Iris Johansen - Blood Game

“Great. That’s all we need.” Eve got out of bed. “I can hardly wait to meet him. Thanks for calling, Megan. I’ll let you know just what kind of unknown factor he turns out to be.”

“Do that,” Megan hesitated. “Is Joe all right?”

“Joe is fine. He’s working hard and nary a glimpse of Nancy Jo. I’ll call you later.” She hung up and said to Joe, who was ready to walk out the door, “Did you hear? Two miles away on the west bank. The car was far back, away from the lake.”

Joe nodded. “I’m on my way.”

And she’d be right behind him, Eve thought. Two miles was much too close for comfort, and the idea of Jelak hovering out there like a vulture was frightening.

Five minutes later she was walking out the door.

“Joe told me that we’re going to have a visitor.” Jane got up from the swing. “And that we might have had one last night.”

“What are you doing up?”

“I wanted to talk to Joe before he left this morning.” She started down the steps. “And I was having trouble sleeping.”

“Why did you want to talk to him?”

“It’s not important now. The situation has resolved itself.” She looked out at the path. “Do you think he was staking you out or that he followed me home?”

“I have no idea. Perhaps both.” She started down the steps. “Maybe this Seth Caleb will be able to tell us.”

____________________

“HE WAS HERE.” JOE WAS KNEELINGbeside a deep rut in the ground when they reached him. “Whether it was Jelak remains to be seen. But the car had some weight to it. It was big.”

“But you won’t be able to get an impression?” Eve asked. “The print’s almost washed out.”

“But there’s a better one in the brush that was partially protected by the trees. I have a chance of getting a decent one.” He shook his head. “When he drove out of here, he was in a hell of a hurry. There are skid marks all over the place.”

“Panic?” Jane asked.

“Maybe.” Joe got to his feet and reached for his phone. “But why? Our guys who are watching the cottage were nowhere near here. I wish to hell they had been. He was too damn close. I’m going to have the area searched again and then have all the cars checked for bugs. We might as well go back to meet this Caleb and try to get some answers. I’m going to phone and get a team out here to check those tire prints and try to identify the car.”

“It’s a Lincoln Town Car built in the nineties. Jelak always likes the luxury models.”

Eve whirled to see that the man who had spoken was standing only a few yards away from them. She hadn’t even heard him approach.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m Seth Caleb. I believe you were expecting me.” He smiled. “I knew you’d be out here checking my story. I thought that I’d come to meet you.” He studied Eve. “You must be Eve Duncan. Yes, I can see why Jelak would target you. Even if you hadn’t killed his host, you’re a prime piece.”

“You make me sound like a slice of meat.”

“No, that’s not what I meant. I was referring to a game piece.” He inclined his head. “And you’re definitely worth his attention. Intelligence, sophistication, and experience. How could he resist?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Megan had said that she’d gotten the impression that he might be abrasive, but there was nothing abrasive about this man, in Eve’s opinion. He was dark and sleek and cool, and that smile was charged with megawattage. High cheekbones, a faint indentation in his chin, threads of gray at his temples, full, beautifully shaped lips. He had a slight accent. Scottish? Italian? She couldn’t determine the origin. “Yes. Megan called to tell us that you’d be here.” She met his gaze. “She didn’t tell us what you were doing out here last night, Mr. Caleb.”

“I preferred to do it myself.” His glance shifted to Joe. “You’re Joe Quinn?”

“I’m Quinn,” Joe said. “And I’m about to ask those questions and a hell of a lot more.”

Caleb nodded. “But you’re probably blaming yourself for not realizing that Jelak was so close to her. I think he changed locations frequently and made sure he was far out of range. He probably has a trunkful of electronic equipment to keep tabs. I’d bet that he was in these woods for at least a week or two.”

Eve shook her head. “We know he was in Alabama a few days ago.”

“False trail. Alabama is a quick trip. Jelak has been setting you up since he knew that he might lose Kistle.”

“The goblet of blood in the refrigerator,” Jane said. “That was part of the setup?”

“A gesture of bravado. To show that he could do it.” Seth gazed at her for a moment. “I’m surprised he hasn’t made a more meaningful gesture.”

He meant Jane, Eve realized with a chill. Jane’s blood, Jane’s life. “We take care of our own.” She whirled on her heel. “Come back to the cottage. We have some talking to do. I want to know everything you know, Caleb.”

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t intend to let you help me.” He gave a mocking glance at Joe. “You have certain advantages that I don’t. The police usually do have a slight edge.”

“We’re more interested in you helping us,” Joe said coldly.

“Oh, I will. Never doubt it. I’ll keep Jelak away from you.” He smiled. “I know this demon, and he knows me.”

“ ‘Demon’?” Jane asked. “Monster, maybe. Not demon.”

“We are what we think we are,” Seth said as he followed Eve down the path. “Haven’t you discovered that yet?”

“MAY I HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE?”Seth Caleb asked as he entered the cottage. “I’ve been up all night, and I could use the caffeine.”

“Why were you up all night?” Eve went to the coffeemaker and turned it on. “Megan says you called her late last night, but that was obviously after you’d lost Jelak.”

“I had some other calls to make checking what we knew about Jelak’s background before he came back to the States. I don’t know everything yet, but I’m close.” He glanced around the cottage. “Cozy.” His gaze fell on the pedestal that held the skull on which Eve was working. “For the most part.”

“Before Jelak came back to the States?” Joe asked. “What are you talking about?”

“I first ran across Jelak in Fiero, a small town outside Venice, Italy. That was over ten years ago.” He looked at Jane, who had dropped down on the couch. “He’d just killed a girl about your age and was on the run. Her name was Maria Givano. She was young, beautiful, and full of life. He was still experimenting at that time and wasn’t sure how much blood he’d require to help him become what he thought was his destiny.” His tone was without expression. “So he kept her in a cellar for three days, keeping her alive, but slowly draining her of blood. When she died, he left her there and moved on to another town.” He added. “Another woman. A little older, more experienced. Youth could feed him, but that wasn’t what he was looking for in the long run. He was discovering that there was an element in a more mature, intelligent woman’s blood that could enrich him. As I said, he was experimenting.”

“What the hell do you mean?” Joe asked. “Feed him? You make him sound like a vampire.”

“Do I?” He smiled crookedly. “As I said, you are what you think you are.”

Eve turned to look at him. “You’re saying that Jelak thinks he’s a vampire?”

“Oh, yes. Well, he’s not quite reached that exalted state, but he’s working on it,” Caleb said. “You must have suspected as much.”

“Not really. It’s too weird.” Eve remembered the joking reference she and Jane had made to vampires and Bйla Lugosi when they had first found the goblet. “Joe said that Nancy Jo Norris’s murder was a ritual killing, but that doesn’t mean-Why would he think he was a vampire?”