Chapter 47 #2
Her eyes narrowed, I knew it had hurt her, but her voice gave nothing away. “Yes, well, Karson doesn’t always have the best of taste.”
I thought of Felicity the hungry caterpillar—she had a point. Suddenly the energy drained away, and petty arguing seemed ridiculous.
“Now ladies, let’s try and be pleasant,” Michael interjected, crossing one leg over the other. I glanced across, he wasn’t looking at me. I wanted to apologise to him, but I would do it later.
“Well, what did you find?” I asked Ethan with a faked cool composure. I seated myself on the edge of the chair.
“Perhaps you might like to dress yourself a little more appropriately first, Amelia.” Karson glared at my legs, like they revolted him. I didn’t think they were bad legs by any stretch, clearly he liked something a little meatier. Like Felicity.
Christ. A man was dead and he was focused on my legs. “No, Karson, I might not, it’s not like Ethan hasn’t seen it before, and I’m guessing Michael has seen his fair share of female legs in his time.”
Karson’s face darkened. His eyes pinned me like a stake to the wall. He wasn’t used to anyone disobeying his commands.
Michael’s lips curved up slightly. “That I have.”
“I didn’t find out much more,” Ethan said, flicking his eyes between Karson and I. “Jefferson had called a lawyer. He had a meeting set up for later today. Not the Robinson’s, which may mean nothing.”
“Or it could mean there was some kind of problem between partners,” Michael responded.
I thought of the distinctly uncomfortable edge to his face when Jefferson spoke of the development. The near blasé comment of Cole being the brains, as if he wanted to pass the buck.
Ethan nodded. “Maybe, although I would think Cole would still need him. The development is not a sure thing just yet and Jefferson is well liked and has a lot of influence over the people in this town. They have a detailed replica of the area in his office, it’s quite the establishment.
Plastic surgeon, day spas, meditation, golf course.
The usual elitist bullshit, and they want to reintroduce wolves to the area. ”
I thought of Wolf. He would have some company at least, that thought brought light to my heart in what was otherwise a shitty fucking day. “That’s good.”
Ethan grimaced. “Then, once re-established, he plans to have commercial hunting trips, for wolves, bears and deer.”
Anger chased away the light. “The son of bitch.”
I thought of the man who had attacked Katrina over culling, Ron. I wondered if he had anything to do with their plans. I couldn’t stand it if Wolf got hurt. He wasn’t my pet and yet I felt a strong connection to him that I couldn’t explain. I wouldn’t let anything happen to him. No way.
Ethan rubbed the back of his neck. “The good news is his laptop was there. The bad news is, I couldn’t crack the password, so I took it.”
I waved out a hand, still distracted by the news, Wolf might be in danger. “I can help you with that, but I’ll tell you how later, we’ll do it tomorrow.”
He looked at me wordlessly, he knew I didn’t possess the skills. He probably knew who I meant though, he spent a bit of time at the bookstore after all.
“What about his mobile?” Monique asked, leaning forward, grabbing the whisky decanter from the coffee table and pouring herself a drink.
“Missing. It wasn’t on his body. My guess is whoever killed him took it.”
“That rules out the bear theory then, unless it took it out of his pocket and ate it,” I said.
Monique sat the decanter back down. “Perhaps the phone was not on him, maybe he had it somewhere else in the house and someone removed it after his death.”
“Possible.” Karson nodded. “It would be destroyed by now or disabled, if that’s the case.”
I sat back, closed my eyes, and tried to visualise Jefferson, searching for a lump of a phone in the pocket of his jacket or pants.
I replayed him standing by the bar, his smile, the drink we shared.
I could make out a small soft lump in his left jacket pocket—it would be a hanky, probably—in the right, maybe a wallet?
It was square, thicker than a phone. I searched the room, behind him, looking for people watching him.
Mike was at the bar, talking, pretending not to watch.
“Amy.” Ethan’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Are you okay?”
I opened my eyes. They were all staring at me.
“Ahh, yes.” Conscious of the weight of their stares, I shifted in my seat. “I was just checking to see if I could see a phone in Jefferson’s pocket.”
“You have an eidetic memory?” Ethan asked, sounding both surprised and mildly impressed.
“Photographic, eidetic and something else doctors have no name for,” I answered, embarrassed to have drawn attention. “I can replay things I’ve seen in my head like a movie.”
