Authors: Kate Pearce
“Here we are.”
“You live here?”
Vadim got out of the car and looked up at the quaint Victorian style house perched on the side of the hill. Outside steps to the front door ran up to the second level. The backyard thrust upward from the house like an open fan with small terraces and opportunities to turn and admire the breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the city beyond.
“The house was built in the late 1800’s for one of the foremen who managed the railway line that ran along the coast road.”
“So it’s original.”
“And pretty damn old for California.” She found her keys and started toward the lower level of the house, which Vadim realized had its own entrance on the other side of the property. “The owners recently restored it and created the basement apartment.”
“It’s beautiful,” Vadim said, his gaze still drawn to the awesome view of the bridge and the city beyond. “You can breathe out here.”
Ella glanced back at him over her shoulder. “Yes, you can. Are you coming in?”
“If that’s okay.”
“I don’t really have much of a choice, do I? Unless you’re a really good swimmer I reckon you’re stuck in Tiburon for the night.”
He followed her into the apartment and paused just inside the open door. He wasn’t quite sure what he’d been expecting, but this warm, inviting modern space wasn’t it. The floors and kitchen cupboards were cherry wood, the countertops granite and the furniture mostly cream. There was a big window at the front that had glimpses of the bay.
“Shut the door, you’re letting the bugs in.” He came in and watched as Ella dumped her keys and purse on the countertop. “I’m going to change. Do you want a beer?”
“I’ll have some water, if that’s okay.”
“Help yourself. I think there’s a bottle in the refrigerator.”
She disappeared through an open door. Vadim caught a glimpse of a double bed covered in discarded clothes before she shut the door behind her. He went over to the stainless steel refrigerator and opened it. The white wire shelves contained a six-pack of beer, two water bottles and a carton of eggs.
He took some water and retired to sit on the couch that faced the view. His stomach growled and it occurred to him that he hadn’t eaten since breakfast. The refrigerator door slammed and he turned to see Ella retrieving a bottle of beer and coming toward him. She’d changed into baggy shorts and a sleeveless top that looked as if it had come into contact with a bleach bottle.
“You live in a beautiful place.”
She sat on the couch beside him, drawing her legs up underneath her.
“I know. Sometimes I have to remind myself of that.”
His stomach growled again and she looked at him. “I suppose you’re hungry.”
“I haven’t eaten since this morning.”
“I have chicken nuggets in the freezer.”
He shuddered. “I don’t eat chicken.”
“Why not? I thought everyone in the entire world ate chicken nuggets.”
“I don’t eat any kind of bird.”
“So none of my mom’s famous turkey meatloaf either.” She took a swallow of beer. “There’s a pizza place that does take-out. I have them on speed dial.”
“If we have to go out to pick up the pizza, we could eat out instead. My treat,” Vadim said.
Ella looked away. “I’d rather not. I don’t feel like pretending everything is fine.”
“Of course not. That was stupid of me.” He considered her averted face. “I could cook us something.”
“You cook?”
“I’m no expert, but I like to dabble. Is there a supermarket around here?”
“Yes, it’s about a five minute drive.”
He rose from the couch. “Then I’ll get going. There is no need for both of us to come. Is there anything you don’t like?”
“I’ll eat anything you put in front of me.” She stared up at him and he noticed the tired circles under her eyes and the sheen of tears. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“You’re putting up with me for a whole night. It’s the least I can do.”
She pouted. “I was wondering when you’d get around to asking if you could stay over. But I suppose the food will help.”
“Good, then give me directions to the store and I’ll be back as quickly as I can.”
* * *
Ella sat on one of the stools at the countertop and watched as Vadim sliced up peppers and onions into neat strips. His knife moved in a blur of speed diagonally, then reversed the motion.
“You’re good at this.”
“I enjoy it.” He didn’t look up as he transferred the diced vegetables to a frying pan and tossed them in the already melted butter.
“You’re very precise.”
His back was still turned to her as he shrugged. “The food cooks more evenly if you slice it like that.”
But he was meticulous about everything, the position of the bowls, knives and pans, the filleting of the fish that was now under the broiler. Ella licked her lips as the tantalizing smell of garlic and parsley infused the small kitchen. Having grown up eating institutionalized meals, she’d never had the opportunity to sit and watch her mother cook like this. For some reason, it was comforting.
“Do you want some wine yet?” she asked. He’d opened the bottle to pour over the fish and then put it straight back into the refrigerator.
“I’ll wait until we eat.” He expertly tossed the frying vegetables and stirred the pot of linguine. “It’s almost ready.”
