Perfect Reflection (11 page)

Ret and another man walked into the Deli. Dinky went
over and hugged Ret, pointing to the table Jewel was sitting at. He
made eye contact with Jewel. She could see the hunger in his eyes.
Jewel turned her head looking out the window. Benny, Vander, and
Dinky came to the table and sat down. Lex talked to Ret and the
other man before they came to the table. Lex introduced the other
man as security for Retten.

Kane was his name. He was very good looking but never
seemed to smile. Jewel could tell right away that he was a wolf,
too. The man stared at her intently and she stared back at him
refusing to back down from his obvious dare.
Oh hell no
,
she was Alpha female of this pack
, she thought and then
paused,
fuck, her wolf was accepting the members of the pack as
hers.
The man smiled and then bowed his head toward her. She
smiled and looked back and nodded.
Silent communication, so much
easier than talking
, she thought.

“Jewel, that is a pretty name. Where did your parents
come up with the name?” Dinky asked.

Jewel looked up and smiled at Dinky. “My parents’
best friend gave me the name when I was born. They didn’t know if I
would be a boy or girl so they decided to wait until I was born to
name me. The way the story was told—is when their best friend
looked at me the sun was hitting me just right and they said I
sparkled like a diamond. They didn’t like the name Diamond so Benny
said I was a Jewel in the rough. The name stuck and hence the
name.”

Vander looked at Benny. “I didn’t know you were best
friends with Jewel’s parents.”

“Yep, they were great people and they raised this
precious Jewel,” Benny said smoothly while her partner frowned and
looked at her.

Dinky told stories about the people who came in her
store throughout the years she had been open. The atmosphere was
relaxed and Jewel felt comfortable.
Wow, who would have thought,
Jewel was actually speaking to people without being a
bitch.

Ret and Lex stared at Jewel, which made her nervous.
She knew they were going to ask to claim her. When wolves found
their mates, they usually didn’t have much of a courtship. It was
just the nature of the wolf, especially when they were so strong,
their wolves wanted to make their connection, so they were pushing
hard. After everything she learned about them over the last few
days, she knew that she would accept them. She wanted some time
alone with them first; she only knew what was on paper.

“Is everybody ready to go? We have a lot to finish
today,” Vander asked.

Ret didn’t like that Vander was closer to Jewel than
everyone was, but he let it pass knowing that Jewel would explode
if he said anything. They all got up to leave, thanking Dinky right
before they left. Jewel was last in her party to leave when Dinky
suddenly pulled her to the side.

“Jewel, I know you may think this is odd, but I feel
danger coming to your front door. I don’t see anything else except
it’s coming to your front door. I don’t even know what that means,
but please be careful. If you need anything, please call me. Maybe
we could have a girl’s spa day here in New York before you leave.”
Dinky pulled out a business card and handed it to Jewel.

She hugged her neck. “Thanks, Dinky, maybe we can
before I leave. The meal was great and it was a pleasure to meet
you.” Jewel hugged Dinky one last time and then walked out the
door.

Benny and Vander walked beside Jewel back to the
police station. Ret and the other man had already left by the time
Jewel had come out of the restaurant. She looked around for him
then she made eye contact with Lex.

“Retten said he would see us for dinner at the hotel
later,” Lex said in answer to the question he could see in her
eyes.

Jewel showed no emotions knowing that everyone
watched her. She was so tense; she couldn’t wait to swim in the
pool at the hotel. They walked back to police station and continued
their work.

“Now we need a motive,” Jewel said as she walked up
to the board with all the victims’ pictures. “So, Captain, what do
you think the motive is?” Jewel never turned around to look at
Lex.

“Well, I think it’s revenge against Retten. I don’t
know, but whoever it is knows a lot about Retten and his business
and personal affairs. Nobody but a select few know about all the
different business ventures he has. The number of construction
sites. They would have to know about the women he would see from
time to time.”

