Cale narrowed his eyes. "He agreed? Or was convinced?"
"Agreed," Bricker assured him, moving to the microwave when it dinged. "Lucern and Kate are in Toronto for a couple of weeks and Emile is in New York. You can't control a mortal's mind over the phone. Besides, I gather he and Lucern are buddies. Emile did a cookbook for Kate's publishing house. It's how they met. They're always talking online." He shrugged and took out the Alfredo. "So when Lucian called him, Lucern called Emile, and we got lucky. He apparently just finished shooting this season's show and has a couple of weeks off. Lucern asked him to come cook for Alex and stay with him and Kate for a week or so, maybe attend the restaurant opening, and get in relaxation time ... and he agreed."
"Hmm, I'll have to thank Lucern," Cale murmured. He glanced toward the Alfredo Bricker was now stirring. "Is that ready?"
"No. You put it in for a minute and a half, then stir it and cook it for another forty-five seconds," Bricker explained as he replaced the plastic wrap.
Cale nodded and turned to head for the door. "I'm going to go check on Alex again while that cooks."
"I'll come with you." Bricker set the dish back in the microwave and pressed the buttons to get it going again. When he turned to find Cale had stopped to glare at him, he reminded, "Lucian wants me to read her."
"Right," he muttered, and turned to lead the way upstairs.
Cale paused outside the door, listening to be sure her breathing was slow and steady, and then eased the door open a crack to see that she was indeed sleeping. He turned to Bricker to whisper, "From the door, I don't want her to wake up and find you in her room."
"I'd control her if that happened," Bricker assured him and then quickly added, "From the door is fine."
Nodding, Cale stepped back and waited as Bricker peered in and focused his gaze on Alex. It didn't take long for him to read her. After a moment, he shook his head and eased the door closed.
"He grabbed her from behind, so she didn't see anything," Bricker said as he led the way downstairs. "It didn't feel like an immortal attack though."
"Why is that?" Cale asked as they returned to the kitchen.
"He didn't control her, not even when she went for his eyes with her nails, and he didn't have our strength."
"I see," Cale murmured, moving over to the microwave to retrieve the now-done Alfredo. He set it on the counter to cool and then moved to the cooler of blood to finish off the last two bags as he waited. Before slapping the first to his teeth, he asked, "So you don't think it could be connected to Leonius? "
"Doubtful," Bricker decided. "It just doesn't have the feel of an immortal. Although I suppose Leonius could have spawned a mortal child or two. The son who went after Jo was immortal rather than no-fanger, and while it's rare for a mortal to be impregnated by an immortal or no-fanger, it isn't unheard of. I guess he could have a mortal son trying to win his approval by bringing him someone connected to the family."
Cale pondered that as he waited for his bag to empty. He'd just removed it from his mouth when Bricker spoke again.
"Maybe it was just a mortal mugger or r**ist," he suggested.
"Bev suggested it might be that Peter guy who quit on Alex the day I arrived," Cale admitted, setting the empty bag in the cooler with the other two. He then moved to search the drawers for a fork and set it on the table beside the cooling pasta dish.
"I thought his name was Pierre," Bricker said with surprise.
"An affectation," Cale said dryly. "His real name is Peter. And I guess he showed up recently looking to get his job back and wasn't happy when Alex told him no." He slapped the last bag of blood to his teeth. It was better to use them up and send the empty bags with Bricker than to risk Alex finding them in her garbage and asking questions.
"Huh," Bricker said. "I met him a couple of times when I went to the restaurant for dinner with Mortimer and Sam. We always went in back to see Alex before leaving, and that guy was a straight-up-arrogant prick. You haven't happened to come across his address while straightening out Alex's paperwork, have you?"
Cale frowned around the bag in his mouth, forced to wait until it was empty before he could ask, "Why?"
"Because I'll stop by his place on the way home and give him a read, see if it was him or not," Bricker said as he watched Cale set the last empty bag in the cooler with the others, and then move to sit at the table.
"I don't recall his address, but I did see his last check and know his last name. We can probably look it up in the phone book if it's listed," he said, and scooped some Alfredo into his mouth, then paused and simply held it there as the flavor exploded on his tongue.
"Good, huh?" Bricker said enviously.
Cale nodded and swallowed. "Alex has brought me lunches at work and I knew she was a good cook, but this is manna from heaven."
"Yeah." Bricker sighed. "She's one hell of a cook." He turned and walked to where the phone sat on the kitchen counter and opened the drawer below it, then smiled and lifted out a phone book, saying, "Bingo. So what's Peter's last name?"
"Cunningham," Cale answered, and continued eating as Bricker began to leaf through the book. It took several moments, but then he made a triumphant sound. Cale glanced his way in question. "Find it?"
"Yeah, several, now I just have to figure out which one he is." Bricker said dryly as he closed the book. As he put it away, he said, "I saw in Alex's memory that the light wasn't working outside the door when she left but had been earlier in the evening. Do you want me to take a look at that too?"
"Someone smashed the lightbulb," Cale announced quietly.