“Unstrap her.” Tristan sounded very weak, not like himself at all. “Get her off the horse. I haven’t got the strength.”
“I don’t have to undo the straps. They’ll pass right through her. She’s used up all the power she sucked in.” Dan hefted me in his arms, tucking me in tight to his wide, flannel-shirted chest. “Talk to me, baby.”
“S’okay,” I slurred, remembering how to form the words. Sort of. “Iz good. Wunnerful.”
Dan looked amazing. He’d already assembled his clothes, and the blue flannel shirt he’d chosen to wear made him more ruggedly handsome than ever. He smiled at me. “Once you start speaking English again, I suppose we should get back to work.”
Tristan’s lovely body disappeared behind clothing again, and he looked particularly natty in that gray shirt with the cuffs rolled up. His steps as he walked towards us weren’t terribly sure, however. He walked like a sailor just having made landfall after weeks at sea. He made it to us, sandwiching me between himself and Dan.
Tristan planted a kiss on my forehead. “I wouldn’t mind visiting this place again so I can experience more of the accessories. Soon.” He arched an eyebrow at me, letting me know I was his partner of choice in such a foray.
I grinned, the soft cotton of my sundress returning to make me a more modest woman. Strength slowly but steadily seeped back into my sated body. If the vampire could promise more orgasms like that last one, I’d be glad to usurp the playroom whenever he wanted. “On this end of the mortal coil, time is definitely on our side.” I barely slurred.
“I sure won’t be able to look at Snoot the same way again.”
Dan snorted laughter. “I won’t be able to look at you two the same way. What a show.”
After a few minutes, I recovered enough to stand on my own two feet again without toppling over. Assured I’d regained my vigor, Tristan opened the door and led us through the rest of the house, searching for any clue as to who Snoot might have connections to among the fanged.
Nothing of interest to do with my killer came to light, and we soon returned to the underground city.
Chapter Ten
Dan held onto my hand, probably to make sure I didn’t wander off. We were in the library again before I knew it. A dark, looming figure awaited us.
Tristan looked so very human in ghost form. The Judge still looked otherworldly. Too pale, too cadaverous, too cold. Maybe once you’ve been a vampire a few hundred years, all humanity wears off. I took a step back from him, recovered from the surprise, and made myself take that step forward again. He was only the ghost of a man, and I backed down from no one.
Unlike me, Tristan seemed glad to see him. “Are you looking for me, Judge?”
The rail-thin man bowed slightly, and I saw his scalp gleam through his thinning hair, which was caught back in a ponytail in the fashion of his day. “Yes, Tristan.”
“I hope you didn’t have to wait long. Do you have anything to report?”
The Judge offered him a heavy sigh, his harsh face remarkably contrite. “Regrettably, no. My apologies for failing to yield results, but the killer is quite the clever fiend.”
Tristan patted his black-garbed shoulder. “No apologies necessary, my friend. We managed to get somewhere at least.” He indicated me and Dan. “Judge, I need you to find Lana and tell her to have the weres sniff around the home of Todd Spaulding. What was the address again, Brandilynn?”
I hated to have the Judge’s cold eyes on me. I had a sudden, ridiculous urge to trade my pretty sundress for a burkha under that assessing gaze. Jeez, I bet this guy could have made Mother Theresa feel sinful with that glare alone.
I gave him Todd’s address, and the Judge turned his attention back to Tristan without giving me a word of acknowledgement. “I’ll accompany the weres myself.”
Tristan smiled. “Excellent. There’s a dead man who looks like he committed suicide in the house. We believe the killer influenced him to do so. Once the weres have finished their sweep, call the police anonymously and tell them there’s been a murder at that address.”
The Judge frowned. “But you said it looks like suicide.”
Dan spoke up. “It’s better to give the investigators doubt. They know he was a client of Brandilynn’s anyway, and throwing the ‘m’ word at them will make them work harder and maybe pick up leads we’ve missed.”
The Judge’s frozen glare found me again. “Of course. Humans do surprise me from time to time. Does this woman have any recall yet?”
Boy, I hate being talked about like I’m not in the room. My parents did that to me all the time. I held back a retort, because he was Tristan’s friend. Okay, and partly because he creeped me out. Honesty, honesty.