Chapter 596
Katelina ran from the room. She didn't stop until she was outside, breathing in deep lungfuls of clean air. She didn't need it, but it made her feel better, as if oxygen could wash away the horror of the holding cell.
She leaned back against the log building. That Lilith preferred to feed on children, they knew. That's why the ancient vampiress kidnapped children near the party and left their bodies in the woods; but that she had a dark holding cell for them-it was more than Katelina could deal with.
It was several minutes before Jorick appeared, his expression grim. She hoped he picked the information from her brain, so she didn't have to explain.
"Brandle told me." Jorick pulled her to him. "It's better if you don't think about it."
Don't think about it, as if that would erase it from history. On the other hand, what was there to do? Whatever children had been down there were already dead. There was no way to bring them back. The only thing they could do was make Lilith pay.
And they were sure as hell going to do that. But-
"I wonder where the bodies are."
Jorick cleared his throat carefully. "It's hard to tell. We aren't here for recovery."
"I know, but it would be nice to drop the authorities a tip, so the children's families have closure. Imagine never knowing."
"I think not knowing might be better in this case." He broke off, as if he sensed the argument she was formulating. "If we can reasonably do so, we will 'tip the authorities', all right? In the meantime, we need to find out where Lilith went. The upstairs bedrooms were used; the windows have been covered. Sorino's already looking there. Des is going through the office, and Brandle has agreed to take the basement. I thought we might join the search upstairs. If I had personal papers in a temporary den, that's where I'd keep them."
Grateful she didn't need to go near the holding cell again, she let Jorick lead her inside. They passed the office. Through the door, they could see Des digging through a roll top desk, discarding heaps of paper.
He looked up and asked sarcastically, "Is she joining the search, or did fighting that guy take it out of her?"
Jorick shot him a warning look. "Don't."
"Or I'll rip your head off," she added.
Des scoffed, but turned back to his task.
In the main room, Kai stood before the empty fireplace, hunched into his coat. He gave them a polite nod as they headed up the stairs. They were nearly at the top when Sorino appeared with a stack of old books. Kai jerked to attention and hurried past them to his master.
"Take these to the van and come back." Sorino jammed the books into the boy's arms. "There are more."
Jorick caught Kai's elbow and took the top tome. "What are they?"
"Nothing you'd find useful." Sorino jerked the book back. "Ancient texts that have been organized into volumes. They hold no meaning for our current investigation."
"I'll be the judge of that. Put them downstairs and we'll look through themtogetherwhen we've finished searching. Nothing leaves this house without being examined first." Jorick met Sorino's' eyes and held them. "Nothing."
Sorino raised an eyebrow. "You're hardly in a position to give orders, Jorick. But for the moment, I'll allow you to play dictator. Kai, put the books downstairs and return. There are more."
Jorick let Kai go. They headed on to the second floor where a u-shaped hallway was lined in doors. Inside the large bedroom at the end, windows were covered and personal items were scattered around; dresses hung in a wardrobe, jewelry glittered in a heap, and several furs were draped across the end of the bed, no doubt gathered up by Sorino.
Jorick pointed to the mess. "He thinks he's shopping. I knew it was a bad idea to let him come."
Katelina fingered one of the stoles, teasing the fur between her fingers. "Then why did you?"
"Because he has a plane, and he's expendable."
"Yes," Sorino drawled from the doorway. "A proper general has enlisted men to use as cannon fodder."
Katelina bit back a gasp, but the vampire chuckled. "Come now, I'm hardly offended. It isn't as if I've accompanied you out of some great sense of duty." He looked to Jorick. "I've searched this room already."
"I can see that." Jorick tugged open a dresser drawer and rifled through it. "Though you searched it for things to sell, not information."
"Because there was no information. As for selling, think of it as giving to the world of collectors. The earrings of Lilith would be something rich indeed."
"Provided you could prove where they came from." Jorick checked the next drawer.
Katelina abandoned the furs for the night stand. A small drawer produced a book in a foreign language, an ink pen, and a notepad with only two pieces of paper left.
She lifted the last to see if there was an imprint from what had been written on the sheet above. Faint indents looked like something, but she couldn't decipher it. "If only there was a pencil."
"For what?" Jorick asked.
"You color the pencil over it and the impression from what she wrote on the top pages shows up. They do it in all the junior detective shows."
Sorino coughed lightly as he hefted a stack of books from the tabletop. "Yes, no doubt she wrote the address of her next den."
Katelina glared at him and stuffed the notepad in her pocket. He was probably right, but there was always a chance.
***
Three hours later they gathered in the main room around a pile of books, notebooks, and tablets. It didn't take long to rule everything out. Even the phone number on Katelina's notepad turned out to be a local marina.
Des looked dejected. "It's probably left over, like the stuff in the office. It's all receipts, contracts, and check-in information from when the lodge was still running."
Katelina dropped into a log chair. "We have nothing."
Sorino's ringing phone cut off any replies. With a gesture for silence, the vampire flipped it open. "Yes?" He paused, then made several soft noises of agreement. "I see. Anything else? All right. Keep me updated."
As he snapped the phone closed, Des demanded, "Who was that?"
"A contact."
"Did they tell you where Sarah and Lilith are?"
"No, but they told me where they're not. The dens of those who joined Lilith are under surveillance. No one has returned to them."
"What does that mean?" Des asked.
"It means we can rule out several locations. Everyone except William joined Lilith at Andrei's. They'd packed for a party, not an extended trip. If they were close to their dens, they'd drop in for a few items."
"Did you learn anything else?" Jorick asked.
Sorino picked invisible lint from his sleeve. "Officially, The Guild still knows nothing. I find that questionable."
Brandle dropped the last book to the stack. "I'm sure there's something in theseif nothing else, some psychological point we should draw from what she chose to compile over the centuriesbut it escapes me. Perhaps leaving it until tomorrow will help."
Jorick stood and stretched. "Yes. The sun will rise soon. I suggest we get comfortable for the day."
Katelina glanced at her watch. It was nearly five in the morning, but still- "You want to stay here?"
"Why not?" Sorino asked. "There are three light proofed rooms. A fourth could be done easily enough."
"I don't mind sharing with Des," Brandle said.
Jorick nodded. "Katelina and I will take the room at the end of the hall. We'll see you tomorrow."
He held out his hand, but she only stared. "That was Lilith's room."
"Probably," he agreed. "And considering this was some kind of hotel, many others. You can't refuse to sleep in a room because of its former occupant."
"I can." A second glance at her watch said there wasn't a lot of time. "But I guess I won't." She stood with a nod to Brandle and Kai. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," Sorino purred. "And sweet dreams."
