Fire Within

chapter Six

By cutting through the alleys, Ari arrived at the crime scene in under six minutes, but the press vans were already parked on the grass. News traveled fast and reporters even faster. Nothing was more than minutes away in Olde Town, especially Goshen Park, which provided a natural border between the older sections of Riverdale and the modern city with its suburbs.

Except for the flashing lights from emergency vehicles, the scene was still mostly dark. The park was closed to the human public at this time of night; park lights were on automatic shut-off, and there were no street lamps nearby. Highlighted by the recurring flashes, officers strung crime scene tape, and techs worked by battery-powered lanterns to set up the floodlights. She headed for the shelter house, the center of all this activity.

The floodlights came on, illumining the scene in a garish glow. Officers quickly finished with the yellow tape and switched their efforts to blocking the press and the growing number of spectators. Ryan was near the shelter; his blond head bent over a shadowed object on the ground. The victim, she assumed. A pudgy young man in his twenties sat on top of a picnic table inside the shelter, his head bowed into his hands, and a cop stood nearby. Another victim or suspect? Ari did a mental head slap. Everyone was a suspect at this point.

She made her way to the table first. “What do we have here?”

“Vampire death.” The cop recognized her and nodded to his charge. “Victim’s boyfriend. He found the body.”

“His name?”

The cop shrugged. “We haven’t been formally introduced,” he said with that dry humor only cops can pull off at a murder scene.

“Excuse me,” she said to the boyfriend. “You’re acquainted with the victim?”

He bobbed his head but didn’t look up. She noticed the blood on his shirt and hands.

“I’m sorry for your loss. Can you tell me your name?”

“Carl. Carlton Austin.” His voice was muffled, but he finally raised his head. The normal lines of his square face were twisted by misery; his cheeks were wet with tears. Ari had seen the same devastated look on Lorraine. Were vampire relationships always this intense? It was clear to her Austin needed professional help, and she knew an agency qualified to provide it.

She scanned the area for Ryan, but he’d disappeared from view, probably behind one of the vans. Ari shrugged and punched the keys on her cell. She wasn’t surprised when a live voice answered at Shale & Associates. Any agency working with the Otherworld community would have a regular night staff. Ari relayed the problem, and the female voice promised to take care of it.

“Carl, someone is coming to be with you. We’ll talk a little later. You need to wait with this officer.”

He nodded, looking lost.

She searched for Ryan again. This time she spotted him with a group of CS techs and began to work her way in his direction. Trying to get a feel for the scene, she took note of trees and park equipment near the victim’s body. She extended her senses, seeking anything that might determine what had happened here.

Ari suddenly stiffened. Pleasant shivers raced down her arms as her magic hummed in recognition of a familiar vampire power. What was Andreas doing here? She slowed her steps to a standstill, swallowing against the sudden dryness in her throat. Directly ahead of her, a tall, dark form glided smoothly toward Ryan. She wondered if she could still walk away, avoid the meeting. Maybe she could interview the crowd, get lost among the bystanders until he left. She’d almost convinced herself that might work, when Andreas’s head swiveled. He looked her straight in the eye and beckoned toward Ryan. Of course he’d known all along she was there. Ari sighed and raised her chin. Might as well get this over with. And keep it brief.

Ari watched Ryan’s face as she and Andreas approached from converging directions. Expressionless. Ryan knew there had been a serious breach between Ari and Andreas. After all, he’d talked to Andreas the night it happened, but Ari had never discussed it with him beyond the obvious death of the werewolf. He knew about that, but not about the mind link. Some things were too personal. Too awkward.

“Ari, you made good time,” Ryan said, his look speculative.

“I was close by.”

“Andreas,” he continued, “thought we might be hearing from you. But not this fast.”

“Bad news travels quickly.”

The rich warmth of Andreas’s voice nearly curled her toes. The sound of it always did strange things to her. Nice things. In spite of everything that went wrong between them, she missed his voice and the touch of his magic.

“Arianna,” Andreas said to her.

