Suspects: murder case

Chapter 79

"She just looks so tasty," Daniel said.

"I've had about enough of you," I said.

"What's wrong? Mason-Claude and Richard both tease you. "

"I'm dating both of them," I said. "I'm not dating you. "

"Maybe you've got a thing for monsters. I can be just as scary as the next guy. "

I stared at him. "No," I said, "you can't. That's why you're not alpha. That's why you're Mason-Claude's pet, because you aren't scary enough. "

Something flowed through his pale blue eyes. Something angry and dangerous. Sitting there with his forkful of scrambled eggs, and a Coke in one hand, he was suddenly different. It was hard to put into words, but it raised the hair on the back of my neck.

"Ease down, wolf-boy," I said. My voice was soft, careful. I was sitting less than a foot away from him. At this distance he could jump me easy. The Browning was an inch away from my right hand, but I knew better. I might grab the g*n, but I'd never get it pointed in time. I'd seen him move before, and I wasn't quick enough. Lack of sleep was making me trusting, or stupid. Same thing.

A low, trickling growl rumbled out of him. My pulse beat a little faster.

Larry's g*n was suddenly pointing past my nose at the werewolf's face. "Don't," Larry said. His voice was low and even, and very damn serious.

I eased back off the bar stool, bringing the Browning with me. Didn't really want Larry's g*n to go off right next to my face.

I pointed my g*n at Daniel's chest, one-handed, almost casual. "Don't ever threaten me again. "

Daniel stared at me. His beast lurked just behind his eyes like a wave rushing towards the shore.

"You start going furry, and I won't wait to find out if you're bluffing," I said.

Larry had one knee on the bar stool, g*n still pointed nice and steady. I hoped he didn't fall off the bar stool and accidentally shoot Daniel. If he shot him, I wanted it to be on purpose.

Daniel's shoulders relaxed. His hands unclenched, leaving the fork and the drink on the bar. He closed his eyes and sat very still for nearly a full minute. Larry and I waited, guns still pointed. Larry's eyes flicked to me. I shook my head.

Daniel opened his eyes and let out a deep, sighing breath. He looked normal again, that tension drained away. He grinned. "I had to try. "

I took another step back, putting my back to the wall. Out of reach, I lowered the g*n. Larry hesitated, but followed my lead.

"So you tried; now what?"

He shrugged. "You're dominant to me. "

"Just like that," I said.

"Would you be happier if I made you fight me?"

I shook my head.

"But I backed her up," Larry said. "She didn't do it alone. "

"Doesn't matter. You're loyal to her, would risk your life for her. There's more to being dominant than just muscle, or guns. "

Larry looked puzzled. "What do you mean, dominant? I feel like I'm missing part of the conversation. "

"Why are you working so damn hard at not being human, Daniel?" I asked.

He smiled and went back to his breakfast.

"Answer me, Daniel. "

He finished off his eggs and said, "No. "

"What's going on?" Larry said.

"Mind games," I said.

Larry made an exasperated noise. "Someone explain to me why we had to pull a g*n on someone who's supposed to be on our side. "

"Mason-Claude keeps telling me Richard isn't any more human than he is. Daniel's little display helps emphasize that. Doesn't it, wolf-boy?"

Daniel ate the rest of his food like we weren't there.

"Answer me," I said.

He turned on the bar stool, putting his elbows behind him. "I have too many masters now, Anita. I don't need another one. "

"And I've got too many monsters messing with me right now. Don't add yourself to the list, Daniel. "

"Is it a short list?" he asked.

"Gets shorter all the time," I said.

He smiled and slid off the bar stool. "Is anybody tired but me?"

Larry and I stared at him. The werewolf didn't look tired--more than I could say for us mere humans.

Daniel wasn't going to answer my questions, and they weren't important enough to shoot him over. Stalemate.

"Fine; where are you sleeping?" I asked.

"If you trust me not to eat him, in Larry's room. "

"No way," I said.

"You want me here, with you?"

"I told him he could stay in my room on the ride over," Larry said.

"That was before he pulled the werewolf crap," I said.

Larry shrugged. "You've got the Master of the City tucked into your bed. I think I can handle one werewolf. "

I didn't think so. But I didn't want to discuss it in front of the werewolf. "No, Larry. "

He was instantly angry. "What do I have to do to prove myself to you?"

"Stay alive," I said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're not a shooter, Larry. "

"I was willing to shoot him. " Larry pointed to the smiling werewolf.

"I know. "

"Because I'm not trigger-happy, you don't trust me to handle myself?"

I sighed. "Larry, please. If Daniel turned furry in the middle of the day and killed you, I couldn't live with myself. "

"And if he kills you?" Larry said.

"He won't. "

"Why not?" Larry asked.

"Because Mason-Claude would kill him. If he hurt you, I'd kill him, but I don't know if Mason-Claude would avenge you. Daniel's more frightened of Mason-Claude than he is of me. Aren't you, Daniel?"

Daniel had sat down on the end of the couch on my blanket. "Oh, yes. "

"I don't know why," Larry said. "You're the one who kills for Mason-Claude. He never seems to kill anyone on his own. "

"Larry, who would you be more afraid of, Mason-Claude or me?"

"You wouldn't hurt me," he said.

"If you had to face one of us, which would you prefer?"

Larry looked at me for a long time. The anger drained away, replaced by something tired and old in his eyes. "Him. "

"For God's sake, why?" I asked.

"I've seen you kill a lot of people, Anita. A lot more than Mason-Claude. He might try to frighten me to death, but you'd just kill me. "

My mouth was open, just a little. "If you really believe that I'm more dangerous than Mason-Claude, then you haven't been paying attention. "

"I didn't say you were more dangerous. I said you'd kill me quicker. "

"That's why I'm not as afraid of Anita as I am of Mason-Claude," Daniel said.

