Alek sat next to Devlin on a hard wooden bench staring at the walls inside the holding cell at the Police Precinct in Perry. Lights flickered overhead, sending the room periodically into darkness. Their constant buzz reminded him of the mosquito traps that hung on porches in the areas near water. Those bright, neon blue lights luring the pesky bugs in only to zap them to death.
He felt like one of those bugs now with the heavy weight of foreboding pressing in on him, only to be temporarily assuaged with the blaze of the weak light illuminating the room.
The smell of piss and vomit filled the warm air inside the cell. The stench seemed to be gnawing away at his skin and digging into his pores. Sweat coated his face and arms, adding fuel to the discomfort he was already feeling.
Both the bench and walls had been covered in varying degrees of madness: pleas of innocence overlapping vows of revenge; symbols of hate covering drawings of black fists and tags with names like Baby D and Lil Dawg. The walls seemed as if they were screaming in pain. There was desperation in every angry stroke of the pen.
A death mask had been drawn on the wall opposite from them. A face outlined in white with sightless eyes surrounded by an exaggerated charcoal design. The dark paint looked as if it were bleeding onto the ivory skin. And the mouth appeared to be filled with blood.
The lights buzzed off, pitching them into complete darkness.
Seconds later, they flickered back on, and Alek’s gaze landed on the scrawled message underneath the mask. I drank her tears and swallowed her pain.
The orange tendrils of his magick crawled along the concrete floor, seeking. In the dark, the brightness of his power looked like blood seeping up from the ground. Devlin’s blue aura pulsed beside him—keeping time with his heartbeat.
They had assumed they would be going to a precinct in Pleasanton where Theresa lived. But the officers had brought them to Perry. Most likely at the request of Detective Barnes. He’d already harassed Devlin once this week. They both agreed the man had to be working for the Stewart family. Which meant the set-up Logan orchestrated had been a ploy to get them here.
The lights flickered off, leaving them in pitch dark.
Light spilled into the corridor, bringing a cool draft with it.
Alek sent his magick out further and found four eager minds moving closer to them. Three of which were intent on violence.
The light vanished.
The cell clanged open.
“Five minutes,” a man whispered with anticipation in his voice.
Alek surged up, Devlin following behind him.
Adrenaline flooded his body.
A whisper of wind announced the attack.
He had only a brief second to block the blow. Pain radiated down his arm.
The next blow knocked him back. He stumbled over the bench, righting himself quickly.
Someone tried to push inside his mind with magick.
Alek lashed out with his own.
A pained howl erupted from his attacker as Alek latched onto the man’s mind. It was the elation that stopped him. Why would his attacker be happy Alek was hurting him?
In that brief second, another fist connected with the side of his head. He fell to the ground, his knees biting into the hard concrete.
Devlin bellowed and Alek heard another grunt. His boss must have landed a blow.
A foot connected with his side, and Alek reached out and grabbed it, twisting the boot covered foot. His attacker fell and Alek pounced. His eyes had finally adjusted to the dark. He planted a fist in the man’s face, feeling the jaw give way under the powerful strike.
Someone jumped on his back and wrapped their arm around his neck, cutting off his air supply.
Dots flashed in his eyes as he tried to pull air into his lungs.
“Fight back,” the man yelled.
Alek pushed inside the man’s head and once again found elation rushing through his attacker. Why was he happy? Alek wanted to ponder it. Probably should have. But anger rode him and his magick wanted blood. Alek latched onto the man’s brain, sending a message to stop his breathing. His attacker fell away, landing on the floor, sucking at the air like a dying fish. Alek pushed in further, sending another signal to the man’s brain—causing him to buck on the floor.
Before Alek could shut the man down completely, Devlin grabbed him. “Stop,” he yelled.
Alek blinked, releasing the man’s mind and turned to Devlin. “Why,” he said, his voice a deadly whisper.
“Think,” Devlin said. “They went for you first.”
