City of Sins

Chapter 10

Bri and Bella sat in the Ford, doors open to let in the faint breeze, and watched the so called cavalry ride off, leaving the pair to wait for the police. That call had been a chore, having to run Bobby down via the switchboard and then getting her ass handed to her for checking out a tip without calling him first. As usual, it got shrugged off as she closed the call and tossed the phone in the backseat with an annoyed chuff.

“Bobby being an ass again?” Bri fished a tic-tac out of the container with a talon and handed the container over to Bella.

“Always.” Popping three in her mouth, the sweet mint flooded her taste buds, her stomach making an audible growl. “Damn we need to hit a drive thru when we’re done.” Bad form to starve the body that held the beast, made keeping her cool a little harder.

Bri tucked the little container back in a pocket and shifted her bulk around to face the slender detective.

“SO, you wanna explain what the hell happened in there?” When Bella protested, she held up one beringed finger. “Oh, don’t play stupid either chica. I know you were up to something the minute we saw that crowd arrive.”

Tamping down the urge to stick out her tongue, Bella just gave her an aggrieved look. “Okay… I figure some group has to know something. Odds are some of the lower level shifters in town got wind of this. This is something they wouldn’t tell their leaders.”

Pausing, she started ticking off what she’d seen. “First, the tigers recognized a scent. I’m sure of it. I’m hoping that Zander will hook me up and give me whatever gets beaten out of the guy… or girl. Second, I suspect Michael might have a better line on this sort of activity, his pack is a wild bunch, bikers and a few gang members are in the ranks. Cash money he’s gonna start asking questions and I’ll get a call in a few days.”

Nodding she paused as sirens sounded in the distance. “And, the one thing I didn’t expect was a vamp. There was one there, that’s a smell you don’t forget.”

Two patrol units barrelled into the parking lot, screeching to a halt with little puffs of dust. Bri stared, then laughed. “Damn, didn’t you tell them they didn’t need to hurry?”

“I know right?” Bella didn’t move as the officers exited the vehicles, only moving when she saw Bobby’s sedan pull in at a much more sedate pace. Two CSI vehicles, a criminalistics van and SUV followed him holding additional personnel.

Watching him slam the door with a vengeance, Bella knew she’d have to sweet talk her way out of this. “Hey Bobby.” Waving jauntily as he approached, she motioned Bri to stay in the vehicle, praying he didn’t notice the civilian she’d brought along unless it would save her ass.

“You couldn’t call me?” Bobby didn’t grab her, he’d learned the hard way that pushing a lycanthrope in a high-stress situation wasn’t the smartest of moves. “You forgot the number for dispatch too?”

Leaning down, he nodded at Bri before straightening up and wagging a finger in Bella’s face. “And you brought a civvie to a crime scene?”

Bella’s eyes narrowed, not impressed with the dressing down. “Oh, no you don’t Detective Callahan.” Knocking his hand away, she took a step forward till they were close enough for him to see the swirl of color in normally placid brown eyes. “You hired me as a consultant. I investigate, I follow leads and if they pan out, you get a call.”

Her own hand pointed to the warehouse, tone taking on a sharp edge. “I found your crime scene. I was hoping for a thank you, not you ragging my ass about lack of procedure. If you remember, I left the department for a reason.”

The uniforms had held back near their patrol cars, watching the fireworks with what could be called a smirk. I knew Bobby for coming down hard on the rank and file when they f****d up. “And you didn’t enter the place? Didn’t contaminate the scene?”

Bella stared with disbelief. “Seriously? I gloved up, opened an already open door and took a peek into a room I smelled blood in. Any civvie would have done worse.” Crossing her arms, the lioness watched with impassive eyes.

“I find any trace of you or her…” Bobby warned ominously before stalking off.

From behind her, a sassy voice tried not to laugh. “So I guess we’re good to go home?”

Sighing, Bella dropped into the driver’s seat again. “No, we gotta wait till they release us.”

The pair chatted quietly, every topic from cases still lay open on her desk because of the police case to what they were gonna get to eat on the way home. The sun gradually set, the sky on fire with orange gold that faded into lush pinks and purples. Shadows lengthened, leaving inky darkness so thick even light didn’t penetrate in some spots.

Bri took in the ambiance with a grimace. “I still have no idea why you’d end up down here.”

