Midnight Smoke (The Firebrand Series Book 3) Read online

  ‘Few people do,’ Lukas muttered. He glared at me, as if all this were my fault. I tried to offer a reassuring smile and headed for the door.

  From the sound of the raised voices behind me, DI Collier had cornered Lady Sullivan and was demanding that she sit down. The best thing I could do was leave before she turned furry and snapped his hand off. I almost hoped she would.

  I nodded to the policewoman at the door and flashed my warrant card, then I slid out my phone and beckoned to Fred across the street. Clearly he’d been sent out here on the same duty as I had. While he finished up with the blank-faced hairdresser he was talking to outside her shop, I jabbed in the number I needed.

  DSI Barnes answered immediately. ‘I’ve been waiting for this,’ she said drily.

  ‘I can understand that you want CID involved,’ I said. ‘This investigation is too big for me to handle on my own. But the guy you’ve sent is a wanker. He’s going cause more problems than he’ll ever solve. He’s also overstepping the boundaries of supe law.’

  ‘Detective Inspector Collier is a highly decorated police officer,’ Lucinda Barnes told me, ‘with considerable experience.’ She paused. ‘But yes. He’s also a wanker. It wasn’t me who assigned him to this investigation. That decision has come from higher up. It’s political. The top brass want to be transparent and to prove to everyone that a bloody crime of this magnitude is being taken seriously.’

  ‘There will be bloodier crimes of greater magnitude if he doesn’t stop treating every supe he meets like they’re Jack the Ripper.’

  Barnes sighed heavily. ‘I’ll contact him and have a word. Have you got anywhere yet? Have you found anything that might help catch the bastards who are responsible for this?’

  ‘Not yet, but I’m making some inroads.’ I smiled at Fred as he joined me. ‘I’d do better if Supe Squad had free rein to pursue my line of investigation, rather than being forced by Collier into grunt work.’

  ‘I can arrange for that. In fact, it makes sense for Supe Squad to run a tandem investigation. It’ll keep CID off the supes’ back and create less hassle in the immediate future.’

  Praise be. At least DSI Barnes was smart enough to see how the likes of Collier could mess things up royally for future supe–human relations. ‘I appreciate that.’

  ‘It will put more pressure on you,’ she warned.

  That was the least of my worries. ‘Not a problem.’

  She was silent for a moment. ‘What were they after?’ she said finally. ‘What did the perps actually steal?’

  ‘Oh no!’ I said suddenly. ‘I have to go! There’s an argument breaking out across the street.’ I hung up the phone.

  Fred looked vaguely amused. ‘You’re not going to be able to pull off that sort of answer for long.’

  ‘All the more reason to solve this crime before the day is out so we can avoid answering at all,’ I responded

  ‘What was stolen then?’

  ‘I’ll tell you on the way to the morgue,’ I said. ‘But you can’t tell anyone else, on pain of death.’

  ‘My lips are sealed.’ He glanced at me. ‘We’re going to ignore Collier’s instructions then?’

  ‘We’re Supe Squad. We’ve got far better things to do.’

  He raised his hand for a high five. I shrugged and returned it. ‘All for one.’

  Fred grinned. ‘And one for all.’

  ***

  I’d called ahead so that Dr Laura Hawes, the pathologist at Fitzwilliam Manor Hospital, was already waiting for us at the morgue’s entrance. She beamed happily when we approached. ‘Detective Constable Bellamy! This has to be the first time I’ve seen you walk in here on your own two legs instead of being wheeled in on a gurney!’

  ‘It does make a change to be here because of someone else’s death,’ I said drily

  She replaced her smile with a grimace. ‘Yes. Supes are having quite a day of it today. I’ve been following the news. Even before this dreadful robbery, you were busy.’

  ‘And then some. I know it’s early and you haven’t had long to examine the bodies, but I was hoping you’d have some initial insights that might propel the investigation forward.’

  Laura gave me a business-like bob of her head. ‘I don’t know how useful my insights will be, but follow me and I’ll show you what I have so far.’

