She wrinkled her nose. "I can smell the whiskey from here."
"Your neighbors complained about a bagpipe," the male officer said. "And some loud clashing noises. Someone thought you might be having a sword fight."
"There's nothing to be concerned about, officer. Everyone has left." Jack raised his voice when Laszlo let out a low moan. "It's very quiet now."
"I think I heard someone," the female officer whispered to her partner. "He sounds injured."
"Thank you for stopping by." Jack started to shut the door, but the male officer wedged a booted foot in the way.
He pressed a hand against the door. "We'd like to take a look inside, if you don't mind."
"I do mind." Jack unfurled a wave of psychic energy. Both of you are under my control.
The male officer's arms dropped down by his sides, and a blank look stole over his face. The lovely woman stumbled backward. She grimaced and pressed a hand against her brow.
I am sorry to cause you pain, he said mentally. What is your name, bellissima?
"Harvey Crenshaw."
"Not you," he told the male officer.
Laszlo moaned again.
The female officer lowered her hand. "I knew it! There's someone in there. Step aside, sir."
Jack's mouth fell open. What the hell? She was supposed to be under his control. You will not enter.
"We will not enter," Harvey repeated.
"Of course we will." The woman shoved at the door.
Jack was so shocked, he stepped back as the woman barged in. Nine circles of hell! "Wait. You can't come in here."
She spotted Laszlo on the floor and immediately clicked the transmitter on her shoulder. "We have a stabbing victim. I need an ambulance-"
"No! No ambulance," Jack protested, but she was already giving the suite number to the operator. Merda.
Now he'd have to erase more memories. And why the hell wasn't she obeying him?
He hurled a wave of psychic power at her. You are under my control.
She shivered as she knelt beside Laszlo. "Hang in there, sir. Medics are on their way."
"Oh God, no." Laszlo gave Jack a beseeching look. I can't go to a hospital! Make her go away I
I'm trying. Jack concentrated hard. You will leave this instant.
"I will leave this instant." Harvey stepped back into the hallway.
"Harvey!" The female officer jumped to her feet and jabbed a finger at Jack. "You stay put." She dashed into the hall and grabbed her partner's arm. "Harvey? What's wrong with you?"
He just stood there, his face blank.
She shook him. "Harvey! Snap out of it!"
With a sigh, Jack reeled back his power. Keeping Harvey under his control would only make the female officer more suspicious.
Harvey blinked. "What? What happened?" .
The female officer pointed at Jack. "Cuff him."
"What!" Now Jack wished he hadn't let Harvey go. "I didn't do anything."
The woman glared at him as she marched back into the hotel room. "We have a stabbing victim, and you're the most likely suspect."
"I didn't stab him." Jack aimed psychic energy once again at male officer. You will not cuff me.
Harvey halted next to him, the blank look once more on his face. Jack clasped his hands behind his back so the female officer would think he was handcuffed. She hadn't noticed, for she was kneeling beside Laszlo, ripping his shirt open. "Where were you stabbed, sir?"
"He wasn't stabbed," Jack insisted. "He just threw up."
"A pint of blood? Do I look stupid to you?" She glowered at Jack. "Where did you stab him? In the back?"
"I didn't stab him!"
I've tried controlling her, but it doesn't work, Laszlo told him mentally.
I know, Jack answered. She was every Vamp's worst nightmare. A beautiful woman who could not be controlled.
Perhaps she has psychic power, Laszlo continued. Or she could suffer from some sort of mental defect that's blocking our power.
"Did your mother drop you on your head when you were a baby?" Jack asked.
Harvey sniffed. "Yes, she did."
"Not you," Jack muttered.
The woman studied him suspiciously as she rose to her feet. "Harvey, watch that guy. Harvey?"
The male officer flinched. "What?"
"Watch him." She pointed at Jack. "Don't let him move. I'm going to check the rest of this place."
Harvey nodded. "Up against the wall."
Jack backed up so the woman couldn't see that he wasn't cuffed.
She scanned the area next to the wall-mounted flat-screen TV. "Someone was stabbed here. This is blood splatter."
"It's not mine."
She narrowed her lovely eyes. "Whose blood is it?"
