Page 8 of Feral Attraction
“What’s that?”
“He mentors at-risk youth.Employed for seven years.Good evals.I managed to get some of his particulars, but we need to interview his administrator.”
Con nodded, his hair falling across his forehead again.“When was George murdered?”
“Three nights ago.”
“You got me here fast.”Her eyes followed his hand as he stroked his rugged jaw.
“For a good reason.In addition to the means of death, there’s a dark side to George.He ran with a bunch of wannabe vampires.”Rey watched for Con’s reaction.
There was a slight lift to his brows.“Wannabes?Humans are running around acting like vampires?”
“Yep.I read up on it.The phenomenon can be associated with a severe mental disorder, sometimes called Renfield’s syndrome.The patient is compelled to consume blood, their own or another’s.It’s a rare situation, but it’s been reported in adults diagnosed with schizophrenia.That’s not the case with our George.He just dressed the part and frequented clubs with other fakers.”
“How did he dress the part?”
“When he was killed, he was wearing black clothes and a cape.We gotta talk to the sex club worker who found him in the alley behind...”she glanced down at the file...“Blood Sport.”
“So these wannabes go to vampire sex clubs dressed like movie Draculas?This should be interesting.Do these players have fake fangs?”
“I’ve heard some file down their teeth.”
“Takes all kinds.”He flung his hands behind his neck, cradling his head.
“Yeah.”She sighed at the sight of his rippling muscles, hoping he missed her unprofessional slip.“We’ll be talking to those kinds and the woman who found him.”
“Anybody else?”
She studied the list she’d made, planning to add to it as needed.“Somebody at the neighborhood bar he frequented and an ex-wife.That’s all I’ve got for now.”
“You get a lot of crime here?”
“Not in this precinct.It covers the World Trade Center, Soho, Tribeca, and Wall Street.Where the real criminals hang out,” she added.“Our murder stats are nearly nil.Robbery, assault, and grand larceny are the biggest problems.”
He dropped his arms and leaned closer to her desk.“I get the sense you want to tell me more.”
She did but didn’t want to sound like a crazy alarmist.She’d asked Chiara for help for a reason.Best to put it out there.“I believe there are similar murders in the state.”
Con straightened in his chair.
Now she had his attention on the case rather than her body.“Three upstate.Buffalo, Albany, and Ithaca.All unsolved.”
“What makes you think they’re related?”
“Death by neck-bite.”
****
Conwas now as curious about the case as he was about the cop.Maybe his trip Earthside wouldn’t be so bad.The perp could be a human serial killer.Or an Aeternal with a taste for blood or flesh.Of course, George still had most of his blood.Could rule out a vampire or maybe he was interrupted.“When were the other murders?”
“The one in Buffalo is over a year old.The Ithaca death was about six months ago.Albany is more recent.Not quite a month since.”
“We should visit those locales.”His time in New York was going to be longer than expected.He’d have to work on controlling his aggression.Too many humans.Of course, the worst was Rey’s scent.She smelled of fresh pine in North Shelter.Lemons sold in Covenkirk open markets.Chocolate from his favorite shop in the same city.It clawed at him, making him want a taste.
“Yep.I’ve shared this idea with my captain.Nobody else has connected the murders.The cap doesn’t believe me.I could be wrong.Doubt it, though.”
That explained why she’d wanted help.A single case was one thing.A slew of killings perpetrated by an Aeternal would raise a shitstorm.
