7. Seven #2
“It’s not,” I concurred. “It’s just … brutal. They looked for things that linked the victims during the first case. They came up with a few ideas, but nothing that truly stuck. They never found the killer, so we don’t know if there was something the investigators might have been able to ascertain.”
“The general public wouldn’t have known about anything the police wanted to keep to themselves,” Jack noted, his eyes moving to Barry. “Just out of curiosity, were you able to dig up any secret files from back then?”
Barry chuckled, but the sound was utterly humorless. “You have a solid knowledge of law enforcement to even guess that there was a secret file.”
“I’ve been around the block a few times.”
“I haven’t found any secret files, but I’m still looking.”
We continued through the house, everyone splitting up. Jack and Charlie spent more time in the master bedroom than anywhere else. Jack wanted to get a feeling for the victims. Lex remained in the living room to study the blood patterns with Barry.
That left me to check out the kitchen, which was boring.
I walked out to the back patio to see if I could find a location where the perpetrator might have tried to make entry — I had trouble imagining anyone, human or paranormal, climbing over the brick wall with an axe — when the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.
My inner danger alarm dinged once before going silent. Something inside of me recognized a presence in the shadows of the small storage shed.
“Knox,” I said dumbly, frowning. I hadn’t scented him, but he was downwind of me. I’d felt him.
He was sheepish when he came out from behind the building. “How?” he demanded.
I was caught between laughing and growling. “What are you doing here?” I cast a nervous look over my shoulder to see if Barry had moved into the kitchen. “They’ll view you as a suspect if they find you here.”
Why I cared about protecting him was beyond me, but I did. Somehow I knew he wasn’t responsible. Why he was here was a different question.
“I didn’t think anyone would be here.” Knox lifted one shoulder in sheepish resignation. “I thought everyone had left.”
“We came once the crime scene techs were gone to look around.” Annoyed, I pushed him back behind the storage building, a half-shed homeowners keep leaf blowers and potting soil in. “Seriously, this was a stupid move.” I had him pinned to the building.
He didn’t fight me. Instead, he let me push him back. He seemed as surprised at the move as I was. “I didn’t know anyone was here until right before you headed inside. I figured it was better to stay out back rather than risk being seen.”
“It was still a stupid move.” I didn’t care that I was coming across as bossy. “Do you want to go to jail?”
He smirked. “We both know I didn’t do it. There’s no way I’m going to jail.”
“Just because I think it’s unlikely that you did it —”
“Unlikely?” His smile was roguish and somehow a little charming.
“Unlikely,” I confirmed. “That doesn’t mean I can protect you. I’m only here because the detective has been ordered to play nice with Jack.”
“The Legacy Foundation guy.”
Had I told him about the Legacy Foundation? I vaguely remembered sharing a conversation with him that might have covered my potential new partners, but I couldn’t remember everything I’d said.
“Yes, the Legacy Foundation guy,” I confirmed. “He has a lot of law enforcement contacts.”
“And a stellar reputation,” Knox said. “I’ve never crossed paths with anyone who has had a problem with him.”
That was interesting. “You’ve been asking around about him?”
“It’s the Legacy Foundation. If they’re setting up an office here, it means something.” He said it as if I was a child and he was explaining something basic.
“I don’t need the attitude.”
“Sorry.” He held up his hands. We were still practically on top of one another behind the shed. I could feel his breath on my face. My vampire senses allowed me to follow his heartbeat, which was a little faster than normal.
We stared at each other, our faces inches apart, and for a moment I remembered the flash I’d seen on the riverwalk during a seance. It was the future, something I recognized in the moment even though I was confused. It involved Knox, me, a bed, and absolutely zero clothes.
The flash made no sense to me. Not then and not now. There was no way that was going to happen. Yet here we were.
I pursed my lips and forced myself back to reality. Now was so not the time for this. Even if Detective Barry hadn’t been on the scene, the last thing I would have wanted was to be caught behind a storage shed with Knox Cullen. Lex would never let me hear the end of it.
“You still haven’t told me why you’re here,” I said. I couldn’t think of a single other thing to say, and he wasn’t being forthcoming with answers.
“If I tell you, you’ll laugh.”
“This isn’t really a laughing matter.”
“You’ll laugh anyway.”
I backed up just enough to cross my arms over my chest and glare.
His smirk only made me angrier. When I didn’t break eye contact, he sighed. “Fine. My mother made me come.”
I made a choking sound. It wasn’t a laugh. It was because I was surprised. At least that’s what I told myself. “Excuse me?”
“My mother told me to come over here and check it out,” Knox replied, his eyes darkening with annoyance. “You’ve met her. You can’t tell her no.”
“But why would she want you to come here?”
“The Axeman story is spreading. I’m guessing that’s why you’re here.”
“Maybe,” I hedged.
“Something similar happened fifty years ago, according to her at least, and she wanted me to pick up whatever details I could and report back to her.”
Knox’s mother, Alice Cullen, was a seer. I’d met her the first time several weeks back, and she’d informed me that my sister was still alive. I’d believed her, and continued to believe her. There was definitely something about the woman.
“She told you something similar happened fifty years ago?”
“Yes, but she wouldn’t say what until I gathered the information for her.”
Well, it was something. Nothing big, but something all the same. “Okay.” I took another step back. “You need to get out of here. Wait for me down the street.”
Confusion had Knox tilting his head. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” There was no give to my tone. “If you take off without me I’ll tell your mother. Go to that wall there.” I pointed to a spot in the shade. “There’s a blind spot inside. No one will see you.”
Knox didn’t move. “Just so I’m clear, you want me to go over that wall and then wait for you down the street?”
“I believe that’s what I said.”
“But … why?”
“I want to hear the story.”
“Why else?”
I didn’t have an answer. At least not one he’d accept. “I want to hear the story,” I repeated. “That should be more than enough reason for you.”
“But —”
“No.” I vehemently shook my head. “We’re going together. Now get moving. I’ll meet you out front in ten minutes.”