“Shall I put out some plates?”
“They are already warming in the bottom of the oven.”
“How about silverware?” She jumped off her stool and rummaged in the drawer for some knives and forks. “I have napkins somewhere too.”
She put everything on the countertop near where Vadim was cooking, but he was busy with a hundred different tasks, draining the pasta, removing the fish from the broiler and plating everything up. Somewhere he’d found two mats and he put them side by side arranging the plates and silverware symmetrically on top.
Ella climbed back onto her seat and reached for the salt and pepper. “This looks awesome.”
Vadim took the seat beside her and deftly removed the salt from her hand. “Try it first before you add seasoning. I’ll get the wine.”
She waited until he returned with two glasses and the frosted bottle of white chardonnay.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He poured the wine, making sure they both had exactly the same amount. “I hope you enjoy it. It’s been a long day.”
“It’s been a horrible day.” She took a healthy slug of the wine and Vadim winced. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s not beer. Sip it so that you can appreciate the flavor.”
“I should’ve known you were a wine snob as well as a food snob.”
“They do tend to go together.” He clinked his glass against hers. “Thanks for letting me stay over.”
She studied him over the rim of her glass. “I’m kind of glad you did.” She hesitated. “I’m not sure what I would’ve done if I’d been here by myself. Probably something stupid.”
He smiled. “Don’t let me stop you.”
She finished the wine and poured herself a second glass, forgetting she hadn’t eaten all day either. She ate some fish and discovered it was delicious and just perfect for her unsettled stomach.
“I need to be stopped sometimes. I’m too old to go out and pick up someone to while away a few naked sweaty hours of my life.”
“You’re not old.”
“I’m almost twenty-seven. That’s old for an empath.”
He sipped his wine. “Not if you agree to take an OCOS mate.”
She lowered her glass to glare at him. “And let Otherworld pick him? I’m not that stupid. And, all this ‘destined mate’ business, what a load of crap. Who wants to be tied to someone like that? It’s unnatural.”
“It will save your life.”
She finished her second glass of wine and felt it settle unhappily in her stomach. “What’s to save? A gatekeeper for two governments, or a person? No one cares about me, just about what I can do for them.”
Oh God, what was wrong with her? Why was she becoming maudlin in front of Morosov of all people? “Anyway, that’s enough about me. What happened to your brother?”
As she’d hoped, his smile faded and his concerned expression turned to ice. “I told you. He died.” He got down from his seat. “Would you like some coffee?”
“No dessert?”
“I bought organic dark chocolate. We can have it with our coffee.”
“I suppose it’s good for me and I bet the coffee is decaffeinated,” she grumbled. When she got down, the floorboards seem to slip around like the deck of the ship.
“Whoa.” Vadim caught her elbow and she clung to him. “Perhaps you’d better go straight to bed.”
She leaned into him and opened her eyes wide. “Only if you come with me.”
He set her gently onto her feet, holding her by the elbows. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
“Why not? You obviously want to get in my pants.”
“Not when you are drunk.”
“It helps to be drunk. I won’t remember the details in the morning.”
He guided her toward her bedroom. “I thought you said you were beyond hooking up for sex?”
“I am. This is different. I know you. If you like, I could erase your memory afterward.”
“You wouldn’t want to.” He smiled down at her as he opened the door. “When we make love, we’ll both remember every screaming, sweaty second of it. I guarantee it.”
She focused all her energy on his shields and couldn’t find a way through.
“You’re so conceited.”
He maneuvered her over to the bed and gently sat her down. “Go to sleep, Ella. I’ll be outside if you need me.”
She clutched at his polo shirt. “I need you now.”
“No, you need a good cry and a good sleep. You’d hate yourself in the morning if you fucked me now.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Goodnight.”
She reluctantly released her grip on his shirt and he dimmed the lights and shut the door behind him. A tear trickled down Ella’s cheek and she rolled over onto her stomach and thought about Laney. Even though the only one who might hear her was Vadim, she still cried silently into her pillow, a habit she and Laney had learned together at school. A habit she doubted she would ever get over.
* * *
“Good morning,” Vadim greeted Ella with a slight smile. “What do you want first, coffee or orange juice?” He pointed to a paper bag. “I picked up some croissants on my way back from my morning walk.”
“Stop being so cheerful. It’s just
wrong
.”
Despite her fears, she’d slept the whole night through and had the headache from hell to prove it. To her amazement, Vadim had not only cooked dinner, but also cleared everything away. Her kitchen looked shinier and in better order than it ever had before.
