His brow furrowed and he scanned the pages as I handed them off. “I didn’t find anything about this in my research.”
“That’s because the ashes weren’t identified as a succubus. They were too far gone for DNA, and the sensitive they had examine them could only tell that they were otherworlder.”
“That doesn’t prove anything—”
I gave him the next sheet of paper. “Two and a half years ago, New York City. A succubus disappears, headed to a casting call that a friend told her about. She was nineteen years old. Three months later, ashes were found—these placed ridiculously close to a police station.
Again, the ashes were too far gone to be identified as the succubus, but otherworlder energies were found on the body.” I shook my head. “It’s the placement of this one and several of the others that bothers me. They were all placed in spots where the person or people burning them were likely to get caught, or where the ashes were likely to be noticed as odd. Even the one here in Chicago was behind one of the nicest hotels in the city, situated by a bakery and a club so almost all hours of the day it was likely to be noticed. It’s like the guy wanted to be caught.”
Costa snorted. “More likely he’s just trying to show how damned smart he is by taunting the police and committing the crimes under their noses.”
My eyes widened. “So you think the idea has merit?”
He grinned at me. “I think this is some of the finest damned police work I’ve ever seen.”
I shouldn’t have glowed at his compliment, but I couldn’t help the heat that flushed my face, or the rush of pride that filled me. I knew I was a good cop, but it felt pretty darn nice to hear someone else say it for a change.
“Thanks,” I said, flashing him a real smile.
He reached out and took my hand, and electricity jumped from him to me. Suddenly the room was too hot, and I took an involuntary step toward him.
His dark eyes met mine. Heat and desire rolled there, so intense that my breath quickened.
My smile faltered and he closed the gap between us.
His scent washed over me—soap and toothpaste, and an underlying smell of him—and he lowered his face to mine.
He took my mouth softly, his lips cool against my hot skin. Desire rushed through me and I couldn’t hear anything, couldn’t see anything, couldn’t sense anything but him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He slid his tongue between my lips, and I moaned.
Ringing brought me back to myself. Ringing and Costa, stepping back, pulling my arms from around his neck. Ringing, and the flash of thoughts of Elaine.
Blood rushed to my ears. I’d come here to show him what a good cop I was. To prove, for once, that I was more than sex in heels. That I was more than my succubus heritage.
And I’d ruined it.
I grabbed my jacket and purse off his bed and glanced at the files. No, I didn’t need them. I had copies in my car.
“Wait a sec—” Costa said to me, phone firmly attached to his ear.
“Sorry, it’s late. I have to go,” I said without looking at him. Then I turned and took my sorry ass home.
Chapter Nine
My embarrassment the next day was only made worse by the fact that Costa didn’t call and try to talk to me. Not surprising, really, since I’d stormed out like a shamed teenager who’d never kissed a boy before. That he didn’t call me in the morning either didn’t help. I knew that I should act like an adult and call him, but I couldn’t. So I steeled myself and went in to the station without him. I was fully intent on ignoring what had happened between us and focusing on finding Elaine.
Then I saw him.
Costa stood next to the coffee pot with Lieutenant Vasquez, and they spoke in low tones. With his normal serious expression plastered on his face, Costa didn’t look concerned at all. He appeared well rested and confident.
Handsome and cool. Not at all ruffled by our kiss.
Fine. Two could play at that game.
I gave Costa a cool nod, and then headed to Astrid’s desk.
Astrid looked up at my approach and smiled at me.
“Hi, Marisol. How goes it?”
I filled her in on my theory, in low tones not so hushed as to draw attention, and her brows drew together when I finished.
“That all tracks. In fact—” She opened a file drawer and grabbed a folder out of it, then flipped it open. “We just got a report in from Denver about burned remains found there. I doubt it would have been in the database yet. It’s not new, but they just figured out the oh-dub connection.” I shook my head and she nodded. “This one is also likely an otherworlder, found in an odd spot, right outside of the doors of a twenty-four-hour Target.”
“Security cameras?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Missing. Quite mysteriously, of course.”
I stilled, mind going into overdrive. Camera footage going missing. That sounded too familiar to be a coincidence. No way were these people just sneaking in to steal the camera footage from all these places—someone would have seen something. They could only get lucky so many times. Were they buying the footage? Paying off people on the inside?
