Page 41 of Brimstone Bound
Making a decision, I stood up. ‘We’ll work together for now. We’ll find the supe responsible for this and bring them to justice.’
‘Supejustice,’ Lukas said.
Barnes’ mouth tightened. ‘Very well.’ She began to re-fasten the buttons on her jacket. ‘I won’t advertise any suspicions about the manner of DC Brown’s death until we have proof. The two of you have the freedom to investigate further – but I don’t want word getting out either about DC Brown, or that I’m permitting a trainee to remain in place without adequate supervision. These are extraordinary circumstances. It will harm all of us if anyone gets wind of what might have really happened. The last thing we need is to sour relations between the police and the supes even further, or to create any more public ill-will.’
She glanced at me. ‘And that silence covers your … resurrection, too. I don’t understand what happened to you, or what you are, but I strongly suggest you keep it to yourself for now.’
‘Agreed.’ I jerked my thumb towards Tony’s room. ‘Send him to Dr Hawes at the Fitzwilliam Manor. She’ll know what to do. We can trust her.’ I checked my watch. ‘We don’t know how long he’s been dead but, if he’s going to wake up like I did, it won’t be long until he does.’
‘Noted.’ She raised her chin. ‘Tony Brown was one of us. Find the bastard who did this.’
Lukas nodded. ‘Count on it.’
Chapter Fifteen
Lukas and I headed down to the DeVane carpark. ‘Here,’ he said, tossing something at me.
I caught it and looked down. A car key. My head snapped up again. ‘What’s this?’
‘It’s for Tallulah.’ He ambled over to the pillar where my crossbow bolt was still embedded, reached up and yanked it out as if he were sliding a knife out of butter.
‘Where did you—’ I frowned at the key. ‘You took this from Tony’s hotel room?’
He shrugged. ‘He doesn’t need it any more.’
‘I told you not to touch anything. I thought we were coming down here because you had a car of your own parked here.’
‘I do,’ he answered smoothly. ‘But Tallulah is better.’
‘Tallulah smells funny,’ I muttered.
Lukas stilled and gave me a long look.
‘What?’ I asked.
‘What is it exactly that you smell?’
‘Tony told me it was a blend of verbena and wolfsbane, but I get patchouli too.’
Lukas absorbed my words for a moment then passed me the silver bolt. ‘Careful with that,’ he said. He continued walking.
‘Wait.’ I caught up to him. ‘What’s the big deal with the smell?’
He put his hands in his pockets. ‘Did Tony tell you why it smells like that?’
‘Not exactly. It’s the same as inside the Supe Squad building, though.’
‘Indeed it is.’
Becoming frustrated, I nudged him. ‘So?’
‘So what?’
‘The smell. Why is it a big deal?’
‘I’m not sure that you really want to know the answer to that, D’Artagnan.’
I ground my teeth. ‘Tell me.’
