Page 69 of Midnight Coven

“I don’t think theyhavea Midnight out here, Nick.” Jordan sighed. “Maybe they share the one in Queens sometimes, but my understanding was thatyouwere the Midnight assigned to this case. I thought they’d already calledyoutwo out here.”

Jordan let out another exasperated sigh.

“Believe me, I’m hearing you on the vampire backup. I would definitely prefer tonotbe out there without a vampire on my side. If you’re leaving Manhattan now, it shouldn’t take you and Morley too long to get out here. Not at this time of night. Maybe we could go somewhere after. Get some food and talk about what we know so far.”

There was a loaded-feeling silence.

In it, Nick and Morley exchanged looks.

They both heard the subtext in the younger detective’s words.

Jordan didn’t feel safe speaking freely right then, either. He was avoiding using the comms. That might be the real reason he hadn’t called, especially if he’d been under the impression Nick and Morley were already on their way.

More than that though, Nick got the sense Jordan was nervous about the Tanaka house, too. He wasn’t humoring Nick. He reallydidn’twant to go out to the Tanaka house without them. Nick didn’t know if Jordan’s concerns were the same as his, but he clearly thought something weird was going on at that house.

“Wait for us,” Nick said, trying one more time. “Go get coffee or something. Wait for us by the gate. It won’t make much difference.”

Morley stared at Nick, incredulous.

But Jordan answered before the old man could.

“I can’t wait. Acharya is expecting me to call him as soon as I get out there.”

“Fuck Acharya,” Nick grumbled. “And fuck his donor class.”

“Get your asses out here,” the younger detective shot back. “You’d better be driving my wayright now,Tanaka, because I’m walking out to my car.”

Nick and Morley exchanged another look.

Then, without another word, they turned, practically within the same instant.

“On our way,” Morley said.

He was already unlocking the car with his headset.

As he did, Nick slid his hand into his coat pocket, fingering the origami unicorn.

Goddamn it. He should have looked at it while they were outside, away from the more obvious cameras. If he opened it inside the police car, Nick might as well arrest himself.

For evidence tampering. For messing with the evidentiary chain of custody. For taking something from a crime scene without authorization.

He should have looked at the damned thing.

He knew there had to be more to the message.

There had to be more to why the Stranger left it for Nick to find.

There had to be.

Nick just hoped it had nothing to do with that mansion out on Long Island.

CHAPTER16

LONG ISLAND

Nick wanted to call Wynter.

He really fucking wanted to call her.

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