[Draven's Crossing 1] Hidden Diversions (23 page)

In the background he heard
Urban
yell, “She fucking bit me when I tried to take her cup from her. She wouldn’t let me refill it.”

Torger could only shake his head. He flagged down the officer doing the updates and handed him the phone. “Talk to her. I have to go see what’s going on.”

The officer accepted the cell with trepidation and began talking while Torger walked off to the conference room they’d closed off solely for investigating the serial killer. He’d have to talk to Draven about forming a new division for specialized crimes like this. Up until now they’d never needed it, but this made him realize how understaffed he was. They’d have to bring in new people; maybe Urban could head it up with Jagger.

He entered the room to find Alyssa at a table with a lab tech.

“What do we have?” he barked out.

The tech stood up and began explaining things in scientific jargon. All Torger could do was stare until Alyssa translated it. “One sample matches Michaela O’Conner and the second one matches Abbott.”

He stared at her.

Alyssa continued. “The only reason he’s in the system was for the annual blood drive. We have to enter their blood type, history of disease and health.”

A.

The ending of the letter came back to him. “Fucking hell, could Abbott be A?”

Alyssa stared at him.
“Oh my gods.
We have his signature on file. I’ve been so stupid!” She rushed out of the room and returned ten minutes later. “I had him write out a list of local businesses that have active security systems that we could crawl through.”

She had both letters as well. She spread them out without removing them from the clear evidence envelopes and compared it to the list and his signature.

“Well, I’ll be damned. They look similar. Call in our handwriting expert,” Torger ordered.

“Don’t need to.” Alyssa nodded to the lab tech
who
came over. He brought out a magnifying glass and looked at Alyssa’s list and the letters.

“I’m looking over the formation of similar words and letters, such as the, and, a; you know common words used in business names and they match up with the letters. I can attest to it in court.” The lab tech, whose badge said his name was Blake stepped back.

“Thanks. Alyssa, get a warrant. Judge Alberts should still be up, since he’s a night owl. Then go bring in Abbott.” Torger tried not to grin but couldn’t help it. They were getting close, damn it. He had something good to tell Draven. He went to his office and put in the call to Draven and gave him the rundown of what was happening.

Draven had sent Jagger over to Evanson’s place to pull him into the Police Department for a statement, but he’d first have to check into a few things to confirm what Urban had told them. Everything had to be in place. The Council had been notified and they weren’t putting up a protest but they wanted to do their own trial and no publicity.

Torger sighed. Another cover-up, but if that’s how they stopped the bodies from piling up, he’d take it. The Council wouldn’t skimp on the justice.

Chapter Thirteen

THE POLICE HAVE LEADS.

Does this mean the killings will end? -Isadora Jones, DC News Blast

Ariel came into the room, head bowed, eyes lowered.
“Master?”

“Yes?” Abbott looked up from his letter. The police still hadn’t come, but that only gave him more time to get his thoughts together. “I’ve been working on instructions for you and the children. You won’t be left unattended. There’s money in the bank for all of you, so you have nothing to worry about. The business will be left to you. I’m just finishing up the last of my thoughts.”

He turned back to his writing, adding a few more sentences and signed his name. Ariel remained silent.

“Is there something you wanted, Ariel?” He rearranged his desk, irritated at her silence.

“We won’t allow you to be taken and your work to be perverted, master,” Ariel replied softly.

The thud of footsteps filling the room caught his attention. He looked up to find his children, all the people he’d taken in and given the gift of longer life and healing, a home, before him. Their heads were bowed, but their energy crackled with expectation. Like a leashed predator waiting for their shot. He looked over each person. A sense of nervousness slithered along his spine.

“You can’t prevent such a thing. My time is done. Besides we sent enough data to Evanson to help his research and perhaps he can find a cure for me later. Besides, I’m sure he’ll help me with the charges.” Abbott doubted it but the crowd didn’t know that.

“It won’t matter. The press, Isadora Jones, they will slander you. We won’t allow that,” Ariel replied.

Anger flared in the pit of his stomach. “What do you know of Isadora? She will understand. She will get the message and appreciate my work, whereas, clearly you don’t,” he spat out.

Ariel shook her head. She lifted her chin and her eyes flashed to a dull red hue. “No she won’t, but I won’t try to make you see that. You’re so wrapped up in trying to impress her that you’ve forgotten your children. We won’t allow that any longer. Nor will we allow your hard work to be defiled.”

As if a signal had been shot into the air, the crowd moved as one to swarm him. He glared at them. “Stop this, this instant!”

“No,” Ariel said.

With that single word, they attacked. As one, they ripped and tore Abbott apart. He tried to scream and fight but there were far too many of them. Pain throbbed through his body as the agony turned to blinding, searing fire that engulfed him.

“Isadora,” he gasped out as the blackness took him over.

* * * *

Torger went over the evidence and reports to make sure they hadn’t missed anything. It was beginning to look like a long night ahead. They had to make sure that the bases were covered. The Council wouldn’t be sending a Fixer, but Draven was sure that they would want everything they had to make sure that DCPD hadn’t tried to fabricate evidence to point to Ivan Evanson. They were still looking for excuses to shut Draven’s Crossing down and quarantine the town until they could take over the political duties and shove Draven out of office. As he shuffled through the paperwork, the evidence trail, and made sure that all the evidence was accounted for, his phone rang.

