Page 32 of Dawn Caravan
Chloe bit her lips. “Uh, yeah. It kind of is. It’s an email, Ben.”
“An email that proves she was in LA.”And listening to me when I was at the warehouse.
Fuck.
“So? You told me you knew she was there anyway.”
“I thought she was.”
Chloe shrugged. “And now you know. I don’t know why you’re pissed.”
“Because…” He just was. “Forget it.”
“Okaaaay.” She looked up. “Did you want her tokeepfollowing you? Just email her back.”
“Can we work please?”
“Sure.” She turned her laptop around. “So here are the three leads we have. Now the Corsicans—”
“I know. It’s slim. But if we follow what the forger said, it makes sense.”
“But if this ganghasthe icon, why do they want to make forgeries of it?”
Ben thought back to Tenzin, a metalsmith in Venice, and a pile of rare medieval coins. “Just trust me. Sometimes people don’t want to sell the original. And they’re the only criminal organization in the vampire world that’s shown any activity near Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.”
“Okay, so that’s one lead in Corsica, where I have never been—”
“And you will never go.”
“Not even with vampires?”
“Especially not with vampires.” Even Giovanni was cautious about the immortals in Corsica, who were a particularly ruthless fragment of the previous French vampire coalition that had shattered several years before. “You’d probably be fine as a human tourist, but since you’re not an ordinary human tourist, don’t go to Corsica. It doesn’t really matter. It’s last on my list anyway.”
“What about Hungary?”
The second lead was Hungarian. “More probable. Radu has connections there via his sister, so we’re going to focus on that one first.”
“And Turkey?”
“We’ll tackle that one second. We’re looking at three places with strong Roma history and ties to the saint. I still say the Hungarian connection is the strongest.”
Chloe closed her laptop. “Which brings us to tonight. Our meeting with Radu is at midnight. We’re going to a club called Zarva, which is Radu’s place. It isnotlike Gavin’s places.”
“Did you visit?”
“I looked online, and I also asked Gavin. He made that face he makes when we walk though Times Square.”
“Right.” Unfortunately, Gavin’s disgusted face could mean Radu’s club fell anywhere between Euro-tacky and Jersey Shore spring break. “So what do we wear?”
“Wear black. Look handsome and dangerous. It shouldn’t be that difficult for you.”
The corner of his mouth turned up. “I don’t look dangerous.”
“Sure.” Chloe gave him eyes that said otherwise. “Whatever you say.”
“Since when do I look dangerous?” He batted his lashes at her. “I’m a friendly vampire.”
“Benny, why do you think I went out with you in high school?” Chloe stood. “I was a rebellious kid, so you know it wasn’t for your wholesome Midwestern demeanor.”
