Dracul's Revenge 01: Dracul's Blood (21 page)

Jablonsky waved to him, but didn’t approach. Bobby stayed on the edges of the crowd, not interfering with the crime techs and the other detectives combing the scene.

He didn’t even have to get close to spot that there wasn’t a lot of blood pooling under the bodies. Just like the last victim, these people must have been killed and their blood either drained or consumed elsewhere. Shifting around, he got a good look at the wounds on the neck.
Damn.
More bite marks. Rubbing his chin, he turned away and moved back to his car.

“Marks.”

Bobby stopped and rested his hip on the door of his car. Jablonsky jogged towards him.

“It doesn’t look good.”

“Killed somewhere else?” He stared down at his boots.

“Looks like it. The M.E. places their deaths at around nine or ten hours ago.”

Jablonsky flipped through his notebook, checking the facts he’d gotten from the techs so far.

“Both of them? How could he have done that, Jablonsky? Where does he take them?

These last three murders have been far more thought out and controlled. If he’s drinking that wine, he’s manipulating the effects. That thought scares me.” Bobby rubbed his palms on his thighs.

“The M.E. says they were killed around the same time. You’re right. It can only get worse if we don’t catch the bastard soon. I talked to the auctioneer again and he said there were three casks sold.”

“Where did they go and who bought them?”

Jablonsky shrugged. “He didn’t know. They were bought by shell companies. It’ll take us a while to trace the different companies and who owns them.”

His partner shot a look over his shoulder at the two body bags in the alley. “I don’t think we have the time it’s going to take. More kids are going to die.”

“Kids?” Bobby pressed a fist to his stomach, hoping the nausea wouldn’t overwhelm him and make him throw up like a rookie.

“Yep. Same as the last one.” Jablonsky shook his head. “How’s Nik doing?”

“He’s still feeling a little violated and I’m sure it’ll take a while for him to feel completely secure. But he knows that we have to catch the monster that’s doing this to these DRACUL’S BLOOD

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kids. Nik’s been very helpful with the whole thing.” He scraped his boot heel on the sidewalk.

“Poor guy probably never expected to get caught up in something like this when you called to ask for his expertise.”

Bobby chuckled. “You’re right, but I think he needed his nice life shook up slightly.”

“Shit. There’s the lieutenant. You better head out. I’ll email you the files on the case as soon as I get them from the coroner.”

“Thanks.”

He shook his partner’s hand, nodded to his lieutenant, but climbed in the car before she could collar him. Digging through his stuff, he pulled out his log book to jot down his thoughts and what Jablonsky told him. He hated not being on the inside of the investigation.

It drove him crazy because he figured he’d miss something or not be told the most inconsequential piece of information and that would be the piece that would break the whole thing wide open.

After starting the car, he eased into traffic to head back to his apartment. Two more young men dead. It had to be deeply connected to the society. Even though he’d worked more years than he wanted to think about on homicide and had seen some truly horrifying things, the thought of a society that condoned something like paedophilia made his skin crawl and his stomach churn. No one, boy or girl, should have their innocence taken from them like that.

His phone rang and he checked the number. Jablonsky. Was his partner calling him because the lieutenant chewed him out for allowing Bobby anywhere near the scene?

“Hey, Jablonsky. Miss me already?”

“Yeah.” Jablonsky snorted. “I just got some info about the last murder victim. His name was Phillip Cochran and, from what my connections tell me, he was a street hustler.

No one really knew who his tricks were, but he seemed to have a lot of money at times and the last two years, he didn’t have to go looking for customers. They think he got a reliable gig with someone or some group.”

“So our society is hiring street hustlers to become their regulars,” he muttered. “Now someone is killing their toys. I wonder how that makes those creeps feel.”

“Don’t think I really care how a bunch of sickos feel about their boys dying. I just want to stop any more from being drained.”

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“I’m with you there, buddy.” He sighed. “I’m going home. I’ll call you when the sun rises in about four hours. I have some licence plates I need you to run for me.”

“It’s Saturday. Do you really think I want to be in the office running shit for you?”