Alek sat back on his heels and surveyed the room. All three of their attackers lay on the ground, unconscious. Just like Theresa.
Damn.
The light flickered on. A door opened down the hall. Three officers came rushing in. They spared Alek and Devlin a brief glance before opening the cell doors and pulling the unconscious men out.
A commotion carried down the hall—a woman demanding to speak with her clients.
When the door shut, all sounds were cut off.
Alek touched the side of his head, feeling the tenderness there. It was definitely going to cause a bruise. Luckily, the kick to his side was only meant as a distraction otherwise he was sure his ribs would have been bruised.
“You all right?” Devlin asked.
“Yeah,” Alek said on a sigh. He should have figured out what they were up to from the start. If he had, he wouldn’t have used his magick on the man attacking him. Only his fists.
“Why would they send them in here?” Alek asked.
They both sat on the bench. Devlin turned to him. “They need a reason to justify bringing us in. If you had put that guy in the same catatonic state as Theresa, they could have blamed you for her condition.”
“Fuck.”
A short while later, another officer walked into the room and signaled for Alek and Devlin. They followed the officer down a small corridor and into a small room. An attractive woman with dark brown hair and glasses, wearing a plain white blouse, sat on the opposite side of the table, her back to the wall. She stood when they walked in. “Mr. Grey. Mr. Vaduvu,” she said, taking Devlin in. Her eyes narrowed. “What happened?”
Devlin rubbed his jaw and glanced at the officer still standing in the doorway. “That’s something I would like to know as well.”
The woman looked at the officer. “Leave us,” she said, her voice hard.
The officer sneered at her and then shut the door.
When the door was closed, she looked at them. “I’m Opal Katz from Blume, Worshire, and Katz. The Markums have sent me to represent you.” She moved closer to Alek and stared up at him. “Did one of the officers attack you?”
Alek shook his head and sat down.
She glanced at Devlin. “Do you know why they brought you to the precinct in Perry and not Pleasanton?”
Devlin took a seat, and after a beat, took her through it. He had to admit, it was a good plan. One that took a great deal of time. Just how long had Logan been watching them? More importantly, was he working with Barnes?
After Devlin finished, Opal sat down, leaned back, and let out a dry chuckle. “Oh, they are brazen. I will give them that.”
“Too bad we can’t prove it,” Devlin said.
She nodded. “Well. Let’s just get you out of here and worry about the rest later.” She got up and rapped on the door.
An officer opened the door.
“You can send the detectives in along with a medic. Seems some of the inmates decided to attack my clients.”
He gave her a hard look and shut the door.
Opal sat back down and pulled two files from her bag. “The Markum’s were able to obtain a license for you,” she said, sliding the folder to Devlin. “I’ve also got a preliminary report on Theresa Scott.” She opened the second folder. “They have her at Rome General in Alice. I’m assuming mind magick has something to do with her current state?” she asked, giving Alek a pointed look. He nodded and she shook her head. “I wonder how long they’ve been working on this little ploy of theirs.” She stared down at the file. “Doesn’t matter. I will take care of it.”
“Katz,” Devlin said, gazing at her with an appreciative look in his eyes. “You’re a partner?”
She smiled. “Yes, made partner two years ago.” She straightened her glasses. Alek noticed that the lenses had no prescription in them.
“I figured they’d send a junior associate. Didn’t realize any partners were on the island.”
“Well, I just came down here to help with the new offices and felt this matter needed my attention.” She smoothed her skirt and put her suit jacket back on.
On impulse, Alek reached inside her mind. Opal, while sure of her skills, was not particularly sure of others’ acceptance of her. He studied the pale gold hue surrounding her. Faith magick. Most people with faith magick took up religious pursuits or professions that centered on helping others through persuasion and gently guidance. He’d never seen one in the field of law.
Her plain suit and the blocky pumps she wore on her feet made him think she was trying to appear unassuming and non-threatening. A wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Opal caught him staring and gave him a small smile.
