Chapter 140
The red and blue lights flashed brightly through the curtains like patriotic Christmas lights, and lent one more surreal element to an insane evening. The police were polite enough to knock on the door and, despite Katelina's hesitation, her mother hurried to open it. The young officer looked around uncertainly, his gun in his hand. "We received a call," he began, but he was interrupted by Detective Richards, a dark man who Katelina knew on sight. He was the one in charge of Patrick's murder case, and she'd seen far too much of him in the past.
"Ma'am." He smiled suavely at Katelina's mother. "I think you know who we're here for." Wordlessly, she stepped away from the door so he could enter. He was barely inside when his eyes locked on Jorick. "Well, well, and there he is, our mystery man." He looked at Katelina. "I don't suppose you intend to press any charges?"
"Of course not!" Katelina leapt to her feet and attempted to put herself between Jorick and the detective. "I wasn't kidnapped! You don't need to -"
"I'm afraid we do," he said with insincere regret. "He's wanted for questioning about the murder of Patrick Mullens." Jorick stood and met the officer's eyes and, for the first time, Katelina saw Detective Richards flinch. "We can do this the hard way or the easy way," he began, his tone male bravado.
Jorick's words were a sigh. "No, I'll come." He stepped past Katelina, though paused long enough to look at her with eyes that said, "I told you so!"
"This is stupid!" Katelina tried to insert herself between them again. "Of course he didn't have anything to do with it! Why would he?"
Detective Richards gave her the gloating smile of a spider who's just snared a particularly bothersome fly. "That's what we intend to find out." His tone turned gruff as he glanced at the other cop. "Cuff him."
The uncertain officer moved towards Jorick. He fumbled with the handcuffs, looking like he'd rather be eating a donut or hiding under a rug. He stammered as he ordered Jorick to put his hands behind his back and received a low growl for his efforts. Katelina suddenly imagined a blood bath, but Jorick refrained.
"This isn't necessary," Katelina insisted as the handcuffs clicked. "He didn't do anything!"
"That's for us to determine," the detective answered. "As for you, I'd stay in town. Depending on what your friend tells us, we may want to question you about your friend Sarah Townsend."
"I don't know anything! Damn it! I just spent two hours being grilled by these two! If I knew where she was, I'd be happy to help, but I don't, and neither does Jorick!" She unthinkingly grabbed for the detective's arm, trying to make him listen, but he flinched away and the nervous policeman pointed his gun towards her.
"Is this necessary?" Katelina's mom cried from her position near the window, her eyes as big as saucers.
Jorick shook his head sadly. "Leave it, Katelina."
The detective motioned his junior to stand down, then led Jorick out the door. Katelina followed onto the dark porch. Two more cop cars were parked in front of the house and in total six cops stood, shoulders tensed, ready for some kind of action. "Damn it! Jorick!" she shouted. "What should I do?"
He glared back over his shoulder. "Call Oren."
She moved to follow them to the car, but Brad hurried outside and stopped her. "I can't let them arrest him!" She struggled against his restraining hands.
"They haven't arrested him. They didn't read him his rights. They just want to talk to him." Brad's gaze leveled with hers. "You have to understand, he's been our only lead."
"He's not a lead!" She jerked away in time to see an officer searching Jorick and depositing the contents of his pockets on the trunk of the car. "Damn it! I knew something like this would happen!"
Her mother stuck her head out the door. "They just want to make sure, honey." Her eyes darted to the surrounding houses. "Oh lord, but the neighbors are getting an eye full."
Katelina glared at her and jabbed an accusing finger in her direction. "I said not to tell anyone! Can't you even do that?"
Her mother looked first shocked and then offended. "I only told Brad! I wouldn't call the cops, Katelina, no matter what I thought!"
Brad piped up, equally insulted, "Well I didn't call them, if that's what you're implying."
"Someone sure as hell did!" Katelina pointed to the cops who stood in a cluster around Jorick. She could hear the low murmur of the detective, and caught a few, familiar words. "There, look! They're reading him his rights! I told you! They're arresting him!"
"Maybe not," Brad soothed, but they all knew it was a lie. Jorick ducked unhappily into the backseat of the car without even a glance back at her. The cops held a quick conversation and then split up and climbed into their respective vehicles. Moments later, they pulled out onto the road, sirens and lights now silent.
Katelina made a strangled noise as the car Jorick was in disappeared. They were hauling him off to be fingerprinted and harassed. It was a nightmare! A vampire in jail! Oh, God! Could it get any worse than that? She had to get him out of there before it was too late!
The commotion over, curtains in the nearby houses dropped as nosey neighbors wandered away, undoubtedly to call one another and compare notes. Katelina scowled at them in general, though she knew they couldn't see her.
Brad caught her arm and tugged her towards the house. "Who are you supposed to call?"
Her answer was lost in an unintelligible cry of dismay. She didn't know how to call Oren! It wasn't as if Jorick had an address book or cell phone, and she didn't even know where Oren's new coven was located.
"What?" Brad asked.
She didn't get a chance to reply before a foreign hand landed on her shoulder, the first indication of another presence. A voice sounded in her ear, masculine but feathery light, "Redial."
She jerked in surprise and spun around to find herself looking into the face of Verchiel. His ridiculous red eyebrows arched over mischievous eyes and a wry grin danced on his lips.
"What?"
Brad was suddenly aware of the new presence on the porch. He gaped at the shadowy figure. "Who's that? Where'd he come from?"
"Redial," Verchiel repeated casually. He stepped back, pretending that Brad didn't exist, and surveyed Katelina appraisingly. "I assume you'll want to come? Or should I be the hero by myself?"
