Viktor waved his hand. “Bite marks to the neck, but we cannot work what’s in the past. They believe there are at least fifty, but without something that ties the cases together, there’s no way to know for certain. Their Regulators noticed an increase in dead women, so they called for a detective to take over when these murders are reported. They are only assuming, and it’s dangerous to make assumptions. There are no bodies for us to look at, no evidence to sift through, no photographs, no identity. We must keep ourselves focused. Each of you must notice every detail. Once the cleaners move in behind us, there’re no second chances.” Viktor finished chewing his roll. “Detective Glass wants the murders to go public. He believes everyone has the right to know there are Vampire killers on the loose. Since we still don’t know who or what Breed the victims were, all of us could be in danger.”
Christian set down his glass. “And you’re going to agree with that certifiable gobshite? You start spreading rumors like that, and you’ll have a war on your hands. We don’t know the circumstances, so it would be irresponsible to make this public knowledge. Maybe it’s a youngling who doesn’t have a grasp on when to say when. Sometimes the young ones don’t pay attention to the beating heart. There’s no law against drinking—as long as it’s consensual. And if there’s no sign of a struggle, then you can’t prove we’re dealing with a killer or killers.”
Niko’s voice made everyone turn. “What did you pick up, Shepherd?”
All eyes went to him, and he set down his fork. He rubbed the stubble on his face, his gaze fixed on the table. “Fear. Anger. Betrayal. Whoever the killer was, she knew him. Or at least she trusted him for some reason. I couldn’t pick up more than that. It fades with each passing hour. Plus the body was moved.”
I furrowed my brow. “Why would that matter? If you’re a Sensor, you should be able to just pick up all that leftover emotion on the body, right?”
He touched the pack of cigarettes sitting next to his plate. “Imprints are stronger where a crime happens. They bleed out over everything they touch. Death complicates things. Emotions are more refined when they come from a person and not an object, but when someone dies, what’s left behind is too diluted because of their state of mind. Their last thoughts might have been about a favorite puppy or their grandma, so all those raw emotions at death are mixed up with other shit. If I can compare what’s on the body with the actual crime scene, I can get a clearer picture. The body is only one page of the book. Anyhow, I scanned the area, and it was clean.”
Gem put a small pile of macaroni on her plate and pouted before sliding the bowl in front of Viktor.
Everyone looked up when Wyatt suddenly flounced into the room. He yanked his chair out across from me and sat down, his face flushed. Frowning wasn’t a good look on him.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
He poured himself a generous glass of wine. “Maybe you should start charging rent around here, Viktor. We have a new tenant.”
Viktor pinched his mustache. “Is this someone you met at the crime scene?”
Wyatt knocked back half the glass. “We didn’t exactly meet. He hitched a ride in the back of your van.”
“Did you question him?”
Wyatt’s green eyes slid up. “Specters rarely pay attention to the living.”
“You did not answer my question,” Viktor replied, his accent thick.
“That might be a good idea,” I agreed. “Maybe he got the license plate of the car.”
A few people chuckled as they began eating.
Wyatt finished his wine, which left red stains at the corners of his mouth. “That would mean talking to him, and when you start talking to them, they like to stick around.” He poured the rest of the bottle into his glass and sighed. “They always want something from me, and usually it’s something I can’t give them.”
“What’s that?” Blue asked.
He studied the glass. “Peace.” After filling his plate with macaroni and a few slices of cucumber, which didn’t at all go with macaroni, he continued. “They choose to stay behind for a reason, and I don’t know what that reason is. As time goes by, they start to forget. Death is traumatic, and if they don’t go where they’re supposed to go, then they wander in this in-between world for so long that they lose all the pieces of their life—like some mixed-up jigsaw puzzle. Most of them stick to the last place they can remember, which is usually where they died. Like that lady at Kohl’s. She probably had a coronary when she saw how much she saved.”
Gem snorted and immediately blushed when no one else laughed.
Christian draped his right arm over the back of my chair. “Surely it can’t be that traumatic. It’s not as if he can torment you without a physical body.”
Wyatt’s eyes hooded as the wine kicked in. “Ghosts don’t sleep. Some of them like to talk.A lot.One guy really loved singing the bottles of beer on the wall song, starting from a million. This is why most Gravewalkers don’t go around killing people. Dealing with lost souls is bad enough. I decided a long time ago that I didn’t want to make a career out of dealing with dead people, so I learned another trade. But every time one of them follows me home, it interferes with my work. They mess with the electricity or keep me awake all night.” He pointed his finger, glass still in hand. “And that affects everyone in this group.”
Viktor got up and retrieved a bottle of wine from a short table behind him. “Do you remember what we agreed upon when you joined Keystone?”
By the look on Wyatt’s face, he did.
A cork popped, and Viktor returned to the table and refilled his glass. “You are an intelligent man, but your gift could help solve this case. We made an agreement when you joined Keystone that you would offer your help in any and every way possible. I want you to speak to this ghost and find out what he remembers. If the entity does not leave when we’re done with him, I’ll locate an ancient Gravewalker who might know a few tricks to clean a house.”
“You might need to call that priest fromThe Exorcist. Isheavailable?”
“You will be compensated.”
Wyatt took off his hat and set it on the table. “Well, why didn’t you say so?”
Chapter 5
