Noah smiled. Your four-year-old likes shoes?
She takes after her adopted aunt. Angel loves shoes more than life. Liz only loves them more than paying bills. Leaning forward, he tapped Noahs knee. Well eat by candlelight, tell the girls youre a vampire with a soul, or whatever the deal was for that Buffy character. Theyll be mesmerized.
Noah let his head fall back on the chair. Thanks just the same.
Joe emitted a sound of frustrated acceptance. It isnt healthy, you know, how you liveor dont live as the case may be.
My life, my business, Dr. Thomas.
Dont Dr. Thomas me. Ill bet the house that youve seen Angel live and in person without her having a clue shes been observed. The least you could do is return the favor.
Okay, now that was too personal. Noah shot him a look that had Joes mouth ratcheting closed.
Yeah, fine, got it. Back off or take off. But I have to tell you, shes pretty spectacular up close.
Ive seen her, Joe.
Nuh-uh, not up close, you havent, and animated. Ill take a page out of Graemes book and wax poetic for a moment, because sheswell, beautiful. He used his hands. Hair the color of Mayan coffee, miles of it, gorgeous hazel eyes, legs that go from here to my waist and incredible skin. Of course, being married, Im not supposed to notice things like that, and I know better than to say any of them around my wife, but truths truth, and youre missing the boat where Angels concerned, because I promise you, shes interested, even if you are just a disembodied voice in the nightNow you really are going to tell me to shove off, arent you, so end of speech. What say we work on our chess game? I believe its my move.
Joes move, yes, but not his game to play. Not his risk to take.
Not his dragon to slay.
Draining his mug, Noah said, Shes better off out of it. She doesnt need my demons added to her own.
If you mean her daddy dearest, she doesnt mourn the loss. Some fathers are greatno names, please. Others are total jackasses. You got the cream of the crop in that regard. Angel lucked out physically. Joe walked to the sofa, hesitated, then blurted an impatient, Youre not a monster, you know.
Noah couldnt help it, he laughed. Man, do all pathologists take drama as a minor in college? He dropped his feet. Ill meet her when I meet her, okay? Right now, Forets the focus. Mine and hers. And your kings in serious trouble.
Nothing new there. Joe waited until they were seated on opposite sides of the board before meeting Noahs stare. You really think its him, dont you? The guy who went on that three-year killing spree, then suddenly stopped.
Yeah, I do.
Even though the evidence in some of those cases was dicey.
Still a yes.
His friends hand trembled visibly. Noah, Liz
Wont die, okay? Noah held his gaze without a flicker. Neither will Angel.
A statement you hope is true, but cant be sure ofunless that patch you wear shoots psychic vibrations directly into your brain.
Noah didnt respond, merely rested his forearms on his knees and regarded the chessboard. He spoke to more than his friend when he said softly, Your move.
Chapter Three
Okay, so Lionel Foret was what? A Munster wannabe? Liz stomped her feet on the porch of what was possibly the most decrepit house in Boston. In front of her, Angel rattled an old-fashioned key in the rusted-out lock.
Theyd already gone through Forets Boston apartment, top to bottom, and found nothing except a million newspapers, enough fast-food containers to fill a city Dumpster and one very fat canary which Forets mother, currently en route from Virginia, was planning to take home.
You heard his mom. Angel used her shoulder on the stuck door. Lionel wanted to fix and flip this place. He spent as much time here as he did in his apartment. The other third of his life unfolded in Washington.
Weve got people checking the DC condo, right?
Yeah, and his buddy the Secretary is all over them. Bergmans going down to talk to the man live and in person.
Better him than usCan I help you push?
Nope. Angel braced, gave a hard shoveand almost wound up flat on her face in the foyer as the engorged wood gave. Got it.
She shone her flashlight over the wall. I smell old dust, fresh paint and foo yung. What a combo. Locating the switch, she flipped it up. Well, that made a world of difference. One twenty-five watt bulb spread over how many hundreds of junk-filled square feet? Still, the foo yung and paint say hes been here recently. She pivoted in a slow circle. Wowthis is great.
Its cold, it stinks, and its probably crawling with bugs. Liz inspected the sagging ceiling. Bergmans a supreme ass for sticking us with this job while he takes a cushy flight to Washington.
