“Have fun at the office today,” Jono said, sounding smug.
Patrick reached out and pinched one of Jono’s nipples. “Fuck you.”
Jono’s laughter echoed in Patrick’s ears long after he left the apartment for work.
4
“What doyoumeanyou aren’t coming by to identify the body?” Patrick growled. He paused in pouring the creamer into his thermos of coffee as Estelle’s irritated sigh echoed in the kitchen through the speakerphone.
“We’ve had no word of anyone under our protection dying outside any sanctioned challenges,” Estelle told him coolly.
Patrick glared down at his phone where it sat on the kitchen counter. “What part ofmurderdon’t you understand?”
“Today isn’t a good time, and neither is the weekend. We can set up an appointment with the medical examiner’s office on Monday. The body will keep until then.”
Patrick ended the call, not in the mood to argue, and opened up the kitchen cabinet to grab a bottle of Jameson. Today might have been Friday, but in his line of work, the week never ended.
“Jono,” Patrick said, not bothering to raise his voice as he poured a finger’s worth of whiskey into his thermos. “I’m gonna need you to come with me to the PCB.”
Patrick had spent all day yesterday at the SOA opening the new case when he wasn’t taking meetings with SAIC Henry Ng. He’d decided to reach out to Estelle and Youssef after he’d read Catherine's preliminary autopsy report.
One Andre Scott, werejackal, had died from blunt force trauma to the torso and head, propounded by a sustained allergic reaction to silver. Results on the toxicology report would take weeks, but Patrick wouldn’t be surprised if shine and aconite were found in his blood. The cause of Andre’s allergic reaction hadn’t been located, but Catherine’s notes had detailed out her suspicions of a collar. The bruising and burn scars had formed the right shape around the teen’s neck.
Aside from all that, Andre had teeth marks that matched the general shape of vampire fangs in the flesh surrounding his veins and arteries.
Fucking vampires.
“She’s in a mood,” Jono said as he came out of the bedroom, voice gravelly and making Patrick think of sex instead of work. The sight of Jono padding naked into the kitchen didn’t help any.
“Like hell I’m waiting until Monday. I’ll pay you what the SOA would for an expert witness fee out of pocket for you to identify the body.”
Strong arms wrapped around his waist, and a chin settled on top of his head. Patrick scowled into his coffee but couldn’t help slumping back against Jono.
“You don’t got to pay me for this. But you’ll need someone who’s actually seen the bloke to confirm it’s him before I handle any paperwork.”
“Hope Sage isn’t needed in court today.”
“She’d technically need the god pack alphas’ approval to help.”
“Lucky for us, you fit that bill.”
Jono sighed heavily but didn’t protest Patrick’s pointed comment. “I’ll get dressed. Put the whiskey away and get a nicotine patch. You’re stroppy.”
“The fuck I’m stroppy,” Patrick muttered, taking a sip of his Irish coffee.
He still got the nicotine patch.
Jono called Sage on the way out of the apartment, catching her when she was already in the office at 0730 in the morning. Patrick half listened to the quick conversation as they clattered down the stairs to the street, sipping at his coffee and scratching absently at the nicotine patch on his arm.
Jono swatted his hand away from messing with it. “Ta, love. We’ll pick you up on our way to the PCB.”
“Oh, good. She’s available,” Patrick said as Jono ended the call.
“She says her boss isn’t happy she’s being called away from the office.”
Patrick shrugged. “Sage could’ve said no.”
“You knew she wouldn’t.”