She nodded, not looking at him. “Hi.” It was feeble, but at least she spoke. She felt his eyes skim over her face, before turning to Ryan.

“What can you tell me?” he asked.

“Not much yet. Victim’s name is Patricia. That’s her boyfriend over there.” Ryan shrugged. “ME’s on his way.”

“I want in on the investigation,” Andreas said abruptly. “Like last year. Full access. Two vampire murders in a week make this the business of the vampire court.”

“Magic Council is already involved,” Ryan said neutrally, his gaze flicking to Ari. “As far as I know they still represent the vampires, and Ari’s their Guardian. I’m not saying your expertise wouldn’t be useful, but Ari has the final call on whether you’re in or out.”

Oh, thanks, Ryan. Did he have to dump this on her? Maybe he wouldn’t have, if she had told him the whole story, warned him she and Andreas couldn’t work together again.

“We don’t need your help,” Ari said bluntly. “This isn’t the same situation as last year’s case.” And she didn’t want to spend that much time around him. “I’ll make my reports to the Magic Council as usual, and your rep can keep Prince Daron informed.” She kept it formal, not looking at him. “Don’t you agree, Ryan?”

“Oh, no, Ari. Officially on the fence. Not my decision.” Ryan shook his head to emphasize his words. “You two have to work this out. I have a crime scene to preserve.” He walked away.

Coward. Ari wanted to hurl the word after him. Being alone with Andreas was the last thing she wanted.

“Do you want us running our own investigation? Outside the confines and rules of the Council?” Andreas asked quietly. “Because that will happen.”

She looked at him then, her irritation obvious. “You would do that?” She read the answer in his steady gaze. “Fine. Do as you please. Apparently you intend to anyway. So hang around if that’s what you want, just stay out of my way.”

“Arianna,” he began.

She was already striding toward the victim, forcing herself not to run. She had to get far away from his insidious attraction, that false sense of warmth and well-being his magic conveyed and the way her magic responded, as if sighting home after a long absence.

Andreas’s gaze followed her, like hot needles on her skin. Then, the awareness lessened, as he’d turned away. Ari twitched her shoulders to relieve the tension. She wasn’t looking back. She didn’t care where he’d gone or what he was doing, as long as it didn’t involve her.

Almost immediately, she felt something else. Something that made her edgy. She didn’t recognize it, but it seemed to rise from the victim’s body. She approached the rapidly decaying corpse but didn't see anything that should have caused her discomfort. Thinking she'd been thrown off balance by Andreas, she concentrated on what the scene could tell her. The victim was a female vampire, probably around thirty when bitten. Since Ari could no longer get a sense of her power, it wasn’t possible to estimate how long she’d been a vampire. She’d been part of the truly dead since someone put matching holes in her head and chest.

Considering the decay process was still active, this was a recent kill. Ari stared at the wounds. Strange looking for gunshots, the edges too irregular. No evidence of bullets or casings on the ground. This looked like the same cause of death as Jules. Where was Riverdale’s ME? She wanted some answers this time.

Her skin still prickled, her witch senses uneasy, reacting to some form of negative energy in the area. She glanced around, making sure Andreas wasn’t somehow responsible for the on-going tension, but he was busy on the far side of the scene. Besides, this magical energy was dark, much darker than Andreas’s, even during the time she’d seen him shadowed with fury. She took a tentative sniff of the air. Something…she still couldn’t identify it. She glanced at Andreas again, this time wondering if he sensed the same disturbance. She wasn’t willing to ask him. The less contact between them, the better.

She needed Gillian. She flipped open her phone and made the request. Maybe the ES reader would locate the source. She told Gillian to hurry.

Ari made an effort to ignore the creepy feeling and crouched next to the victim. She noted each detail. Casual attire. Jeans, blue shirt, leather sandals. The straight black hair was long; loose strands crisscrossed the decayed remains of the victim’s face. Ari decided she’d had fine features. Slender nose, slightly slanted eyes. The position of the body indicated she’d been facing the picnic table at the time of the attack. That must have been where the killer waited.

