For a Few Demons More(81)
I took off my sunglasses as I stepped under the shade of the massive tree, tucking them to hang from the waistband of my shorts. “What’s the matter, Glenn?” I said in greeting when he took my elbow and led me to an abandoned FIB cruiser. “Won’t that nasty-wasty vampire let you play in the sandbox?”
“Thanks for coming out, Rachel,” he grumbled. “Where’s Jenks?”
“Around,” I said, and he sourly gave me my temp tag. I pinned it on before I leaned against the FIB cruiser, crossed my arms over my stomach, and waited for the good news.
Running a hand across his smooth chin, Glenn sighed, turning so he could see me and the crime scene both. His dark eyes were tired, and there were faint worry lines at the corners, making him seem older than he was. His trim stature looked powerful even beside Denon, and his military background mixed well with his suit and loosened tie. Glenn had come a long way in a year as far as understanding Inderlanders, and while I knew he respected Denon’s position, he didn’t respect the man. He didn’t mind telegraphing that either, which might be a problem. I had two big men with something to prove at a crime scene. Lucky me.
“How did you get out here?” he asked softly, his eyes envious as the I.S. collected their data. “I sent a car for you, but you’d left.”
I put my arms to my side and fidgeted. Glenn slowly turned. “You drove?” he accused, and I flushed. “You promised me you wouldn’t.”
“No I didn’t. I only said I wouldn’t, not promised. I didn’t know you were sending a car. And they don’t have a bus run to the cemetery. There aren’t enough pickups to warrant it.”
He snorted, and both our postures eased. Glenn’s weary gaze went to the body at the foot of the cedars, and I crossed my arms over my chest again. “You want to bull your way in there or wait until after they contaminate everything?” I asked.
Glenn rocked into motion, and I followed. “It’s too late,” he said. “I was waiting for you. Seeing as he’s an Inderlander, I’m only going to get one look at him unless I can link him hard and fast to the murder of Mr. Ray’s secretary.”
I nodded, watching my feet so I wouldn’t walk on any more markers. “I talked to Mr. Ray on the way over,” I offered, and Glenn looked askance at me. “I have an appointment with him later today at his office.” My hand went up when he took a breath. “You aren’t coming with me, so don’t ask—but I will tell you what we talked about if it touches on this.” I couldn’t bring a FIB detective to a client meeting. How lame was that?
Glenn looked ready to protest but then dropped his gaze. “Thank you.”
The easing of my tension didn’t last, and my blood pressure went higher the closer we got to the body. My nose started working, and over the scent of musk gone rank and excited vampire was the smell of redwood. I smoothed my expression into nothing, my gaze going to the tidy-looking guy in jeans and dress shirt standing a little apart from everyone. They have a witch out here? Interesting.
The circle of Inderlanders parted to show a Were corpse sprawled dramatically at the base of a large tombstone, the grass stained with black blood. A dead wolf the size of a pony was a lot less disturbing than a naked man, even one that had blood matting his fur and the eyes rolled back so far the whites showed. A hind leg had a clean tear to the bone, slicing the femoral artery open. The scent of blood was strong, and my gut tightened. Suicide? I thought, averting my gaze. I doubted it.
Denon was smiling at me with his lips closed to hide his human teeth. Beside him the witch’s nostrils widened as he took in my scent hidden behind the orange spice perfume I used to muddle Ivy’s instincts. His mouth quirked, and he touched his clean-shaven chin with the back of his hand. My skin prickled when he tapped a line, and I didn’t know whether to be insulted or flattered that he thought I was a threat. What did he think I was going to do? Curse everyone? But upon remembering he could see my aura as easy as sneezing and that it was covered in black demon smut, I couldn’t blame him.
Two men stood from their crouch over the corpse, leaving one to take core samples to determine how far the blood had soaked into the ground. I felt like we had interrupted punks tormenting a dog to death, and I forced myself not to back up when they turned their attention to us.
Glenn looked cool and casual in his suit and with his gun on his hip, but I knew by the strong scent of cologne coming off him that he was wired for action. Eyes fixed on Denon’s, he said evenly, “Ms. Morgan and my team would like a moment with the body before you move it.”