Angel gave her shoulder a tap with the flashlight. Better him than us, remember? Come on, Liz, wheres your sense of adventure? This is the Munster house. Scratch fixing and flipping. Foret should have added costumed workers to the cobwebs and marketed it as a hotel.
Youve got to be joking.
People said that about ice hotels, and look what happened there. Do you want up or down?
Kitchenll be down. Ill go up. Reinforcements are coming, right?
A team of four. Two rookies.
Perfect, they can do the bathrooms. She snagged the back of Angels jacket. Be careful.
Always am. Watch out for rats on the stairs.
Like I could miss them, her friend muttered. Place like this, theyll be as big as wolves.
Werewolves, Angel corrected and laughed when Liz flung a small chunk of plaster at her.
Not that she enjoyed mold and mildew, but calling it the Munster house kept her on the upside of the fantasy. Because, God knew, on the down, shed be envisioning bats by now. Big ones, grinning like little ghouls, and walking awkwardly as bats tended to do, across the floor.
Her cell phone rang while she was forging a path toward the back of the house. By way of a greeting, she demanded, Question, Noah, did Eddies pet Fang live under the house or under the stairs?
Is this a riddle, Angel, or do you always do hallucinogenic drugs at 11:00 a.m. on a Monday? But he sounded halfway amused, which helped with the bat phobia.
Angels foot slid off a section of crumbled wall. Bergman gave us the victims Mockingbird Lane fixer. Wasnt that sweet? The lights are Edison originals, and if theres such a thing as a furnace, I cant believe itd work. She set a hand on the chair rail for balance. There was no note in his downtown apartment. Liz and I spent hours yesterday searching. We had a hacker go through his Blackberry and laptop. Nothing. And both of his briefcases came up empty. If he was meeting someone on the dock, he kept the date, time and identity in his head. We have no witnesses so far and very few other clues. Even Joe doesnt have anything for us yet. Im thinking slow slog here.
Keep looking.
Thats my joboh, yuck, something squished under my boot. She wouldnt look, she promised herself. Hearing a thud, she glanced at the massive staircase. Spooky, she decided, then strained to see around a peeling column, Yellow walls ahead. Could be Foret was trying to force-feed sunshine into the place.
Keep looking.
Thats my joboh, yuck, something squished under my boot. She wouldnt look, she promised herself. Hearing a thud, she glanced at the massive staircase. Spooky, she decided, then strained to see around a peeling column, Yellow walls ahead. Could be Foret was trying to force-feed sunshine into the place.
Youre there for evidence, not ambience.
Uh-huh. And youre where right now? Fifty bucks says its some place warm, dry and mildew-free. Oh thank God, the squishy stuff was only a tube of caulking. Forets mother told us he slept here most of last week. Shes a police dispatcher in Virginia, used to be a beat cop. A loose wire twined around Angels ankle and she had to crouch to dislodge it. Her boyfriends driving her up this week. I gather shes terrified of flying.
Yeah, I read the back files. Joy Foret Smiths first husband was a pilot for a major airline. He had a heart attack between Boston and Jacksonville. Died in the cockpit. She took a leave of absence afterward, for her nerves. Her second husband ran an Internet business. A blood clot got him while they were on vacation at Marthas Vineyard. Word is shes sworn off marriage and is currently living with a cop because shes decided its no more dangerous than any other occupation.
Angel found herself smilingand surprisingly already standing on the kitchen threshold.
She located the overhead switch, but again, the light was virtually nonexistent. Youre a wonderful distraction, Graydon. Okay, so Im in the kitchen. I see three containers of Chinese food on a slopey surface thats probably a counter. Hes got his used paint rollers wrapped in plastic, and the big goodies, hopefully appliances, draped with tarps. Lilyd love this place.
Lily?
Munster. She ran her flashlight into the corners. You own a TV, right?
Search, Angel.
I can do that and talk at the same time. Hang on, Im putting you on speaker. Depressing the button, she set the phone next to a disposable cup.
Wind whistled through the ill-fitting rear door. The bigger gusts shifted the floor dust and caused the rafters to moan.