Dammit, that’s where Carl was sitting, contaminating possible evidence! Ari straightened to alert the cops, but Carl had already been moved and techs were examining the table. Ryan was a step ahead of her.

Raised voices near the perimeter barriers drew her attention, and she saw Harold Shale in earnest conversation with one of Ryan’s cops. She wished it had been Sarah Young, but she’d take what she could get.

“He’s with me!” Ari shouted. The cop waved and let him through. She met Shale halfway and escorted him to Carl’s location. “You two know each other?”

“Yes, I know Carl,” Shale said.

The other man sat, morose, non-responsive.

“He’s been like that since I got here,” she said. “We’d like to talk with him as soon as possible, if you can settle him down. But you can’t ask him what happened. Keep it general.”

Shale indicated he understood and turned to the task of reassuring the distraught victim. As she left, Ari heard Shale begin with “Carl, I’m so sorry.”

Relieved the victim’s boyfriend was now in professional hands, she tracked down Ryan. Probably should have told him Shale was coming before the counselor arrived. Would have, if Andreas’s presence hadn’t already screwed up her concentration.

“That’s the counselor, isn’t it?” Ryan asked as soon as he noticed her.

“Yeah, I called him when I first got here. Sorry I didn’t mention it before.”

“You think he can help? Boyfriend’s a mess.”

“Yeah, I noticed. That’s why I thought we needed a pro. If Shale can calm him, we’ll have a better chance at an interview.”

“He better not question him about this,” Ryan groused. “The boyfriend’s still a suspect.”

“I warned him.”

“Yeah, well, not sure I like getting civilians involved. This second vampire murder is big trouble, Ari.” He gave her an apprehensive look.

“Yeah.” Neither of them said the words—serial killer—but they hung unspoken in the air.

“Can’t have a bunch of untrained personnel stumbling around.”

Ari bridled. “You were more than ready to welcome a certain vampire.”

“You know that’s different. It’s necessary.”

“So is Shale. We need to interview the boyfriend tonight. That won’t happen if we have a hysterical witness.” Ryan’s attitude was irritating. How come Andreas was OK and Shale wasn’t?

“OK. OK. But just because Andreas annoys you, don’t take it out on me. You need to chill. Let’s just get this scene processed.”

Ari stared at Ryan’s back as he stalked across to his techs. Was she being unreasonable? Maybe, but Ryan didn’t have all the facts. She flushed, wondering what he’d say if he did. One thing was for sure, he wouldn’t want her personal life to interfere with the investigation. She’d work on minimizing the overlap. It’d help if a certain vampire would go home.

The Medical Examiner came, verified the two murder scenes were similar, and left. Not very helpful. Gillian arrived and took samples from the body and from the surrounding area. Ari noticed she did a complete circuit of the scene, speaking with the crime scene techs and the victim’s boyfriend. Before she left, Gillian found Ari again and showed her the strange readings on the ES recorder.

“It’s really weird,” Gillian said. “See these multiple rows of sharp spikes. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Gillian shook her head over the strange readings and was mumbling to herself when she left.

An unidentified pattern. It had to be the same phenomenon that Ari had found so oppressive. At least they had viable samples this time, and Gillian could do further testing back at the lab. The lack of immediate identification by the ES wasn’t a complete surprise, since the handhelds were only programmed with common energy patterns, but Gillian was puzzled, and that was a bad sign. It confirmed Ari’s gnawing fears that something about this case was very wrong.

As soon as Gillian left and the remains were taken away, Shale asked if he could take Carl Austin, the victim’s boyfriend, to his agency to await questioning. Ryan checked with Ari before agreeing. His earlier irritation with her seemed forgotten, but he’d also consulted with Andreas before giving final approval. Obviously, the vampire had been included in the investigation. That didn’t help Ari’s mood or focus. She flexed her tense shoulders and went about the task of processing the scene. When she checked, too often for her peace of mind, Andreas was always far away from her. She didn’t think it was coincidence.