Larry looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"All she'll do is kill me, quick, neat. Mason-Claude wouldn't kill me quick, or easy. He'd make sure it hurt. "

The two men stared at each other. Each one's logic was sound as far as it went. I was with Daniel. "If you really believe what you're saying, Larry, then you haven't seen enough vampires. "

"How am I ever going to see enough vampires if you keep me at arm's length, Anita?"

Had I really kept him out of it that much? Had I overprotected him? Let him see my ruthlessness but not Mason-Claude's?

"And I'm going to the master's tomorrow night. You are not leaving me behind anymore. "

"You're right," I said. The a

nswer seemed to surprise both of them.

"If you really believe that I'd kill someone quicker than Mason-Claude would, I have overprotected you. You have to understand how dangerous they are, Larry. How deadly, or someday I won't be around and you'll get killed. "

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. My stomach was tight with fear. Fear that Larry would get killed because I'd kept him out of it. It was something I hadn't anticipated.

"Come on, Daniel," Larry said.

Daniel stood up.

"No. Tomorrow you can be a*s-deep in vampires with me watching. Until you understand how dangerous the monsters are, I don't want you alone with them. "

His eyes were angry and hurt. I'd undercut his confidence, his self-esteem. But. . . what else could I do?

Larry turned abruptly on his heel and left. He didn't argue. He didn't say goodbye. He slammed the door behind him, and I fought an urge to follow him. What could I say? I leaned my forehead against the door, and whispered, "Damn. "

"Do I get the couch?" Daniel asked.

I turned and leaned against the door. I still had the Browning in my hand, though I wasn't sure why anymore. I was getting tired, sloppy. "No, I get the couch. "

"Where do you want me, then?"

"I don't care; just not near me. "

He ran his hands down the edge of the blanket, running the cloth between his fingers. "If you're really sleeping out here, I'd just as soon have the bed. "

"It's taken," I said.

"How big is the bed?"

"King-size, but what difference does it make?"

"Mason-Claude won't mind if I share with him. He'd prefer it was you, but. . . " He shrugged.

I looked at him, at his tranquil, pleasant face. "Is this the first time you've shared a bed with Mason-Claude?"

"No," he said.

It must have shown on my face, because he lowered the high neck of the sweater enough for me to see two fang marks. I pushed away from the wall and walked closer. Close enough to see that the bite was almost healed.

"Sometimes he likes a snack when he first wakes up," Daniel said.

"Jesus," I said.

Daniel let go of the collar, and it slid over the bite like it wasn't there. The same way you'd hide a hickey. Daniel sat there looking harmless. He was exactly my height, and had the face of a knowledgeable angel.

"Richard didn't let Mason-Claude snack on him," I said.

"No," he said.

"No. That's all you have to say. "

"What do you want me to say, Anita?"

I thought about that for a second. "I want you to be outraged. Angry. "

"Why?"

I shook my head. "Go to bed, Daniel. You're making me tired. "

He went into the bedroom without another word. I didn't peek to see if he changed into a wolf and curled up on the carpet, or if he crawled into bed beside the corpse. None of my business, or at least nothing I wanted to see.

I put the Browning under the pillow with the safety on. At home with the g*n in the special holster I'd added to the headboard of the bed, the safety would have been off. But I'd look pretty silly if I accidentally shot myself during the night--day--trying to protect myself from werewolves.

The Firestar I put under the couch cushion, safety on. Normally it would have been in my luggage, but I was feeling just a little insecure.

The knives were in the luggage. Things weren't quite dangerous enough to wear the wrist sheaths to bed. Besides, they weren't very comfortable, not to sleep in, anyway.

I had just settled down for a long day's sleep when I realized I hadn't called Special Agent Bradford. Damn. I threw the blanket back and padded to the telephone in nothing but a t-shirt and undies. Yes, the Browning came with me. Doesn't do you a damn bit of good to have a weapon if it isn't with you.

I dialed the number and got no answer. Fancy that. Didn't everyone work twenty-four hours a day? I had his beeper number. Could the news about Xavier wait? Would even having the name help them? Agent Bradford had made it very clear that I was persona non grata. First, Freemont had blackballed me; second, the Quinlans were threatening to sue everybody unless I was kept away from the case. I'd done such a bang-up job protecting their family, they didn't want a repeat. They seemed to think I'd get their son killed. Fancy that.

I had Bradford's beeper number. He'd given strict orders that if I found out anything I was to tell him, and only him. Made me not want to tell him a b****y thing. But who was I to say the FBI didn't have a vampire file somewhere? Maybe the name would mean something to them. Maybe it would help them find Jeff. Besides, Mason-Claude hadn't told me not to give Xavier's name to the cops. I used the beeper number. I left my phone number. Now I could either go back to bed, and let his return call wake me, or I could sit in the chair for a few minutes and wait. I waited.

The phone rang in under five minutes. I like a man who returns his pages promptly. I said "Hello," in case it wasn't him. It was.

"Special Agent Bradford. This number was on my beeper. " His voice was rough with sleep.

"This is Anita Blake. "

A moment of silence, then, "Do you know what time it is?"

"I haven't been to bed yet, so yeah, I know what time it is. "

Another silence. "What do you want, Ms. Blake?"

I took a deep breath and let it out slow. Getting mad would not be helpful. "I have a possible name for the vampire that's been slaughtering kids. "

"What's the name?"

"Xavier. "

"Last name?"

"Vampires don't have last names, as a general rule. "

"Thank you for the name, Ms. Blake. How did you get it?"

I thought about that for a few seconds. I couldn't think of a really good answer. "It sort of fell into my lap. "

"Why don't I believe that, Ms. Blake? I thought I'd made myself clear this evening. You are not to involve yourself in this case, in any way. "