Page 16 of The Mermaid's Bubble Lounge
“Should we run or snooze?” Hanging out with vampires was hell on sleep. At the word run, Fergus leapt up and pranced in a circle. “Okay. Let me get dressed.”
As I was getting ready, I realized I had a message from Clive on my phone. I ducked my head back into the bedroom and saw my husband in bed. Odd.
I opened voicemail and heard, Hello, darling. I’m leaving you an update, since you’re sleeping soundly right now. Cadmael and Vlad went down to the wharf to check out where the woman had been killed. After you fell asleep, I joined them. I now understand Godfrey and Audrey’s frustration. The scent trails are all there. I feel like I could map the entire attack and its aftermath, all except for the killer.
We’ve split up now. I’m searching along the water’s edge for anything out of the ordinary and finding nothing. I’ll probably stay down here another hour or so and then I’ll be home. Chances are you won’t hear this until I’m home and you’re awake. So, good morning, love. Stay safe today.
I leaned over the bed and dropped a kiss on his lips. “I love you too and I’ll do my best.” After slipping my phone in my hip pocket, I slapped my thigh and Fergus jumped up to race me down the stairs.
My phone began buzzing as Fergus went to his water bowl. I pulled it out and looked at the screen. Nerissa.
“Hello?” The woman owned The Bubble Lounge. What was she doing calling me a little after five in the morning?
“Sam, I need your help.”
“Okay.”
She blew out a breath. “It happened again. There’s a dead man by the dumpster and he has two holes in his neck.”
My stomach dropped. “The police won’t let me near the crime scene. They ran me off yesterday morning.”
“I haven’t called them yet. I had cameras installed yesterday. They have motion sensors. After being alerted a maddening number of times and only seeing cats or tourists appear on the camera feed, I muted the alarms. I meant to unmute when we closed for the evening, but it was such a long, horrible day, I forgot.”
“I understand.”
“I finally remembered and looked.” She paused, the silence charged. “I saw the killer and he looks familiar. I just—I need someone like you, someone trustworthy, to check the scene. I’ll send you the video clip as well. The body could be found at any time, though, so I need you to get to the club quickly.”
“On my way.” I disconnected, grabbed Fergus’ leash, and headed for the elevator down to the garage. Fergus was confused but followed.
When the elevator doors opened, I looked over a sea of expensive automobiles. Clive had a weakness for them. I went to the safe and sturdy sedan I usually drove, letting Fergus into the back seat. The drive down to Fisherman’s Wharf was easy this early in the morning. I had to use a parking garage and then Fergus and I ran a block to The Bubble Lounge.
Hopefully the lack of sirens and flashing lights meant that no one had stumbled upon the body yet. We hopped over the chain blocking the entrance to the parking lot and headed around the side. I pulled my hood up, hiding most of my face, and then shifted my snout. Head down, I parsed through the scents, finding Clive, Vlad, and Cadmael among all the humans and fae.
Fergus whined, pulling at the leash. He knew there was a dead body nearby. I smelled it too. Head down, I followed the scent to the back. Clive had walked along this path.
I made Fergus sit and stay. He whined, but one growl from me shut him up. The dead man appeared to be living rough on the streets. His clothes were filthy. The stench of his long-unwashed body overpowered almost everything else. In death, muscles relax and bodies release waste, so I was sorting through those smells as well, looking for the killer.
The dead man had been on or in the dumpster, no doubt looking for food. There was the smell of cats all throughout the area, though that specific scent was focused on the dumpster. And Clive again, faintly and underneath the death.
As with the woman, the latest victim was on his back, staring sightlessly up at the sky, a prominent vampire bite on his neck. I leaned in as close as I could, to study and sniff the wound. Trails of dried blood marked a path from the bite to the collar of the man’s jacket. Closing my eyes, I tried to sort through every single scent, looking for one that didn’t belong.
The bark of the sea lions jolted me out of my daze. I had to call it in. I had no idea how long I’d already been here and whether or not one of the fishing boats had noticed me. I quickly took pictures and then a video, in case that helped.
I moved to Fergus, put my hand on his head, and dialed nine-one-one. Fergus was looking up, staring at the roof. As I spoke with the dispatcher and was told to stay until police arrived, I stared up too. Pointed ears appeared, and then the bright eyes of a cat looked over the edge, staring down at us.
Shaking my head, I finished answering questions. When I disconnected with the police, I called Vlad.
“What?” His bored voice helped settle my nerves.
“There was another attack last night. I’m first on the scene. I just called the authorities and was told to wait.”
“Where?” he asked.
“The Bubble Lounge again.”
He cursed. “Quick. Take pictures of everything and send them to me.”
“Already ahead of you. I’m sending them now.” While they sent, I continued, “I searched all around the building. Besides you, Clive, Cadmael, Godfrey, and Audrey, there isn’t another one of your kind around.”
