Page 66 of Brimstone Bound
‘Why does she have all these scars?’ I asked. ‘Is this normal for werewolves of her age?’
He shrugged. ‘Perfectly normal. You’d be hard pressed to find many wolves who don’t possess battle scars.’
I raised an eyebrow. ‘Battle scars?’
‘From the full-moon challenges,’ he explained. ‘If a lower-ranking wolf is smart, they choose someone they know they can beat.’ He grimaced slightly. ‘Not every wolf is smart.’
The technician took pity on my ignorance. ‘The day after the full moon is our busiest time.’
I blinked. ‘With bodies? You mean you fight each other to the death for the chance to move up a rank?’ Lady Sullivan hadn’t mentioned that unsavoury titbit.
‘I meant it’s thehospital’sbusiest time.’ She sniffed. ‘Not the morgue’s.’
‘Accidental deaths do occur,’ Robert explained. ‘But not that frequently.’
I thought about what Tony had told me about the werewolves’ reduced lifespan and wondered if that were actually true.
‘I’ve yet to meet a human who understands our rituals.’ The technician looked at me pointedly. ‘Or who doesn’t judge us by them.’
‘Is that in much the same way that you’ve been judging me?’ I asked.
She stiffened.
Robert cleared his throat. ‘Shall we leave the morgue so they can conduct the tests you’ve requested and move on to her flat?’
I glanced at Becca’s lifeless body. Finding a tiny pinprick amongst her many scars would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
‘That sounds good to me,’ Lukas agreed. ‘D’Artagnan?’
Despite my reluctance to leave off examining Becca’s corpse, I nodded. ‘Very well.’
***
Anna and Becca had shared a ground-floor flat. It was a few streets away from where I’d first seen Becca running and covered in blood. I paused outside the front door, trying to picture Gregory strolling past and Becca barrelling out in her underwear to confront him about her sister’s disappearance. It seemed vaguely plausible.
‘Did you speak to the neighbours after Gregory and Becca’s fight?’ Lukas asked Robert, taking the words right out of my mouth.
‘We’re not completely incompetent.’ The werewolf gave him a sidelong look. ‘Apologies, Lord Horvath – I didn’t mean to sound so defensive. But it is hard to have our methods questioned in this manner. I’m unused to such interference.’
‘We’re not here to challenge you,’ Lukas replied quietly. ‘That’s not what this is about. But I’d feel the same in your position. No apology is necessary.’
Robert licked his lips. ‘May I ask why you have involved yourself? You haven’t mentioned any evidence of vampire collusion, either in DC Brown’s death or in these outlandish suspicions about Becca and her sister.’
Lukas didn’t look at me. ‘Let’s call it professional curiosity, combined with a desire to continue to keep Supernatural Squad at bay.’
I rolled my eyes. Yeah, yeah.
I walked past them into the flat. I could take it from here.
Light filtered in through the large Georgian windows. Noting the indentation in a cushion on a chair nearby, I sat down in the same spot and gazed outside. I had a clear view of the whole street. If Becca had been here when Gregory walked past, no wonder she’d noticed him.
I stood up and looked around. There were a few glossy magazines on the streak-free, glass-topped table, together with a worn copy of Bram Stoker’sDracula. I smirked. Perhaps it was required reading for supes.
I picked it up, noting the small bookmark about halfway through. It was the stub of an entry ticket. I peered at it: it was for Crystal, the club where Gregory said he’d chatted up Anna. Hmm. I put the book down again.
In the narrow galley kitchen, I opened cupboards and peered inside at the neat stacks of plates and cups and cutlery. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary.
I frowned as Lukas appeared, his frame filling the doorway. ‘Find anything useful?’
