Blood Secrets - By Jeannie Holmes Page 0,43
ritual when Stephen and Alex were teens? Being a vampire didn’t free her from the worry all mothers carried for their children. If anything, the worry was compounded, especially with the Sabians’ family history.
She waited for a call from Gregor Wahl. He’d been a Hunter during the time before the formation of the FBPI and had known Bernard well. While Gregor had retired from active duty, he remained with the Bureau as an instructor at the Academy located on a portion of the Fort Knox base outside of Louisville. His years of service had provided him with an extensive network of contacts within the Bureau, and Emily hoped it could be used to influence the Tribunal into either sparing Alex’s life or dropping the charges altogether.
Restless, she paced to the bay window overlooking the oak tree–lined street in front of Stephen and Janet’s shared home, and her thoughts turned to the past, to the day she discovered her beloved husband wasn’t the man she thought him to be.
It was early May 1962, and she and Bernard had been married for two hundred and thirteen years. She dropped off Stephen at a friend’s house for a sleepover birthday party and was looking forward to a quiet evening at home with her husband.
When she entered their small home east of downtown Louisville, she found Bernard sitting in his favorite chair, staring out the front window.
“I wasn’t expecting you home, dear,” she said, and gave him a peck on the cheek. The stiffness of his reception took her aback. “Is something wrong?”
“Siobhan’s pregnant,” he replied softly.
Emily tried to place the name. “Siobhan Kelly? She’s one of the other Talents, right?”
He nodded.
She beamed. “Well, that’s wonderful, isn’t it?” When he didn’t answer, she frowned. “Siobhan’s married, isn’t she?”
“No.”
Then Bernard looked at her and his expression carried such remorse—Emily knew even before asking. “Who’s the father?”
Almost inaudibly, he answered. “I am.”
An electronic version of “Greensleeves” began playing and shattered her reverie, bringing her back to the present.
She picked up her cell phone from the coffee table and answered. “I’m here, Gregor. What were you able to find?”
“Not much and what I did find isn’t good news,” he answered.
“What do you mean?”
“The Tribunal isn’t going to drop the charges. Alex will have to face them next month.”
“Why won’t they—”
“Hang on,” Gregor interrupted. “That’s not the worst of it. I was able to find out that Woody Phelps has taken a personal interest in Alex’s case.”
Emily felt her heart sink as she dropped onto the sofa’s edge. Woody Phelps, Chief Magistrate of the Tribunal, was known for his hard-line stance against corruption among Enforcers. The Bureau’s retention of the death penalty for Enforcers convicted of the offense was largely due to Phelps’s influence. “Why is he so interested in Alex?”
“I don’t know, but I can tell you Phelps and the other magistrates have been holding regular meetings over the past few weeks. They’ve called in Enforcers from all across the country and questioned them behind closed doors. The scuttlebutt is that it’s some sort of massive internal investigation.”
“Does it have any bearing on Alex’s case?”
“I’m trying to find that out.”
“It’s an awfully big coincidence, wouldn’t you say?”
“It does seem odd.”
Emily stood up and began pacing again. “If they won’t drop the charges, what are the chances of at least influencing the Tribunal toward leniency? Alex has had a spotless record until now.”
“Given Phelps’s interest, not good.”
“There has to be a way to save her.”
Silence filled the line for a moment. “You won’t like it.”
“I won’t sit idly by while they take her from me. I’ll be the judge of what I like or don’t like.”
“Siobhan.”
“What about her?”
“She’s still wanted by the Bureau.”
Emily stopped pacing. “Gregor—”
“If you know where to find Siobhan, you may be able to barter her location for leniency.”
“You’re asking me to trade my daughter’s life for another woman’s.”
“Siobhan killed three Hunters.”
“You have no proof of that. Even if I knew where to begin looking for Siobhan, I can’t do what you’re suggesting. There has to be another option.”
He sighed. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you, Gregor.”
He grunted his acknowledgment and the line fell silent.
Emily pushed the button to end the call, Gregor’s suggestion still echoing in her mind, and she wondered, once again, had she made the right decision—both in calling Gregor and when she made a promise on a cold January night more than forty years ago.
The window before him was unbroken even though he’d seen Alexandra and Bernard crash it. They