Chapter Twenty-Three
Early Monday morning Aeren was still mostly asleep when Lamar kissed him soundly and extracted a promise that he wouldn’t be coming home to an empty house. Filling his coffee cup, he sat down at the laptop and double-clicked the server location housing the video footage that had been collected at theAfter Ninecrime scene.
“Damn, you’re early,” Genov yawned his greeting as he dropped down into the vacant chair and stared wistfully at Lamar’s coffee.
Lamar just laughed and swallowed another gulp. “Actually, I’ve been here since six-thirty,” he corrected cheerfully. “Met up with Trask yesterday and he tossed me a bone on how we might be able to figure out who the fuck the killer is.”
“Nice,” Genov said through another yawn as he absently scratched his belly and stumbled back to his feet. “Let me grab some coffee and then put me to work.”
Lamar nodded, freezing the footage on the screen and scribbling a note on his pad as he clicked the option to print the screen. The printer whirred for a minute before depositing the picture onto the growing stack on the file tray.
“So, what’s the epiphany?” Genov asked, dropping casually back into the chair.
“Hmm?” Lamar looked up and narrowed his eyes. “Where’s your coffee?”
“Ah, I guess I forgot it,” Genov shrugged. “What are we looking at?”
“Crime scene footage,” Lamar said slowly. “You know that.” He lowered the lid to the laptop and swiveled his chair to face his temporary partner, keying in on a long scratch on his cheek. “What happened to your face?”
“Huh? Nothing,” Genov replied nervously. “I must have cut it shaving. Why are you so prickly?”
Lamar studied him for several moments, taking in the flush rising in his cheeks. Pulling a pair of handcuffs from his desk drawer, he stood. “Put out your wrists.”
“What?” Genov gasped, jumping to his feet and backing away. “I’m not joining your sick slap and tickle game, buddy.”
Lamar advanced on him, taking notice of the perspiration beading on Genov’s forehead as he swatted behind him for the button to the elevator. When the doors lumbered open, Genov dove for them, pounding on the button to close the doors as Lamar ran the last few feet, losing precious seconds when another officer stepped in front of him and arrivingas the metal doors locked in place.
“Fuck!” Lamar snarled, racing for the Chief’s office. “Lockdown! We need a building-wide lockdown!”
“What’s going on?” Genov appeared in front of him, coffee cup clutched in his left hand.
“Teeth! Now!” Lamar snapped, grabbing his wrist and throwing him hard against the wall, sending his coffee cup tumbling to the carpet and splattering steaming brown liquid over both their slacks.
“What?” Genov sputtered, his unusual eyes widening. “Why?”
“Fucking now, Genov,” Lamar repeated, pinning him against the wall with a hand against his throat.
“Okay, okay.” Genov looked around self-consciously and pulled his lips back, revealing the fangs growing in his mouth. “Are you happy now?”
“Yeah,” Lamar sighed, releasing him. “Thanks for not breaking me in half.”
“Sure, but let’s not make this a habit, okay?” Genov waved his hand toward his mouth. “Can I put these things away now?”
Lamar nodded. “I think I know why that shifter was so eager to blow you in the parking garage. It must have been trying to get a good look so it could impersonate you. You have a doppelganger wandering around the precinct. He was at the desk pumping me for information.”
“No shit?” Genov gasped. “When?”
“Literally right after you left to get your coffee.”
“That is so many levels of not good,” Genov groaned. “What if he feeds? Or turns someone?”
“He can’t,” Lamar said, hoping he sounded calm. “Even if he knew you were a vampire, Trask says they don’t get the, ah, special skills of the being they shift into, just the appearance.”
Genov blew out a breath. “Well, that’s good to know.”
“You ordered a lockdown?” The Chief appeared in his doorway looking none too happy. “I’m pretty sure that’s above your pay grade. You want to explain why there’s a posse looking for the detective that you just pinned to the wall?”
“Yeah, about that,” Lamar said firmly. “It’s gonna get worse before it gets better. You got a mirror?”