  Great. I’d known I could count on her to have something to share. I glanced at Fred. He was already looking green around the gills at the thought of going inside. ‘Can you stay out here where there’s better phone reception and contact Liza?’ I asked, taking pity on him. ‘She’ll have to share what she finds on the CCTV footage with DI Collier and his team. She’ll appreciate a heads up, and it would be good to know if she’s found anything useful.’

  Fred’s relief was palpable. ‘Yes. I’ll do that.’

  Laura gave him an amused look then led me through to the morgue. Dean, the young bloke who manned the reception desk, looked up from his computer and gave me a friendly wave. ‘Coming here,’ I remarked, smiling at him, ‘is beginning to feel like I’m coming home.’

  ‘Are you any further forward with investigating your own … issues?’ Laura asked.

  I sucked my bottom lip. ‘Not really. I told you last time we spoke that the book I’d come across suggested I’m a phoenix. I visited my uncle this morning to ask if my parents left anything behind that can shed any light. And Lukas has been looking into what a phoenix is as well.’

  Laura appeared immediately interested. ‘How do you feel about that? He’s the Lord of all vampires. He must have an ulterior motive for helping you out.’

  I considered my answer for a moment before replying honestly. ‘I don’t know how I feel about it. On the one hand, it’s great to have someone on my side. On the other hand, I’ve no idea if I can trust him. I feel like I’m one of his pet projects and he’s toying with me for his own ends. The clash between his status and my job isn’t going to disappear.’

  ‘Have you been round to his house for dinner yet?’ Laura asked, pushing open the door to the first examination room.

  ‘No. I’m still avoiding it.’ I met her eyes. ‘I’m afraid of what might happen if I do.’

  ‘Live a little,’ she advised. ‘It’s only dinner. And if it leads to more, embrace it. I wouldn’t say no to his attentions. You can keep your professional life separate, you know you can.’ She squeezed my arm. ‘But we both know it’s not his status as vampire Lord that you’re afraid of, it’s the thought of losing your heart. It’s perfectly understandable, given what your boyfriend did to you. But if you hide away forever because of his actions then he wins. Lord Horvath is not Jeremy.’

  No, he definitely was not. I gave a weak smile. ‘What if Lukas is only interested in me because he thinks I’m playing hard to get?’

  She shrugged. ‘Then have some fun with him and move on. What’s the big deal?’

  Laura was probably right. I had too many hang ups. I sighed and looked at the nearest gurney. The first body was covered in a white sheet. ‘Who’s this?’ I asked.

  ‘Margaret Wick. Fifty-two years old. Human, of course. The bodies of the supes who were killed have already been transferred to their own facilities, so we only have the two dead humans.’ Laura consulted her notes. ‘She was killed outside the bank. From what I can tell from the angle she was hit, she was unlucky and it was a stray bullet.’ She lifted up the sheet and indicated the hole on the side of her ribcage. ‘There’s no exit wound so I haven’t retrieved the bullet yet, but—’ her voice darkened ‘—have a look at this.’ She indicated the ring around the bullet wound.

  I peered more closely. ‘Is that a burn mark?’ I asked doubtfully.

  ‘Of sorts. I’ll need to test it to be sure, but you usually see this pattern on bullet holes when a particular metal has been used.’

  ‘Let me guess,’ I said grimly. ‘Silver.’

  Laura nodded. ‘It’s not easy to cast silver bullets. I don’t see them very often, even on the odd occ
asion that a supe is brought here by accident. They also tend to be designed to remain inside the body. The longer a silver bullet stays inside a wolf’s system, the greater the likelihood of fatal damage.’

  I folded my arms and stared at the dark ring. The bank robbers had come prepared – and not just to steal. They’d been prepared to kill from the outset.

  ‘What about the other body?’ I asked. ‘I believe the other human was killed inside the bank.’

  Laura moved to the second gurney. ‘He had no wallet on him and no money or identification. I estimate that he’s in his early twenties. And there’s this.’ She lifted up the sheet to reveal the crude tattoo on his arm. I squinted. The word Adam was etched into a barbed wire heart next to the word Jane. Hello, Adam.

  ‘He was shot point blank in the face,’ Laura said without a trace of emotion.

  I recoiled. ‘In the face?’

  ‘It doesn’t appear to have been an accident. His nose and most of his right cheekbone have been obliterated. He would have died instantly.’