It was an hour and a half later before they were finished with the scene and ready to interview the boyfriend. Ari rode with Ryan in his cruiser, and Andreas met them at Shale & Associates. Ari had hoped Andreas wouldn’t take it this far, that he’d be content with viewing the crime scene, but here they were, and he showed no sign of leaving.

Shale and their witness sat at a far table near the back of the main meeting room. They were talking quietly, heads bent toward one another. Otherwise, the area was empty. Instead of Ms. Binderman, an early-twenties woman operated the front desk. Before they could tell her their business, Shale spotted them and waved.

Carl Austin appeared more composed. His forehead still creased with misery, but the tears had stopped. His square, fleshy face remained red and blotchy.

Ryan got through the preliminaries in a hurry. Everyone in the room was eager to know what Carl had to say. His early answers deflated their hopes. According to his account, he’d found Patricia’s dead body when he arrived.

“I was a few minutes late. We met there every night around eight o’clock. Maybe if I had been on time…”

Yeah, you might be dead, too, Ari thought. Considering the condition of the victim’s body, she must have died near 8:00. He hadn’t missed the killer by much.

Or he was the killer.

Ryan didn’t let him dwell on the ifs. “Did you see anyone? Hear anything?” When Carl shook his head, Ryan said, “Describe what you did and saw as you approached the shelter.”

“Nothing unusual. I was surprised I didn’t see her waiting. I walked over to the table, and that’s when I saw…” His jaw worked back and forth. “She was just laying there. So still. I saw the wounds, the blood. Who would do that? Patricia never hurt anyone.” He looked like he might start crying again.

“We don’t know yet,” Ryan said. “But you’re helping us find out. How’d you get the blood on the front of your shirt?”

Carl kept his hands on the table, avoiding contact with the dried stain. “I kind of freaked, started to pick her up. Then I realized how bad it was and called 911. I knew she was gone, but I had to try. After that, I just sat there.”

“We need the shirt for forensics. Did anyone at the scene spray you with preservative?”

“Guess so. Some stuff that smelled funny.”

“Like turpentine. That’s Hemocoat,” Ari interjected, pleased Gillian had preserved this sample too.

When Shale took Carl to a back room for clean clothes and Ryan accompanied them to collect the shirt as evidence, Ari immediately stood and walked around the room. She wasn’t about to remain at the table with Andreas. All she wanted to do was keep her mind on the murders. She began to compare the two cases in her head. Vampire victims, both involved with human partners. Similar time of day, similar injuries. Looked like the same killer, and this time Eddie was safely in jail.

She took a quick glance at Andreas, but he had a cell phone to one ear. He didn’t hang up until the other men returned.

Once everyone was seated again, Carl appeared more relaxed than before. Not a big surprise. Sitting around covered in your dead girlfriend’s blood was about as bad as it got. Ari wished they had gotten to his interview earlier.

“I loved her, you know. Patricia and I planned to be bonded.” Carl blurted the declaration as he dumped himself into a chair. Self-serving? Or just the topmost thought in his mind? For a brief instant, there was silence before the others recovered, and the interview went on.

As Carl answered Ryan’s questions, an ordinary boy meets girl story developed. They’d met at a bar, struck up a conversation. He described her as quiet, shy, reconciled to but not enamored with her vampire life. He hadn’t objected to her undead status; he’d just wanted her.

“Enemies? Threats?”

“The only trouble she had was with some of her so-called friends. Other vampires. They let her know they weren’t happy with her dating a human.”

“Was this a conversation or something more?” Andreas interjected, leaning forward, black eyes suddenly alert.

“Bullying, intimidating. Nothing physical. She was told she should find better company. It was really directed at me.”

“Did you ever see them? Hear their names? Were they her nestmates?”

“No, no names, and she never pointed them out. Patricia was annoyed, not scared. I think it was three or four men.” Carl scratched his chin. “Guess I should have asked Patricia more about them. She knew one guy. From before. From her home town of Cincinnati. But, no, not from her nest. She’d have mentioned that. They belonged to some vampire gang.”