She wrapped her ratty dressing gown more securely around her waist and managed to climb up onto one of the stools by the countertop.
“Here you go.” Vadim slid a glass of orange juice and a buttered croissant in front of her. “I’ll get the coffee. I hope you don’t mind, but while I was cleaning up last night I made a few adjustments to your cupboard space.”
“What?”
Vadim opened her pantry. “You don’t have much in there, but what you do have I reorganized according to type of product, ease of reach and sell-by date. It should make it easier to find things now.”
He carried on talking as she forced down the orange juice and picked bits off the flakey outer shell of the croissant. The coffee smelled good, so she drank some of that too and slowly started to feel human.
“What time is it?”
He glanced at his watch. “About seven-thirty. I checked the ferry schedule. We should be fine if we leave in the next half hour.”
She considered him through narrowed eyes. “We’re not driving?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t guarantee your car would work forever, just that it would get you home.”
“Hmph.” Ella picked up her coffee. She knew she should be more grateful but she just couldn’t muster the energy. And he had turned her down... “I’m going to shower. I’ll be ready in ten minutes.”
Chapter Ten
“We’ve contacted Peter Jameson, the proposed OCOS mate, and confirmed that he did speak to the victim on Sunday afternoon. He insists that the conversation went really well, and that they were planning to talk again the next day.” Feehan paused to write something on the whiteboard. “We’ve also confirmed that he was at home with his parents and couldn’t physically have been in Walnut Creek during the time of the murder.”
“Unless he is more than fifty percent Otherworld,” Vadim said.
Feehan consulted his notes. “He lives on our side and he’s one-sixteenth Otherworld. I doubt he has the necessary powers to get himself through time and space.”
“Did you check where the nearest portals were to Walnut Creek?”
“The closest one was about thirty miles away.”
“So how did the murderer get to Laney’s building?”
He glanced over at Ella, but she had her head propped up with her hand and seemed to be doodling on the yellow pad in front of her. He’d already handed her some painkillers and another bottle of water but she was too quiet for his liking.
“We don’t even know how the killer is getting his information about the empaths or how he is picking his targets.” Vadim tried to read what Ella was writing, but he couldn’t make it out.
Alexei leaned back in his chair, his Fae-Web spiraling around him. “Liz and I have been considering that and we believe there are only a few possibilities.” He glanced at Liz, who nodded. “Information about empaths isn’t that freely available.”
“Otherworld has that information, as do the current world governments,” Feehan replied.
“That’s a hell of a lot of people,” Vadim said. “And most of them are open to corruption.”
Feehan stiffened. “Not on our side. We all know that the moral code in Otherworld is very different.”
Vadim couldn’t disagree. “Let’s assume that the leak originates in Otherworld then.” He turned to Liz. “Where would such information be held?”
“That’s a great question.” She frowned. “There’s the empath academy, of course, and a central administration department also based in Merton that keeps records of humans who have Otherworld antecedents, or who are empaths.”
“Can you contact them through your Fae-Web?” Feehan asked.
Liz sighed. “No, even our technology doesn’t work well across the divide. We’ll have to go and see them in person.”
“Then you’ll have to do that, Liz.” Feehan wrote it on the board under the word “actions”. “Anything else?”
“Do we have any footage from the security cameras at the apartment complex?” Alexei said.
“Not yet. But I’ve put in a request for them.”
“I doubt our man will show up,” Vadim commented, his gaze still on Ella’s bowed head. “He’s got enough power to evade the cameras.”
Ella finally looked up. “How do you know?”
Vadim met her gaze. “Because I could sense his magic. Is there anything else you’d like to contribute to this conversation, Ms. Walsh?”
She glanced down at her pad. “There’s one thing. I see a pattern here. He’s targeting empaths who are approaching their twenty-seventh birthday.”
Liz suddenly sat forward, her gold Fae-Web shimmering. “And members of your graduating class, Ella.”
“What?” Feehan turned from his contemplation of the board to Liz.
“I just made the connection. All of the victims, including the ones in Russia, graduated from empath college within a year of each other.”
“From the same college?”
“Not exactly. There are a few scattered around Otherworld. Offhand, I know of one for Europeans and two for Americans, and probably at least a couple more for everyone else. But the victims are definitely from the same year.”
“Great.” Ella put down her pen. “It would be good to get a list of all the empaths who graduated with me worldwide, and check up on their well-being. Maybe we’ve missed a few suspicious deaths along the way.”