Jewel turned around when he mentioned the different
women. She didn’t want to show her jealous side, but everyone saw
the look on her face.

“Captain, can we go and look at the murder sites. I
would like to see them before we leave.” Lex inwardly growled, he
didn’t like when Jewel talked about leaving New York.

“Yeah, sure, let’s go.”

Chapter Twelve

They pulled up in Lex’s car to where the first murder
victim was found. They had already cleaned the area by now, but
Jewel and Vander wanted to see it anyway. Maybe she would get some
type of vision from it. Something that would help her understand
who this killer was or what his motives were.

It was an apartment complex called Wexford Estates.
Shit, she hadn’t realized the building was named after Ret, whoever
wanted to pin this on him, was being blatant. She wanted to ask
more personal questions, there had to be something connecting all
of this. Atlanta, New York, she didn’t get it. What did one have to
do with the other?

“You know, we need to start looking for the
connection the killer has to Retten Wexford. Why are the women
being killed in his buildings? This just doesn’t make sense unless
he knows the killer.” Jewel looked at Lex.

The Captain nodded and showed them into the building,
to where the woman was found.

However, the moment Jewel walked into the apartment
where Jennie Belters body was found she became light headed. She
swayed a little and Vander came up beside her knowing what was
starting to happen. Vander needed to get Jewel to the exact spot
the woman was murdered.

“Where exactly was her body found?” asked Vander.

Lex was looking at Jewel with concern in his eyes. He
didn’t understand what was going on, but he knew something wasn’t
right with Jewel.

“Dammit, Captain! Where was her body found? Show me
now,” Vander yelled and Lex snapped out of his thoughts.

Lex pointed into the living room. “Is she okay, do I
need to call an ambulance?” Lex said as he came up beside Jewel,
trying to touch her.

“Don’t touch her, Lex. She is having a vision,” Benny
said.

Lex didn’t know that his mate had visions, only a few
wolves he knew were blessed with that gift. Jewel was brought to
the middle of the living room, her eyes rolling back in her head,
her breathing labored. She was being transported back to that
terrible night.

The victim was lying on top of the steel table tied
down. She was nude and frightened, how had she gotten here? The
last thing she remembered was talking to some guy at a bar, he had
been nice and all, but she had a fiancé, she just came out with her
friends who insisted she was going to be married soon and needed to
sow her wild oats.

Tape had been put on her mouth, preventing her from
screaming. Dammit, what did he want? Shit, he was talking;
expecting her to talk back, her head was fuzzy. When Jennie didn’t
answer, she felt him hit her. It seemed like it went on for hours,
then he had pulled out the knife—she thought it would be over
soon.

She looked around trying to figure out where she
was. It didn’t look familiar, but she had to remember everything to
tell the police, they were going to want to know what he looked
like. She wanted her fiancé, he would make everything better. In
her head, she screamed his name when the man touched her. NO!
the woman thought
, she couldn’t die like this.

Her fiancé would be worried; Jennie closed her eyes
and thought about the love of her life. He was wonderful, no matter
what she would always love him. He knew it; she wished she could
see him one last time. Jennie felt the hand tighten on her breast
and she yelled into the tape.

Damn it, not like this,
Jennie thought
, and
then knew no more.

He followed the same M.O. as before, he slapped the
women around causing as much pain as possible before raping the
victims then killing them with his claws by slashing their stomachs
open. It was hard to watch, but she couldn’t control the visions or
what she saw in them.

Jewel opened her eyes and looked around. She looked
at Vander and shook her head. Vander knew that Jewel didn’t see
anything that would help them find the killer. Or did she? She went
and sat down on a stool that was sitting beside the door. She
leaned over thinking about what she had seen. Something had to have
been different. Her visions were messages to her. She had to
believe that. What was different with this one?

“Anything, Jewel?” Vander asked.

“What do you see?” Lex asked.

