Red Sunset Drive, page 13
“I’m giving him a tour. You know, he wanted to see where I worked.”
Anders’s gaze locked on Brett. “Sit your ass down. I’m getting a crick in my neck.” Anders reached for his coffee and took a drink. “Nothing better than a hot cup in the morning to get the pistons churning.”
Anders rose and walked to the doorway, where he paused. “I know something is going on. Just tell me one thing. Does this case involve any hocus-pocus shit?”
Brett’s throat went dry. The words would not come. He nodded.
Anders winced. “Damn it, O’Shea. A fucking shit magnet—that’s what you are! What are we dealing with?” The chief suddenly jerked up his hand. “Stop! I don’t want to know. I’ve got the mayor breathing down my ass and now this.”
Brett’s mouth opened and closed. What could he say at this point? They weren’t even sure what they were looking for.
“A report on my desk in forty-eight hours. Got it?”
“Yes sir. Once I know what we’ve got, I’ll let you know right away.”
The chief nodded. “Better include Foster. We’ll need to get him up to speed. Is your ‘friend’ Dragos helping you on this investigation?”
Dragos stepped forward. “Yes, sir, I am.”
Anders shook his head. “Do what you need to do, O’Shea. Keep us out of the papers and off the evening news.”
Anders’s footsteps faded away.
Dragos tilted his head. “Hocus-pocus?”
Brett motioned for Dragos to follow. He entered the stairwell and took the stairs two at a time. He gasped for breath as he swung the door open and a blast of sleety rain hit his face.
“Last year Anders and I caught a serial killer—a killer who was possessed by a demon.”
“A demon!”
“Yeah, a frickin’ demon who almost ripped me to shreds.”
Dragos visibly shivered. “My God. I never knew such a creature existed.”
A reluctant grin graced Brett’s face. “Well, now we know that demons, ghosts, and vampires exist.”
“A ghost? When did you see a ghost?”
His grin faded. “When we worked the demon case. Come on. If you’re okay with the daylight thing, I want you to show me where you were before we met.”
24
Dragos flinched as lightning lit up the early morning sky. His skin tingled where the dull light reached. He pulled the hood of his jacket over his head, shielding most of his face. Was this his fate—to never enjoy a sunny day again?
Rumbles of thunder vibrated around them. They picked their way to the cave. The threatening skies thrust sleet and razor-sharp raindrops at their heads.
The only thing they had going for them was that the storm kept workers away from the site. He and Brett ran through the dig site until they reached the tunnels. Brett reached the cave door first.
“It’s locked. Allen probably wanted to keep curious eyes out.”
Dragos stepped forward and yanked on the thick chain, causing it to break in two.
“Whoa! How’d you do that?” asked Brett.
Dragos stared at the broken chain in his hand and shrugged. “One of the several changes I’ve noticed since I came down with this … this whatever I have.”
With Brett close on his heels, he stepped into the cave, slowly turning to survey the place where his nightmare began.
“So tell me what you remember from when you first woke up.”
Dragos ran his hand over the top of the tomb that he had been encased in. The absence of answers plagued him.
“I couldn’t breathe. The darkness was overpowering. I couldn’t escape fast enough.”
“You were inside that thing?” Brett asked.
“Yes. I have no idea how I got there.” Dragos sighed, staring at the tomb.
Brett nodded to the other tomb. “What about the other one. Who was in that one?”
“At first I feared my friend Marcus was inside. I was afraid to look—afraid of what I would see.”
“Wasn’t Marcus the guy you were with when you met Victor?”
Dragos swallowed hard. “It kills me that I don’t know what happened to him. Now it’s too late. He’d be dead by now.”
Brett stared at him. Was that pity he saw in the detective’s eyes?
“Maybe we could do a genealogy search. Who knows; you might find some relative of his.”
“No! We can’t change the past. Let it lie.”
After a few moments of silence, Brett asked, “Do you recognize the writing on the tombs?”