Andreas looked at Ryan. “Leave this to me. I will find them, bring them in.”

“I hope you catch the bastards who killed her, whoever they are,” Austin said through clenched teeth. He studied his hands fisted in front of him. “Or maybe I’d rather find them myself.”

Ryan gave him a pained look and brought the interview to a close. “We’ll keep you informed of our progress, but don’t go looking for trouble. You’d get in our way or get yourself killed. And don’t leave town.”

“Yeah, sure,” Carl mumbled.

“Well, if we’re through here, I assume Carl’s free to go.” Harold Shale stood and turned to his client. “I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.”

With a heavy sigh, the young man pushed back his chair. He nodded at each of them and left. Ari watched him close the door. No smell of fear rising from him, no abnormal anxiety. His eye movements and body language were appropriate. Unless Carl possessed an unusual talent for deception, he had a long, sleepless night ahead, grieving for someone very important to him. She stood, suddenly tired, anxious to be home.

“I have one or two questions for Mr. Shale.”

Ari froze, as Andreas’s voice seemed to breathe over her skin. She was much too aware of him. If everyone else hadn’t immediately sat down, she might have suggested his questions could wait. Instead, she raised her mental shields to keep his magic at bay and dropped into her chair.

“Questions for me?” the counselor said. “Yes, of course. Ask me anything.”

“Thank you.” Andreas leaned forward. “This is the second vampire murder, and both victims were clients of your agency. I think we have to ask if there is anyone among your staff or other clientele who might be involved. Any arguments, someone with a grudge?”

Shale’s face tightened. “I would have told Ms. Calin if there was.” He smoothed out his features. “Sorry, I don’t mean to sound so defensive, but you hit a nerve. As I listened to the interview, I started worrying about the same thing. But I don’t think the victims even knew one another.” He shook his head slowly. “I haven’t heard of any trouble among the clients, and I can vouch for my staff. Perhaps the connection is merely the ethnicity of our clientele. A hate crime, if you will.”

“Have you received threats?”

“From time to time we do. Nothing I remember within the past month. Ms. Binderman could be more specific. She’d know of crank letters or calls. I want to help, but that’s all I know. If you don’t mind, I’d like to get home now. It’s very late, and tomorrow will be busy.”

Ari noted Shale’s annoyance. Although he hadn’t liked Andreas bringing up the agency connection, she was glad the issue was out in the open. She’d hesitated to alienate Shale so early in the investigation, but she was aware the agency was the only known link between the deaths. That didn’t mean they wouldn’t uncover something else, but for now, they would keep a close eye on Shale & Associates.

Ari had almost reached the front door in her second attempt to leave, when Andreas spoke from close behind her. She nearly jumped.

“Arianna, I would like to see you home.”

Taken aback, she looked over her shoulder and frowned. “That’s not necessary. It’s not far.”

“We need to talk.”

Ari was shaking her head before he finished. “No, we don’t. Let it go, Andreas. I’m tired. I just want to go home.”

“Not about the past, the present.”

She glanced at his face, suddenly curious. What was on his mind? He’d joined the investigation—what more could he want? Aware Ryan and Shale were listening, she wanted to end this quickly. She considered refusing. Almost did. But Andreas’s raised brow told her he wouldn’t give up easy.

“Make it quick,” she said, facing him squarely.

He reached past her. “In private,” he insisted, holding the door.

Ryan cleared his throat, as if he might intervene, then shrugged. Ari was relieved. If she had to have this awkward conversation, she preferred to do it without witnesses. As they stepped outside, she was aware of the speculation following them. Ari started up the street toward home. Andreas fell into step beside her. His magical energy seeped along her skin, making her jittery. She wasn’t sure if it was deliberate or a sign that he was nervous, too.

“My presence is not comfortable for you. Nor yours for me. Regardless, we must find a way to work together.” Andreas’s voice was controlled, easing but not eliminating the flow of magic between them.

