“It’s obvious where our search begins.” Mina sloshes wine from her too-full glass as she steps into her role as lead amateur sleuth. “Your present and your past are colliding. This scarred man – the one watching you at your club – he must’ve been the one leaving you those bloody flowers and decapitated songbirds backstage. I bet he’s the one who burned La Petite Mort and now he’s burned Beth’s studio—”
“Lucien Vegaburned La Petite Mort,” I growl.
“Do we know that for a fact?” Mina makes a face. “I hope this doesn’t break your no question rule. I’m just trying to build a new murder board.”
I suppose we don’t know it for a fact, but I don’t see why it matters. “Both this shadow creature and Lucien Vega aredead, so we can eliminate them as suspects.”
Komal raises a thick eyebrow. “Aren’t vampires the experts on coming back from the dead?”
“A vampire can’t survive—” I start to shoot her down, but pause. There have been rumours, over the decades. Tales of powerful Dusk Court vampires who twist their magic into something so dark and profane that they can cheat their own death. The problem with Dusk Court is that their rites are so exclusive and secretive that such rumours will circulate, and it serves their purposes to be viewed as great sorcerers. The most impressive magic I’ve ever seen a Dust Court vampire wield is Lilac’s superior mixology skills.
“I think it unlikely,” I say finally. “But if a vampire was born with the kind of power that they knight you for in Dusk Court, and was very, very lucky, it mighttheoreticallybe possible.”
“It might be worth chatting to Lilac about how theoretical it is. She’s Dusk Court, right?” Mina taps something on her Braille-note. “In the meantime, if you can rack your brain for anyone else from your past. Have you not recognised anyone at Sanctus?”
“No one apart from Badica, who we’ve ruled out. It was so long ago,” I say. “And I haven’t really been socialising with the other members.Plus, vampires can alter their appearance as humans can, if they have the right kind of money.”
“Aren’t you now the main Sanctus investor?” Maisie says. “Wouldn’t that give you access to files on the members? We could cross-reference them against your memories of La Petite Mort.”
I hadn’t thought of that. Once my money landed in the Sanctus account, new permissions and folders appeared on the app, giving me access to deeper layers of the organisation.
The reason I hadn’t thought of it is because it’s a huge invasion of the privacy of Sanctus members, the very privacy I wish to protect. I shouldn’t be giving the Nevermore Coven access to the personal files of hundreds of Upyr. But finding this killer is more important. Ithasto be.
Gideon won’t see it that way.
And that’s why Gideon hasn’t done anything to catch the killer beyond get the Nevermore Coven involved. Because he’s afraid that what he’s built is rotten from the inside out. He can’t touch those files without breaking an oath. But I can.
“I’ll see what I can find out,” I say.
“Good. In the meantime, we need to keep you safe.”
Celeste and I exchange a glance. “What do you mean?” I ask carefully.
“Clearly, this killer is well established at Sanctus and has figured out how to get around Gideon’s security systems. We need to increase security in a way the killer isn’t expecting. Good thing I happen to be married to the world’s foremost fictional criminal mastermind.” Mina cups her hands over her mouth and yells at the ceiling, “Oh, Moriarty! Can you come down here?”
Messages Between Arabella and Morrie
Arabella:I require your skills.
Morrie:Hello, Arabella. I presume you’ve messaged me privately because you want to do something dastardly and illegal and my wife doesn’t know anything about it?
Arabella:You are amazingly perceptive for one so young and human. As you know, you’re coming to Sanctus tomorrow evening to check over my home’s security system, given that it’s POSSIBLE I am the killer’s next target.
Morrie:Sounds sensible.
Arabella:Oh yes, very sensible.
Arabella:But I have another job in mind.
Morrie:I’m intrigued.
The Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven Group Side Chat (without Arabella)
Winnie:Hi everyone. I know we’re all reeling from the fire and trying to investigate, but I think we need a fun distraction. Gideon informs me that he managed to kiss Arabella last night and she didn’t behead him immediately, so he must be good at it. However, he’s not good at grand gestures. They’ve all been an abysmal failure so far and he needs our help.
Gideon:Hello.
Isis:Hi, abysmal failure.
