The Darkest Kiss

“We didn’t miss anything.” His voice had sharpened slightly.

“I’m not saying you did, Mr. Mayberry. We just have new evidence about Young’s disappearance, and it may help us understand it better if we see the area.”

“Oh,” he said, sounding mollified. “He was found in Historical Park, near where the gang used to meet. It was a clearing surrounded by granite outcrops and black cypress, which made it something of a natural amphitheater.”

“You can’t give me anything more direct than that?”

“Well, it was past the old powder magazine building, down near Spring Creek. You’ll know it when you see it.”

Great. We could be wandering around for hours. Which we didn’t have. “There’s nothing else you can tell us about the case? Any odd tidbit that might not have made the report but instinct said might be related?”

He hesitated. “Well, there were two kids I swear were witnesses—”

Witnesses. Puzzle pieces suddenly began clicking into place. “Not Jake Cowden and Ivan Lang?”

“The very ones. Like the wolf cubs, they tended to be loners, but they often used to sneak off and spy on the gangs. Cowden used to e-mail me photographs every now and again, which were often quite helpful when we were investigating minor incidents.”

“Did he e-mail you anything about Young?”

“No, but he reported his camera missing the next day, and he was sporting quite a shiner. Ivan looked pretty messed up, too.”

“But they never talked?”

“Refused to. Cowden started drinking not long after that, though.”

“What about Cherry Barnes?”

He snorted. “That one was more trouble than she was worth.”

“In what way?”

“She was Harvey’s girlfriend, and a real tease. Harvey was always getting into fights because of her.”

And she’d grown up to become a wa

He grunted. “If you do find out what happened to Young, I’d appreciate a call.”

“Will do, Mr. Mayberry.” I hung up.

“Anything?” Rhoan asked.

“Maybe.” I shoved my phone back into my pocket and repeated what Mayberry had told me. “I think it’s highly likely Young will be going back to the scene of his death, rather than where he used to live.”

“He’ll probably think it’ll be safer,” Qui

“I still don’t understand why he’s doing all this now,” Rhoan said. “Why didn’t he finish the lot of them when he finished off Harvey?”

“I suspect because his parents discovered what he was doing and stopped him. They had him locked up for years, remember.”

“Being locked up in a room filled with silver wouldn’t exactly enhance his sanity prospects, either,” Qui

“No.” I glanced at the clock again. “We need to be up there before dawn so we can have a chance of killing the bastard. How fast does this baby go?”

“Let’s find out, shall we?” Qui

“This isn’t a sports car,” Rhoan said dryly, “so just watch the shudder when you climb over one twenty. It’ll do your arms in.”

“One twenty won’t get us into Beechworth before dawn, will it?” I asked.

“No.”

“Then don’t worry about the shudder and just get this rust trap moving.”

Qui

“Your wish is my command.”

Rhoan snorted. “The day either of us believe that is the day we fall over dead.”

“Who asked the peanut gallery for an opinion?”

“No one,” Rhoan snapped. “So shut up and drive, my friend.”

For a change, Qui

Maybe there was hope for him yet.

Red fingers of light were begi

I climbed out of the car and sniffed the air, my nostrils flaring as I sampled the aromas within. The predawn air held a chill that felt like ice, but underneath it ran scents of eucalyptus, earth, and the freshness of water.

And underneath all that was the hint of fear.

Fear that was thick and strong, and coming from more than one source.

People were alive out there. Hopefully, Liander was still one of them. I grabbed my phone and dialed the Directorate, asking the cow to call in ambulances and any medical help she could find close by.

“I can hear heartbeats,” Qui

“But there’s definitely more than one,” Rhoan said, closing the car door softly. “And that’s good news for those of us needing some right now.”

I squeezed his arm lightly. “How are we going to attack this?” I glanced at Qui

Qui

“Waiting is not in my plans at this particular moment in time,” Rhoan said, voice flat. “So do we attack as one, or as individuals?”

“Together,” I said. “I’ve seen him fight. He’s fast and he’s strong, regardless of the fact he’s been locked away for years.”

“Insanity often gives people an edge.” Qui

And Jack could sometimes get cranky about involving civilians in cases—unless, of course, he did it himself. I looked at my brother. “Don’t suppose you’ve got an arsenal in the trunk?”

He grimaced. “No. I removed the guns and locked them up before I took the car to the car wash.”

Obeying the rules, as usual. Whereas I would never have even washed the car, let alone obeyed Jack’s safety rules about where to store weapons when not on duty. Which would undoubtedly get me in trouble one day, but on this day, it would have been a boon.

“So you’ve no weapons at all?”

“I’ve some stakes.”

I glanced at Qui

“If you stake him while he’s visible, they will.”

“Then stakes it is,” Rhoan said.

He walked to the trunk and fetched them, then handed two to me and flexed his shoulders. “Let’s go.”

His gray eyes had become cold and dead. The eyes of the hunter. The eyes of the killer.

I glanced at Qui

While I couldn’t hear heartbeats like he and Qui

As the granite outcrops began to grow more numerous, and the eucalyptus gave way to black cypress, Rhoan paused, pointing to the right then holding up five fingers. I nodded, but wondered if Young would actually give us that much time. He was a vampire after all, and he could hear heartbeats as well as either Rhoan or Qui

I made my way through the trees and the shadows, stepping carefully but quickly, keeping low where possible. It was tempting to shift to wolf shape, because she was quieter and far more deadly in the forest. But if Young happened to see me and attack, my wolf would be at a distinct disadvantage. Teeth against fist and feet—especially when they had the speed of a vampire behind them—was never a good thing.