Ripper (Hunter #1)(96)

“The Rangers are sure they have the right man,” I replied even as I was estimating how long it would take me to get to SMU.

There was a pause, and even over the phone I found Dev Quinn intimidating. “What do you think, Kelsey?”

“I have some questions.”

“Then find the answers,” Quinn ordered. “Come to my office at five. I expect an update.”

I was about to tell him I wouldn’t be cashing his check, but I was met with a click as he hung up, obviously certain I would obey his command. Quinn and Gray had more in common than they would guess. Maybe it was why they didn’t get along. According to the clock on the dashboard, I had plenty of time before it got dark. It was more than enough time to go look at the rolls and meet with Quinn. I would update him and then politely give him back his check. If Gray got upset I hadn’t done everything he asked, then I would have to find a way to make it up to him.

My brain worked overtime the entire drive to SMU. I was willing to forgive myself for not seeing clearly last night. I’d been riding the adrenaline high of meeting Jack the Ripper and then fighting for my life. The beast that seemed to be inside me didn’t think analytically. She seemed to run completely off instinct. If Marcus hadn’t been able to talk me down, I would have gleefully killed Peter Hamilton and then I would have gone after Alexander Sharpe. It had been there in the back of my mind that I should kill the vampire before he tried to kill me. I would have dropped Hamilton’s corpse and turned to start in on Sharpe. The need, the urge to kill had been a strong force. I hadn’t even let Gray reach me. Marcus had helped me turn from it. I could still feel the peaceful push of his magic calling me back to myself. Marcus had known what to do. That vampire knew a hell of a lot more about what was going on than he let on, and I intended to get answers out of him, too.

The campus was already starting to look empty as I pulled into the faculty parking garage. I pulled up to the second level and found a spot in the back where hopefully no one would notice I didn’t have the right pass. If I got a ticket I would have to deal with it. Before I got out of the car, I shoved the gun Gray had given me in my bag. I had been forced to shove it under the driver’s seat of my car earlier because they don’t let anyone but law enforcement carry in a courthouse. I doubted there was a metal detector at the admin building, and even if there was, I had a permit. I only cared about getting to the administration building and looking over those class rolls. Hamilton had promised to send them to me, but he must have forgotten in the midst of all his murders.

I hurried along the pathway, not paying any attention to what was around me. When I emerged into the late afternoon sunlight I saw that the last classes of the afternoon were starting to let out. I slipped into the door of the admin building and prayed that they stayed open until five. That would give me an hour to convince someone to let me look at the rolls.

In the end, it was a cinch. The news of Peter Hamilton’s arrest on murder charges was all anyone could talk about. He was only being charged with the murder of Joanne Taylor, and the official story was that he had killed her accidentally in a fit of rage brought on by his brain tumor. Did Gray have an assistant who came up with that bullshit or was it the work of the Council? Whoever it was, they’d done me a massive favor. When I explained who I was and that I was merely tying up some loose ends for the victim’s mother, the girl working the registrar’s desk pulled up the rolls and started to print them out for me.

“Could I have everything from the last three years?” I asked as she typed. She bombarded me with questions and I answered because it seemed to keep her working.

“And you were there when they arrested him?”

I went into the whole story, albeit a highly edited version. If the Council could make up crap, then so could I. I kept talking right up to the point that I got the printouts in my hand. I thanked the girl kindly and then dashed off. I waited until I was out on the steps to take a look at what I had in my hands. The sun was low in the sky and I kind of hoped I wouldn’t find anything. If I didn’t then I could happily go along with whatever Gray wanted. I could tell Quinn that we were being paranoid, give him back his check, and get ready for my honeymoon. If I didn’t find anything out from this line of questioning, that was exactly what I would do, I promised myself as I looked down at the lists of students.

But that wasn’t how it worked out. Right there on page three, I found the one name I had sincerely hoped I wouldn’t find because I was in serious trouble. I stood up, shoved the papers into my bag, and took off for my car because I was going to see Quinn early. The king had a much bigger problem than he could have imagined.

My cell phone in hand, I walked briskly toward the parking garage. I called Gray first, but it went straight to voice mail. It wasn’t surprising since I knew he was scheduled to be in meetings all afternoon. I left a message and decided that maybe it was time to give some new friends a call. Gray might not be thrilled with the Council, but they served an important purpose, and if someone was trying to take down the king, then I had to try to stop it. I clicked the button to call that Zack guy I had met the other night. He told me to call him if I had any trouble, and he seemed pretty competent. He could also get a message to Quinn if I needed him to.

He answered on the first ring.

“This is Owens,” a deep voice said expectantly.

“Zack?”