  She lifted the sheet and revealed the rest of his body. I held my breath and took a quick look, then hastily glanced away again.

  ‘Preliminary findings suggest he’s one hundred percent human.’

  ‘Silver bullet?’

  ‘The damage to his face is too severe for me to tell at the moment but I should be able to confirm it by the morning. As soon as I know, I’ll contact you.’

  ‘Okay.’ The more information we could get on the ammunition the better. Silver bullets were so rare that we might be able to trace these ones back to their maker. If we were lucky.

  I took a deep breath. ‘Thank you, Laura.’

  ‘You’re welcome.’ She dropped the sheet over Adam’s shattered face. ‘It’s rare that we have killings on this scale. It’s rarer still that supes are involved. I hope you catch these pricks.’

  ‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘So do I.’

  Chapter Eight

  I joined Fred in the morgue waiting room. Unfortunately for both of us, I caught the end of his conversation with Dean. ‘It’s just that I feel like she still wants me, but because I’m a policeman she can’t be with me.’

  ‘It’s a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, man,’ Dean agreed.

  Let’s certainly hope not. I eyed Fred warily and wondered whether I should broach the subject of Scarlett. I suspected it was a chat that wouldn’t go down well, unless I suggested that he position himself underneath her balcony and serenade her with love songs and red roses. Truthfully, I was hardly the best person to advise anyone on their love life. It was a topic best left alone.

  ‘Hey,’ I said, interrupting the pair of them.

  Fred straightened up and instantly looked guilty.

  Dean gave me a lazy smile. ‘Hey.’

  ‘Did you get hold of Liza?’ I asked.

  Fred nodded. ‘She’s preparing a report based on the CCTV. The first guy, the human, appears to have been shot in the face deliberately, but the others were only killed when one of the wolves tried to get in on the action. Then it was a free for all.’

  Hmm. ‘Any luck in tracking their vehicle?’

  ‘None. They knew what they were doing. They’d planned their route and escaped through streets that aren’t monitored by CCTV cameras. All we know is that they turned left when they drove off. After that,’ he shrugged helplessly, ‘they vanished into thin air.’

  That was not good news. I grimaced.

  ‘Where to now, boss?’ Fred asked.

  We couldn’t locate the robbers, and DI Collier was in charge of the crime scene. I felt certain that the key task was to focus on the stolen items. The trouble was I had no idea where the gang were planning to offload the stuff. Who on earth would want to buy two separate and distinctly different copies of a lost Shakespeare play? Or a bunch of Fabergé eggs? And werewolf hair clippings?

  ‘The office,’ I said finally. ‘Perhaps if we can come up with a list of pawn shops where some of the stolen goods can be sold we’ll get somewhere.’ It felt like we were clutching at straws but I had to try something.

  ‘Okay.’

  We said goodbye to Dean and walked to the hospital car park where Tallulah was waiting. We didn’t get very far; less than twenty metres from the main doors, a red car with tinted windows pulled up and blocked our path. Initially, I thought nothing of it – until the passenger window rolled down and a hand beckoned me. ‘Detective. Can I have a word?’

  I hadn’t recognised the car but I certainly recognised the voice. I stiffened and glanced at Fred. ‘Go and get Tallulah,’ I said quietly. ‘I’ll meet you back here.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  I nodded and walked towards the red car. The door opened and I got inside.

  To say that Devereau Webb didn’t look fit and healthy was the understatement of the year. He was pale and sweating, and there was a rigidity to his body that didn’t bode well. I angled myself away from him and looked him up and down. Surely this couldn’t be the result of one werewolf bite? ‘Mr Webb,’ I said, by way of greeting. ‘I hear you’ve been wolf-baiting.’

  For a moment he looked surprised, then he smiled slightly and relaxed. ‘A misunderstanding, that’s all.’

  ‘A misunderstanding?’ My tone was both disbelieving and accusatory.

  Webb didn’t react. ‘You can’t blame me, DC Bellamy. The werewolves could have helped my niece but they chose not to. Any antagonism on my part is understandable. Rest assured, however, that I will be avoiding any further bites.’ He smiled again.

