Demon's Vengeance The Complete - Jocelynn Drake Page 0,13

stay here and rest. I know you’re tired. I’m worried about you.”

“I’m going because I knew Kyle. Not well, but I knew him. I also know a lot more about potions. I can help.”

I smiled at her, wishing I was looking into the blonde beauty I loved rather than her glamour twin. “I welcome your help.”

“Have you two lovebirds got this worked out now? Some of us would like to get home tonight,” Serah said, breaking the tender moment, which was probably for the best.

“I’m sure your cats can survive a couple more hours without you,” I said as I went to the closet and grabbed my heavy winter coat. When I turned back, Serah was glaring at me and Trixie was trying to glare at me but was failing miserably.

Serah said nothing as she led the way out of my apartment and to her car with Trixie and me trailing behind her. After telling Trixie the truth, this was not how I had expected to spend my evening. I didn’t know whether I had been granted a temporary reprieve or if she was storing up her anger for a later date.

Either way, we were headed to the north side of town, where I was potentially going to see my second dead body in a week. I just hoped he still had his head.

CHAPTER 4

Tattered Edge was located in a decent neighborhood about a thirty-minute drive from Asylum. It was on the end of an older shopping plaza next to a place that specialized in Far East remedies and curios. There was also a hair salon, community bank, liquor store, and greeting-card shop. At just past midnight, only the liquor store and hair salon were still open catering to all the nocturnal customers, but the police had the entire area blocked off. Their red and blue lights splashed garishly over the area, sending shadows darting and lunging under cars and around corners.

As I got out of Serah’s neat Honda sedan, I pulled my coat closed and stuffed my hands in my pockets against the bitter cold. Winter had moved into the area after All Hallows’ Eve and had not let up. We hadn’t gotten much snow, but the temperatures rarely ventured above freezing and never for long since the start of December. Glancing around, I spotted an ambulance parked past a scattering of emergency vehicles. Apparently, the paramedics had also drawn morgue duty. What was disturbing was that they were leaning against the ambulance chatting with two people wearing coats with “CORONER” written in large yellow letters across the back. It gave me a sneaking suspicion that they had yet to remove Kyle because they were waiting on us. Fabulous.

For half a second, I thought about warning Trixie, but I kept my mouth shut. Why have my concern thrown back at me as a challenge? I was in enough trouble already and we still had to get through this.

As Serah neared the yellow police tape, a cop reached over and partially lifted it for her. “Thanks, Carl,” she said, ducking low. “How are Patricia and the kids?”

“They’re good. Everyone’s looking forward to the holiday break.” Carl’s dark eyes swept over Trixie and me, while his arm lowered. “These your experts?”

“Yeah. Trixie and Gage from Asylum, on the south side,” she said. The cop nodded and let us duck below the tape. His eyes lingered on me and he took a step back as I walked by, but I ignored him as best as I could. He’d recognized my name and it didn’t give me a good feeling.

We paused at the entrance, where Serah directed us to put on some latex gloves and little covers over our shoes. “The police have already been through, dusting, collecting, and photographing, but we need to preserve the scene. Try to touch as little as possible.”

Following Serah in, I was disappointed to find that it wasn’t much warmer inside than outside. They had turned off the heat and opened doors to keep the smell down. It wasn’t working. Kyle’s rotting corpse and final bowel movement could be smelled in the small waiting room filled with worn chairs and ragged magazines. A couple large photo albums were left open on a table, displaying an assortment of tattoo designs.

Lifting a gloved hand to my nose, I breathed in the latex, giving my stomach a break from the other gut-twisting scent filling the space. “When was Kyle discovered?”

“About seven o’clock this evening.” Serah looked back at us, her