Mina put her hand on Marius’s arm and shot his nemesis a weak smile. “Hello, Clement.”
Shakespeare could have written a tragedy on the expression that drifted over Clem’s face.
“Hello, Mina,” he whispered, gazing at her for a little too long. Then he motioned to Agent Bear. “Report the following to HQ. New evidence has arisen that may exonerate the initial suspect.”
The bear typed a few letters, then stopped and went back several spaces.
Clement huffed. “Ex-on-er-ate.”
The agent typed slowly along.
“Suspect will be held for additional questioning, but is expected to be released shortly,” Clem said, then paused for the bear shifter to catch up.
I was tempted to shove the guy aside and go for the keyboard myself, just to speed things along.
“However, Monsieur Velchynsky remains a person of interest and can expect to be contacted again as the investigation progresses.”
Clement leaned in to check the message, then nodded to his colleague to hitsend. After a glance at his watch, he turned to us with a sour expression. His eyes wandered slowly from Mina to Marius, to Roux, then Bene…
I shuffled, expecting them to return to Mina from there.
But they didn’t. They continued over to me and stayed there when he spoke.
“Monsieur Velchynsky will be available in approximately two hours. Then he will be free…for the time being.”
I gritted my teeth at the not-so-subtle warning. A warning with several layers of meaning, I realized, because any crime Henrik committed in the future would be on me.
My knees wobbled, and I looked around for a chair. But a strong hand gripped my shoulder, guiding me to the door.
It was Roux, of course. The man specialized in saving me from myself.
I shot him a grateful look, and warm amber eyes told me,You did good.
God, I hoped so. But Henrik plus Claudette’s murderer added up totwovampires — two more than I wanted lurking around my neighborhood, not to mention those three nagas.
I stepped out into the night and shivered in the cool fall air.
“Mina,” Clement called urgently.
She hesitated, then stepped back inside, listening intently.
I didn’t catch what he said, but she nodded hesitantly, then rejoined us. Marius shot Clement the evil eye and slung an arm around her shoulders.
Bene was the last to leave, having held the door for Mina.
“We’ll be back,” he called, Terminator-style, to Clement and his fellow agents.
I grimaced. Something told me the opposite was more likely.
Chapter Ten
ROUX
We held a quick powwow, then reached a decision. Bene and Marius would stay with one vehicle to await Henrik’s release, while Mina, Gen, and I drove home in the van.
Throughout the long, quiet drive, Gen stared out the passenger-side window, hugging herself.
Should be us doing that,my tiger snarled silently.
