Tempting Danger Read Free Page A

long to summarize her progress. “After speaking with the bystanders, I followed the tracks left by the perp. Visible traces petered out near the west end of the playground, but I was able to continue beyond that.” She’d taken off her shoes and stockings, actually, letting her bare feet find traces where magic had passed. Her feet were filthy now, but it had worked. “The trail ended in an alley between Humstead Avenue and North Lee.”
    “You couldn’t track him beyond that?”
    “No, sir. I believe he Changed there, between two Dumpsters.” The magic imprinted on the dirty concrete had been strong—unfamiliar but distinctive. “In human form, he wouldn’t leave the kind of traces he does in wolf form.”
    “Hmm. You’ve secured the alley?”
    “Yes, sir. The S.O.C. crew will get to it when they can. I left O’Brien in charge at the scene.”
    “What the hell do you mean, you left him in charge? Where are you?”
    “Outside Club Hell,” she said, exaggerating a trifle, since it was still half a block away. “The victim’s wife should be there. I need to notify her. I also need to talk to Rule Turner.”
    The raspy sound in her ear was only recognizable as a chuckle because she’d heard it before. “Think you’re stealing a march on me, Yu? Relax. I didn’t have you yanked out of your sister’s fancy party because I wanted someone else in charge.”
    “Then it’s still my case?”
    “You’re lead. Unless you think you can’t handle it.”
    “No, sir, I do not think that. But I don’t have as much experience as some of the others.”
    “Your, uh, particular skills may be useful. And the last thing I need is some prejudiced asshole making like a tough guy with the Nokolai prince. He’s good at playing the press, and they’re going to be breathing down our necks on this one. So it’s yours. But unless you get a confession right off the bat, you’re going to need help.”
    Still swimming in surprise, Lily agreed automatically.
    “I can let you have Meckle or Brady.”
    “Mech. Sergeant Meckle, I mean.” Both were good cops, but Brady didn’t play well with others—especially young, female others. “Tell him to pick up an evidence vac and some paper from O’Brien. If the lupi at the club cooperate, I’ll get their shoes for the lab. Mech can vacuum their clothes.”
    “The killer wasn’t wearing clothes when he ripped out Fuentes’s throat.”
    “No, sir. We won’t be able to tie him to the scene, but we might be able to connect him to the alley where he Changed. He’ll have had a lot of Fuentes’s blood on him. Even if the Change removed all traces from his body, it wouldn’t clean up any drops that fell. Might be some of that blood got on his shoes after he dressed, or something else from the alley that connects him. Or maybe a few of his own hairs got in his clothes—wolf hairs, I mean.”
    “Good thinking. It’s worth a try. I’ll roust Mech out of bed and send him to you. In the meantime, handle Turner carefully. Call if by some chance you make an arrest. Otherwise, I’ll expect to see you in my office at nine.” There was a click, followed by the dial tone.
    Lily frowned as she jammed the phone into its pocket in her backpack. She didn’t suffer from false modesty. She was a good cop, a good detective—but she wasn’t the only good detective in Homicide. The only sensitive, yes, but the captain could have had the use of her ability without putting her in charge. She’d never been lead on a case this big.
    He must think she was up for the challenge. She meant to prove him right.

TWO

    THE mist had thickened. The smallest breath of wind would have chased the tiny droplets together, turning dampness to drizzle, but the air remained still. Blurry halos hung around streetlamps, stoplights, and neon signs.
    Like the one Lily was looking up at now. Neon red devils danced at either end of the sign, jabbing tiny pitchforks into the glowing letters that read Club