Page 27 of Brimstone Bound
‘We swapped copies of our keys when I moved in. I’ll use it to check that he’s in and he’s okay.’
Tony’s neighbour was a damn sight more trusting than Liza. Tony should have had more sense than to give his key to a bloke like this. ‘That would be great!’ I burbled. ‘Thank you!’
‘It’s the least I can do. Just wait a minute and I’ll grab it.’
I did as he asked, banging on Tony’s door a few more times for effect. He wasn’t at the office and he hadn’t been into CID, so he had to be home. Unless he was propping up a bar somewhere, drowning his guilt at having murdered his own mentee. That thought turned my blood to ice and I swallowed.
If he wasn’t in, I’d make up some excuse about waiting for him inside until he showed up. Hopefully his gullible neighbour trusted me with the key. Stranger things had happened.
‘Here we go,’ he said, waving a small silver key. ‘This should do the trick.’
I stood back, calculating the possible outcomes of entering Tony’s flat like this. I still had the paperweight, not to mention Will by my side as back-up. He didn’t look like he’d be capable of much if Tony was hiding inside with a sharp knife in his hand, but it was good to be prepared for every scenario.
As Will wiggled the key and turned it in the lock until there was a click, I tensed my muscles. You can’t hide from me forever, Tony. I’m coming to get you – one way or another.
The door swung open. ‘Tony, are you—’ Will called. He swallowed the rest of his question in stunned shock when we saw what was awaiting us inside.
It was complete devastation. Either Tony was the world’s messiest man or a tornado had whipped through his home. Papers were scattered everywhere, a mirror was lying smashed on the floor and a long sofa had been upturned. I leapt forward, all my earlier suspicions vanishing in an instant. I wasn’t the only one who’d been attacked; Tony had been targeted too – and that put a completely different spin on everything.
I darted from room to room, my heart in my mouth as I searched for a body or bloodstains. I was desperate for anything that might provide a clue about what had happened to him. There was nothing helpful; each room was in a worse state than the last. Whoever had been in here had been thorough.
Paintings had been ripped off the walls and it looked as if a machete had been taken to the mattress in the bedroom. Huge gouges marred its surface and fluffy white stuffing was spilling out in all directions. Tony’s clothes were strewn everywhere. I glanced down at a fallen photo frame. The picture of Tony with his arm round a pretty blonde woman was just visible through the cracked glass. Both of them were beaming at the camera and he had a stain on his cheek that perfectly matched the shade of her lipstick. I swallowed. Bloody hell. What was going on?
Will’s face was white. ‘You were right to be worried about him,’ he whispered. ‘We have to call the police.’
I could only nod; there was no point in telling him that technically Iwasthe police. What good could I do on my own? My legs felt weak and jelly-like. I’d got it all so wrong. ‘I don’t have a phone on me,’ I said.
‘Mine is in my flat.’
‘Okay, let’s call from there.’ I moved shakily to the door. ‘Don’t touch anything. We don’t want to mess with the crime scene.’
If anything, Will looked even paler at my words. I walked past him and gestured for him to follow.
He was distraught. ‘It was those fucking supes. I bet they’re responsible for this. Those vampires have got hold of him – he’s probably lying in a ditch right now with fang marks in his neck. His bones are going to be gnawed by werewolves. That poor man.’
I rounded on him. ‘Enough! This isn’t helping! We don’t know that supes did this. It could have been anyone.’
‘It was them.’ His eyes were as wide as saucers. ‘It had to be.’
‘We don’t know that yet.’
‘They’ll get away with it. The supes get away with murder whenever they want. They’re ungodly! Tony Brown is a bastard, but even he doesn’t deserve this!’ His voice was rising with every word.
I resisted the temptation to grab him by the shoulders and shake him as hard as I could. And then his words filtered through.
I might have only been in Supe Squad since the previous day, but I already knew how it worked. Everyone had told me the same thing. Fred’s words echoed in my head. If the supes were involved, then this was their case; if they weren’t, it would belong to CID. Either way, the investigation would be taken away from me.
I’d been killed and now something had happened to Tony. The two things had to be related. If I called the police now, my own death would be out of my hands. I’d have no control over anything.
I wasn’t normally reckless. Procedures were there for a reason and, fast track or not, I was still only a trainee detective. But yesterday I’d died, and I wasn’t the same person I’d been twenty-four hours earlier. Nobody would have known Tony was in trouble if I hadn’t come here. Questions would be asked about my own involvement, and I wouldn’t have any answers. If I was to remain in control of my own narrative – and my own fate – I had to tread very carefully.
I thought quickly. I couldn’t guarantee that calling the police now would help Tony. But if I remained free to investigate on my own, I still might be able to save him. My hands trembled. I’d be crazy if I did this; I’d be crazy if I didn’t.
‘I’llcall the police,’ I said. My voice sounded like it was coming from a great distance. ‘I’ll deal with this from here.’
Will stared at me. I was pretty certain that I didn’t imagine the relief that flashed across his face. Even though he had Tony’s spare key, he had no desire to get involved with the old detective’s shenanigans, especially when vampires and werewolves and other beasties might be involved.
‘I don’t know,’ he said slowly. ‘They’ll want to talk to me, won’t they?’