Angels sharp eyes spied the end of a sleeping bag behind the rickety island. Pulling off her cap and gloves, she shook her hair loose. Looks like Foret slept in the kitchen. I have to say, this areas a lot better than the entry hallexcept for the yellow walls. Too canary-like. If he was trying for French country, which he shouldnt be in a pre-Revolution house, he missed by a mile.
French farmers dont like canaries?
She sighed in the direction of the counter. Do you have even a drop of European blood in your veins?
She heard the smile in his voice when he replied. I happen to know youre one hundred percent American, Angel. Three generations worth.
Ah, but go back to gen four, and were talking major global mix. One of my great-grandmothers came from Africa. The other was born in Fiji. My mothers paternal grandfather was a Brit and the maternal one a potpourriItalian, Romanian and Norwegian.
You missed the Argentine connection.
She narrowed her eyes at the phone. I swear to God, Graydon, if you can tell me what color bra Im wearing, Im cutting you off right now.
Ill go with white and lacy.
Lips twitching, she resumed her search. Not going to react, because you cant possibly know that. I got dressed in my closet this morning. No windows. The only one who saw me in there was my dog.
Lucky Moscow.
Pushing it, pal.
Angel, everyone in the department knows about your Alaskan husky.
Yeah, except I dont recall ever seeing you in the department. I also dont go around talking about my background. And my grandmother insists its a Mayan connection. Wedging open a metal box, she sifted through the papers inside. Other than Joe, how many spies do you have?
None, and that includes Joe. I pick up on details, I deduce. Sometimes I hit, just as often I miss. What are those papers youre rustling?
Receipts mostly. Some doodles. She grinned at one of the pages. Hey, Foret really did like the Munsters. He drew Lily. Or she examined it more closely maybe its Morticia.
Who?
Buy a TV, okay? Pushing the lid down, she continued along the counter. A tiny scraping sound reached her from the island. Terrific. She glanced over it. The rats probably are as big as were-wolves. She moved one of the food containers aside, then gave in, leaned her elbows on the counter and whispered, Its ivory. She skimmed a finger across the buttons. All lace, but not quite white.
Its a tempting picture, Angel.
The tone of his voice brought a surprising rush of heat. But then could you tease a mystery man and not expect to pay the price? She really needed to let go of this particular fantasy.
Fanning her face, she continued her search.
A napkin smeared with soy sauce sat behind the metal box. Red markings showed through from the other side. Curious, she used gloved fingers to smooth the wrinkles.
And there it was.
Oh, hell.
It was as far as she got. The scratching sound came again, followed by a low growl.
Movement exploded from behind the island. Angel saw bared teeth, gray arms and a pair of very large hands. A split second before she was tackled to the floor.
ANGEL!
Noah heard the growl as clearly as if it were a gunshot. When she didnt respond, he shouted her name again, then swore and grabbed his jacket. He kept his phone activated, snatched up his keys and held them in his mouth while he dragged on his boots.
The sounds of a struggle were unmistakable. Still swearing, he ran for the door.
No shots had been fired, but then Forets killer didnt use a gun. Knives were silent. And equally fatal.
The attackers breath whistled out. Noah knew Angel was good at hand-to-hand. Shed also be carrying a gun.
Shoot him, he said through his teeth.
But still no shots reached him.
Angel! he tried again.
Big, heavy jerkOuch! Damn.
Noah pounded through the alley exit and disarmed his truck. He almost tore the hinges off as he opened the door.
He was jamming the key into the ignition when he heard her vexed, Youre really pissing me off, pal. Face down, stay there and dont move. Dont twitch. Dont even breathe hard. Louder, she called, Liz! Then to the phone, Im okay, Noah. Its a vagrant.
Street person, her assailants voice sneered.
All the air left Noahs lungs. He let his forehead fall onto the steering wheel.
Youre breathing hard, Angel warned.
What dyou expect, lady? Her prisoner grunted. You kicked me in the
Angel? Liz clattered in. I heard a commotionAh. Whos he?
Street person. Noah, are you there?
Drill the bastard, he thought, but breathed it out and managed a level, Yeah, Im here. What the hells going on? Not that he didnt know, but until his heart returned to his chest, he wanted her to do the talking.
Just a trespasser, she answered lightly.
Yeah, right, like you were invited in.
A dirty trespasser, she continued, who needs glasses desperately. Ive been holding my ID in front of his nose for the past two minutes.