And he had, Emily realized, her thoughts sliding back to the present. Dr. Marcus Catcherly, "Catch," had taken care of her. He’d helped her to understand what she was seeing. Taught her everything she knew about the Other.
And he’d taught her how to lie. How to pretend to be normal. To fit in at school, with her friends, and even with her family.
He’d been her mentor, closer to her than anyone else in her life.
After three months, Catch had convinced her mother that Emily was well enough to return home. He’d visited her every week, doing what he called follow-up care. She’d talked to him about the different creatures she’d seen and he’d taught her about them all.
And she’d never mentioned a word about monsters to her mother again.
The fire had been his idea. He’d arranged for the patients to go on a "therapy trip" that day. He’d helped her to time the blaze, helped her to make certain every piece of evidence about her stay was destroyed.
She’d been eleven years old when she entered Serenity Woods. At sixteen, she’d torched the place.
Catch had taken her secret to his grave. But one other person knew all of the details of her stay at the psychiatric hospital.
Emily opened her car door, stood, and felt the cool breeze of fall blow against her body.
The house was waiting for her.
Emily straightened her shoulders, walked slowly up the stone sidewalk. A cheerful welcome mat greeted her at the entranceway.
The house was so normal.
"Never trust anything normal. Cuz it’s the normal stuff you’ve got to fear. Monsters, demons, witches…we’re all more afraid of that normal world than you can ever imagine." Catch’s words rang in her ears. He’d always thought humans were dangerous. Too unpredictable. "They’re more bloodthirsty than we are, remember that."
Her hand curled into a fist. She rapped against the wooden door. Once, twice.
"Coming!" Muffled, feminine. Shuffling footsteps followed the call. The door opened with a faint squeak.
A small, dark-haired woman in her early fifties blinked. "Emily?"
"Hi, Mom." Deliberately, she kept her voice light, her body relaxed. "Mind if I come in?"
Her mother’s knuckles whitened around the door frame, but after a moment, she stepped back, and Emily walked slowly into the home she hadn’t seen in years.
"So, the doctor’s your girlfriend now, huh?" Brooks asked as they approached Paradise Found. Two hulking guys were leaning against the outside of the building, their eyes scanning the streets.
"I’m not talking about her, Brooks." His partner was like a dog with a bone. A damn annoying dog.
"Well, it looked like she was your girlfriend. I mean, I hope you don’t get that friendly in the Crypt with just every woman you meet."
The two men finally caught sight of them. They stiffened. One pulled out a radio and spoke quickly.
Good. Let the bastard know we’re here.
"Damn. I think our boys are carrying." Finally, the guy was talking about something other than Emily. Brooks reached for his weapon. "You didn’t tell me this Niol guy had muscle."
"Yeah, he’s got muscle." Money. Muscle. And a serious attitude problem. Not the ideal candidate for an impromptu interrogation.
Colin flashed his badge to the guys at the door. Wondered if they were human or demon. For a moment, he wished he’d brought the doc with him. But he hadn’t been able to find her at the precinct.
The woman had run from him. Not a good sign.
But he’d track her. Apologize for jumping on her like a starving asshole. He’d just been desperate for a taste of her, and he’d given in to the driving hunger.
A woman like her, a classy lady used to fancy restaurants and shows, she wouldn’t like being pushed up against a dirty wall and stripped. Oh no, she wouldn’t like that a damn bit.
He was prepared to apologize. And he was also prepared to get her naked beneath him. At the earliest opportunity.
The men grunted as they looked at his ID. "Whaddya want?" The bigger guy asked the question. The fellow had to be six foot seven, maybe eight, and his body was covered with brightly colored tattoos.
"We want to see Niol."
"Do you now?" The other guy stepped forward, the radio gripped in his hands. "You got a warrant?"
Ah, definitely not new to the game. Colin glanced toward Brooks, saw from his partner’s lifted brow that he was thinking the same thing.
"We’re not here to search the bar," Brooks told him, flashing his I’m-harmless-and-want-to-be-your-friend smile. "We just need to ask your boss a few questions."
"Well, maybe he don’t wanna answer yer questions." Tattooed crossed his beefy arms over his chest and glowered at them.
The radio crackled to life. The smaller guy pushed a button. "Yeah?"
"Let ’em through."
Tattooed swore.
The smaller guy glared at them as he jerked his thumb toward the door. "Go on."
"Thanks," Colin muttered, and lifted his hand to his holster as he went inside. No telling what kind of reception Niol could have waiting for them…
The interior of Paradise Found was lit only by a few weak lights. Niol sat at a table near the bar, a pair of dark sunglasses over his eyes. He didn’t rise when they approached, just inclined his head and said, "Detective, back so soon, eh?" A taunting smile curved his lips. "That’s the way it is for most folks. They find my place a bit…addictive."
Yeah, he just bet they did.
"Drink?"
Colin shook his head.
"And what about you, Detective Brooks, can I get you a…whiskey, isn’t it? That is your drink of choice, right?"
"I’m not thirsty." Brooks didn’t appear the least bit surprised that Niol knew who he was or even his favorite drink. The guy had always been able to bluff his way through anything.
The chair squeaked as Niol leaned back. "I take it this isn’t a social call?"
Colin reached into his jacket pocket. Pulled out the photos Smith had given him and tossed them onto the table. "Recognize these men?" They were head shots, but it was clear the guys were dead.
Niol touched one of the photos. "What happened to them?" Something that could have been anger hardened his words.
"Don’t you know?" Colin stared back at him and kept his body loose, ready.
Very slowly, Niol took off his glasses. Colin heard a faint gasp of surprise come from Brooks.
"You think I did this?" Eyes as black as night stared back at him. A table to the left began to tremble.
Colin wasn’t impressed. "Did you?"
"Not my style." Niol shoved the pictures away. "If I’d attacked them, there wouldn’t have been enough left for a picture."
His words had the ring of truth.
"You know them, don’t you?" Brooks asked as he stepped to the edge of the table.
Niol nodded. "I’ve seen them around Paradise." A vague admission, nothing more, but Colin had seen the tightening of the man’s lips. The flaring of his nostrils. Hell, yeah, he knew the guys.
"You sent them to jump me and Dr. Drake the other night, didn’t you?" Colin leaned over the table, getting right in Niol’s face. He wasn’t scared of the demon, didn’t give a shit what level he was. If the guy had tried to have Emily killed, he was going to fucking rip him apart.
The demon didn’t so much as blink. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."
"Bullshit!" Now Brooks was the one crowding him. He’d stalked around the table. Come right to Niol’s side. "You know who these guys are and you hired them to rough up my partner and the doctor!"
Niol sighed softly and pushed away from the table. "I can see this isn’t going to be a productive little talk." He began to stand, but Brooks caught him by the shoulder, holding him in place.
"We’re not finished."