Grey Dawn (9 page)

‘Yes, I met your
friend
, Mina, last night. Mina Love, such a charming name, despite her most unaffectionate attitude. But, no, I was not the last person to see her, since quite clearly whoever attacked her must have seen her. I was not that person. I spent the remainder of the evening in the very pleasant company of two of your more
welcoming
colleagues. As I have already explained to the police.' The smile, and its accompanying charm, were gone. ‘Now, if you don't mind.' He turned away so quickly, the coat – still draped over his arm – slapped Dulcie's face. It couldn't have been intentional, but she stepped back as if it were, right into the arms of her friend.

‘Yikes.' Lloyd righted her as she stumbled. ‘That was intense.'

‘You okay, Dulce?' He looked concerned. She nodded, afraid to turn back around. ‘Don't worry, Nancy's gone after him.' Her office-mate filled in the gaps. ‘She'll smooth his feathers.'

‘You heard?' Suddenly, Dulcie felt foolish. Her friend nodded.

‘It was very brave. And he probably won't get the job anyway,' added Lloyd. At that, the magnitude of what she had done – of whom she might have just offended – kicked in, and Dulcie swayed on her feet.

‘Here.' Trista appeared, handing Dulcie yet another of those tiny glasses. ‘There's beer, but I know you don't like beer.'

‘Thanks.' The warmth was welcome, and Dulcie drank down her dose. ‘But this just means …' The room, it was turning.

‘Steady there.' Lloyd had his arm around her. ‘Maybe we should get some air.'

‘I'm ready to blow this popsicle stand anyway,' said Trista. ‘I don't think Professor Charming is even going to talk to any of us peons.' Dulcie dared a glance back. It was true. Lukos was deep in conversation with Nancy. His arm was still covered by his coat, only now he was holding it out as if showing her something.

‘What's he doing?' Dulcie strained to see. ‘Was he hurt? Bitten?' She started toward him, only to feel three pairs of hands on her.

‘Hang on, cowgirl.' Trista was in charge of turning her around. ‘Let's let things settle, shall we?'

‘But …' It was useless. Before she knew what was happening, Dulcie found herself out on the sidewalk.

‘What was that about, anyway?' Raleigh seemed to have missed the details, and so Lloyd filled her in as they walked, huddled against the wind. ‘It's my fault,' Dulcie heard him say. ‘I should never have told her about seeing them at the bar.'

‘It's not your fault.' Dulcie interrupted. ‘He just seemed like the type. I mean, more than …' The wind – it had to be the wind – interrupted her, roaring down an alley. Only, she thought she'd heard something more. ‘Wait,' she stopped her friends. ‘What's that?'

The roar had faded, and a voice, faint but clear, was calling. A cry, saying – what?

‘I hear it, too.' Raleigh was looking around them. ‘It's coming from down here.' Pulling away from them, she darted into the dark between the buildings. ‘Raleigh, wait!' Lloyd went after her, and so Dulcie and Trista followed. The moon, which shone so bright on the street, did little to illuminate the alley. Still, the cry was clearly audible now – a soft, mewling sound, more a whimper than a voice. And to Dulcie, there was something more: a sense of warning. Of danger …

‘Here it is!' In the shadows, they could see Raleigh duck down. When she stood, she was holding something to her face.

‘Raleigh, careful.' Lloyd moved forward as Raleigh came back into the light.

‘There's no danger here,' she said. ‘Look at this poor little guy.' In her hands, almost covered by them, was a tiny orange kitten. As they watched, its little pink mouth opened and they heard again the soft cry.

‘Oh, kitty!' They all cooed, as Raleigh held the little creature up to her face. Even Trista lost her toughness for a second.

‘Was he alone?' Dulcie had gotten that warning from something – from somewhere. ‘Maybe his mother is back there, too – or other kittens from his litter?'

Raleigh shook her head, her long hair falling over the kitten's shivering body. ‘I didn't see anything else.'