“Yeah, it definitely has a freakishly creepy vibe.” Nose twitching, Bella scented the evening breeze, now redolent of desert primrose and western redbud. “So the location is prime for gladiator battles to the death.”

Her lips snapped shut as a uniform approached, stopping a good ten feet from the Ford and waving. “Come on ladies, the LT needs you.”

“What the f**k he need me for?” Bri hefted her bulk out of the passenger seat, grousing the entire time.

Bella slid out as well and the two of them followed the officer under the tape by the door and into the building. Now, with just the lights from the criminalistic units and the few bulbs in the building that still worked, the interior had a sinister vibe. The interior of the building seemed to be fairly decently lit but the outer edges had deep shadows, some of the wrecked shelves and piles of tangled metal leaving dark spaces that light didn’t penetrate.

Bella’d bet cash money that those areas stank of s*x and other sweaty pursuits, something about blood and violence brought out the basest of instincts in humans and beasts. But Bobby stood by the office where she’d found the blood, waving them towards him with a grim expression.

“So, neither of you touched a thing, am I correct?” Bobby’s gaze shifted from one to the other, then back to hone in on Bella. “Not a thing?”

Both females shook their heads, but Bella’s interest perked up. Sounded like a new lead was coming her way. Bobby looked at both of their feet then held out his hand to Bri. “Your shoe please.”

“Excuse me?” Amazing how quick the part time, semi retired hooker moved to hide her prodigious expanse behind Bella’s slim frame. “You know how much these cost?”

Bobby looked ready to blow. “Christ woman, I’m not going to wear them! Just hand me one of your SHOES!”

Bella smothered a laugh at Bri’s expression, a mixture of female fury and a tiny bit of respect. Something to be said when a cop got her bestie’s back up and still survived the encounter.

Bri reluctantly handed over a pump then stood there, hovering on the one so she didn’t lose the height advantage. “Fine, but I expect it to be returned as is, no scuffs or blood or any of that nasty business.” Didn’t stop her from trying to see around the detective to figure out what they needed her shoe for.

Bella watched with interest as Bobby stalked back to the CSI’s with shoe in hand. There were a few moments of terse conversation, then he returned and handed the shoe back to Bri. As she teetered putting it back on, Bella stared him down. “A woman was in here? So you think they’re using someone as bait to lure the shifters into fights?”

He c****d an eyebrow at her. “Why don’t you tell me Ms. Consultant.” His tone was back to normal, that amused tell me something I don’t know slant to his smile.

Rolling her eyes, Bella stepped away from Bri and let her beast roll out of the cage. It didn’t take but a moment for woman and lioness to meld, a seamless blend that had no delineations between the two.

Her walk took on a predatory glide, a roll that didn’t quite belong to a human but so graceful that the danger in the approach was lost on many in the room. Except for Reese from their first crime scene, he swallowed and took a tiny, imperceptible step back. As she approached, Bella smiled but there was a weight behind it, a knowing and he blanched.

Shrugging internally, she continued on. Lips parted, air flowing over the tongue and Bella shuddered in reaction. Shallow breathing was always best around blood, especially with a hungry shifter who loved the scent. Her stomach growled as the rich copper scent, tainted with decomp, ghosted over her tongue and it was hard to pull anything out of it other than the richness of the kill, old as it was.

Bella buckled down though and focused, picking up thin trails here and there. Some were like the other scene, wolves and tigers, a few humans and once again the vampire made an appearance. “Bobby. Did you guys find any evidence of a vamp at the last crime scene?”

Reese approached cautiously and caught the last bit of her comment. “No, I mean we haven’t run every sample but….”

Bobby glowered menacingly and the younger man backed off so the detective returned his attention to the slender lioness. “We’re not sure and apparently not. Why do you ask?”

Bella shrugged and answered, very aware of Reese’s presence and her psychic cover story. “I sense a vamp. Not sure why but I didn’t get that off the body the first time, probably because he’d been eaten.” Flicking a glance at the CSI tech, she managed a smile. “That overrode everything.”

The detective fixed her with his stern stare. “You sure?”

“Yeah. Guess I’m heading for the Luxor next.” So much for something other than the nearest drive thru. Bella sighed and for the umpteenth time questioned her life choices with this job.

Bobby grinned. “I guess you are.”