Feehan paused to look at Liz. “Will the central record office at Merton have that information?”
“They should have.” Liz made a face. “The problem is finding it.”
“It should be a priority,” Feehan said. “Ella, would you be willing to go with Liz to visit the college and the records office?”
“If I have to. They don’t like me much over there. I kept trying to destroy their portals when I ran away from school.” She gave Vadim and Alexei a pointed look. “Won’t we need a foreign language specialist to gain access to some of those files?”
Feehan rubbed his hands together. “I’m sure that will help. Until then, we’ll do another check into Peter Jameson’s background, review our victim’s phone and computer records, and wait for the results of the autopsy.”
She winced and Vadim cursed Feehan for his insensitivity. Had he forgotten that Ella had just lost her best friend?
Vadim cleared his throat. “Are you okay with all this, Ms. Walsh?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
He held her gaze. “Because you’ve had a severe shock.”
“It’s okay, I won’t go nuts on you just yet.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Yeah.” She rose to her feet. “Do you have any more of those painkillers?”
He extracted the bottle from his pocket and resisting the urge to pitch it at her head, tossed it over to her. If she didn’t want to talk about anything, that suited him fine. He wasn’t quite sure why he was even bothering in the first place. Shouldn’t she be grateful to him for turning her down last night? He’d behaved like the perfect gentleman and she was still being shitty. Maybe she understood him better than he understood himself. All he had to do was keep her alive, catch this killer and get back to Russia with his reputation intact.
Liz caught up with Ella and wrapped an arm around her as they walked. Alexei glanced over at Vadim.
“Did you really stay over with Ella?”
“Feehan asked me to. He was worried about her safety.”
“So how was it?”
He raised his eyebrows. “I cooked her some dinner and then she went to bed.”
Alexei just stared at him. “That’s it?”
“What else did you expect?”
“Details, my friend, details.”
“I cooked snapper with red peppers in a white wine sauce. Do you want the recipe or something?”
“Damn, you’re a close-mouthed bastard sometimes, Vadim.” Alexei stretched his arms over his head. “If I’d got to stay with Ella, I’d be telling you all the juicy details.”
“And that’s probably why Feehan sent me.”
Alexei opened his silver eyes wide. “You can pretend to be human all you like, Vadim, but at your core, you’re no different than me.”
“That’s where we’ll have to disagree. I’ve made a choice as to how I want to live my life and I’m happy with it.”
“So you say.”
Vadim fixed Alexei with a cool stare. “Shall we just leave it at that? As a fellow team member, Ms. Walsh needs our support and nothing else.”
“You’ve changed your mind. You were the one who wanted her out.”
Vadim stood and shoved his chair in. “I want to solve this case. Messing around with an empath who is already in a highly emotional state isn’t going to help me do that. I refuse to be responsible for another meltdown.”
He wanted to laugh at his own words. Hadn’t he already crossed that line last night by taking care of her rather than simply fucking her brains out? Wasn’t he already emotionally compromised?
“So you’re quite happy to leave Ella to me.”
He glared down at the Fae. “Have you listened to a single word I said?”
“I listened.” Alexei tilted his head back so Vadim could see his face more clearly. “Have you ever wondered if you are the problem and not the empath?”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Are you sure about that? Repressing your true nature behind all those shields must give any empath who comes near you a hell of a headache.”
Vadim shook his head and walked away but Alexei kept talking. “So you’re okay to be the one who goes to Otherworld with Liz and Ella then.”
He had to stop. “I don’t go there. You know that.”
“As I said, Vadim. Are you sure you aren’t the problem?”
Vadim started walking again and this time he didn’t stop.
* * *
Liz knocked, then poked her head around the door of Ella’s office.
“Are you okay, hon?”
Ella manufactured a smile. “I just got off the phone with my mom. She’s still going on about my ‘behavior’ at the party yesterday.”
Liz sat on the corner of Ella’s desk. “Did you tell her about Laney?”
“She didn’t give me a chance.” Ella made a face. “And when she does find out she’ll be on at me for not telling her. Maybe I’ll text her later.”
“Your mom isn’t the most observant of people, is she?”
“That’s a nice way of putting it, but at least she still talks to me. I also spoke to Laney’s parents who—guess what?—can’t make the time to come to their own daughter’s funeral. Apparently their other ‘normal’ kid is graduating med school or something
important
. They asked me to send a wreath in their name and they’d settle up with me later.”
“I hope you told them to go fuck themselves.”
Ella looked up at Liz’s flushed face. “You don’t usually curse.”