“Torger,” he said while trying to read over the latest report from the HellHound Squad.

“Boss, Abbott is dead. Looks like a massacre. Seems his boarders killed him and then themselves. We do have a written out confession that says he’s responsible for the vampire bite victims and that he was put up to it by Evanson. Says it was for experimental research for fixing people with blood disorders, aimed at vampires. I’ll bring it all in.” She rang off before he could respond.

Torger hung up the phone and resisted the urge to whoop in victory. He put in a call to Draven immediately and then checked the time. There hadn’t been an update on Jagger, which was unusual. Unless his task had taken too long he should’ve brought in Evanson for questioning. Draven’s private line rang and rang before he answered it.
“Torger?”

Torger panicked.

A kernel of worry formed in the pit of Torger’s stomach. “What’s up, Drav? What’s going on?”

“I sent Jagger to Evanson’s over an hour ago and haven’t heard back. I’m getting antsy over here. Did he arrive at the police station yet?” Draven asked.

“No, I was calling you to let you know we found conclusive evidence against Evanson, which should satisfy the Council. I’m gonna go check on Jagger myself.” Torger unlocked his security drawer and took out his gun and badge.

“Take your brother, just in case. I have a bad feeling.” Draven hung up before Torger could ask what that was.

The next call he made was to Urban who would meet him at the mansion. Isadora was asleep. She was emotionally exhausted. Torger couldn’t blame her. An ache in his heart formed for her. Michaela hadn’t just been her assistant, she’d been her friend and under Isy’s protection.
As soon as this is all over I’m going to take some time off to be with her
, he decided before he closed the call and headed out of the office. Rather than tell the officers where he was going, he told them that he’d be back in an hour and to tell Alyssa Santa Rosa to wait for him in his office once she’d logged everything in. With Abbott dead, he wanted to get her firsthand account of how everything looked. He had to interrogate her himself because that‘s exactly what the Council would do to make sure no funny business had come into play during this latest step in the investigation.

The ride over to Evanson’s was uneventful. Despite the continued night life, there weren’t as many people on the streets due to the killings. He was sure that everyone would breathe a sigh of relief at it being over. There would be shock and outrage over Evanson’s involvement, but the citizens would get over it and they’d get to vote in a new representative. He thought of the likely candidates and couldn’t pick one that he wanted to work with; after all, they’d all be Council lackeys in the end, no matter how nice they started out.

Draven wouldn’t be happy to have to work with someone
new, that
was for sure. There would be long nights away from Rose for him, and Torger wouldn’t be immune. There would be the werewolf summit that he’d need to deal with, which would mean time away from Isy and pack business. Thankfully, Urban was here to help keep him calm, for now. He’d have to talk him into staying in town until that was over.

He pulled into the driveway of the Evanson mansion and saw Urban had arrived.
Must’ve run some red lights
.
Torger smirked. He turned off the car and got out. Jagger’s black Mercedes SLS AMG was parked in front of the double doors.

Urban walked over to him as Torger got out of his car. “Car is cold, no life signs in the house but I can smell blood even from here.”

Torger’s stomach dropped as the worry turned to all out panic. Fear for his friend drove his actions. He drew his gun and took the safety off. With it at the ready, he kicked open the double doors and allowed his senses to guide him. The lights were on but there was no movement. Not even a servant had come to check on the noise. He nodded to Urban, who flanked his side. Together they moved through the house, making sure they were alone.

Torger led the way as they followed groans coming from down a darkened hallway. A sliver of light peeked out from a darkened doorway. Urban crept forward and nudged it open with his toe, gun at the ready. Torger rushed into the room. The scene was one of pure carnage. Jagger was on the floor while Evanson lay in a pool of blood. Groans of pain gurgled out of his mouth. Urban checked on Jagger while Torger knelt down, put away his gun and looked over Evanson. “Kris, gone…Jagger…Jagger…” His voice was thready and weak.

Torger swore and got out his cell phone while he checked Evanson over for injuries and the source of the blood. The sound of sirens filtered through a cracked window. A light breeze tickled the thick curtains. Torger looked over at Urban.
“Who the fuck called the cops?”

Urban just shrugged and Jagger sat up and groaned. He rubbed the back of his head. “What Mack truck hit me?”

“Don’t say anything. Someone called the cops,” Urban said.

Jagger squinted from one brother to the other. “But you are the cops.”

“Yeah, but we don’t know why they’re coming here. Get him to Draven’s office; make sure you’re not seen.” Torger watched as Urban dragged Jagger out of the room.

Torger refocused his attentions on Evanson. The blood seemed to be coming from a wound on his side. Torger opened Evanson’s shirt and found a deep gash. “Jesus.”

He looked up at Evanson’s face, took his pulse again and swore. Ivan Evanson was dead and Jagger had been on the scene. Alyssa Santa Rosa burst through the door, five cops filtering in behind her. They fanned out, guns pointed at Torger. He put down his gun and held up his hands.