[Draven's Crossing 1] Hidden Diversions (8 page)

“Whoa there, slugger.
Calm down or I’ll be stripping off my clothes and running out the door,” Urban warned.

A glance over at his brother told him everything he needed to know. Urban’s face was sporting a light coat of pale brown and his eyes were now a pale amber rather than green.

Guilt
pinged
him, and he pulled back the urge to shift. “Sorry,” Torger muttered and turned back to cooking the steaks. He grabbed some vegetables out of the fridge and began to make a salad.

“Wow, vegetables? What’s the occasion? Trying to watch your waistline?” Urban teased.

The small jab broke some of the tension, allowing him to push back some of his frustration. Torger chuckled. “No, just figured we needed to eat something green, a break from all the meat.”

Urban laughed. “Awww, worried about my health, are you? Look, I can see you’re stressed. This isn’t an easy situation, I know. I’ve been there, but you’ve got to ask for help.”

“I have asked for help, and Jackal almost got killed. It’s like this bastard is a ghost. I don’t know where to look for him. The archives have turned up nothing like this, and my international contacts have nothing to offer. The underground is quiet, scarily so.” Torger blew out a breath and ran and hand to his hair. His frustrations began to rise again and needed to be vented. Running in wolf form was looking better and better.

“And how do you hunt a ghost? You bring in a witch.” Urban grinned.

“Do you know a witch that can find this kind of spook?” Torger turned to look at his sibling, skeptical that he knew someone he could call.

“You’ve got me, and I’ve got contacts you don’t have. But we have to address a bigger issue. When was the last time you got laid?” Urban gave him a look that made Torger cringe. “Has hitting the gym helped?” Urban pressed.

Torger thought about it. Laying a few punches on the heavy bag wasn’t working either. Nothing seemed to be helping. He was over-caffeinated and frustrated with no way to vent properly. “Well….”

“See? Let me help you while I’m here. I dropped in unannounced and you didn’t bite my head off, which I’m thankful for.” Urban said nothing else.

Torger closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he tried to remember that this was someone related to him, not a stranger, that he knew people and could help. He looked over at his brother who swiveled around in his chair and started to tap away on his laptop. Torger took that as an indication that Urban was going to help whether he wanted it or not. Grinning, Torger went back to cooking. Some of the weight seemed to be lifted off his shoulders, and his head felt a bit clearer.

“So, when are you gonna start dating, Tor?” Urban
asked,
his tone conversational, no teasing anywhere.

Torger clenched his jaw in annoyance and tried to rein in his temper. He’d hoped that Urban would’ve dropped that subject. He was just thankful that he hadn’t pushed the issue of his workload. Besides, it wouldn’t do to snap at him. He was just looking out for him, not wanting him to be lonely. At least, that’s what he hoped. Besides, it was better than hearing their mother ask him when she’d get grandchildren from him. “When I feel like it.”

He wasn’t sure what else to say. Isadora Jones was on his radar, but neither of them had time to really pursue the attraction. Besides that, she was a reporter. How would the Chief of Police and a reporter ever be able to talk about anything but work? He couldn’t see her just leaving things alone when he told her to drop it and he had no desire to watch her interview the hot new guys who were in town for whatever reason. He wasn’t a jealous guy, but Isy was a gorgeous woman. How could any red-blooded man not hit on her or want to bed her?

“You can’t date someone from work you know? Are you not dating because of you
know
who?”
Urban looked him over, an unasked question in his eyes.

Torger growled. “Don’t go there.” He didn’t want to bring up his ex. She was in the past. There was no attraction for him when it came to Sheila. She’d made her decision, and he was thankful for it. Now he knew what true attraction was instead of just basic mating lust, and he preferred the former. He just didn’t want to talk about it.

“Why? You haven’t dated since Sheila. Look, it wasn’t your fault. She fell for someone else. It happens.” Urban shrugged.

Torger rolled his eyes. Sheila hadn’t just fallen for someone else; she’d been fucking him from the start and hoped to wed Torger for his position as Alpha of all Packs. “It has nothing to do with her.”

“Hey, you know the bachelor auction is coming up.” A cheeky smile curled on his brother’s face. “Maybe you should take part.”

Torger narrowed his eyes. “You wouldn’t. Anyway, you’re too late. I’ve been volunteered. And it has nothing to do with Sheila or anyone else. It’s this damn case. All I’ve got are dead ends and nothing to go on.” He sighed and settled into a chair. Torger knew he was leaving out one big bit, but his brother didn’t need to know about Isy, not yet anyway.

“Good and I’ll be there to make sure to up the price.” Urban looked up and grinned.

“That’s just weird, bro, and creepy. ‘Sides you’re not going to be here long enough to take part in the auction unless you want to be an entry. I can ask Rose to add you to the list.” The horrified look on Urban’s face was reward enough for him.

“Okay, let’s talk about the case.” Urban finished his beer, grabbed another one and sat back down, his laptop sitting ready.

“You’re not law enforcement. I can’t share the details.” It was the normal excuse he used to dissuade people from asking anymore. Too bad his brother wasn’t anyone.

“Try again. Maybe you need a fresh pair of eyes. Give me the details. ‘Sides you need help. With or without your permission, I’m going to lend you a hand.” Urban rested his chin on his arms and stared at his brother.

The look unnerved him. Unblinking, his brother continued to gaze at him, dark green eyes devoid of emotion. He tried not to shift in his seat, yet couldn’t resist moving around just a little. Torger shuddered. “Cut that out. Okay, here’s what’s been going on, in case you haven’t been watching the news.” He recounted the first killings and the latest two deaths, details the public knew and didn’t know and what they had found out when Jackal had come to town. Torger also threw in the latest details on Muffy Evanson’s death and the body found in front of the movie theater and Detective Santa Rosa’s theory.