“I don’t usually have to, but the way some human parents deal with their kids just amazes me. In Fae, you’d have to do something far more interesting to get disowned by your family.”
“Like killing or maiming a whole bunch of people at a wedding.”
Liz made an airy gesture. “That was just a one-off. My family is usually pretty well behaved. I’ve arranged for us to go and visit the college and the records office in Merton this afternoon. Are you okay to come with me?”
“If I must.”
“We’ll keep it short.”
Ella groaned. “If they’ll let us.”
Liz slid off the desk. “I’ll be back for you in about an hour.” She got as far as the door before she turned around. “By the way, how was your evening with the gorgeous Mr. Morosov?”
“He cooked me dinner, I drank too much wine and I went to bed.”
“Alone?”
“Of course. What kind of a girl do you think I am?”
Liz sighed. “I know what kind of a girl you are. He didn’t even try and hook up with you?”
Ella hastily repressed her memories of exactly who had been propositioning whom. “You know I don’t date people I have to make eye contact with ever again.”
“But he’s going back to Russia.”
“That’s not far enough and I don’t think he’s really Russian. He’s
totally
Otherworld.” Ella lowered her voice. “How much Fae do you think he is?”
“He’s obviously got something going on, but what exactly, I’m not sure. His shields are too good. Do you want me to ask Alexei?”
“No! I’m not
that
interested. I just wondered what you’d picked up.”
“I know Vadim is important to this case and he has a connection with you.”
“Yeah, we’re colleagues.”
“It’s more than that.”
“Oh jeez, you’ve got that faraway look in your eyes again.”
Liz shrugged. “I can’t help it. The Fae-Web knows stuff I can’t yet comprehend. But I can tell you that Vadim Morosov isn’t going away anytime soon.”
“Great. I’ll see you later. I have to call a dude about a giant caterpillar he saw in his yard last night.”
When Liz shut the door, Ella finally let her smile slip. She covered her face with her hands and simply sat there in silence. It was all well and good telling herself that she was going to avenge Laney and catch the killer but it didn’t make up for the hole left in her life. Normally she would’ve been calling Laney right now to tell her about her embarrassing evening with Vadim so that they could pick over the details and laugh hysterically. She’d never even got to hear what Laney really thought about Peter Jameson...
Ella slowly inhaled and then let out her breath. She had to get her shit together or the department would be pensioning her off to the empath nuthouse out in Marin County and letting Sam take over the case. That would never do. She had to survive this for Laney, and for all the other empaths that had died so horribly.
She picked up the phone and dialed the number Peach had left on her desk.
“Hey, Mr. Collins? I understand you have a giant bug problem...”
* * *
Vadim looked around the foyer, but there was no sign of Alexei. He walked by the reception desk for the second time and stopped to talk to the pink-haired administrator who smiled so enthusiastically up at him.
“Can I help you, Mr. Morosov?”
“Have you seen Alexei anywhere?”
“Oh yes!” She fished for something on her desk. “He asked me to give you a message. He had to go out and assist on a case with Ella and he’s not sure when he’ll be back.”
“They both went out?” He checked his watch. “Is Liz here?”
Peach picked up the phone. “I can check for you.”
“Thanks.”
While Peach chatted, he paced the lobby, watching the lights on the elevators flash up and down. Ella came in from the street eating an ice cream cone.
“Hey. Are you waiting for me?”
He studied her flushed face and whipped out his handkerchief. “You have ice cream on your nose.”
“Thanks.” She took the handkerchief from him and patted her face. “Is that better?”
He nodded as Liz came out of the elevator and advanced toward them.
“Where’s Alexei?”
Ella finished her ice cream and used Vadim’s handkerchief to wipe her fingers before stuffing it in her pocket. “I left him with Mr. Collins.”
“The guy who saw the caterpillar?” Liz asked.
“Yeah, well
apparently
, Mr. Collins is one-eighth Fae, and he’s related to Alexei, who is also related to the young Fae Mr. Collins trapped in his yard.”
“The caterpillar, right?”
“Exactly. Apparently it was some kind of legendary Garden Fae family hazing joke, which Mr. Collins didn’t know about, being as he doesn’t live in Otherworld anymore. Alexei had to explain it.”
“So you didn’t have to wipe his mind?”
“Not this time. Alexei said he would take care of it for me before he departed. When I left, they were still catching up on ancient family history.”
“Alexei is supposed to be here,” Vadim interrupted.
Ella and Liz looked at him. “It’s no big deal. You can come with us instead, right?”