Chapter 566
The circus was barely checked in when Graham informed them that the Canadian investigator had arrived. "He wants to see the bodies."
Those two words were enough to deflate Katelina's good mood. The bodies. The children's bodies. The children who'd been murdered by a vampire.
Jamie gave the clipboard to Jorick. "I'll handle it. You finish this."
The Canadian Examiner ruled the injuries vampire related, and remarked that most of the blood was missing. His official ruling was that a vampire fed from them, with most of the wounds inflicted while they were still alive. The hearts had been removed post mortem, then the bodies dumped.
He filed a report with the Assembly and, after a lengthy phone conversation, Fleur announced Canada would forward it to the U.S. Guild.
Since Sarah wasn't speaking to her, Katelina stayed with Jorick during his shift. They wandered into a salon where a group of vampires were engrossed in a card game. They turned around and headed back, but not before Katelina recognized Brandle. The blonde vampire smiled and gave her a half wave that she returned.
"So you've taken him off the list?" Jorick asked with amusement.
"Who? Brandle? What list?"
Jorick gave a small cough of disbelief. "The who-is-supposedly-stalking-us list. I thought you said William and Acwellen were at the top."
"They are."
"So we're trying the old 'keep your friends close and enemies closer'?"
"Nooooo-I don't" then she remembered. Acwellen had changed his name recently. "That's him?"
Jorick laughed. "Yes, little one. That's your number one suspect, the one who's plotting something devious with William."
"But he's so-" she stopped herself from saying funny or good looking. "-nice."
"I'm sorry he doesn't fit the mold of your ideal villain like William does. Perhaps you should have a talk with him?"
"Very funny. I meant he doesn't seem angry enough."
"Not all villains are angry, and most don't think they're villains. They believe they're the good guys."
Katelina scoffed. "Like you do?"
They rounded the corner to see Annabelle, Marna, and a woman Katelina didn't recognize. Marna nodded, and the masked vampiress met Katelina's eyes.
"Have you spoken to your friend?"
Katelina flinched. Jorick glanced from her to Annabelle and frowned.
"Good evening," Annabelle said. "You'll excuse us?"
Jorick nodded, and tugged Katelina after him. "She spoke to you."
"She wants me to find out what property Andrei gave Sarah. He won't tell her, and I guess she wants to make sure it isn't something of hers."
"Maybe," Jorick said slowly.
"You don't sound convinced."
He gave her a grim smile. "I'm never convinced of anyone's motives, little one, until they're dead. Come, we're ready for the second floor."
They found William outside a bedroom with Anya. The pair glared at Jorick with mutual hatred and Katelina imagined them working together, sneaking through shadows, waiting for the right time to strike.
When they'd left them behind, Jorick said quietly, "They were discussing Thomas."
"I thought you couldn't read his mind?" she asked sarcastically.
"I can't. I read hers."
Katelina's smugness slid away. "What about Thomas?"
"William thinks she could have prosthetics made for him; a fake jaw and limbs. They wouldn't function but he'd look whole. He thinks it would help Thomas' self-esteem."
"What does Anya think?"
"She thinks William's up to something."
She's not the only one.
***
It was just before sunrise when a knock sounded on the bedroom door. Katelina glanced to Jorick, but he didn't look up from his book. She tried the vampire trick and sniffed. Melon and cucumber met her nose: Sarah.
She opened the door and proved her nose right. Sarah stood, hands clasped, and eyes downcast.
"Yes?"
Her friend made an irritated noise. "I suppose one of us has to apologize."
Katelina bit her lip, torn between maturity and childishness. She decided to be an adult. "I was going to earlier, but you were with Des."
"I know." Sarah looked up. "I was with him because I knew you'd stay away. Not that he's a bad guy, but-you know."
Katelina shrugged. "I shouldn't have hit you. I don't know. Ever since this vampire stuff-I never would have attacked someone before."
Jorick made an incredulous sound she ignored.
"I get that," Sarah said uncomfortably.
Silence fell again and finally Katelina said, "So, yeah."
"Yeah."
"I'll, uh, see you tomorrow."
"Okay." Sarah gave a half wave and started for her room.
Katelina thought of Annabelle. "By the way, did you get that stuff with Andrei settled?"
"Yeah, a couple days ago."
"Oh. I wondered what you ended up with."
"Ninety-thousand dollars and some old dagger-thing."
"There's no property?"
"Like real estate? No. Why?"
Katelina shrugged. "I thought you said something about it. Never mind. Why did you get a dagger? That's kind of weird."
"I thought so. He said it was supposed to go to Claudius, but he never had a chance to deliver it. I don't know why anyone would want it. It isn't even pretty. Hang on." Sarah disappeared into her room and returned holding a tarnished weapon. A bit larger than the daggers Katelina was used to, the blade was more a blunt stake than slashing weapon. A single piece, the handle was the same material and made in a honeycomb design.
Katelina took it and tried to make out the subtle details hidden by the muck of time. "Maybe if you cleaned it up you could sell it."
"I can see it being a big draw."
Katelina handed it back and wiped her hands on her pajamas. "Actually, there's a bunch of vampires here who like to collect old crap. Like Sorino. He's the one who owns Kai." She cringed at her own words.
Sarah gave the dagger an unhappy look. "You think he'd want it?"
"We'll show it to him tomorrow and see. If not, Bassile buys stuff. I heard Sorino trying to sell to him when we first came. And if they won't pay enough there's Lurid, or Jill, or those sisters. I don't know how to get in touch with them, but Sorino will."
"I'd ask how you know them, but I doubt I want the answer." Sarah gave the dagger a final irritated look. "All right. Tomorrow then."
"Night." Katelina waved and slipped back into her room.
"All made up?" Jorick asked with mild interest.
"You heard the whole thing."
"True. But there wasn't much conversation. I can only assume there was a lot of body language, or else you've both become accomplished mind readers."
"I don't know about that." She threw back the blankets and climbed in next to him. "More like years of knowing one another, I guess."
"That's almost the same thing." He pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Be careful dealing with Sorino. He'll pay her a quarter of what it's worth."
"I know about Sorino and his sneaky crap." No matter how it turned out, she remembered the temple of the Raven Queen and the way he'd forced her to wake Samael for him, a plan she was sure he'd had from the beginning. After all, he was the one who'd translated the scroll. "I don't trust him as far as I can throw him."
Jorick chuckled. "You know, you could probably fling him quite a distance now if you tried."
"If he doesn't cooperate maybe I will."