The door opened and Detective Barnes entered the room followed by another man. Barnes looked like a mafia crime boss from some B rated movie. Slick black hair, shiny, olive-green suit, dark brown eyes devoid of humanity, and enough gold on his fingers to fund the police department. He wasn’t even trying to hide his corruption. The other detective, short blonde hair wearing a tan suit pulled out a chair and nodded at them. He didn’t look as if he wanted to be there.
Barnes set a recorder on the table in front of them and switched it on. His movements were mechanical and filled with irritation. Maybe he was upset his little ploy didn’t work.
“Detective Barnes—”
Opal lifted a finger, silencing him. “We’re waiting on the medic. I want my clients’ injuries treated and documented.”
Barnes bristled and shut off the recorder. “What injuries?”
“Are you visually impaired?” Opal asked, her voice flat.
A knock sounded at the door and the other detective got up and answered it. A short Caucasian man wearing wrinkled scrubs, entered the room. He gave them a cursory glance before settling his gaze on Barnes.
“You can treat them,” Barnes said eventually.
The man walked over and set a black bag on the table. “If you gentlemen could please stand,” he said, his tone nasal. He wore a look of boredom on his face, keeping his gaze somewhat averted as if he didn’t dare make eye contact with either of them.
Opal pulled a phone from her purse and stood. “We’ll need photo’s first,” she said to the man.
He didn’t look at her as he pulled a camera from his case and stood waiting.
After getting pictures of his face and ribs and repeating the process with Devlin, the medic gave them a half-ass assessment and offered to call an ambulance if they needed one. Both him and Devlin declined. There was no telling where they would end up if they did agree to let them send them for treatment.
“As I was saying,” Barnes continued, still bristling at the interruption. “Detective—”
Opal held up a finger again. Barnes turned red. “I would like both your badge numbers first and an explanation as to why my clients are in the Perry Precinct instead of Pleasanton.”
Barnes glared at her. Opal glared right back.
“We were asked to handle the preliminary investigation,” Barnes said, eventually.
Opal scribbled a note on her notepad. “Okay. I will need the name of the Detective who asked you to handle the investigation.” She looked up. “I will need to confirm this with,” she took her time reading through the notes on her pad, “Chief Lancaster in Pleasanton.” She smiled.
“Detective Hardgrove,” Barnes gritted out.
His partner cleared his throat and Barnes shot him a hateful glance.
“And your badge numbers, please,” Opal said.
Both men hesitated for a moment before pulling their badges out and sliding them to her. After she wrote down the numbers, she gave them back. “Now, Detective Barnes. Why weren’t my clients given their phone call?”
“The duty sergeant had a back log. He advised me he was getting around to it,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Getting around to it?” she asked, a single eyebrow raising.
He leaned back and crossed his arms. “They hadn’t been here long. We were—”
“Long enough for you to orchestrate the attack on their person,” she said, gaze level.
“We will be looking into that,” he turned to Devlin. “It would help if you could describe your attacker.”
The man knew full well they couldn’t.
“I’ll get that to you,” Devlin said.
“I’ll be looking into it as well.” Opal pulled another folder out of her bag. “I believe you were harassing my client about a license to operate on Tulare.” She slid the folder to him. “Section 5-E768 of the business code only requires Private Investigators who live on Tulare to obtain a license to practice. However, to appease your concerns, we have secured one for Devlin and his team.”
Barnes looked as if he were ready to explode. Alek gave Opal an appreciate glance. She reminded him so much of Nicole. Able to get under anyone’s skin. Even the man’s partner was looking at Opal in awe.
Opal sat back and signaled for Barnes to continue.
He ground his teeth and said, “Detective Barnes and Detective Kneadsome are present, interviewing one…” He flipped open a file. “Grey, Devlin and Vaduvu, Alexandros. Present for the suspects…”
“Excuse me, correct that, please,” Opal said.