“You’ll be in there, going over the files from this last murder.”

“You know me well. Fine, call me and give me those plates. I’ll get them turned in. We won’t know anything until Monday.”

“Great. I’m taking Nik to the track later today. Talk to you soon.” He punched the end button on his phone and set it in the console.

When he got home, he stripped and climbed back into bed with Nik. His lover cuddled close as he wrapped his arms around Nik’s warm body.

“You okay?” Nik nuzzled Bobby’s neck.

“Yeah. I’ll be fine. Just need some sleep,” he muttered, hoping he could fall back to sleep.

Nik kissed his chest. “Okay. I’ll ask you about it all later.”

“Thank you, love.”

* * * *

“It’s another great day to head to the track.” Bobby grinned over at Nik as they drove through New York traffic.

“You think any day is a good day to go watch the horses,” Nik teased.

He pursed his lips as he pretended to think about what Nik said. Bobby winked.

“You’re right. Watching something that beautiful doing what it loves and was born to do. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

His phone rang.

“I should have left the damn thing home,” he mumbled as he grabbed it. “Marks.”

“Detective Marks, this is Commissioner Lawler.”

Bobby pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it for a moment in surprise.

“Sir?”

“Glad I caught you. I wanted to talk to you about the Vanderlist and Thompson cases.”

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“Ummm…okay, sir. Can I have your address, and I’ll be there in a little bit? I have something important to tell you as well.”

“Really?”

“Yes, sir.”

There was something in the tone of Lawler’s voice that made Bobby frown. He repeated the address the commissioner gave him, and Nik wrote it down.

“I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Good.” Lawler hung up.

“Who was that?” Nik asked as Bobby turned.

“That was Commissioner Lawler. He wants to talk to me about the case.”

“Oh.” Disappointment coloured Nik’s words.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure it won’t take long and, maybe by telling him that Vanderlist couldn’t have killed those two kids, I’ll be able to get back on the case.”

Nik didn’t reply, just settled back in his seat as Bobby drove them to the commissioner’s house. Bobby parked on the street, not wanting to block Lawler’s driveway.

He kissed Nik quickly before getting out of the car.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“I’ll be here.”

Knocking on the door, Bobby tried not to wonder how much money the commissioner made or if he had family money because his house was a mansion. Lawler opened the door and gestured for Bobby to come in.

“I hope your family doesn’t mind you working during the weekend, sir.”

Bobby could convey respect, even if he didn’t necessarily feel it for the commissioner.

“Oh, my wife and kids went out to our country house for the weekend. One of the girls has a horse show or something.” Lawler led the way back to a study.

“What did you want to tell me?” Lawler didn’t waste time.

“I’ve been following Vanderlist around.”

“I had Lieutenant O’Donnell take you off the case.” Lawler scowled.

“She did, sir. I’ve been doing it on my own time. Reinholt Vanderlist couldn’t have murdered those boys because I have pictures of him dining with two senators and a city councilman at the time the boys were killed.”

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Bobby hadn’t been happy to discover that. He really thought Vanderlist was his best suspect.

“Truly? Pictures?”

“Yes, sir.” Bobby pulled out his log book which he’d stuck in his pocket when he got out of his car. Flipping through the pages, he found the notes he wrote for the day the M.E.

said the last two victims were killed. “Mr. Vanderlist met Senator Baxter, Senator Chatworth, and Councilman Edwards at the Algonquin from five-thirty to around nine that night. I have pictures of them together.”

“I’d like to see these pictures you have.” Lawler rested his hip on his desk and pulled a flask out of his pocket.

“I don’t have them with me.”

Okay, so he was lying. The folder with the photos was in the car with Nik, but every instinct Bobby had screamed not to give up those pictures. It wasn’t that he couldn’t make more copies or anything like that. Digital cameras had a lot of advantages over film. There was something in Lawler’s eyes that made Bobby nervous.

“I expect you to send them to me by the end of the day.” Lawler took a sip from the flask without offering Bobby anything. The seal on the flask drew Bobby’s gaze.

