He glanced at his screen for a second, then said, “A Mrs. Margaret Kendrick.”
“A name I’ve seen before,” I said, voice resigned. “Mike had her folder on his desk one time when I visited him. He told me he was just updating her records.”
“He keeps paper records?”
I frowned. “Yeah, and I’ve already told you that.”
“Did you? Sorry.” He grinned. “Maybe the shock of someone doing it the old-fashioned way just erased it from my memory.”
I snorted softly. “I’m gathering the Altona North place is still a working warehouse?”
He nodded. “Kendrick is an importer, and interestingly, many of the companies she uses are the same ones Lucian and Judd used in their import business.”
“So we have a likely connection.” I glanced at Azriel. “And one possibly worth checking out.”
He nodded. “Although it would depend on whether or not we have a workable list of possible key sites. Hunter’s deadline approaches far too fast, and we need to concentrate on our main quest rather than be sidetracked by a rogue sorceress.”
“That rogue sorceress has already beaten us twice . . .” I stopped and swore. If it was Myer rather than Markel who was currently on watch duty, then I’d just made a very major goof. I mentally crossed my fingers and added silently, I’d rather make sure she can’t get to the final key before we do.
With Lucian gone, she has no direct line to your activities.
That we know of. I’d still rather ensure she isn’t around when we find the next one.
“Weeding down that list of possible locations,” Stane said, obviously not noticing the fact I’d cut my sentence off midstream, “is an exasperating experience. The list is now just over fifty possible sites—which may not mean much to someone who can transport instantly, but it’s still going to take time to inspect each one, and some of them have pretty fierce security systems installed.”
“I can get us past security,” Azriel said.
Stane snorted. “Even you wouldn’t get past some of the latest motion sensors, my friend. Besides, as you said, you haven’t got enough time left to be fucking around.”
“But if you cannot contract that list any further, then we have no other choice.” Azriel’s voice was grim. “There is always the hope that we will find the key in the first half rather than the last.”
I snorted. “I think we had our one and only bit of luck when that gun blew up in the vamp’s hand.”
“What?” Stane said, confusion evident. “Since when did vampires need guns? They have speed and teeth on their side—why would they need anything else?”
“Maybe they thought a bullet would be a faster and more secure method of killing someone who could disappear into smoke.” I shrugged. “What about Michael Judd? What did he do once he’d made his reappearance?”
Stane grimaced. “Nothing out of the ordinary. He went back to university but switched courses, doing a master’s in finance with a major in accounting.”
“What was he doing previously?”
Stane smiled. “An arts degree in media and communication.”
“And no one commented on the rather sudden change of plans? I mean, that’s kinda a big jump.”
“Well, no one in the media commented. By that point, he was old news. We’ll never know what his old man might have said, given he died ten years ago.”
“Killed?”
“No, it was a regular old heart attack. Nothing suspicious. His estate, though, was left in its entirety to Michael rather than being spread between his wife and other three children. They contested, but it was settled out of court.”
No surprise there, given he wouldn’t have wanted the matter raising too much of a fuss in the press. I glanced at Azriel. “Why don’t we go check out that Altona North place? That gives Stane a little more time to whittle down the list.”
“If you wish.” He stood and held out a hand. “But after this, we must at least start searching the buildings that are on that list.”
“Deal.” I placed my hand in Azriel’s, then glanced back at Stane. “While your computers are running that list, I’d be connecting the security system up to the generators. Just in case.”
“Consider it done.” His voice was grim. “I have no intention of going back into that panic room unless absolutely necessary.”