"A friend's. He … cut himself accidentally." After guzzling down an entire bottle of Blissky, Angus Mackay had decided to become a blood brother with every guy in the room. He'd taken his Highland dagger to nick his wrist, but accidentally punctured an artery and spurted blood in a wide arc across the wall. He'd promptly wrapped a towel around his wrist and replaced his lost dinner with another bottle of Blissky.
"Right. An accident." The female officer stopped beside the crossed swords on the carpet. "And these are your weapons."
"They're not mine," Jack protested.
"Right."
"They're Scottish claymores," he told her. "They belong to the groom. And there's no blood on them. The guys were using them to do a Highland sword dance."
She studied the swords, frowning. "You could have cleaned them."
"I didn't stab anyone." At least not tonight.
She surveyed the room, and her gaze lifted. "What's this?"
Jack winced at the sight of VANNA White's red silk bra dangling from the chandelier.
The female officer climbed onto the coffee table and used her expandable baton to dislodge the bra. "There were women at this party?"
"I wouldn't call them real women."
"Female impersonators?" She gave him a wry look as she waved the bra in the air.
He scowled at her. "It's not mine."
She tossed the bra on the couch and stepped down to the floor. "What's in the bedroom?"
Jack squeezed his eyes shut as he bombarded her with all the psychic power he could muster. Do not go in there.
"Do not go in there," Harvey repeated.
She shivered. "It's damned cold in here." She slipped into the bedroom. "Oh my God!"
Jack groaned.
She stuck her head out the door. "Harvey. Harvey! Call for backup!" She went back inside.
Harvey shook his head. "Huh?" He gave Jack a questioning look. "Who are you? Where am I?"
"There's a body on the bed," the woman called from the bedroom. "Female."
"It's VANNA White," Jack explained.
"Oh my gosh, she … she's not alive," the female officer continued.
Harvey blinked. "You killed Vanna White? You bastard." He reached for his transmitter.
You will not call for backup, Jack told him.
Harvey lowered his hand and resumed his deadpan face.
"She was never alive." The female officer appeared in the doorway, holding the doll. "It's a sex toy." She tossed it on the floor and gave Jack a look of utter disgust. "You sick pervert."
"It's not mine," he growled.
With a huff, she headed back into the bedroom.
This had gone far enough. Jack focused on Harvey. You will leave this place and go back to your car. You will forget you were ever here. You will forget me and everything you have seen here.
Harvey nodded, then slowly wandered down the hall.
Now to take care of the beautiful but strangely resistant female. Jack followed her into the bedroom. "Miss-"
She whirled around, and her eyes widened at the sight of his free hands. She immediately reached for her gun. "I thought you were cuffed."
Jack stepped toward her. "There's no need to-"
She drew her weapon. "Stay back. Harvey! Where are you?"
Jack could hear her heart racing. "Relax. I only want to talk. And there's no need to yell for Harvey. He left."
Her pulse jumped. "My partner wouldn't leave me alone. What did you do to him?"
"Nothing. He simply left."
"I don't believe you." She lifted her gun an inch, aiming at his head. "More police are on their way."
"No, they're not. I didn't let Harvey call for backup."
She gulped audibly. "You didn't let … Who are you?"
He opened his palms. "I will not harm you."
"What did you do to Harvey?" she shouted.
"Nothing. He's on his way to the car. He knows I'm harmless." Jack lifted his hands and moved closer. "Think about it, Miss … ?"
She stepped back. "Officer Boucher."
She pronounced it the French way, like bouchey. It sounded pretty, coming from her, even though he knew it meant "butcher."
"There was no crime committed here. And while it is true that my friends were too loud and messy, I'll clean everything up and pay for any damages. You have my word on that."
She kept her gun pointed at him. "There's blood everywhere. A sure sign of violent crime. Just because I haven't found the body doesn't mean it didn't happen."
"There is no body."
She edged toward the bathroom. "I haven't finished checking everywhere yet."
He sighed. "Don't go in there."
She lifted her eyebrows. "Sounds like an invitation to me." She reached behind her to ease open the door.
She glanced back and gasped at the sight of VANNA Black sprawled on the tile floor.