Keri Arthur - Fireborn

“What? Why?”

“Because a vampire intending me no good just made an appearance at the Chase Institute, and I don’t think I can risk going home. I don’t think you should, either.”

“Are you okay?” Concern swirled through his voice. “Do you want me to come pick you up?”

I hesitated. I always felt safer with Rory around—he was my rock, the one person I could always turn to. But I also didn’t want to drag him into this mess any more than necessary. “No. I’ll have to report it to Sam, and I daresay he’ll arrange a tighter security net around me. I just wanted to warn you, in case they were also watching the apartment.”

“Get Sam to send his people over there. Vamps can’t cross a threshold uninvited, so if there are people there, they’ll be human or weres.”

“I will. I just wanted to warn you first.”

He grunted. “Be careful, and call me if you need help.”

“I will. Thanks.”

I hung up, then dragged Sam’s card out of my pocket and dialed the number. A mechanical voice answered, telling me to leave a message.

“Sam, it’s Emberly,” I stated, and gave a quick rundown of events. “You might want your people to check both Harriet Chase and Abby to uncover just what other information he might have dragged from their minds. And Lady Harriet has a separate security camera system operating in her offices, so grab those tapes.”

I hung up and jogged the rest of the way to the café. Jackson was talking to a dark-haired waitress at one of the outside tables, so I simply brushed past and continued on to the Magenta. Early morning or not, I needed a drink. A very large, very alcoholic drink.

Jackson slid onto the stool beside me about fifteen minutes later. He ordered himself a beer and another double vodka and orange for me.

“I’m gathering,” he said dryly, “that things did not go well at work.”

“You might say that.” I finished my second vodka in one long gulp that had my head buzzing pleasantly, then got my phone out and found the photo I’d taken. “Do you know this man?”

He studied it for several seconds, then shook his head. “Why?”

“Because he claims to be a Professor Heaton, and he’s just been employed to continue Mark’s work. Only he’s a vampire, and he not only had Harriet Chase and her assistant under full mind control, but he got madder than hell when I made a run for it.”

He took the phone from me and studied the image again. “Definitely not someone I know.” He scrolled back to the main page, hit several buttons, then attached the photo and sent it off somewhere.

“I have a friend who might be able to help us pin down his identity,” he explained, handing me back the phone.

I shoved it away and then smiled at the bartender as he delivered our drinks. “A cop friend?”

“Sort of.”

“A secret source you fear to reveal, huh?”

“Yeah.” He half shrugged and looked slightly embarrassed. “Thing is, your friend Sam and his partner seem ready and willing to roll over everyone and everything to get their answers. I’m not going to waste a valuable source by telling you, and have you willingly—or unwillingly—reveal it to them.”

And I couldn’t fault him for that—even if I’d already said my mind couldn’t be rolled. “The only trouble is, Sam is undoubtedly keeping an eye on everyone I contact, and that will include anyone I contact via phone. He’ll trace your source’s number and probably shut them down.”

Jackson smiled. “Well, no, because I actually forwarded the pic to one of my e-mail addresses. It just happens to be one my source has access to and checks regularly.”

“So your source is a female you’re intimate with?”

He raised an eyebrow. “And why would you think that?”

“Because I can’t imagine a man would be bothered checking for e-mails from you every day. A woman you’re bedding, however, is an entirely different matter.”

He grinned and didn’t bother denying it.

I added, “Did either of the waitresses reveal anything exciting?”

“I’m afraid only Sandy was there, and she none too subtly suggested she was up for being taken in the storeroom.”

I just about choked on my drink. “Really?”

“Truly,” he replied somberly, though his eyes were twinkling. “Sadly, I had to inform her I already had my hands full when it came to catering to the needs of a woman.”

I grinned. “And a Fae can’t cope with more than one woman? I’m shocked!”

He laughed, the sound warm and rich. “Not even the Fae have unlimited stamina. Had it been later in the afternoon, it might have been a different story.”

No doubt. “So did she reveal anything other than a high sexual drive?”

“Yeah. She and Baltimore were fuck buddies.”

For the second time in as many minutes, I just about choked on my drink. Jackson slapped my back, his grin huge. “Your boss was old, not dead.”

Which was exactly what Rory had said a couple of days ago. “But he’s old enough to be her dad!”

“So?”

I studied him for a moment, then shrugged. I’d certainly lived long enough to know that men only ever stopped thinking about or wanting sex when they were dead—and sometimes not even then—but for some reason, Mark’s predilection for much younger women really did surprise me. “Did she say how long it had been going on?”

“Ah,” he said, with a knowing grin. “Therein lies the rub. They became lovers in June last year.”

“That’s the month Mark started his current project,” I said with a frown.

“Coincidence, hey?”

I eyed him for a moment. “You obviously think not—why?”

“Because she was trying to read me.” He tapped his head. “Felt the buzz of her telepathy, but she didn’t have any more luck than that Adam fellow last night. As I said, I tend to rate rather highly when it comes to telepathy resistance.”

“So did she offer the storeroom adventure before or after that?”

“After. I rather suspect I would have gotten a whole lot more than a tasty bit of ass.”

I snorted softly. “So we have lead number two.”

“Maybe. I mean, that cop friend of yours would no doubt be as aware of her connection to Baltimore as us.”

Probably. And he’d no doubt had Adam covertly read her mind and pick out any information. “But if she was working for whoever is behind this, why is she still working there now that Mark is dead?”

“Probably for cover. It’d be too obvious if she quit right away.”

“Yeah, but Adam’s also telepathic, remember, and he—or someone with similar skills—would have interviewed her by now. She wouldn’t be working there if Sam’s people thought she was involved.”

“Not necessarily. It’s not unusual for strong telepaths to be unable to read each other. That might be the case here.”

Meaning, if they’d been unable to read her, they’d undoubtedly have a watch on her. Which also meant Sam would be aware that Jackson had talked to her this morning and that we weren’t letting the case drop as advised. “What about Michelle, the other waitress?”

“Interestingly, she hasn’t come into work since Baltimore died.”

That raised my eyebrows. “Has anyone contacted her?”

“Yeah. She’s sick, not dead.”

“Is she worth talking to?”

He shrugged. “It can’t hurt.”

No, I guess it couldn’t. I downed the drink quickly, then rose. “Shall we go, then?”

“What, now?”

Getting up so quickly had my head spinning. I had to grip the bar to steady myself. “You did get her address, didn’t you?”

“Yes.” He rose and threw some cash on the counter. “Might be worth waiting to see what we get back from my contact, though.”