There was a long silence as they continued to study me. I cleared my throat and twisted my ringless finger. “What do you think happened to Brian?”
Monique said, “I think we can rule out suicide.”
She was so blasé I wondered how many times she had seen death. How many times she’d caused it? My stomach twisted. I ignored her and directed my question to Ethan. “Was it a vampire or human that killed him do you think?”
“Not sure. The spacing and depth of the rips looked like bear claws were used but whether it was attached to a bear, human, or vampire . . .” Ethan held out his hands in a show of perplexity. He moved over to the couch and sat next to Michael.
“It certainly wasn’t a bear, we would have heard something,” Monique said, taking a sip of whiskey and crossing her legs, the split in the long black dress she wore, parting to reveal sleek thighs.
That may not be the case, bears were extremely quiet animals and attacks were usually silent, unless they were defending something or felt under threat.
If they were catching food they wouldn’t roar before they attacked.
But Jefferson should have been able to scream, unless, of course, fear had frozen his throat.
One swipe across his head and he might be been knocked unconscious, and came to later.
But the bear didn’t eat him, nor hang around to defend its catch, so it wasn’t an attack for food . . .
“I did hear something, but I didn’t know what it was.” The attention turned back to me. “A minute before he was found I heard a noise, like a roar or a cry, maybe. I don’t know.”
“And you didn’t think to come and get one of us?” Karson raised his voice.“Are you insane?”
“Don’t yell at me,” I said, yelling. “I didn’t know what it was. I can’t cry out every time I hear a noise, Karson.”
He sucked in a deep breath, as if he were trying to regain his composure, but his eyes were cold—Antarctic cold, and a chill shuddered down my spine.
“Was there anyone paying special attention to Jefferson, Amelia?” Michael asked, intrigued, sitting forward. “Can you go back and see anything?”
Thankfully, Karson took that breath and blew it out, vacant of words.
“I can try.”
I closed my eyes and went back to earlier in the night.
I could feel the weight of their gazes on me.
All four vampires staring from different directions was like being in freezer room.
“If you could all stop staring at me,” I said, keeping my eyes closed.
“I can’t concentrate.” Their eyes fell away momentarily, the chill left, and then came back again.
I sighed and searched. I fast forwarded the movie until my mind found Jefferson.
He had been by the bar, flirting with a tall brunette before I came over.
That would have gone well later, if her hair flicking and eyelash batting was anything to go by.
Jefferson talking to Cole and two men with their backs to me.
Then him, speaking to Jodie’s parents, wandering around, smiling, chatting.
Moving off with Chris. Standing near the entrance talking to a couple who were laughing. Seemed innocent enough.
I opened my eyes. “I left the hall before he did. He was chatting to a grey haired guy and a lady wearing a cream tweed skirt and jacket by the bar.”
“Obviously, money doesn’t buy taste,” Monique said, taking another sip and resting the glass on her lap.
“Why would Jefferson be outside, that far from the party, in the dark, alone?” I mused, shaking my head. “It makes no sense.”
“Perhaps he was looking for you, Amy,” Monique’s voice was a soft purr, but the intention contradicted the tone. “You did tell him you found maturity alluring, after all.”
I merely rolled my eyes.
Michael shot Monique a quick warning look.
“Amelia makes a valid point. I can think of a few reasons someone might leave the party.” He looked amongst the group.
“He left on the promise of sex. Or someone asked him to meet them there because they wanted to talk about something important they didn’t want anyone else to hear.
He got into an argument and went for a walk to calm down. Or to feed.”
“I think we can rule out the last option,” Karson said, dryly.
I rub my forehead. “He owns the house, he could have sex in any of the rooms, there would be no need to go outside.”
“Yes, his office would be a better choice,” Monique sniped.
I let the dig slide. If she wanted to be childish, fine. She hated me, also fine. I wasn’t in the mood for childish banter.
“Monique!” Michael said, exasperated, “must you?”
Monique threw him a saccharine smile and shrugged as if she couldn’t care less if her banter annoyed him.
“So that leaves us with a bear, or someone who drew him out to talk,” Ethan said, “anyone who did it would be covered in blood. They would have had to leave. Amy, did you see any cars leaving from your spot on the bench?”
“How did you know I was sitting on the bench? You were off shagging the blonde.”
“Shagging! Making love, thank you, and unlike human men I can do two things at once.”
“That’s an appealing thought.” I screwed up my face. “You were watching me while you bonked the girl, charming!”