  Webb’s niece was a whirlwind with plaits called Alice. He had approached the werewolf clans with a hefty bribe in return for turning her into a wolf so she could have a chance to beat her leukaemia. All four alphas had reluctantly turned him down because it was verboten to transform anyone under the age of eighteen. They had effectively sentenced her to death. I’d passed over the last remnants of the gruesome potion that Edward Nappey had concocted using wolf bones and vampire blood. Whether it would work was a long shot, but apparently it had done the trick.

  ‘It wasn’t the wolves’ fault that they couldn’t help Alice,’ I reminded Webb gently. ‘Their hands were tied.’

  ‘I appreciate that, but we’re not always rational when it comes to caring for our families. I can’t help hating them for not helping her, even though I know they had no choice. We all have our failings.’ He offered a self-deprecating shrug. ‘In any case, that’s not why I wish to talk to you. I’m here on another matter.’

  Part of me hoped that this was where he’d confess to the shootings and the robbery so I could arrest him and go home. ‘You’ve sought me out here,’ I said. ‘It must be serious.’

  Webb inclined his head. ‘One could say so.’ His eyes were feverish and unfocused but a hint of determination remained in the set of his jaw. ‘I’d like to thank you for what you did for Alice. We had confirmation a couple of weeks ago that her cancer is fully in remission. The docs don’t understand how or why,’ his voice was quiet, ‘but I do.’

  I swallowed. ‘I’m glad that she’s better,’ I said honestly. ‘But if you’re looking for more of the … medicine, I told you already. The treatment can never be repeated.’

  Webb waved a hand dismissively. ‘I’m not here for that. I understand the rules, and I understand what a big deal it was for you to give me what you did.’ He paused. ‘I found the book.’

  I started. Webb smiled faintly. ‘You mentioned its title in passing. I located a copy in the Carlyle Library.’

  Shit. I’d told the library to lock down the spare copies of Infernal Enchantments and keep them away from prying eyes. Devereau Webb shouldn’t have been able to get hold of it. The man was proving to be a menace in more ways than one.

  ‘You can’t blame me, detective,’ he said. ‘I had to know what I was giving Alice.’

  ‘What do you want, Mr Webb?’

  ‘To say thank you,’ he replied simply. ‘And to show my appreciation. I have a feeling that in t
he future I’ll benefit from having you as a friend.’

  Devereau Webb was a criminal and I sincerely doubted we’d ever be friends, even though part of me couldn’t help liking the man. I couldn’t shake the suspicion that he was up to something – and whatever it was, I wouldn’t like it.

  ‘In that case,’ I told him, ‘you’re welcome.’ As I moved to open the car door, his hand shot out and gripped my arm. He might have been sick but he was still surprisingly strong.

  ‘Wait,’ he instructed. He reached into a bag by his feet and drew out a small bottle. ‘I want to give you this.’

  I stared at it. There was liquid sloshing around inside it; it looked like water but, somehow, I knew that couldn’t be further from the truth.

  ‘I’ve been following the news,’ he said. ‘Things aren’t going well for you today. I think this might help.’

  I slowly raised my eyes to his. ‘What is it?’

  ‘Something that will help you in your fight against crime. It won’t harm you. I promise you that. But it could open up a whole world of wonders.’

  No way was I going to swallow some mysterious liquid given to me by Devereau Webb. ‘Thank you,’ I began, ‘but—’

  ‘The recipe is from the book. I’ve taken it myself and it’s perfectly safe.’

  ‘You look like you’re half dead,’ I said baldly. ‘If you’ve followed some recipe from that damned book and now you’re dying, you only have yourself to blame. I’m not about to follow suit, no matter what you say.’

  He chuckled. ‘I’m not dying. The symptoms of my current … illness are unrelated. Technically. Things will look very different for me tomorrow. And they will look different for you too, if you drink this. It will change everything.’ Then he added enigmatically, ‘And nothing.’

  ‘Mr Webb—’

  ‘Take it.’ He pressed the bottle into my hands. ‘It’s my way of saying thank you for what you did for Alice. You saved her life. It’s my turn to repay the favour.’

  I gazed at the bottle. It looked innocuous enough but I wouldn’t drink it. However, sometimes the path of least resistance is the best route to take. I pocketed it. ‘Thank you,’ I said.