“No.” Justice cleared his throat. “It’s not.”
“Is Vanni well?” Smiley couldn’t shake the fear that the drug may have harmed her.
Fury leaned forward and braced his elbows on his knees. “The Woods Church is holding a press conference this morning. Pastor Woods is accusing you of drugging and raping his son’s fiancé. He’s saying it happened in the human world so you should face human laws. He wants you charged and prosecuted in the human courts.”
Smiley hadn’t seen that coming. “I didn’t do it.”
“We know,” Bestial growled.
“We need to find Vanni and have her tell them we were both drugged.” Smiley stood. “She knows I wasn’t responsible.”
Justice stood. “She’s holding the press conference with them. I understand that you wished to believe she was innocent but it’s become clear she did drug you. They set you up and she was part of it.”
Jericho entered and paused by the door. “I’m sorry.”
Smiley turned his head and glared at him.
“You need to admit you were wrong about that female.” Sadness flashed in his red-hued eyes as Jericho took a deep breath and expelled it. “I was hopeful for you but she’s accusing you of a forced breeding. She plans to stand in front of cameras and tell them you drugged and harmed her.”
“There is good news,” Justice stated. “The video clip doesn’t support that. She was clearly the sexual aggressor.”
“They’ll use the drug to blame her behavior.” Fury sighed and shook his head. “This is a mess. Tim wants to send a team to grab her before the news conference.”
“I told him no. It will only make us appear as if we have something to hide.” Justice came around the desk and stopped in front of Smiley. “Regardless of how this plays out, you are safe. They don’t have the right to come here to demand we deliver you to their authorities. We will fight this and prove it was them. It just might take time.”
“Why would anyone believe I would need to drug a female to share sex?” Smiley’s temper flared.
“The Woods Church has always stated we must drug or pay females to make them agree to be mounted by us.” Jericho snorted. “Tell the news cameras to pan our gates and get shots of the females who show up here with signs asking us to take them as mates.”
“Not the best strategy.” Justice smiled though. “Some of them are fresh out of prison or believe they’d find sanctuary here from whatever crimes they are about to face. I read the background checks on the regulars. We have our public relations people on this.”
“It would be better if our research on Ms. Abris had found something useful,” Fury said. “She’s clean.”
“You investigated Vanni’s life?” Smiley took a seat. “What did you discover?”
“She has two siblings. One is mated with two children and one is a New York police officer with a mate and one child. Her mother was a full-time housewife, while her father is retired. None of them have criminal records. Travanni was a good student, never in trouble and everyone interviewed had positive things to say about her. She works as an executive secretary in the same building as her fiancé. They met last year, dated and became engaged.” Justice paused. “She pays her taxes, owes only a few thousand dollars in debt on credit cards and most of her charges were for her upcoming wedding. We found nothing in the statements that indicated any illegal activity.”
“Those are some of the things she told me. She didn’t lie.” Smiley frowned. “Wouldn’t she have made up a false background if she wished to fool me?”
“Did she tell you she came with the Woods Church?” Bestial cocked an eyebrow.
“No. She said it was a vacation.” The silence in the room agitated Smiley. “You’re sure she’s going to say I drugged her and was to blame?”
“It’s standard procedure for news outlets to contact us when someone is holding a press conference regarding anything to do with the NSO. They want a statement in advance. We were contacted by at least six major networks half an hour ago.” Justice held his gaze. “I’m sorry, Smiley. You have to remember that you were just the unlucky Species she chose. It could have been any of us at the hotel.”
“Perhaps she suffered memory loss.” Jericho stepped closer to Smiley.
He knew his friend was trying to be kind. “They planned this. The actual details after the drug is given might be blurred but not the events leading up to it.” Smiley noticed a dull ache in his chest but he ignored it. As much as he had wanted to believe Vanni, he had to face facts. Anger came next. “What do we do?”
“Prove they were somehow behind this.” Justice’s relaxed demeanor disappeared. “That’s what I’m having Tim work on. I sent him to Fuller Prison to interview everyone we have from Drackwood. That’s where they had to have gotten the drug. We just need to prove it.”
“Otherwise,” Fury growled, “they’ll say it was a Species drug that only Species had access to.”
“Is there any way I could speak to Vanni?” It was a long shot but Smiley hoped if anyone could change her mind, it might be him. She’d seemed goodhearted. “I could call her and perhaps she’ll reconsider.”
“We don’t know where to reach her until she arrives at the Woods Church to make her statement.” Fury held his gaze. “It will be too late by then.”“I thought we had males watching her. Couldn’t you have one of them take her a phone? Just ask her to speak to me?”
“They lost her. She was evading the press camped outside her apartment and managed to slip by all of them when her roommate took out the trash. They were focused on her. The only reason we know she’s no longer at home is because her roommate attempted to file a missing person’s report with the police last night and then in frustration walked outside to tell the reporters Travanni had gone to visit her fiancé but hadn’t returned home.”
Smiley tensed. “What?”
“She must have decided to stay with him overnight. She hasn’t returned. Her roommate talked to reporters again two hours ago asking them to help her locate Travanni.” Justice shrugged.
The bad feeling returned. “Her roommate is asking for help to find her? Something is off.”
“That’s what her roommate stated to the reporters. She is worried Carl Woods may have harmed Travanni,” Bestial stated. “She is obviously well enough to hold a press conference though. We have no idea what is going on with her.”
Smiley made a decision. “I want access to the team outside Vanni’s apartment. I need to speak to them.”
“It’s not a good idea.” Justice shook his head. “It’s best if we let our public relations people and the lawyers deal with this. I’ll listen to the Woods Church press conference and address it after I have a meeting with our people. We might need you there.”
“Contact me if you do.” Smiley left the office and didn’t need to turn to know Jericho followed. He stopped walking when they exited the building, spun and glared. “Why are you shadowing me?”
“What are you going to do?” Jericho sounded suspicious.
“Wait for Justice to call me.”
“Bullshit. I know you too well. What is your plan?”
“I want to talk to her roommate.”
“That’s a bad idea.”
Smiley didn’t care. His resolve must have shown in his expression.
Jericho reached into his back pocket and withdrew a folded sheet of paper and then a cell phone. “Her name is Elisabeth and this is her number. This is a blocked phone. I knew you’d be irrational but I’d want to do the same if I were you. Take them before I change my mind. Just remember anything you say could be used against us. She might be involved.”
“Why would she worry Carl Woods would harm Vanni? That implies he’s a danger to her, not us.”
“I had that same question. That’s why I copied the number from her background file and took one of our untraceable cell phones. The task force teams use them. This number is for the apartment and I called in a favor. One of the team members is going to text me if she leaves. She’s still home.”
Smiley moved behind the building, out of sight, and glanced around to make sure he was alone. Jericho waited at the corner, seemingly ready to intercept anyone who came that way. Smiley opened the paper and dialed the number. It rang four times before a machine with a computerized voice picked up.
“Elisabeth, my name is Smiley. I’m—”
The phone was immediately picked up. “I know who you are.” She had a pleasant voice but it sounded stressed.
“I heard you were worried about Vanni. What happened?”
“Can you help me?”
“Possibly. Why do you believe she’s in harm’s way?”
“She left yesterday to get her belongings. Carl wouldn’t give back the stuff she left at the hotel unless she returned his engagement ring in person. She never came home but she would have if he hadn’t done something to her. The police said they couldn’t look for her until she’s missing for seventy-two hours. I know something is really wrong. Now the police told me she’s talking to reporters with Carl later today, implying she’s fine and to stop bugging them.”