Soul Mates 04: Secrets(44)

There was nothing special about it. No side doors, no closets, no sinks for cleaning up, and no doors leading to bathrooms. Just four walls and one door leading in and out. I looked up at the ceiling. There were a few sprays of blood dotting the ceiling, but no trap or attic doors.



"This can't be right," I said, mostly to myself.



"What's wrong, Peter?"



I looked up as Lucien stepped gingerly into the room. "There's only one way in and one way out. If someone has this much fun, even if they shift, they're going to come out of this dirty."



"That makes sense."



"But look around. There's not even a stray footprint. How the hell did they get out of here?"



"There are traces of blood on the railing just outside the door, maybe&" Lucien frowned. "Even if they jumped from the room and over the railing down into the crowd, there should still be prints here in the room."



Jin, a member of the cleanup crew, came in just about that time. "Ew, looks like a bad one."



"Can we get pictures of the scene before you dispose of it, Jin?"



"Of course," he answered. "I'll deliver them myself."



"Thank you."



"Peter?" Lucien held his hand out for me. "Have you seen enough?"



Something about this scene was all wrong, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. Studying the pictures would have to be good enough. "Yeah."



Tanner was waiting for us just outside the room. "Are you as confused as I am?"



I nodded. "How many werewolves can you single out?"



"I'm not really sure: two, maybe three. What are you getting?"



"At first I thought there were two, but then I caught scents of three, maybe even four of them. What do you know about the security system here? I didn't see any cameras when I came in."



"I spoke to the manager. The few cameras that are up around the place don't work; they're just dummies."



Lucien had wandered off a few feet and I turned to find him. There was an intense expression on his face and I paused to watch him. He'd scent the air, cock his head, and then take another couple of steps.



"What have you got, Lucien?"



"Vampire," he hissed. "Not one of ours."



Nothing could snap Lucien right out of civil mode like a rogue vampire on the loose. The fact that this one might have been involved with this murder didn't help things a bit. Lucien turned and pinned me with his gaze.



"Stay here unless I call for help."



Lucien jumped over the railing, and I watched him land effortlessly on the concrete floor. He was gone in an instant and I had to resist the urge to follow behind him. Tanner elbowed me.



"Am I hearing this right? There might be a vampire involved in this, too?"



"I don't know."



"Shit," Tanner whispered. "This just keeps getting better and better."



* * *



Lucien hadn't called for help, but I'd not been able to just stand around the scene and do nothing. The media had showed up a short time after Lucien had left and it wouldn't have been good for any of them to get any of us on film or video at the scene. The coven had no business there, as far as the public was concerned.



I'd exited out the back . with Tanner's help . and had gone in search of Lucien. I immediately ran into Xander. He was bloody and bruised, claw marks covering his arms, neck, and chest.



"You look like hell."



"Feel like it, too." He wiped his face on the sleeve of his shirt. "Where are you headed? Truck's the other way."



"I'm going to find Lucien."



"And he told you to stay put." Xander's words were matter-of-fact, not questioning. "Never could just stay put and do what you were told, could you?"



I shook my head. "Nope."



"At least let me come along with you." I started to object, but he put a finger to my lips. "I can always call Silver."



"You play dirty."



"I play to win," he said with a smile.



"Fine."



We'd made it about a block before Xander spoke again. "Can I ask you something?"



"I don't promise to answer, but sure, go ahead."



"Are you happy?"



"Am I happy?" I came to an abrupt stop and turned to face him. "What kind of question is that?"



"The kind I'd like an answer to."



"Why?"



"Every time I see you& Well, you look miserable about ninety percent of the time." I started to tell him that it was complicated when he held up a hand. "I know. Complicated?"