Jarek's thoughts came back to her in a millisecond, his mind cool and dangerous in hers. Careful, my darling, he said. I'll tolerate this little game for you, but I don't like having to tolerate this ape you've dragged along.
His name is Nick, said Em hotly, and I'd appreciate it if you'd ...
You're sleeping with him, aren't you? Jarek's voice in her head was dripping with disgust. You've fallen in love with a mortal. You're weak Em.
Em yelled into his mind. Jarek! Save it. We're working.
Nick had taken a step back at Jarek's words, stunned and surprised, and not a little bit angry. A frown forced its way across his usually amiable face and he opened his mouth to speak when Jarek interrupted him.
Jarek coughed a little and shifted his feet. "I've watched too much American television I guess," he said with an sheepish grin. "I didn't think things like locks bothered you guys. Of course, if we busted a lock back in London there'd be hell to pay, but you guys do it all the time, don't you?"
Thank you, said Em, tartly.
Nick relaxed. "Yeah," he said, smiling back. "I mean, no! No, it's totally illegal, but I mean, sometimes..." he trailed off looking flustered, and didn't catch the sly sideways look Jarek cast him. He was looking instead at Em, who was crouched in front of the lock jiggling a pick inside it.
"Em!" Nick exploded. "What are you doing? We don't actually have a warrant."
"Mr Edwards did have a good point," said Em, working on the lock. "Since when is that a problem?"
Nick spluttered.
"Nick, we need to talk to this guy. We've got nothing in this case. Narcotics have given us this chance, and I'm damn well going to take it. Who is going to care whether we have a warrant or not? He's a drug dealer for crying out loud." Em felt the lock click. "Are you going to be ok with this?" she asked.
Nick stared at her. He looked at Jarek who had taken a sudden interest in one of the dusty windows to one side of the door. Em could feel Jarek's amusement and wished he'd shut up and go away. Nick looked at Em again, and Em was sure she could see disappointment in his eyes.
"Nick?" she said.
He was silent.
'This is OK, Nick," she said. "Robert told us not to come back without a lead. If anything goes wrong I'll take the rap. Nick?"
"Yeah," he said softly. "Come on then."
He pushed the door open, and they went in.
In the gloom inside the warehouse they could just make out the figure of a man leaning against a head-high wooden crate. He had his arms folded, and a slight smile on his face. It was fairly obvious he'd heard everything that had gone on just outside the door, and had come forward to greet them.
He threw his arms wide.
"Welcome!" he said. "Will's the name, blood's my game. How do you want it today? I can speed it up, slow it down, beef it up, thin it out, spice it up and serve it out. How may I be of service?" He had an infectious grin and gave a little mock bow.
Actor, thought Em affectionately. She couldn't help it, she really liked Will. When they'd met that night at Alina's Em had told him a team from crime scene would be coming to see him. She'd told him he needed to pretend not to recognize her. He hadn't liked the sound of any of that, but he'd said he'd play along so long as Em promised to protect him. She'd assumed he'd meant from the law. She was good with that.
Nick reached into his pocket and pulled out his badge. Em noticed Will was watching Nick closely, with his own hands casually on his hips, near his belt. Did Will have a gun? wondered Em. She didn't think so, but could see that this situation needed to be dealt with very carefully.
"We're from ..." began Nick.
"You're cops," said Will. "As if I couldn't tell. It's plain as day you're police." He didn't sound aggressive and he smiled to soften his words. "Well, you are, and you." He gestured to Em. "That one over there I'm not so sure about." He flapped a hand at Jarek and stared at him, and his eyes opened just a little wider as Jarek stared back.
"He's English," said Nick, shortly. "And we're forensic pathologists, actually. Not police."
Will grinned and spread his hands in an open gesture of give and take. "Hey," he said. "Even pathologists have needs, desires... I expect the English do too. A guy's got to make a living you know. I've got to try."
"We're investigating the bodies that were found out front of the burlesque club further up the shore there. We've just got a few questions for you..."
Em could feel Jarek's impatience behind her rising like the tide. He was ready to tear Nick apart, and chew straight through Will's mind and take what they needed. And he might still have that goofy self-deprecating smile on his face, but little cracks of dark energy were beginning to split out of him, and it wouldn't be long before someone as astute as Will began to notice. Already Em could feel the fear beginning to rise out of Will, and he was staring a little harder at Jarek than was polite.
Em decided to cut through Nick's routine questions.
"We've heard there's someone powerful in town," she said. "Someone with ... particular ... likes and desires. We've heard they spend a lot of time at Alina's club, and we've heard you're up there a lot too. Anything you'd like to tell us about that?"
Will had chatted politely with Nick up until now, but at Em's words he turned a little grey. He cleared his throat and crossed his arms across his chest. He looked Em straight in the eyes, but turned his own head a little to the side.
"Ah, that would be, ah, confidential information," he said quietly with a little upward twinge at the side of mouth that Em knew meant he really was sorry.
Behind them Jarek snorted and took a quick step forward.
Nick took a quick glance at Jarek and stepped forward as well, more to stake his own superiority at the scene than to express his impatience with Will. Jarek stopped short and snarled, not quite at Nick. Nick folded his arms, making sure to flex every muscle in his upper body as he did so.
Boys, thought Em. Always the testosterone.
Will, meanwhile, seemed to have shrunk a little. His face was pale and the whites of his eyes were showing. It was plain he knew exactly what Jarek was now, and he was frightened. But however frightened he was of Jarek, and Em for that matter, whatever truth they wanted him to speak frightened him even more.
Nick seemed determined not to notice the odd tension in the air between Will and Jarek.
"Is that the best you can do?" Nick said. "'Confidential information'? We may not be police but we can still take you downtown for a chat, you know. How would you feel about sharing your 'confidential information' with the narcotics division?"
"You can take me anywhere you like, pal," said Will angrily. "I can't tell you, OK? You think I wouldn't tell you if I could? I've got a business to run here. I don't need pigs like you stepping in messing things up. I..."
"Woah," said Em. "Alright Will, if you can't tell us, you can't tell us. Take it easy." She felt bad for him. He was scared alright. But of what?
"Well," said Nick, taking a breath and slowing things down a little. "There's a new club in town and your client demographic must have changed a little. New customers, new supplies, new venue. You've got your old customers and a bunch of Alina's new ones, yeah?" He paused and Will eyed him warily. "So, how do you manage all that? Do you keep spreadsheets? Do you write it up a little black book?" Will said nothing. "What about your phone? Hand over your phone Will, and let me take a quick look. If you don't want to tell us anything, why don't you let me have a look for myself?"
Will threw his hands up in the air and turned away. Em could feel the turmoil inside him. He'd obviously been scared or threatened into silence, but he had enough respect for Em to want to tell her something. His mind was boiling, and Em felt sorry for him. Sorry for her friend. But she needed something from him now, not just a lead to take back to Robert, she needed to know what was going on at the club, and who was slaughtering humans for the fun of it. With Nick about pull out the handcuffs and march Will down to the station, and Jarek about to spin into another dimension and rip Will's mind through time and space, she was running out of time. She had to get Will to talk. Now.