Before Bobby could answer, his phone rang.

“Marks.”

“It’s me. You’re not going to believe what I’ve discovered.”

* * * *

Alone, Nik picked up the file of photos. He’d gone over them with Bobby earlier, but figured it couldn’t hurt to make sure they’d logged everything. He glanced around to make sure Bobby was out of sight and put his feet up on the dash. He giggled at himself, feeling like a naughty kid.

Nik settled in to flip through the pictures one by one. Vanderlist was a handsome man, too bad he was also a pervert. He shook his head at a close-up photo Bobby had taken of Vanderlist’s ass as the man walked into an old building. If he hadn’t been so secure in his relationship with the hot detective, he might’ve been jealous.

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He set the picture aside, doubting Bobby wanted others to know he’d taken such a shot of one of the wealthiest men in the city. Nik compared the photos against the list of licence plates carefully. The implication of having a car in one of the pictures was too important to screw up a digit.

After checking the list several times, he put the pictures back into the folder with the sheet of paper and stuffed them back into Bobby’s briefcase. He glanced at his watch and groaned. “Well, that took ten minutes. Now what?”

Nik had never been good at being idle. He glanced around the Camaro looking for something else to do. Leave it to Bobby to have probably the cleanest car he’d ever been in.

Bored, he opened the door and unfolded his legs from the dashboard, swinging them to the sidewalk. He doubted he’d need to worry about the city’s crime element in Lawler’s neighbourhood.

He shook his head as he walked along the sidewalk in front of the commissioner’s home. Not a crack, not a crumble.
Rich bastards.

Even Lawler’s driveway was immaculate. Nik stared at the pristine house and grounds. The dark blue convertible at the end of the driveway caught his eye.
Seriously?
Who the hell has a convertible like that in New York? How incredibly unpractical could a person be?

He knew nothing about the commissioner, yet he was disgusted by the man. As he walked back to the Camaro, he started to think about everything Lawler could do with the money he’d spent on the frivolous car that was nothing more than a dick extension in Nik’s opinion.

Sliding into the passenger seat, his gaze went to the ass shot of Vanderlist once more.

What was Bobby thinking when he took that one?

A splash of blue in the photo had Nik picking it up to examine it closer. “Fuck!”

He scrambled for his new phone and punched in Bobby’s number.

“Marks.”

“It’s me. You’re not going to believe what I’ve discovered.”

“Go on.”

“I was going through the pictures you took of Vanderlist. I happened to notice the one you took with a close-up of Vanderlist’s ass.”

“Is that why you’re calling?” Bobby questioned.

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Nik rolled his eyes. “No. The car just off to the right in the picture is Lawler’s. I’m almost positive.”

There was a pause on Bobby’s end.

“Bobby?”

“Maybe you should make a phone call.”

“Jablonsky?”

“Yeah.”

“What if we’re wrong? It could mean your career.”

When once again, there seemed to be a long pause on the other end of the conversation, Nik shifted in the seat. “Bobby?”

Nothing.

“Bobby? Are you there?” Nik pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at the display. “Shit!” They’d been disconnected.

He hit redial, but the call went straight to voicemail. With shaking hands, Nik found Jablonsky’s number in his phone. Thank God Bobby had programmed it in as soon as they’d purchased the new cell.

As he waited for the detective to pick up, he climbed out of the car.

“Jablonsky.”

“It’s Nik. We’re at the commissioner’s house. Bobby’s inside and I found something that points to Lawler as the killer. I called Bobby and now nothing,” he fired off.

“Hold it. Slow down. Why’re you at Lawlers?”

“I don’t know. He said he needed to speak to Bobby. Please, you’ve got to help him.”

Nik paced in front of the house, not sure if he should burst in and save the day, or do the smart thing and wait for Jablonsky.

“I’m on my way. It’ll take me a while to get there though.”

“Shit!” Nik scrambled to hide in the bushes as he spotted Bobby and Lawler coming out of the house. “I don’t think Bobby has a while. Lawler’s leading him to his car at gunpoint.”