Deadly Desire

"No, but remember it isn't the zombie who's going after these people. It's the person who's raising them who'd have the co

"Well, there's no obvious link between the first two victims, and I doubt we'll find one here."

"There has to be something. We just aren't seeing it yet."

"Undoubtedly." He paused a minute to pick something black off one of the woman's remains and shove it in a plastic bag. "We found some feathers at the old warehouse. They're currently at the lab undergoing DNA testing. Interestingly, there were no prints of any kind on the gantry where the crow was resting."

"If she was in crow form, there wouldn't be."

"The gantry was covered in dust and grime, so there should have at least been claw prints. All we found was feather imprints."

"Meaning she had no legs?"

"Or her legs were useless and just hung lifeless. Any scuff marks they might have left were erased by her belly feathers."

So we were looking for a paralyzed shifter? That was rare, because shape shifting actually healed most wounds. "Maybe she's simply a lazy crow."

"Could be." He shrugged. "If the fingerprint doesn't bring anything up, you could do a search through police records and see if there's any more reports of grave vandalism. Whoever is behind this is using the freshly dead-or at least so far. They're easier to reanimate than older bodies. Their flesh still remembers life."

"Muscles don't have memories."

He gave me a wry look. "Of course they do. That's why astronauts have to spend so much time in rehabilitation after long space flights. Their muscles forget what it's like to walk under atmosphere."

"But the space stations don't have that sort of problem."

"The space stations are pressurized to earth standards. Or near enough that it doesn't matter." He paused. "Doesn't your vampire own a few of those?"

I blinked. "I don't know."

"A woman who hasn't investigated a potential partner's wealth? You're not only a rare werewolf, but a rare woman."

The words surprised me, as did the bitter edge in his voice. "Wow. Someone really has done you over in the past, hasn't he?"

He looked away. "Let's just say I learned some valuable lessons when I was young."

"You were young?" I said in mock surprise. "And here I was thinking you were always old and wrinkly."

"I prefer the term weather-worn," he said, the humor reappearing in his eyes. "And now, if you have no more questions, I have an investigation to get back to."

"Let me know if you find anything."

"I always do."

I headed back to the car. Once there, I rang Sal. "Have Mel and her team come back with the reports on Garrison's murder?"

"The initial report is in. It was definitely a robbery. Garrison apparently kept a collection of precious coins and jewels in his safe, and they're gone."

And it would be easy enough to get rid of them on the black market. Which is probably why they went for the smaller items. "Have we a list of items stolen from Armel's safe?"

"It basically the same deal. Rare coins, precious gems." Her voice broke for a moment. "He used to show them to me. He was very proud of his collection."

I frowned. "Did he make a habit of showing everyone his collection?"

"No, just his lovers."

And the man apparently had more than a few lovers. "Do you know if Garrison enjoyed showing off his collection?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"Because maybe that's the co

"Armel was very eclectic in his tastes-"

"Meaning he had both male and female lovers."

She hesitated. "Yes, but I don't believe he and Garrison would have shared any lovers."

"Why not?"

"Because Garrison liked it very rough, while Armel was a gentle and considerate lover."

"That doesn't mean they couldn't have shared a lover. It is possible to enjoy both ends of the spectrum."

"Yes, but vampires do not share lightly. We tend to be very territorial."

Which was something I was all too aware of. "And yet you shared Armel with others."

"We're vampires. We ca

I hesitated, then asked, "Then you really did love him."

"I really did," she said simply.

"So why do you lust after Jack?" Or was it simply a matter of me misreading what she considered a bit of playful teasing? It certainly wouldn't be the first time I'd gotten the wrong end of a situation.

"There is a difference between lusting and doing, Riley. Not that a werewolf would know that."

The bitch was back, I thought with a grin. "I will get whoever did this."

"I know." She sniffed. "Cole sent me through a fingerprint and we found a match. You want the address?"

"Patch it through to my onboard."

"Sending it now."

"Thanks." I paused again. "Would you be able to get me a complete list of both Garrison's and Armel's lovers? I think it might be worth cross-checking, just to be sure there is no co

"I'll see what I can do," she said, and hung up.

I blew out a breath. Sal and I might never be great friends, but that didn't stop me from feeling sorry for her. I knew what it was like to lose someone-even if my someone had walked away rather than be murdered-and I wouldn't have wished that sort of pain on anyone. I wondered if she had anyone to talk to or lean on. Certainly having Rhoan and Liander there had helped me through the worst of it.

The onboard beeped as a message came through and I touched the screen, bringing it to life. It was the zombie's last listed home address and, naturally, he lived in the opposite direction from where I currently was. I transferred the North Coburg address into the nav computer, then started the engine and drove off.

It took half an hour to get across to Coburg, and I wasted another ten minutes trying to find parking in a street already crowded with cars.

As I walked back to the house, I saw an all-too-familiar silver car cruise past, obviously looking for parking just like I'd been.

I snorted softly and shook my head.

I should have known I wasn't going to get rid of Kye that easily.

Chapter Five

"So, are you going to arrest my butt, just like you said?" he said, walking toward me with a dare-you smile that played havoc with my pulse rate.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't." I crossed my arms and tried to ignore the fact that he looked positively edible. Faded jeans, white shirt, and a black sports jacket gave him a classy yet casual appearance, and showed off both his broad shoulders and his long, strong legs to perfection.

He stopped several feet away, but it was close enough for his scent to fog my senses.

His nostrils flared, and the spark that brightened his golden eyes suggested I wasn't the only one having trouble with my hormones. Only he seemed to be having a damn easier time controlling them.

He glanced up at the house. "The parents are werewolves, and they may not be too pleased with you coming to take away their son for a second time."

"I'm well aware of those facts. The Directorate doesn't send people in blind." Well, not often, anyway.

He smiled. It was a nice smile, one that crinkled the corners of his eyes and lent a warmth to his otherwise controlled expression. "And yet here you are, alone, about to face two wolf parents and God knows who else."

"I've coped with worse." And I had the missing finger to prove it. I glanced up at the house and saw the curtains twitch. I glanced back at Kye. "Why are you here? The zombie isn't going to be able to tell you anything about his mistress."