35. UNDER LOCK AND KEY #3
It was worse watching the retreat now, knowing what would become of ten of those vampires afterward.
Still, Inspector Brown showed no signs of a change of heart. He simply shifted in his seat, to cross his arms over his chest. “I would say the vampires clearly believe they were provoked by the alleged actions of Miss Woodcross.”
“You would say that,” Lazarus agreed in his full lawyer voice, “because we are being set up by Balthazar Hale as vampire murderers. The investigation the vampires triggered is exactly what the endgame is here. To destroy the Woodcross family and coven.”
Embry’s heart sank at this. She couldn’t deny that Balthazar’s actions did point to exactly that, even if she couldn’t understand why.
Apparently, Inspector Brown couldn’t understand why, either. “What I do not see, Mr. Woodcross, is motive from Balthazar Hale to kill Oakley Riddle nor to, and I’m quoting you, destroy your family and coven by way, I assume, of your daughter.”
Lazarus Woodcross did not miss a beat.
“Is it possible that Mr. Hale is missing not because he is in danger, but because he is the criminal in this scenario? We have given you ample evidence to support this conclusion.”
Daddy let both the question and observation hang. Inspector Brown simply nodded. And when he opened his mouth, Embry was shocked. “Criminals need motive.”
They did.
Daddy drove it home like a cream pie to Brown’s pallid face. “Which is why you manufactured one for my daughter in the killing of her friend.”
“We have collected the facts, Mr. Woodcross—”
“Pishposh!” Lazarus was pissed now, cheeks blooming with color, blue eyes as fierce as a Maine winter.
“You have chased my daughter like a dog chases a bone tied to a fishing line and dangled from the back of a truck. You are blatantly off the scent and dangerously close to mimicking the witch hunts of yore.”
He started counting on his fingers. “The Wolverton lass admitted that someone sent her that video of Embry and Oakley, not that she saw it with her own two eyes; there is no evidence of magical tampering at the Marlow Theatre, and all keys to the building have been accounted for; and though you searched my daughter’s room up and down after taking her to the station, you did not find evidence of magical poison on the premises. ”
Embry’s mind reeled, realizing Ames and Fairfax must have passed along additional knowledge to Rye and Daddy overnight. The way Brown reacted, all this knowledge was stuff he knew but had conveniently kept from Daddy and her defense.
“And,” Lazarus spat, “don’t come at me with Oakley’s dress as ‘proof’ of guilt because we both know Embry’s fingerprints and DNA will be missing because it was planted there by the vampire’s true killer, Balthazar Hale.”
Daddy paused, catching his breath, big hands pressed solidly onto the table.
“The Woodcross coven has a long history of working with all magical types of people via both the Table and the school we helped found in our literal backyard. I assure you we are not suddenly going gaga for killing vampires. You have no proof of that, only accusation. And, as our lawyers have already attested, your incarceration of my daughter has no merit.”
Daddy rapped the table with his knuckles and collected his briefcase.
“We are not going to continue to negotiate for Embry’s release because she shouldn’t be here in the first place. The room issue is solved and the idea that my daughter lured a vampire clan to our estate to murder them has been debunked. Embry will be leaving here with us. Now.”
Lazarus stood as if penning a flourish of an exclamation point on the statement.
Almost as if it were a nonverbal order from Daddy, Rye stepped forward. He tossed his surveillance video flash drive onto the table and coaxed Embry out of the chair with a firm yet gentle guiding hand on her wrist.
The intent was clear—she was coming with him, and he wasn’t going to let her go.
Inspector Brown stood now, too, his shoulders broad when not curved inward in a slouch. To many people he might have been intimidating, but he never would be to Lazarus Woodcross.
“Miss Woodcross is free to leave this building,” the inspector said, infuriatingly addressing the words at Daddy, not the person in question before narrowing his eyes as much as his ever-present lack of expression would allow, “but she, and every member of the Woodcross coven, is still under investigation because someone is hunting vampires, and my money is on you. Not the missing sorcerer.”
Daddy scoffed.
The inspector pulled out his rare smile, aiming it like the barrel of a gun.
“Mr. Woodcross, if you, your daughter, or any member of your coven appears to be making a run for it,” Inspector Brown announced, “I have the authority to hold all of you until the completion of this investigation. Do you understand?”
Lazarus Woodcross met the man with his own serious smile, but when he spoke, his words were directed at his daughter, even as he stared down the man in front of him.
“Come on, Embry, let’s get you out of here.”