Urban whistled. “Damn. And there’s nothing? Not even a partial or DNA, not even skin? Jesus. Who is this person, Mr. Invisible? It makes no sense that there’s nothing. It also is very unusual. The perp doesn’t fit any profile I know. He or she doesn’t seem to have a type, just out-of-towners and that’s just out of character. What kind of psyche profile did Jackal do when he came to town?”

Torger thought. “Jackal isn’t your usual profiler. He gets a sense for people but didn’t do a formal work-up on the person.”

He waited for Urban to explode at the lack of procedure.
Nothing.

“Okay, so we start from scratch. Give me the case files. I’m gonna need to talk to the cops on the case, see what they’ve seen. You, on the other hand, need to unwind so you can have a clear view of things.” Urban began to type.

“But—”

“No. Your frustration is rubbing me raw. I can feel your urge to shift and your urge to mate. It’s fucking with me, big time, and I bet it’s confusing you. So you can either take a powder now or I make you take a time out.” Urban looked up, his green gaze was hard and unwavering.

“Fine but what am I supposed to do?” Torger sat back and waited for the answer.

“Read, jerk off, I don’t care, just get away from me for an hour or so.” Urban turned back to his laptop and began to type. “But first, get me the files.”

“Yes, sir, your highness, sir,” Torger growled.

“And don’t you forget it,” Urban threw out as Torger left the table to get his briefcase. He fetched his satchel and brought it to Urban, hoping that his brother could see something they hadn’t.

“All the vics were identified, right? And they were all found in various places all over town, right?” Urban continued to type without looking up.

He wasn’t sure where Urban was going with it but answered him all the same. “Yeah, we assumed that they were just vacationers, but the spots they were found were where locals usually congregated.”

Torger hadn’t given much thought to the identity of the victims since they ranged in genders and sexual orientations. Also, he figured that the perp wanted the bodies to be found rather than have them lying out in the middle of nowhere.
Nothing like hubris.
But that didn’t give them any leads to speak of, which was frustrating as hell.

“Give me an hour. I may have thought of something.” Urban continued to type, leaving Torger feeling a sense of loneliness closing in. A black funk rose up inside of him, chilling him to the bone. His mind had become a blank wall. Weight pushed down on his head and shoulders. Energy buzzed through his tendons and muscles demanding movement. Another run was looking really good at that moment.

* * * *

Abbott leaned against the dark wood bar. Smoke mingled with the stench of stale beer and peanuts and the tang of sweat. The dull drone of the late night news played out on a flat screen TV against the far wall. The murmur of conversation floated around him, but he didn’t give it any mind. Tonight he was looking for someone. Hunger gnawed at his stomach. His gums ached as anger pounded in his head. So much life, so much need and he could feel none of it. Not yet anyway. He sipped his vodka, allowing the burn to drive away the desire for the kill.

“Did you hear about the body found on L and C in front of the theater?” someone close by asked.

“Yeah.
When the fuck is Torger gonna do something about it?
Fucking werewolves.
How can you trust ‘em to get anything done? And that vampire in office is no better,” another person responded.

Abbott kept his mouth shut. It amused him that the unclean masses were bitching about their elected officials. The town had been at peace for years and now a few murders and everyone was ready to sell anyone up the river for a little slice of how it used to be. He continued to sip his vodka. The icy chill of the liquid helped cool his body down some. The hunger had been beaten back for now. Taking in his surroundings, he observed the locals. No out-of-towners here. But hunting for his next date wasn’t his goal. Tonight he wanted to see what others were saying before he returned to his job. A few more minutes went by with nothing else said on his offerings. Once he finished his drink, he paid and left. The night felt warm and welcoming. The lights of the town shone brighter. Always after a kill everything looked beautiful. But the cracks were there, you just had to look hard enough.

He arrived at his shop and unlocked the door. A sense of Zen calm came over him as he stepped over the threshold. A gentle perfume of flowers and greenery drifted toward him. With a sigh, he flicked on the lights and shut the door behind him. This was his paradise, his sanctuary, his little shop: The Gossip Shack. It was part cyber café, part information center, part memorabilia store, part café all rolled into one. The Tourist Board had called it essential to the city for whatever your needs
were,
whether you were just visiting or if you had just moved here. He had glowing reviews from various newspapers and magazines. He’d even been featured on a TV show or two. But that didn’t matter. None of it had any importance until Isadora Jones had graced his little shop with her presence to do a segment on him. She’d been so warm, so curious. The reporter exuded a sense of seduction, sexuality, confidence and perfection. So untouchable, he was just in awe of being allowed to be near her. And so his infatuation began and to this day his devotion only grew.

Abbott could only hope that she would understand and feel honored by his small offerings.

“Master?
Did I do well?” Ariel’s dreamy voice came to him from the doorway of the storage room.

His little reverie vanished and his mood darkened at being interrupted from his thoughts. He looked at Ariel; her pale shimmery blond hair covered her delicate features. The small tips of her pointed ears peeked out from among her thin golden tresses. Her subservience angered him. The dull flames started in his belly and spread through his arms and legs and swelled through his head until he shook with it. Hunger crowed as it rattled in its cage, demanding release. Swallowing hard, he shoved the desire down and turned away from his progeny. “Yes, very well. Hopefully she’ll appreciate my latest offering. Now let’s get ready to open for the night.”