“Thomas Monroe,” Todd supplied.
“Yeah, well, at least we know Monroe was murdered. Turn your focus onto him.”
They had been focusing on him, and the other dead men who kept turning up. “There were no prints on the knife, but we did retrieve a hair from the mattress.” A long strand of blond hair, and that fit because, “The desk clerk said a blond was there with Monroe.” Just like a blond had been in the other hotels with the other dead men.
But why the change in MO? It made no sense. If the perp was the same, why change methods now? Why change them at all?
“The press has gotten wind of the link in the murders.” Colin’s voice was quiet, tense. “That new reporter for News Flash Five, Holly Storm—”
So now he remembered her name.
“—she was at the House scene, too. Must’ve gotten there after we left. She talked to the desk clerk. Found out about the bondage, and now she knows about Monroe.”
“I saw the damn story at five last night,” McNeal muttered. “Shit. ‘The cops aren’t talking, but rumors of the Bondage Killer are rampant on the streets…’ Hell. Like I needed that crap from her now.”
Todd winced. He’d also caught the redhead’s story, just like nearly every other person in the city.
Holly Storm had finally made her big splash on News Flash Five.
“Damn straight the cops aren’t talking.” McNeal rapped his fingers on the surface of the desk. “My team doesn’t talk.”
Well, there wasn’t exactly much to be talking about.
“All right. Here’s how this is going to be handled.” He stabbed a blunt finger in the air toward Todd. “You start digging into Monroe’s life. See what you can find out about any girlfriends, people with an ax to grind, whatever.”
He’d already been doing that. It wasn’t like he was a fresh-faced uniform who didn’t know how to handle a case.
The finger stabbed in Smith’s direction. “I want the completed autopsy report on Monroe ASAP.”
“Is there any sign of a print on his chest yet?” Todd asked quickly.
She shook her head. “The killer did a real number on his chest. Seventeen knife wounds.”
Now that was a lot of rage.
Usually that much rage was personal.
“Finish the autopsy. Get me the report.” McNeal’s gaze shot to Colin. “You talked to Dr. Drake about this case?”
“Last night.”
“Good.” He waved his hand toward the door. “That’s all—Smith, Brooks, you two can brief me later on your findings. Gyth, stay so we can talk.”
Smith opened her mouth as if to protest. Then she shook her head and mumbled, “I don’t think I want to hear this, anyway.” Then she marched for the door, head held high.
McNeal’s gaze followed her, and his lips pulled down into a small frown.
The door closed behind her with a soft click. No slam. No sign of fury.
But Todd knew she was angry.
Smith didn’t like being cut out of a case.
Neither did he.
But, unlike Smith, he wasn’t just planning to quietly walk out with his dignity.
Fuck dignity.
This was his case. He wasn’t going to be pushed to the wayside again. He was a good cop, damn it. He’d busted his ass for years on the force. Taken two bullets. Back when he’d been on beat, he’d even gotten one of the highest arrest rates on record for the city.
“That’s all for now, Brooks,” McNeal said gruffly. “I’ll update you on Dr. Drake’s findings later.”
Todd didn’t move. “I think I’ll just listen now. Save you from having to rehash it all later.”
McNeal blinked. “I said that’s all, Brooks.”
A clear dismissal.
He was tired of being dismissed, and after the morning he’d already had, he wasn’t about to back down.
My lover is a demon. I don’t really think these guys can surprise me with anything else after learning that fun fact.
Todd cast a glance at Colin. Found his partner watching him with a tense, worried expression. “After I talk to the captain, I’ll come and brief you,” Colin told him, voice quiet, but his eyes seemed to blaze a warning.
Colin was trying to save his ass, Todd realized. Going toe-to-toe with the captain probably wasn’t a good idea. Colin obviously thought it wasn’t, and now his partner was trying to smooth things over.
Pity he wasn’t in the mood for a nice, polite smoothing. He turned his attention back to the captain. “What don’t you want me to know about this case?”
McNeal smiled. A shark’s smile. “Oh, come on, now, Brooks, don’t be ridiculous! You’re completely in the loop on this case—”
And hell wasn’t hot.
“—I just thought your time would be better spent following other leads—”
“Like with the Night Butcher?” He tossed out.
The smile dimmed. “I don’t like your tone, Detective.”
“And I don’t like being kept in the dark.” He began to pace, unable to contain the swirling energy in his body. “I’m tired of feeling like I’m only catching half of the things happening in this precinct.” In the world. “I’m good at my job. Got enough commendations to plaster the damn wall at my apartment.” He stopped, right next to Colin. “I deserve to know what’s happening.”
“You don’t really want to know.” Colin’s voice.
He turn his head fractionally, just enough to meet his hard stare. “What don’t I want to know, partner? That this world of ours is fucking full of monsters? And that you’re one of them?”
Chapter 9
Silence.
Then, “How long have you known?” The question came from McNeal.
Colin just stared at him. His face was completely blank.
“Since the night Smith was taken. I followed Colin, long enough to see him change.”
Colin flinched.
Todd spared the captain a glance. “Then you called and demanded I come back.”
“Shit.” McNeal rubbed the top of his gleaming head. “I knew you were going after him, but I didn’t realize just how damn close you’d gotten.” McNeal glared at Colin. “How come you didn’t smell him? Hear him? You shifters are supposed to have such keen senses!”
“We do.” A growl.
“I watched from a good distance. Used night-vision binoculars.”
“His scent was already on me,” Colin said nearly a second later. “And that night, I was more focused on Other things.”
McNeal watched him with a hooded gaze. “So how much do you know?”
Not much. “I know werewolves are real—”
“Wolves?” McNeal mumbled. “Fucking figures.”
Colin cleared his throat. “Ah, we’re generally called shifters—not werewolves.”
“—and that demons are, too. I know that place, Paradise Found, is some kind of meeting place for them all.” And that all this shit was still making his head spin. Because now he wondered…how many of the perps he’d busted over the years, how many of the people he’d met—had actually been human? And how many had been something more?
“So you know about your little girlfriend, huh?” Colin drawled.
Todd braced his legs apart as he confronted his partner. “Don’t push me, man. I don’t care how much fur you can grow or how sharp your claws are, I will take you down.” He wasn’t particularly afraid of the big, bad wolf, not anymore. The first, oh, two weeks, yeah, he’d been piss scared. But the fear had soon morphed into anger—anger because his partner should have told him the truth long ago
“You’re gonna take me down?” Colin shook his head. “Another partner tried that. He’s dead, and I’m still here.”
What?
“So how do you feel…knowing all this, Brooks?” McNeal rose and stalked toward them. “Do you think the shifters are evil? The demons are abominations that need to be put down?”
Cara was no abomination. She was beautiful and sensuous and she made him feel better than he’d felt in years.