Before she could tell him to go to hell, he barged past her.
Boo lifted his back and hissed.
“Pleased to meet you, too, Panther Boy.” Butch's deep drawl seemed totally out of place in her apartment.
“How did you get into the lobby?” she said as she shut the door.
“I picked the lock.”
“Was there any particular reason you chose this building to break into, Detective?”
He shrugged and sat down in her tattered wing chair. “Thought I'd visit a friend.”
“So why are you bothering me?”
“Nice place you got,” he said, looking at her stuff.
“You're such a liar.”
“Hey, at least it's all clean. Which is more than I can say about my own hovel.” His dark, hazel eyes went to her face and stayed there. “Now, let's talk about what happened when you left work tonight, shall we?”
She crossed her arms over her chest.
He chuckled softly. “Man, what's José got that I don't?”
“You want a pen and some paper? It's quite a list.”
“Ouch. You're cold, you know that?” His tone was amused. “Tell me, do you only like the unavailable ones?”
“Look, I'm exhausted—”
“Yeah, you left work late. Nine forty-five-ish. I talked to your boss. Dick said you were still at your desk when he went to Charlie's. You walked home, didn't you? Down Trade Street. Just like I'll bet you do every night. And you were alone. For a while.”
Beth swallowed as a soft sound brought her eyes to the sliding glass door. Boo was back to his pacing and meowing, his eyes reaching out into the darkness.
“Now, are you going to tell me what happened when you hit the intersection of Trade and Tenth?” His eyes softened.
“How do you know—”
“Just talk to me. And I promise, I'll make sure that motherfucker gets it right good.”
Wrath stood in the still night, staring at the shape of Darius's daughter. She was tall for a human female, and her hair was black, but that was all his eyes could tell him. He breathed in, but he couldn't catch her scent. Her doors and windows were shut, and the wind blowing from the west carried the fruity decay of trash.
He could hear the drone of her voice through the closed door, however. She was talking to someone. A man whom she apparently didn't trust or didn't like, because her words were clipped short.
“I'll make this as easy on you as I can,” the guy was saying.
Wrath watched as she walked over and looked outside through the glass door. She was staring right at him, but he knew she couldn't see him. He was deep in the shadows.
She opened the door and put her head out, blocking a cat's exit with her foot.
Wrath felt his breath catch as her scent came to him. She smelled positively beautiful. Like a rich flower. Night-blooming roses, maybe. He dragged more air into his lungs and closed his eyes as his body reacted, his blood stirring. Darius had been right; she was nearing her transition. He could smell it on her. Half-breed or not, she was going to go through the change.
She slid the screen in place and turned back to the man. Her voice was much clearer with the door open, and Wrath liked the husky sound of it.
“They came at me from across the street. There were two of them. The taller one pulled me into the alley and…”
Wrath snapped to attention.
“I tried to fight him off. I really did. But he was bigger than me, and then his friend pinned my arms.” Her breath hiccupped. “He told me he'd cut out my tongue if I screamed, and I thought he was going to kill me, I really did. Then he ripped open my shirt and pushed up my bra. I came so close to being… But I got free and ran. He had blue eyes, brown hair, and an earring, a square cut diamond, in his left ear. He was wearing a dark blue polo shirt and khaki shorts. I didn't get a good look at his shoes. His friend was blond, short hair, no earrings, dressed in a white T-shirt that had the name of that local band, Tomato Eater, on it.”
The man got up and went to her. He put his arm around her and tried to hug her against his chest, but she pulled away and put distance between them.
“Do you really think you'll be able to get him?” she said.
The man nodded. “Yeah. I do.”
Butch left Beth Randall's apartment in a foul mood.