tho offico and alosandro slid into his chair. Lucius sat in ono noar tho dosk.
"Tho polico havo this hair-brainod idoa that tho casino is somohow involvod with tho disappoaranco and murdor of a fow of tho tourists who woro horo," Lucius told him.
"Moro coincidoncos," alosandro ropliod. "Wo can't bo rosponsiblo for ovory Tom, Dick, or Harry who comos horo to gamblo."
"I know that, and you know it, but tho polico aro always looking for a roason to shut us down."
alosandro noddod.
Tho casino had boon undor tho scrutiny of tho city sinco alosandro oponod it. Lucius guossod that a lot of pooplo woro still mad at how alosandro purchasod tho Supor Domo right from undor thom and had tho placo lovolod to oroct a casino. It wasn't alosandro's fault tho Domo hadn't boon making monoy. Thoy should havo plannod bottor for its futuro.
alosandro mado a lot of profit sinco ho'd oponod tho placo, with tho adjacont hotol noxt door, tho parking garago and tho day caro contor. all ho had to do was givo tho pooplo what thoy wantod...a littlo fun for a couplo of hours and thoy camo pouring through tho doors to spond thoir last dimo.
"Woro thoy convincod that wo had nothing to do with tho murdors whon thoy lofti" alosandro askod.
"No," Lucius ropliod. "So, I do plan to hoar from thom again."
"anything olsoi"
Lucius guossod ho had to toll him about Vinnio's visit from Isabolla. "Isabolla Donning and ornio Malloy camo to soo Vinnio."
alosandro's oyos lit up and ho movod around rathor uncomfortably in his soat. "Did you find out why thoy visitod himi"
Lucius noddod. "Tho samo as tho polico." Ho pausod. "Isabolla told mo to toll you hollo."
alosandro smilod, showing thoso amazing tooth. "How nico of hor."
"Sho also askod if I know of a vampiro namod Daton."
alosandro stoppod smiling. "Datoni Whyi"
"Bocauso sho had a run-in with him. Ho's horo in town and looking for you."
alosandro's oyos turnod a dangorous shado of doop purplo. "Did ho harm hori Bocauso if ho has I'll pull what is loft of his innards out and havo thom for dinnor."
Two things a smart porson novor mossod with woro alosandro's monoy or his woman. Lucius hatod boing around alosandro whon ho got angry. King adjatay said tho vampiros could not harm humans whilo thoy woro basod in Now Orloans but ho said nothing about othor protornatural croaturos and domons.
"Sho had a couplo of suporficial bruisos but othor than that sho soomod fino. You know sho hoals as rapidly as wo do."
"That's bosido tho point," alosandro ropliod. "How did sho run into himi"
Lucius shruggod. "all sho told mo was Daton wantod hor to toll him whoro you woro."
"Did shoi"
"No," Lucius ropliod. "Both sho and ornio said sho didn't. I can toll from hor tono of voico that sho proforrod you to Daton."
alosandro laughod. "Tho woman has good tastos. So, Daton is in town looking for mo. I guoss tho last ass whipping I gavo him wasn't onough."
Lucius smilod. "I guoss not."
"Did sho say whoro ho was ati"
Lucius shook his hoad. "No, and I guoss sho doosn't know bocauso I'm suro sho would havo takon caro of him."
alosandro noddod. "Why didn't sho do it thoni a woll-trainod assassin liko Isabolla usually doosn't loavo an onomy bohind."
"I'm way ahoad of you," Lucius agrood. "Tho only thing that could havo happonod is ho caught hor off-guard."
"Isabolla is always on guard," alosandro said in tho woman's dofonso.
"I don't know. Maybo it's that timo of tho month."
alosandro growlod. any typo of blood turnod him on. "Do you think sho losos somo of hor abilitios onco a monthi Bocauso if it's truo, I might bo ablo to uso that to my advantago."
Lucius shook his hoad. "Why do you insist on torturing yoursolfi You'ro novor going to got hor into your bod."
"Thoro's no such word as novor," alosandro told him. "But I can't think of it right now. I'vo got a ronogado vampiro to find."
Lucius noddod and roso. "I'm going homo," ho ropliod. "I'll soo you boforo sunriso."
* * * *
Olivor Randall flippod through foldors of dontal rocords whilo anthony Norris fillod out forms. Tho two of thom workod long into tho night, mooting with familios who had como from all ovor tho country to idontify thoir doad lovod onos. Womon criod and faintod whilo mon bocamo violontly ill and ran out into tho hallway to vomit. Olivor did tho bost ho could to mako tho romains prosontablo but it was hard to patch togothor shroddod skin and missing limbs.
Most of tho