Blood Secrets - By Jeannie Holmes Page 0,12
“And then we have that thing.”
A sense of dread crept over Varik as he moved closer to the car so he could view the small doll lying on the backseat.
It was dressed in a pristine white gown with sleek black hair styled in a bob, and large dark brown eyes that seemed to follow him when he moved. The effect was not only disturbing but familiar. Recognition kicked his pulse into overdrive. Memories of similar dolls paraded through his mind.
Alex touched his arm. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” he croaked. “I’m fine.”
“Bullshit. You recognize it, don’t you?”
He paused, debating how much information to give her. On the one hand, he didn’t want her unduly influenced by his prior knowledge. However, on the other, she needed to know enough to appreciate the severity of the danger they faced. Caution finally won. “When you were at the FBPI Academy, did you ever study or hear of an unsolved case known as the Dollmaker Murders?”
“I remember reading about it. The murders began in the Chicago area back in the 1920s. A dozen or so young girls went missing. Their bodies were found two or three weeks after their disappearance was reported. Each one had a handmade doll tied to the body, and the dolls supposedly resembled the girl in some way.”
He met her steady gaze. “I worked that case.”
Her brows rose and she glanced at the doll. “Copy-cat?”
“I don’t think so. The last Chicago murders were in 1924 and the trail went cold. Another series of murders started in southern Nevada in 1938, and again in 1943 in Rhode Island.”
“Why haven’t I heard of these other murders?”
“The Bureau didn’t exist yet, at least not in its current incarnation. There were no Enforcers or central headquarters. Hunters worked out of regional bases of operations across the globe. Communications weren’t great, and information, when we could get it, was sometimes days or weeks old. By the time I heard about some of the killings, too much time had passed for me to be certain they were connected to the Dollmaker.”
“But you checked into them anyway?”
He nodded. “I broke in to coroners’ offices, police stations, courthouses, anywhere I had to in order to get the information.”
“You broke in?”
“Don’t look at me like that. I did what was necessary. You have to remember vampires were still hiding from humans back then. I couldn’t exactly walk into the coroner’s office, flash a badge, and ask to see the bodies.”
“Please tell me you never robbed a grave.”
“Define ‘robbed.’ ”
Alex threw her hands up and turned back to the car. “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”
Varik chuckled. “You asked.”
She opened the car’s back door, squatted to examine the doll more closely, and changed the subject with her question. “If this really is the work of the Dollmaker and not some whacked-out copycat, what’s he doing in Jefferson of all places?”
“That’s what we need to find out.”
“When was the last report you had of his activity?”
He shuffled his feet. Apprehension sliced through him and he strengthened the mental barriers separating his mind from hers. “March 14, 1968.”
Alex stilled. Her voice was low and steady when she spoke. “Where?”
“Louisville, Kentucky.”
Silence reigned beneath the protective canopy and between them.
Varik could feel her mind pressing against his mental barriers, seeking entry. He sensed the deeply rooted desire to know more pulsing over the blood-bond. “Alex—”
“Two days,” she whispered.
Varik waited for her to continue.
“The last murders were two days before my father’s?”
“Yes.”
She rose and faced him, a question embedded within her emerald eyes.
“No,” he answered before she gave it a voice. “I don’t think there is a connection between the Dollmaker and Bernard’s death.”
Alex’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t believe you.”
“Believe me or not, but I’m telling you what I know.”
Her barely controlled anger vibrated the bond and made his head pound. “You know more than you’re telling me.”
His own anger heated his words. “You’re reading too much into things and jumping to conclusions. Why can’t you just trust me and leave it at that?”
“Because I know you, Varik. You always have an ulterior motive. You convinced Damian to reverse my suspension. You dragged me out here. You asked for my help. Why?”
“I want your help to catch this freak.” He pointed to the doll lying on the seat. “Before another girl goes missing.”
“Why was the Dollmaker in Louisville?”
“I don’t fucking know but I’ll be sure to ask him as soon as I catch his ass.”
She folded her arms in front of her and looked away.
“Damn it,