“But we did luck out,” Astrid continued. She shut the file folder and met my gaze. “The killer—or killers— screwed up.”
I sat down across from her and leaned toward her, reaching for the file folder. “What did we get?”
“A couple of spots of blood were found only a few feet away from the ashes, and they were untouched by the fire. We think it’s our vic, and it sounds like it matches the M.O. you’re looking for. But we’re waiting on lab results.”
I scanned the file as she spoke. “And?”
When Astrid didn’t continue I looked up from the folder, but her attention was focused above my shoulder.
Great. I looked behind me and up into Costa’s grim expression.
“Keep going, Astrid,” I said, and turned my attention back to the folder.
“The woman disappeared around three weeks before the ashes were found. She was young—twenty-one. And she was a siren.” Astrid’s expression went blank and her eyes unfocused, staring at the wall behind me.
“Astrid?” The young woman didn’t move at the sound of my voice. “Are you all right?” I waved my hand across the space her gaze was locked on, and she took in a deep breath.
“Sorry,” she whispered, then shooting a quick glance at Costa, she said to me, “I’m headed to the lab, if you want to come.”
Should I go to the lab? The large presence at my back reminded me of the benefits of accompanying her. I could avoid Costa for a while. Give myself a chance to overcome my embarrassment.
No, you put on your big girl pants today, remember?
No hiding out. You’re an adult.
“That’s okay, but thanks. I have some other stuff I want to follow up on. But let me know what you find out, okay? I’ll do the same.”
“Sure,” she said, but the tension in her shoulders didn’t dissipate.
“Give us a second, Costa,” I said, keeping my eyes on Astrid.
I could feel him walk away, though he made no noise.
I shot a glance over my shoulder. He was back across the room, standing safely next to the coffee pot. “What’s wrong?” I asked her.
She stood and walked around the desk, then leaned in so her mouth was only inches from my ear, and whispered, “He feels like fire. Salamander?”
I grinned at her. “Apparently quite the wannabe pyro.”
“Where are we going, exactly?” Costa asked as he shut the passenger door of my car.
I turned the key and my little Honda purred to life.
“We’re going to talk to Natalie, our local contact with the Covenant witches.”
“You and Astrid spoke with her earlier this week, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but she wasn’t terribly helpful.” I hit the gas and brought us into traffic. Natalie’s wasn’t far from the station.
“What makes you think she’ll be more helpful now?”
He braced himself against the doorframe as I made a quick turn.
“We’re going to be more persuasive. Besides, we have more info to go on. Maybe.”
Natalie Leigh waited for us in her office—alone this time. Her professional demeanor was in full force—polite smile, accommodating attitude. Until I told her why we were there.
“I’m afraid I can’t give you access to our records, Detective Whitman. Even only the ones for witches who travel a lot and…” She glanced down at the note she’d jotted when I’d started explaining what we were looking for. “…who would have the ability to burn a body to a crisp.”
“Okay, then,” I said. “Give me some of your expertise.”
Natalie leaned back in her chair and gestured for me to continue.
“You told me that the only creatures that could burn a body without accelerant and within such a short timeframe to the degree we’re seeing are salamanders, a powerful witch—or a group of witches—a firebird, or a shaman.”
“Yes, to my knowledge.”
“And what type of creature could twist a succubus’s power to make it work in reverse?” I asked. Costa stiffened beside me. I probably wasn’t supposed to hand out that case information willy-nilly, but Natalie was a good person, and she worked on plenty of secretive police cases. If I could get her to take me seriously, she might help us.
Natalie’s mouth dropped open. “That’s not—I mean, such a thing isn’t possible.”
“It’s been done. To at least one succubus, and we suspect to several others.” I swallowed hard. “And we think that it’s being done to my sister right now. In this very city somewhere.”
She glanced at Costa, who nodded.
I leaned toward her. “We need your help.”
Natalie took a deep breath and then nodded. “Doing such a thing is an abomination. It’s a perversion.” She paused, looking lost in thought. “And such a thing could only be accomplished by a powerful witch. Knowledgeable, too. A Covenant witch.”