“No. I know it’s Romanian. My father wanted me to focus on English. Family traditions and all that.”
Footsteps echoed from the tunnel. The men glanced at one another. Brett motioned Dragos to move behind the tombs. Brett dodged behind the door and drew his gun.
Dragos pressed his back against the damp stone wall. He tensed, ready to assist his friend if needed. With his newly found strength and speed, he had no doubt that he could reach Brett in time.
Moments later, a male voice hissed, “Damn it.”
When a thin, short man wearing a hat stepped inside the cave, Brett groaned and lowered the gun.
“Allen,” Brett murmured. “It’s Detective O’Shea.” He stepped from behind the tombs.
Allen’s eyes widened as Dragos approached him. Allen turned, looking as if he were going to run from the cave. Brett flung out his arm, blocking Allen from leaving.
“Shit! O’Shea, you scared me to death. What are you doing at my dig site?”
Brett holstered his gun, taking a deep breath.
Allen turned to stare at Dragos. “Who’s that?”
Dragos stepped forward. “Hello, I am Dragos Eldridge, from England. I’m …”
“He’s working a case with me,” interrupted Brett
Allen’s bony chin jutted upward. “From Scotland Yard?”
Dragos bit the inside of his cheek. Who is this fellow?
Brett cleared his throat. “Not exactly. I’ve been working the recent murder cases.”
“Then why are you here, on my property?” A glint shone in Allen’s eyes. “Unless you think my vampire idea has merit.”
Brett snorted. “You know I can’t say anything about the investigation, Allen.”
“Did you guys break into the cave? I noticed that the chain was cut.”
Both Dragos and Brett shook their heads. “No, the door was open when we got here a few minutes ago.”
“Damn vandals. It’s been hard to keep unwanted people out of here. I’m going to have to hire a few guards for the night shift.”
“Sorry if I overstepped my authority in coming here today. I don’t want to create any ill feelings between us,” Brett said.
“No problem, Detective. I’m always glad to help. Though I’m not sure how my property has anything to do with the murder of the prostitutes.”
“Just checking all avenues.” Brett nodded at Dragos. “We’ll get out of your hair. Let me know if you see anything unusual.”
Dragos followed Brett back through the tunnel. As they neared the opening, screams ripped through the air. He and Brett glanced at one another and ran outside.
A crowd of people grouped together stared at something on the ground. Brett shouldered through the crowd, flashing his badge. People were crying.
Dragos gasped. A body lay on the ground. It looked as if she had dropped dead where she stood. One leg was bent at an unnatural angle. He felt sick. He’d never seen a body before.
“Get back! Get back.” Brett whipped out his cell phone. After a clipped request for backup, he crouched down next to the body and felt for a pulse. Long blonde hair covered the woman’s face.
“Dragos, get everyone out of here until we can take their statements.”
As one young man pulled out his phone to take a picture, Dragos grabbed it and flung it into the nearby river.
“Hey! Dude, you can’t do that,” the man complained.
Dragos snarled, “Have some respect for the dead.”
The man pointed to Dragos’s face. “Your eyes. They’re glowing.”
Dragos felt a surge of fear lash through him. He strode toward the man. His lip curled in disgust. The young man hurried off, looking over his shoulder to see if Dragos followed. Times did not change. People were always drawn to death.
The rain had almost stopped. A fine mist lingered in the air. Thunder continued to rumble in the distance. A sheen of moisture dampened his face. He reached up and wiped his eyes. The people grumbled but slowly made their way to the parking lot to wait to be interviewed.
He laid a hand on Brett’s shoulder. Brett leaned protectively over the woman, his head bowed.
“She’s dead, isn’t she?”
Brett nodded. He slowly brushed long hair to the side, revealing a puncture wound in her neck.
Dragos hissed, staring at her neck. “Did the other murdered women have the same type of wound?”
