Trail of Dead (Scarlett Bernard #2)(92)

My mouth was working like a fish’s. “It was too powerful, Scarlett,” he said gravely. “I’ll return the book and the amulet tomorrow, and the witches can keep them as historical artifacts. But no one should have that much power. Think what would have happened if Olivia and Mallory had made it to Kirsten.”

I shuddered and nodded. I wasn’t really opposed to shorting out the Transruah, I was just…surprised. It was a bold move.

We made it outside, finally. Jesse took my keys and went around the side of the building to pull Eli’s truck up so I wouldn’t have to walk any farther. As soon as he was gone, though, I stuck my head back inside the building. “Dashiell?” I called. There was a flash of vampire speed, and then Dashiell hit my radius and walked toward me casually.

“Yes?” he inquired.

I took a deep breath. “There’s someone I still need to talk to. I need an address, and I would appreciate”—I chose my words carefully—“if I could get it from you, no questions asked.”

“Whose address?”

I told him. “Just to talk, right?” he asked warily.

I nodded. “I swear.”

He met my eyes for a long moment, judging, and gave me the address.

It took almost ten minutes to convince Jesse I was well enough to drive. But we had two cars at the clinic, and Jesse still had to go back in for the Book of Mirrors, and…what can I say, I whined my way into it. Finally Jesse reached over to hand me back the keys. As I took them, he leaned forward and kissed me on the mouth, gently. “I’ll call you tomorrow; we’ll figure out getting the cars back,” he told me, and I just nodded.





Chapter 34


Jesse watched Scarlett pull away, making sure that the truck’s headlights were on and it was moving in a straight line. When she was finally out of sight, he trudged back into the clinic.

He headed for the desk he’d climbed on to hide the Book of Mirrors. It would only take a moment to retrieve the book from the ceiling tile. He would turn the book and the dead amulet over to Runa the next day. She’d know what to do with them.

Before he climbed up, though, Jesse sat down on the desk, intending to rest for just one second. He knew if he thought too hard about the events of the day, much less the last few days, his brain would melt into a puddle. Only a few days ago, Scarlett had been out of the picture, Runa had been his girlfriend, and his biggest problem was that his dream job wasn’t quite as challenging as he’d wanted. And now…he shook his head, trying to clear it.

Then, too tired to look for him, Jesse simply called, “Dashiell?”

The vampire was suddenly there. “Dios,” Jesse muttered, grabbing his heart. “I had forgotten about that.”

“Did you need something else, Detective?” the vampire asked politely, but Jesse thought he saw a twinkle in Dashiell’s eye. Maybe startling humans was just the kind of thing that never got old. Or something.

“We need to talk,” Jesse said.

“What about?”

“Your system,” Jesse said frankly. “This way that you have, of covering up crimes and crime scenes and then getting the police to cover what Scarlett misses. It’s not working for me.”

A look of annoyance flickered on Dashiell’s face. “Continue,” he said shortly.

“Right now, you’re trying to have it both ways,” Jesse began. “You’re trying to work outside the law but also use the law—including me—in illegal ways, whenever you think it’s useful. What I’d like to discuss is the possibility of streamlining this a little more. I think there may be a way that the police force can be involved in Old World crimes without you having to press a lot of minds or bribe anyone.”

Dashiell stared at him for a long moment, and Jesse fought the instinct to look away, to protect himself from having his mind pressed. After Scarlett left he had found one of the vampire amulets in Kirsten’s car, and he was prepared for that eventuality. But let Dashiell think that Jesse was just brave enough to face him.

They stayed like that for a long moment, until the amusement left the vampire’s face and he tilted his head slightly, as if considering Jesse for the first time.

“I’m listening,” Dashiell said at last.





Chapter 35


I stopped at Molly’s house for a quick shower and to get dressed in a clean T-shirt and jeans. I was now delighted that I hadn’t been able to wear my favorite canvas jacket to Kirsten’s party. It greeted me, whole and unstained, from the back of a chair, where I happily shrugged it on. The T-shirt and boxers I’d taken off went directly in the garbage can, but I was sorry I had to throw away the boots, an old birthday gift from my mom. At least Molly would have fun making me shop for new ones. While I was thinking of it, I called and left her a voice mail to let her know it was safe to come home.

I followed Dashiell’s directions all the way east to the Palisades, until I found a tiny stretch of beach with a small house that faced the ocean. It was after two in the morning, but I knocked hard on the back door and then went over to lean against the porch railing to wait, giving him time to get dressed and come out. I felt, rather than saw, when the man came up to lean against the railing next to me.

“Beautiful view,” I commented, although it was hard to make out much in the dark besides the flash of white water in the breaking waves.