Jewel looked up at Lex, not knowing if she should
tell him what she really saw. He probably thought she was a freak
now. “I see the murder when it happens. I can never see the killer,
only his hand and claws. His scent, it smelled like Ret, but not,”
Jewel said. “Really. Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?” asked Lex. “How can it be like Ret and
yet not?”

“Dammit, I don’t know, quit doing that mate thing in
my head, we are not mates until I say so,” Jewel growled. It pissed
her off knowing that her so-called gift wasn’t helping her solve
this. She turned back to Vander. “Let’s finish and get out of here.
I gotta have room to think.”

Lex didn’t reply and no one else spoke while Jewel
and Vander made their notes then they went back to the police
department to finish up for the day.

“Your stuff should be secure here. I’m the only one
with a key so if you want to leave it here,” Lex said to the group
but looked at Jewel.

Jewel looked at Vander who shrugged his shoulders
that he didn’t care either way. The original files were back in the
Atlanta office and these were only copies. Jewel and Vander left
their stuff in the room and Lex locked the door behind them.
Besides, she had a board in her room, too. She wanted to make sure
she transferred data tonight before she forgot, she needed to make
sure the information was at her fingertips. When she figured out
what was bugging her, she wanted to see where it fit.

They left the police station and headed back to the
hotel. Once they arrived back to the hotel Jewel went straight to
her hotel room without a word to anyone. She was tired and wanted a
few minutes alone.

Jewel enter her hotel room and walked straight to her
bedroom, intending on making notes and then going for a swim before
dinner, it would loosen her up.

“Dammit!” Jewel said aloud. She walked slowly to
where her board was and looked at the new baggie that was hanging
from a pushpin stuck into her board. She stepped back and grabbed
the phone. She was not fucking around this time. There was clearly
blood on the ring that was in the bag, and she knew this piece of
jewelry, her parents left it for her when they died. The ring was
in her jewelry box at home when she left, she knew it.

***

Retten walked over to the bar and asked Lex if he
wanted a drink before they went down for dinner.

“No thanks. Well, maybe I should. My nerves are wound
so tight with being in the same room with Jewel and not being able
to touch her. My cock gets hard as a rock every time I look at her,
and all I want to do is push her against the nearest wall and fuck
her until she passes out.”

Retten smiled as he handed him his drink. “We have to
take it slow. I don’t want her running from us. I want her, too.
Just calm down and we will have her soon.” Retten smiled because he
had thought about Jewel earlier and imagined how he would make love
to her for the first time. He, too, had become hard, but he had the
chance to relieve himself in the shower as he thought of her.
“Let’s go down and see our beautiful mate,” Retten said as he drank
the last of his whisky.

***

Retten and Lex stood when Benny and Vander walked
into the room. They looked behind them for Jewel. “Mr. Wexford,
Jewel said that she wanted to eat in her room tonight.” Benny
smiled as he sat down beside Vander, who was also smiling.

Retten and Lex looked at each other. They were pissed
that Jewel went swimming instead. The manager walked in and
whispered in Retten’s ear.

“Ms. Jewel called to ask where you and Mr. Lex were,
sir,” the manager whispered.

Retten never smiled, he just nodded then leaned into
the table. “Gentlemen, if you would excuse me for a few minutes.
Please order anything you want. My treat. Please don’t wait on me
to begin your meal. I will return shortly.” Retten nodded at Lex
then both stood and left the dining room.

“Jewel called down looking for us,” Ret said as
walked out of the dining room.

Lex frowned and followed quickly as his friend and
Alpha went directly to the elevators. When they arrived to her
room, it was already filled with men from the department. They were
pissed when they walked into the room—she called them last
apparently.

“What the fuck is going on?” Ret roared and the men
all stopped what they were doing and looked at the two men. Lex
crossed his arms and then looked at his men from the department and
waited for someone to answer.

“Sir, Detective Campbell called in a break-in to her
room. Someone left another baggie,” the technician said and Lex
whipped his gaze to his female mate, who was leaning against the
wall glaring at them.