“Maybe. But I never got a good, clear picture of his face. His hat and glasses covered a lot of his features, and again, it’s difficult to see in there.”
“How about his scent? Would you recognize that?”
“I don’t know.” Helania touched the side of her nose. “I followed the blood, not him or her.”
“So you saw the male with my victim. What were they doing?”
A blush flared in her cheeks. “What people do here. Kissing. You know.”
Boone’s eyes focused on her mouth and refused to be redirected. In all of his life, he couldn’t remember being so captivated by a member of the opposite sex. He was liable to forget why he was sitting this close to her, and that would be unacceptable.
Kicking himself in the ass, he shifted in his seat and thought of the dead body he’d seen on the Brother’s phone.
Butch was nodding. “And do you remember what time it was when you noticed the female leave with him to go to the lower level?”
“Not really.” Helania’s stare moved over to Boone—and what do you know, he felt like he’d been put under a heat lamp. “As I told him, I saw the male take her downstairs. I stayed on the main floor until I scented the blood. It was so faint that I wasn’t sure whether I was imagining it. But then I thought about that female alone with that male and I got worried so I went looking for her.”
“How long was it between when you saw them leave together and when you went to check on her?”
“Like, an hour or more. But I couldn’t say for sure.”
Butch took down some notes, mostly without looking at his notebook. “Did you see anyone else down there? When you found her?”
“There was no one.”
“And you were all alone?”
“That’s right.”
“Any idea about what time this was?”
“It’s hard to say. I wasn’t keeping track. I had already been at the club for a couple of hours when I saw him.”
“Did you come to the club with anybody last night?” After she shook her head, Butch said, “Can you give us the names of some people you talked to while you were here? You know, anyone who could give us a clue about when you arrived and when you left?”
Her jawline tightened. “What exactly are you suggesting?”
“Nothing at all. I’m just wondering if someone else might have glanced at their watch or their cell phone while they were talking to you so we could get a time frame going.”
“I didn’t talk to anyone. I never do.”
“So why do you come here?”
Helania’s eyes flared with anger. “I am of age and no one’s sehcluded female. I can go where I wish.”
“I’m sorry.” Butch touched the center of his chest in apology. “That came out badly on my side. And I did not mean to suggest that you were involved in hurting her.”
“Are we finished?”
“Sure, we can be finished.” The Brother flipped a page over and wrote something. Tearing the sheet off, he offered it to Helania. “This is my number. I’m going to stay in touch and I want you to do the same. I’m assuming that the number you called into the service from is your cell—and that we can reach you on it?”
Helania leaned forward to take the page, her narrow wrist flashing out of the voluminous sleeve of her cloak. “Yes, it is. And yes, you can.”
“I called you a number of times tonight.”
“I was here and I have it on mute.”
Butch nodded. “If you remember anything else, you let me know.”
Helania tucked the paper somewhere in her cloak. Then she got up from her chair, and Butch did the same, and some things were said. As Boone rose to his own feet, he didn’t track the conversation. He was too busy willing the female to look at him one last time.
And then she did.
Citrines. She had eyes like those sunshine gems, deep and mysterious . . . tantalizing. It was so easy to get lost in them.
“My name is Boone,” he blurted. Which was stupid. Like he hadn’t told her before. Twice. Or had it been three times, for godsakes.
She just nodded. Or at least he thought she did. Then she put the hood up over her spectacular hair and walked into the club, her slight body disappearing into the crowd.
She should be leaving, Boone thought. Not going back in there.
“Come on,” Butch said. “We’ve got to drive over to Havers’s next. Before we hit