Page 49 of The Timeless Vigilante

“Not if he left early because he had to be off the set,” Gen countered.

Rudolf’s eyes sparkled with a secret knowing. “But the janitor wanted to stay close and what better way to do that than live on the set.”

Gen’s mouth fell open. “The cot in the rafters.”

“Exactly,” Sherlock stated. “That gave the janitor the access to plant the letters, get into the vault to get the keys and copy them, murder the director and then the other actors.”

“And none of them would have been on guard, thinking they were on set alone, right?” Gen asked.

Sherlock nodded. “It’s all about the element of surprise.”

“And then the janitor spread the idea that the show was cursed,” Rudolf stated. “Using the key to the vault and his full access of the set, he tampered with the tapes, giving weight to this cursed idea.”

“But really, all the janitor wanted was for the show to fail since he wasn’t getting credit for it,” Sherlock stated.

“Wow, I can’t believe you two figured all that out,” Gen mused, amazed. “I had my suspicions of the others, but I never saw it being the janitor.”

“The others had reasons that cast the spotlight on them,” Rudolf began. “But in the end, all the facts pointed at the janitor.”

“This is true,” Sherlock said, looking over his shoulder at the chaos with the police and cast and crew before turning back to Gen and his assistant. “In detective work, eliminate the impossible and whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

“Well said,” Rudolf cheered, putting one arm around Gen’s shoulder and the other around Sherlock’s. “Now how about I take you two out for a drink? I haven’t had one in minutes and I’m parched.”

Sherlock nodded. “I always like the idea of celebrating a closed case with a nice sherry.”

Gen smiled, allowing the king of the fae to lead her and the detective off down the pavement. “Yes, and I’ll take a whiskey and maybe a bit more of your wisdom on sleuthing.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

THE UNNATURAL ARRANGEMENT

Grounds, Rogue Rider Mansion, Beverly Hills, California, United States

Jaws snapped, threatening. Claws whipped through the crisp morning air, intimidating. Tails smacked the earth, alarming.

In the manicured sprawl of the Rogue Riders’ estate, under an indifferent sky, Dwayne Stone commanded his dragon, Night. The sleek and formidable creature had been forced into a cruel contest against a Kodiak bear. Night, covered in gray, shiny scales, faced the bear, a creature of raw strength and primal ferocity.

Neither animal was a willing participant in this spectacle. Gen stood by, next to her own dragon, both forced to witness the heart-wrenching scene. This training session felt like a sick show of anger and sorrow.

The lush grounds and elegant topiaries around them mocked the brutality unfolding. In the distance, the neat mansion was an ironic backdrop to the savage display of brutality in front of Gen. Disgust curdled in her stomach and so badly did she want to intervene. Beside her Emperor felt her heartache for the bear and dragon forced to fight one another. And she knew he shared her sentiment.

The brown bear covered in fur and with a body that shook with winter reserves couldn’t have looked more different alongside the gray dragon. Night was twice the bear’s length, but their weight was comparable. The other thing that they shared were deep looks of trepidation, both creatures knowing that a real fight between them would leave both fatally injured. It was simply an unnatural arrangement and everyone watching silently knew it.

“This isn’t right!” Gen protested, throwing her arms wide.

“It’s training,” Dwayne said through clenched teeth, standing a short distance away and proudly watching as the bear and the dragon circled each other—neither wanting to make the next move.

“It’s sick!” Gen dared to say while the other Rogue Riders averted their gazes, their dragons stationed behind them. She motioned to the bystanders. “You all know that a bear shouldn’t be forced to fight a dragon. He’s an innocent creature and outmatched since Night has fire.”

“But Night is slow, and the Kodiak bear is fast,” Dwayne said, looking over his shoulder at her. “My dragon needs to learn to pick up the pace. Either he does, or the bear will teach him a lesson the hard way.”

Gen shook with rage and revulsion. Make this stop, she said in her head to Emperor.

He glared down at her. I can’t use my mind control on Night. It will have repercussions that we do not want.

Then stop the bear, Gen urged.

The animal needs to be able to defend himself if attacked, Emperor stated. To intervene would be to take away his honor and pride. I can’t do that.

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