Kiss of the Vampire(73)

“We’ll get a message out to you if it looks like it’s going to take too long.”

“You make it sound like we’ll be trying for a prison break,” Nix said. “Which, now that I think on that a bit, isn’t too far from the truth.”

Tobias chuckled. “Are you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Nix looked at Dante. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

His gaze went from her to Tobias and back again, his expression one she’d seen before—the detective trying to puzzle something out that was bothering him. “I’ll be here,” he said slowly.

Nix and Tobias went inside and were called straight into the council chambers.

Deoul, Caladh, and Braithwaite were there, in their high-backed seats behind the big table, dressed in their formal white council robes. Caladh looked highly displeased, while Deoul and Braithwaite seemed unusually satisfied. Wondering what was going on, Nix glanced at Tobias, who seemed…ill at ease. “What’s going on?” she whispered.

He gave an unconvincing shrug. He knew something was up, she was sure of it. He might not be certain that what he knew was what they wanted to talk about, but he knew something.

Deoul sat with folded arms, one leg crossed over the other in indolent grace. “First of all, we have confirmation on the identity of the latest victim. One of our criminalists found a wallet in a nearby Dumpster belonging to Desmond Dumond. The body, what bits of it were recovered, has been positively identified as his.”

“Dumond?” Tobias asked. “They’re sure?”

“Yes, unfortunately.”

“You knew him?” Nix asked Tobias, then said dryly, “What am I saying? Of course you knew him. You know just about everybody on the planet. And if you don’t know a particular person, you know someone who does.”

“That is neither here nor there,” Deoul said before Tobias could respond to her soft jibe. “We have become aware in the last couple of years that there is a group of preternaturals who may be seeking to undermine this and other councils worldwide.” He sent Tobias a look that Nix didn’t understand, a shared glance she wasn’t a part of. “We had asked Dumond to infiltrate the local group.”

“It appears he succeeded. To a point,” Tobias responded.

“That’s our thought as well.” Caladh leaned forward. “We hadn’t heard from him in about six months, but we suspected it was because he had managed to infiltrate deep enough that he didn’t want to take the chance of blowing his cover.”

“It’s a bit coincidental that he wound up dead, don’t you think?” Tobias clasped his hands behind his back.

The council members nodded. “We think it can be safely surmised,” Deoul said, “that Dumond was killed for his involvement in the group. The question is: Were Pickett and Novellus killed for the same reason?”

“It would also be a coincidence if they were killed the way they were and were not involved, don’t you think?” Nix asked. Amarinda’s murder was tied into her study of the rift. It had nothing to do with an affair with a married man, Nix was sure of it.

“Perhaps.” Deoul stared at her a moment. “Which brings me to our next item.” He rested his forearms on the table and linked his fingers together. Slyness slid across his face. “Since it has been determined through both evidence and your own statements to this council that humans are not involved in these killings, your services on this case are no longer required.”

“Wait! What?” Nix glanced at Tobias, who stood ramrod straight and silent. She looked again at Deoul. “You can’t take me off the case.” Her heart leaped into her throat. There was too much at stake for her to be removed from this case. They’d just found out about the rift device, for one thing, and now to find out the last victim had infiltrated a group that may very well have a connection to the rift communications? She had to stay involved!

“Of course I can take you off the case. You work for me, remember?” Deoul’s tone held sarcasm and irritating condescension. It made her want to smack him. One day, maybe she’d get that chance. Either when there were no repercussions or when she no longer wanted or needed this job.

“Actually, she works for us,” Caladh muttered. He slouched in his chair and drummed the fingers of one hand on the table. “But unfortunately, Nix, the standard procedure is to remove a liaison when the population he or she represents is not involved in the case. You know that. You’re our human liaison, and humans are not involved.”