped Mira’s arm for a moment, but then seemed to remember that she was an adult and didn’t want to be caught fawning over someone.
Mira looked around, surprised to see Emmit was already upon them. She worried for a moment that he might have heard what she had said, but dismissed the idea.
“Miss Owens,” Emmit said, “it’s a pleasure to see you again.”
“And you,” Mira said, falling once again for his distinguished British accent. Then her sister poked her in the back. “Um, this is my sister, Robin Lake, and my friend, Della Yates.”
“It’s nice to meet you both,” Emmit said. “May I join you?”
“Of course,” Mira said, trying not to betray her nervousness. “But only if you call me Mira.” She thought of her conversation with him that afternoon. She had assumed he had been being polite about wanting to chat with her, but maybe he’d meant it when he said he had hoped to see her.
A small smile appeared which seemed to make Emmit look lighter. “Of course.”
Seeing an odd sparkle in Della’s eyes when she looked from Mira to Emmit, Mira rushed to choose a subject, afraid of what her friend might say. “Does anyone know why the meeting was called?”
Della’s face fell. “I think so.” She leaned in and lowered her voice. “I think someone else in the community has been murdered.”
Robin gasped, apparently caught off guard.
Mira tensed. “Helen.” She whispered the name the detectives had mentioned.
“Helen Kassell?” Della asked, dropping her voice even lower. “What have you heard?”
“Nothing really. But earlier, when, you know,” Mira really didn’t want to say she was questioned by the police in front of her sister, “Earlier Helen’s name came up, along with a few others.”
Della started to say something, but three loud knocks sounded out, seeming to come from everywhere at once, reverberating and filling the air.
The noise was followed by a few seconds of complete silence before voices filled the void once again.
“Who was it that questioned you?” Della asked, not catching the hint, as several people began to file out of the room.
Mira purposefully avoided looking at her sister. “Detectives Burke and Flint. One of the questions they asked is if Sally knew Helen.” Mira tried not to sound defensive, but she felt uncomfortable about bringing Sally up, and she knew Della wasn’t happy that she went to the police station.
“You were friends with Sally?” Emmit asked slowly.
“Della and I both were,” Mira said.
Emmit nodded as though making up his mind about something. “I believe that you and Della should join me in the meeting.”
“We have representatives in there,” Mira said.
“And today, you’ll be my guest,” Emmit said.
Mira hesitated. “Do you usually attend the meetings?”
“The offer has been extended to me as the only apparent member of my race in the area. Please join me.”
Mira looked at him for a moment, frozen in indecision, and then her sister gently shoved her forward.
“Um, sure.” Mira looked at Della, who nodded. “We’ll join you.”
Although they were running late, Emmit appeared unconcerned. The meeting of the elders was being held in Lance’s formal dining room. Emmit graciously opened the door for Mira and Della.
As soon as Mira stepped into the room conversation stopped, and all eyes fell on her. Most didn’t look happy with the interruption.
Mr. Contrey stood and leaned forward. “This is not—” He stopped what was sure to be an angry diatribe when Emmit moved forward.
Emmit was such an unknown that all he had to do was look intently at Mr. Contrey. Although Emmit appeared more passive than unfriendly, Mr. Contrey sat down.
“We were just getting started,” Ms. Vears said. “I’m afraid the matter is delicate. Typically, only one of each race is represented on the council.”
“That was my understanding,” Emmit said. “I was invited to join you.”
“Of course, Mr. Harker, but…” Ms. Vears response trailed away as she glanced to Mira and Della.
“Yes?” Emmit asked.
Twelve different races were represented tonight—thirteen, now that Emmit had joined. Working together, all of them were forming a silence that became more uncomfortable as each second ticked by. Even Lance looked uneasy, which was something that no one expected to see in a centuries-old vampire.
Mira admired the way Della stood, as though she had every right to be there. She didn’t bother trying to emulate Della, however, knowing that it was bound for failure.
Emmit appeared unconcerned. Maybe he was used to the scrutiny of others.
Mr. Contrey cleared his throat. “Have a seat while we explain the situation.”
“This is a meeting about the death of one of your own, correct?” Emmit asked.
Mira found it interesting that he was speaking directly to Noah Tate, who was a werewolf, same as Helen had been, and wondered how well Emmit knew everyone.
“Yes,” Noah said shortly.
Emmit took a close look at the man. “I am very sorry to hear about the loss of your clansman.”
Noah appeared to hesitate before giving a curt nod of acknowledgment.
“Since this is the second member of the community to meet an early end,” Emmit continued, “I thought it prudent to invite Mira and Della—they were friends with Sally. It should also be noted that Mira was questioned by the police today
.”
Once again, Mira found everyone looking at her. She could feel her face getting warmer and wondered why she had agreed to this.
“What did you say?” Mr. Contrey demanded.
Emmit gave him a cool look. “Why don’t we let Miss Owens tell us the whole story.”
Mira took a deep breath and tried to ignore the looks on the faces of those around her. Fear, anger, and loss bored down on Mira while she spoke, telling them everything that had occurred earlier in the day.
“They are trying to find a link between the two women,” Ms. Vears said. “Which means they are connecting the cases.”
“Shouldn’t they be connecting them?” Noah asked.
“No,” Mr. Contrey said tersely. Several others in the group echoed his sentiment.
“How are they supposed to find the person responsible if we are hiding things from the police?” Noah asked, his voice raising.
“And what would we say to them?” The scorn was thick in Mr. Contrey’s voice. “The two had no connection outside the conclave.”
“There has to be some way to tell them the truth,” Noah said.
“Not at the risk of exposing all of us,” Mr. Contrey said.
“And if one of us is behind the murders?” Anger was beginning to fuel Noah.
“We handle our own business,” Mr. Contrey snapped.
“Do we know anyone on the police force that we can trust?” Ms. Vears asked, keeping her voice level, not rising to match the tempers of the two men.
“We don’t have any supernaturals on the force,” Della said.
“Is there something you can do from your office?” Ms. Vears asked.
Della looked at her blankly. “I’m sorry. If someone was arrested, I could keep an eye on things, but there’s nothing I can do for an investigation.”
“Then we are back to handling the situation on our own,” Mr. Contrey said, still having an edge to his voice.
“We want this killer caught!” Noah yelled.
“Of course we do,” Ms. Vears said. “We all want that.”
“There’s still a possibility that these deaths are not related at all,” Mr. Contrey said.
“We don’t have any solid information,” Della said. “But it sounds like they are investigating the cases together.”
Spellbound Murder Complete Trilogy (Spellbound Murder Box Set Book 1) Page 3
