Shepherd folded his arms, and his lips thinned. “Rage is what I pick up, and it’s giving me a headache. There was a struggle. Her fear is all over the crime scene, except it’s stronger over there than it is where I’m standing. It’s not intense until that one spot, so I don’t think she knew she was in danger until the last minute. I’m going to walk the perimeter,” he said, stalking off in the other direction.
I glanced down at her missing shoe. A gust of wind ruffled her dress, and the white fabric with spatters of blood caught my eye. As if pulled by invisible strings, I drew closer until I gazed upon her blond tresses.
And the dagger embedded between her large breasts.
“Raven, what’s wrong?” Niko asked.
It felt as if the wind had been knocked out of me. The woman on the ground was Christian’s date, Marlene. I almost hadn’t recognized her. She was staring up, glassy-eyed, and had the same mole on her chin that I’d noticed at dinner.
But it wasn’t until the breeze picked up that my blood turned to ice. One end of a red scarf flapped above her head, revealing the bite marks on her neck before settling on top of her face.
It was Christian’s scarf.
Ignoring Niko’s question, I brushed past them and knelt by her side. Marlene was a stranger to me, but I immediately regretted all the nasty thoughts I’d had about her. Only low-life criminals deserved to be tossed aside like yesterday’s trash. The scarf slid away, revealing her face once more. Her startled expression left me unsettled, so I reached out and closed her eyes. Chitahs lived for thousands of years and could heal remarkably well from grave injuries, but obviously not from blood loss and a pierced heart.
I examined the dagger. There was nothing remarkable about it—just a plain blade with a black handle I’d seen a million times. I didn’t need a flashlight to see the pool of blood beside her neck. My Vampire eyes also picked up on two broken nails and a bruise around her right arm.
Niko came up behind me and knelt down. “Can you tell her Breed? She’s not a Mage.”
“She’s a Chitah.” I turned to Niko, my voice quiet. “I met her last night. This was Christian’s date.”
His jaw tensed, and he studied the body with vacant eyes.
“I’m sorry, Raven. I tried to warn you,” Glass said from behind.
Niko and I rose to our feet simultaneously, and I couldn’t ignore the grim expression on Viktor’s face.
“What other evidence did you find?” Niko asked. “Are there any footprints?”
Glass’s eyes were downcast, focusing on the woman. “None. I think he led her to the edge and attacked her. The way she fell is indicative of the crime happening at the edge of the pavement: bent knee, trauma to the back of the head, signs of a struggle. If he’d dragged her out here—alive or dead—her legs would be straight and the grass behind her head would be flat where he treaded. I did find one piece of evidence.” Glass reached in his pocket and retrieved a plastic bag with something green inside.
It was a candy wrapper with Japanese writing—the same kind Christian was always munching on.
“That could have blown over here,” I said in disbelief. “There’s probably trash everywhere.”
He gave a mirthless smile. “I didn’t find it near the body. I did a walk-through and saw it in the center of the parking lot. There’s blood on the inside of the wrapper. Her blood. I can scent the emotion in it.”
I flicked my eyes between him and Viktor.
“To dispel any further theories you might have, the killer ate the candyaftercommitting the crime and discarded the wrapper. It was wadded up with the blood inside.”
I marched past them. “I’ll be in the car.”
“Raven,” Glass called out but quickly fell into conversation with Viktor.
When I reached Wyatt’s car, I spotted a motorcycle on the other side of the road, parked in the shadows. It took me a minute to notice there was a rider on it. After a few seconds, it started up and quickly sped off.
Chapter 18
Since it wasnear dawn and Wyatt wanted to eat breakfast, I suggested my favorite human location that was safe from prying ears.
“This place is out of sight,” he said, slurping on his orange juice. “It reminds me of the diners I used to see in the fifties.”
I peppered my scrambled eggs. “You’re an old man.”
He pointed his fork at me, syrup dripping from the end. “You just wait. Someday you’ll be reminiscing over the good old days when—”
“Cheese came in a can?”