“Not if you’d let Ryan and me handle this.” Ari tried not to sound bitchy, but she wasn’t good at hiding her moods. He’d forced this situation on her. She didn’t want to be around him, didn’t want to have this or any other conversation with him—and definitely didn’t want to feel the way he made her feel.

“You know I cannot back off from this. Prince Daron is responsible for what happens to his people. To ignore these murders would cost him their respect. The vampire court is making an effort to cooperate with local authorities. If you refuse, we will be forced to proceed on our own.”

“How? By ripping someone’s head off?” The blurted words were harsher than intended. And unfair. Ari heard his sharp intake of breath. He didn’t answer for several agonizing heartbeats.

“You knew what I was. I never tried to hide it from you.”

She sighed. “I know.” The conversation had quickly slipped to where they had agreed it wouldn’t go. The past. To that night last fall when Ari had seen him snap a woman’s neck with one twist, not tearing it off, as she had implied, but bad just the same. A werewolf who more than deserved killing. Still, when Andreas’s vampiric nature had been thrown in her face, when she’d seen what lurked under his charming exterior, Ari hadn’t handled it well. In fact, she hadn’t handled it at all. She had run like hell. Yeah, real cop-like.

“I guess…for a while I forgot what you were.” The same excuse she’d used for months, as she’d tried to understand her reaction. It had sounded lame then, still did.

They had come to a standstill in front of her apartment building. Too aware to look at him, Ari watched a beetle crawl across the sidewalk and disappear into the grass.

“You did not forget, little witch.” Andreas’s voice was softer now. “You chose to ignore it, as long as I let you. It is the one thing you could not accept and the one I cannot change. I am what I am.”

She lifted her lashes. “If that’s what you think, why did you flaunt it and force the issue by killing her? I’ve had plenty of time to think about this, and I know you have better control. So, tell me, why did you kill her?”

“Is that the question you really want to ask? Or is it why did I not let you kill her?”

Ari looked away, confused. Why had she let this conversation get started? It was so complicated. And he was at least partly right. She’d been angry that he’d denied her personal vengeance. Or at least robbed her of the right to make the decision.

When she didn’t answer, he asked, “Would knowing the answer make a difference?”

She thought about it. He deserved an honest answer. “Probably not. I just want to know.”

Andreas cut off a harsh laugh. “Then I have no reason to enlighten you. I did not come here to satisfy your curiosity.” He sounded pissed now. “What I did is done. Over. But we still have to cooperate on these murders and end the threat. If you prefer, I will contact Lt. Foster whenever possible, but I must remain involved.” He paused, and she sensed his anger fade. “Arianna, I never meant to…”

He reached a hand toward her arm, and she jerked away, cutting off his words. “Don’t touch me.” The last thing she wanted was for him to be nice. Anger she could take. But he was too close. She didn’t want that compelling magic to spill over her. She didn’t trust her response.

Andreas dropped his hand. “I would not harm you.” His voice was sharp with disbelief.

“Harm me?” Ari exclaimed, stepping toward her door. “As in attack me? I never thought you would.” At least, not recently. Not for a long time, in fact.

“Then, what frightens you?”

“Nothing,” she lied. And everything. She didn’t want to care about a creature capable of unleashing such violence. She had her own demons to deal with. And neither of them had mentioned the really scary stuff. The strange mystical link their magics shared. Or the dreams. The unexplained bond. Andreas was way too dangerous to ever make a comfortable boyfriend.

His eyes darkened into unfathomable depths. Ari shifted her gaze, avoiding direct contact, and clamped down her defenses. No magical stuff tonight. But her precautions were unnecessary. Andreas cut off his magic, leaving the space around her strangely empty.

“I am delighted to hear that,” he said, once more the aloof vampire. “If you have no legitimate concerns, I assume we can work the case without difficulty. Are we agreed?”

“Yeah, fine.” Anything was better than continuing this discussion. “But call Ryan, not me.”

“As you wish.”

He sounded exasperated, but Ari’s quick glance at his face caught a hint of something else. Satisfaction? Now that she thought about it, he’d gotten his way. Again.