Brett rose and dusted off his pants. “Unfortunately, yes.”
The muscles in Brett’s face were taut. His eyes smoldered. An invisible wall of despair seemed to surround the detective. Brett looked shaken.
“Do you know her?”
“I do. I did.” Brett’s voice cracked.
Sounds of sirens drew closer. Brett’s gaze didn’t waver from the pale body on the ground. A single tear fell from the detective’s eyes. The professional veneer around the detective threatened to snap. Surprisingly, Dragos felt protective of the detective.
“Detective! What is going on?” Allen marched toward them. His steps faltered upon spotting the woman on the ground. Allen’s mouth gaped as he pointed. “What happened?”
Dragos reached out to block Allen from touching the body. The archeologist was as white as a sheet.
“I’d better get some answers real quick, Detective. What the hell happened?” Allen demanded.
Brett leaned down and brushed the hair off the woman’s face.
Allen gasped and clutched his chest.
Brett glared up at Allen. Dragos feared that the detective was going to pounce on the little man.
Brett wiped his cheek with the back of his hand. He snapped, “It’s one of your staff. Jamie Brooks.”
25
“I don’t even know how old she was,” Brett muttered.
Allen’s throat convulsed. Brett grabbed Allen’s arm and jerked him away from the body. All at once, Allen leaned over and vomited, splattering the ground around them.
Dragos wrinkled his nose as the acid smell blossomed around the trio.
Bent at the waist, Allen pointed to the body. “Look at her neck,” he moaned. He struggled to stand, holding his stomach. “I knew there was a vampire.”
Brett grabbed Allen’s shoulder. “Shut your mouth.”
“But you saw the …”
“I said shut the fuck up.” Brett rubbed an open hand over his face. “Are you trying to create mass hysteria?”
“No, but …”
“There are no buts. Let the police work the case. We will catch the guy who did this.”
Allen’s body trembled. His bony hand reached out and gripped Brett’s arm. “Don’t you see? I warned you. You thought I was crazy.”
Brett struggled to remain calm, not wanting to invoke any hysteria.
“Listen, Allen. I know what you think, but there are a lot of sick bastards out there. We see them all the time. If you knew the crap that went on in this city, you’d be shocked. Until we gather all the evidence, no one knows what happened. Trust me; if we’re dealing with something supernatural, I’ll let you know.”
Allen took a deep breath and nodded. The color slowly returned to the man’s face.
“Well, I suppose you’re right.”
The ambulance pulled up nearby. He leaned near Allen, urgency in his voice.
“Let us do our job without talking to the media. Okay?”
Allen wiped his brow with the back of his hand. “For now. I expect to be updated on a regular basis.”
He bit back a curse. Allen was delusional if he thought the police were going to invite him to sit at the table. “I’ll see what I can do. Now, can you get Jamie’s family information? We will need to contact her family before they see this on the morning news.”
Brett waited as Allen left to call his office.
Dragos nudged him. “Here comes your boss.”
The body remained on the ground until the coroner pronounced her dead and evidence had been collected. Foster knelt and glanced at the body before approaching the men.
“How did you get here before anyone else, O’Shea.”
“I wanted to check out dig site and ran into Allen. When we came outside, the body had just been discovered.”
Foster glanced at Dragos. “Who’s the guy with you?”
Brett had to update Foster on the case, but this wasn’t the place. “Sir, I spoke to the chief earlier today. He is aware that Dragos is helping us.”
“Dragos? Who the hell is he?”
Dragos stepped forward. “My name is Dragos Eldridge. I’m from England. I have information that may help solve the case.”
“England—like Scotland Yard,” Foster said.
Brett hesitated. Not the Scotland Yard thing again. “Well, it’s complicated.” The lies were accumulating.
“Do we need to talk?” Foster’s mouth tightened into a thin line.
Brett watched the tech unit pull up to the site.