“What?” Detective Barnes yelled.
“My clients aren’t suspects. You will refer to them as witnesses.”
“Ma’am, they were found in the woman’s home!”
Opal opened the file in front of her. “It says here that the EMTs were unable to determine what was wrong with Theresa Scott. The only notation is that she didn’t respond when asked a question.” She looked up, her eyes narrowing. “So, what exactly are my clients suspects of?”
“Why were they in her house?”
“They can answer that for you. But please”—she dipped her head toward the recorder—“correct it for the record.”
Detective Barnes glared at her. Opal didn’t flinch. After a few seconds, he said, “Present for the witnesses is one Opal Katz, attorney at law.” He put a sneer on his face and in his tone, then turned to Devlin. “Mr. Grey, I understand you used to work as a detective in the Los Angeles Police Department?”
“That’s not essential to your investigation, Detective Barnes,” Opal said. “Please stick to questions regarding Ms. Scott.”
He slammed his fist on the table. “I want to know why he’s on my island, acting like a detective!”
She didn’t even flinch.
“If you don’t have any questions,” Opal said, standing, “then my clients and I will leave.”
Barnes shoved up, the chair fell back clattering to the ground. “I want to know why they were in the house!”
It was the first time Alek noted the question Barnes kept asking. Not, ‘What happened to Theresa?’ but, ‘Why they were there in the first place?’
Devlin stood. “My team and I have been hired to look into the disappearance of Felicity Markum and her boyfriend Jesse Lombardi. Our investigation took us to Theresa Scott’s house. That is all the information I can give you.”
Alek stayed seated, not only to keep his anger at bay, but also to give him the opportunity to study the situation further. Barnes wasn’t ready to accept Devlin’s answer. Alek didn’t need to search his mind to determine that—it was written all over his flushed face.
After an angry standoff, Detective Kneadsome stood and placed his hand on his partner’s arm. “We’re done here,” he said. Barnes jerked his head toward his partner. “We’re done,” Kneadsome repeated. “Mr. Grey, Mr. Vaduvu… Thank you for your time.”
It had grown dark while they were inside. The heat still buffeted the air, but not as thick. They stood by Opal’s car. She’d removed her jacket and tossed it and her briefcase inside.
Opal took a swig of her water. “That was a little strange in there.”
Devlin sighed. “Not really. It was bound to happen sooner or later. The families we’re investigating are obviously connected. Like I told the Markums, Barnes had stopped by before, making a fuss about my license. His assumption that I’d be on the island longer than it took to investigate Felicity’s death is what worries me.”
“They said they received an anonymous call that you were in the house.” She shook her head. “But that didn’t ring true to me.”
“It was a setup,” Alek said. “And we should have seen it coming.”
Opal looked at him. “Were you reading my mind in there, Mr. Vaduvu?”
Alek smiled. “No. Just wondering why you hide yourself behind false glasses and ill-fitting suits.”
Opal laughed. “Now, that is a long story—one I’m too tired to tell right now. What do you want me to do about the attack?” Opal asked.
“Our word against theirs,” Devlin said. “So, for now, we let it go until we can prove that Barnes is working for the Stewart family.”
She finished the rest of her water. “I can get a junior associate started on a background check for Detective Barnes and his partner. Until then, please keep me informed on how your investigation is going.” She handed Devlin her card. “The Markums want me to be the point of contact from here on out.” She studied them, eyes going hard. “Anything you need, you let me know.” When they nodded, she glanced over at the precinct. “I used to babysit Felicity when she was younger. I, too, want to see all the people involved in her death to pay.”
“In a court of law?” Devlin asked.
“I’ll let you determine that,” she said as she climbed in her car.
When she drove away, Alek turned to Devlin. “I have to get to Theresa before Logan does. He set out some bait to take us out of the picture. It didn’t work. Now, I think he might just kill her.”