‘Do you have the name of the Heylin vamp that’s missing?’ I asked Bastion.
‘Sarah Greengrass. She was relatively new, only sixty years old or so. Has a wife who denies she’d ever run away.’
‘Wife’s name?’ I was making notes in my PNB.
‘Leanne Greengrass.’ He gave me their address, and I went cold. It was only a dozen houses down from Kate. I stared at the address on the page until the ink blurred.
‘She went missing on the same night I killed Jasper Cathill?’
My mind snapped the information together and I didn’t like the picture it painted. Aspen dead. Jasper ash. Sarah missing. Three separate threads all on one day.
I tapped the pen against the page once sharply.
‘Yeah,’ Bastion confirmed.
It was too much to be a coincidence: Sarah went missing on the same night Aspen and Jasper died. No one had been around when Jasper died, no witnesses. And if therehadbeen, I sure as hell hadn’t culled them. That meant her disappearance was more likely related toAspen’sdeath, especially given her home address.
I couldn’t be certain, but I’d bet my bottom dollar that she had seen something she shouldn’t have, and someone had cleaned up house.
Jingo had never been shy about collateral damage.
Chapter Sixteen
When Robbie walked into my flat without knocking, I smiled. He treated my place like it was becoming a home, and I liked that.
I wondered if I’d ever feel as comfortable at the den.
Then my welcoming smile faded as I realised he was armed to the teeth. After him came Ivan, Maktel and Hanlon, all similarly armed.
I raised an eyebrow. ‘All right?’
Robbie nodded tightly. ‘We can get into Wraithmore but it must be tonight. We need to leave now.’
North of Liverpool, Wraithmore Prison was a fifty-minute drive away, on a good day. It was already 8pm, and the edges of tiredness were clawing at me, but I was grateful I hadn’t indulged in a whisky with Channing and Ji-ho.
‘They won’t let you in armed like that.’ I gestured to their many weapons.
‘I know,’ said Robbie. ‘It’s a statement.’
‘It sure is that,’ I agreed. ‘Give me a second. I need to change.’ I was dressed in jeans, a t-shirt and a hoody Rupert had given me which said, ‘Your ambition outweighs your skills’. Despite the insult, the maroon jumper was one of my favourites, but it wasn’t quite prison-suitable.
I hustled into my bedroom to change and Loki flew in after me, sneaking in before I closed the door.
I coming with you,he said firmly in my head. His emotions were so high that he’d switched into verbal speech mode.I not leaving you to facehimon own. Nothing you say change mind.
Okay,I said.
I help—wait. What? I come?
Of course. In invisibility mode, but yeah, I’d like to have you with me.It was hard to admit, but I meant it. There was something about the occasionally snarky bird that settled me, and I’d take any and all comfort I could get while I literally confronted my nightmares made flesh.
Loki trilled in triumph, doing a victory lap around my ceiling.
I opened my wardrobe and stared into it, thinking about what image I wanted to project. I hesitated to select my Connection uniform. The middle triangle on my forehead marked me as part of the Connection come what may, butall the same, this wasn’t a formal visit. Wasn’t authorised. So the black suit was out.
After a beat, I selected a light grey trouser suit instead, with a standard white shirt. It was formal, official, but it wasn’t my uniform. I slung it on and brushed my hair. No makeup. Meeting your kidnapper and torturer wasn’t an occasion to dress up for.
I pulled on flat black boots and wished they’d let me take my weapons in with me, but I already knew they wouldn’t. The risk that an inmate might snatch it off me was too high.