“I’ve got to go. My office at noon.” Foster turned to leave. He stopped to speak with the other officers who had arrived. A camera crew trekked across the grounds but was stopped by Foster.
The day was going to hell quickly. Jamie was gone. Dead. He couldn’t believe it.
As they walked toward the car, his phone rang. He saw Candy’s number flash on the screen
“Candy, what’s up? Yeah, he’s here.”
Dragos took the phone. A bright smile lit his face. Brett rolled his eyes. Dragos’s deep, husky laughter surprised him. He’d accepted the fact that Dragos and Candy liked one another, but a serious conversation was needed. He had no idea how Candy would react to the idea of dating a vampire.
Dragos nudged him, drawing his from his musing.
“Here’s your phone.”
“So what’s going on with Candy?”
Dragos had an odd look in his eyes. “Well, she was surprised to learn that we are working together. She is going to come by your house later today.”
He opened his car door. “Great.” Another call came through. It was the ID tech who had taken the blood sample earlier.
“O’Shea … Okay … Really, that’s good news. Thanks for doing it so quick.”
Dragos hopped in the car. “Did I hear ‘good news’?”
“Yeah. The blood on your face doesn’t match the murdered woman. You’re not a wanted fugitive either.” Brett’s smile faded, and his eyes narrowed. “Wait a minute. Did you hear what was said?”
The vampire nodded. “I didn’t mean to. It’s just that I can hear so much better now.”
“Well,” he growled, “what other special abilities do you have?” Brett threw up his hands. “Never mind. Tell me later.”
Dragos laid his head on the seat and closed his eyes. “Damn. I was afraid that I would not be proven innocent.”
Brett winced as a splinter of guilt rose up. “Sorry, but I had to know for sure.”
Steam rose off the pavement—a result of the morning sun drying the wet streets. Dragos cringed as sun lit up the car.
“Damn it!” Dragos growled. “My skin burns.” He turned from the car window and scrunched down, tugging the hoodie over his face.
“We need to get you home.” His eyes widened. Dragos’s cheeks were red.
“I’m sorry about your friend. It must be difficult for you.”
“Thanks.” Brett didn’t want to think about Jamie right now. The image of her body on the ground was ingrained in his memory. He had to catch her killer. Then he would sort out his feelings.
He tore down the streets, noticing tiny blisters on Dragos’s face. He didn’t know how much more Dragos could take. The blisters looked painful.
“I think we need one of those daylight rings they wear on The Vampire Diaries,” Brett teased.
Dragos scowled. “Does such a thing exist?”
Brett shook his head. “No, it’s just a TV thing.”
Dragos actually growled.
Brett pulled the car as close to the back door as he could get. Dragos ducked his head and ran into the house. Worried about his roommate, Brett turned off the ignition and followed Dragos inside.
Brett drew to a stop, taking in the situation in front of him. Dragos stood sighing in the kitchen as he held a cool rag on his face. Michael held up a cross and glared at Dragos.
Ignoring Michael, Brett muttered, “Hey, the blisters are already gone.”
Tentatively, Dragos reached up and ran his hand over his face. He gasped. “Do vampires always heal this fast?”
Brett shrugged. “Since you’re the first vampire I’ve met, I’m not sure.”
Dragos pointed past Brett. “Who’s that, and why is he holding up a cross?”
Dragos was glaring at Michael. Michael smirked before setting the cross on the table.
“Shit! You can see Michael?”
“Is he making fun of me because I am a vampire?”
Brett shook his head. “No, he’s … he’s just being Michael.”
“Well, he’s a fool if he thinks that the cross will stop me.” Dragos drew back his upper lip, revealing his teeth.
Brett involuntarily took a step back. Those things looked real. And sharp. “Ignore him. Michael is my great-grandfather. He’s the ghost that I told you about earlier.”
Dragos’s fangs receded as he walked toward Michael, who rose to his feet. Dragos smiled and held out a hand. Michael studied Dragos.