‘We should look.' Dulcie wasn't just being practical. She had a bad feeling about this. Lloyd nodded and went back into the alley. Soon they were all there, Raleigh holding the tiny orange tabby, peering under shrubbery and in and around the two recycling bins.

‘Nothing,' Lloyd concluded finally. ‘He must have been dumped by someone.'

‘Poor baby,' Raleigh was cooing. ‘I'm going to take him
home.'

Lloyd cleared his throat, and Dulcie turned. He was clearly uncomfortable. ‘Um, my allergies?'

Raleigh looked up, and at that moment, Dulcie wouldn't have given much for their relationship. ‘I know, honey. But just for a few nights. Just to make sure he's okay. Then we'll find a good home for him. I promise.'

An awkward silence settled on the small party. ‘You'll be fostering him.' Dulcie volunteered, to break it up. ‘You can even keep him isolated, in the bathroom or something. It'll be a good deed. You've probably saved that kitten's life.'

Lloyd sneezed, and Dulcie gave him a look. They had only just found the kitten, after all. He had the grace to look somewhat abashed. ‘If it were just sneezing or itching,' he said. ‘But I have asthma.'

Dulcie turned back to the lovers. Raleigh nodded. ‘Just overnight, then. And I'll take him to the vet first thing tomorrow to have him checked out. Besides, I know who really needs a kitten.'

‘Oh?' They all turned toward her. Dulcie wasn't sure how Esmé would take to another cat, and Jerry and Trista already had two rambunctious littermates in a too-small apartment.

‘Thorpe,' said Raleigh. ‘If ever someone could use a companion, it's our beloved leader.'

‘Of course.' Trista nodded. Even Lloyd looked pleased – though that could have been relief that he wouldn't have to battle for his girlfriend's affections. Only Dulcie was left to object.

‘No, you can't,' she said. That was it. The danger. The warning. An innocent kitten. But they were all looking at her. Even the kitten, its eyes clear and wide in the bright night. ‘You just can't. It's not safe.'

‘What do you mean?' asked Raleigh. ‘I know he's not your favorite person,' Lloyd started in, but Dulcie waved him off.

‘It's not what you think. It's not about my thesis, or the way he treats us. I do feel sorry for him. Really, I do, more than you can imagine.' She looked up at the sky with its bright, pale moon and thought about the wounded woman. Maybe tonight would pass without incident. Maybe another woman was already hurt, or worse. Maybe it was all a horrible dream, but she couldn't be sure. And until she was, she had to do what she could to keep one innocent safe.

‘You can't give the kitten to him, Raleigh. It isn't safe,' she said finally, turning back toward her friends. ‘I have reason to believe that Martin Thorpe is a werewolf.'

‘H
uh?'

‘Wha?'

‘Dulcie?'

All three of her friends turned toward her in surprise. Even the kitten, nestled in Raleigh's arms, looked up as if startled, its blue eyes blinking in its orange-striped face. It took Trista to articulate the question on all their minds: ‘Martin Thorpe is a were-
what?'

‘Dulcie, beware!'
Dulcie turned. The low, soft voice calling to her cut through the din, and for a moment, she wasn't sure who it was.
‘There's danger here!'

‘Mr Grey?' She mouthed the words, ignoring the outcry that her pronouncement had provoked.

‘Dulcie! What are you saying?' Trista had her arm and was shaking her. Lloyd was by her side, his own touch somewhat more gentle. ‘Are you feeling okay?'

‘She's drunk,' Trista said, turning to Lloyd. ‘She doesn't have a head for alcohol.'

‘No!' Dulcie shook her friends off. ‘I'm not. It's just …' She put her hand up to her forehead, as if to push back the blinding pressure that had just begun, behind her temples.

‘It's not your fault, hon.' Trista put her arm around her, more congenially this time, and started to walk her back toward the street. ‘It's that cheap sherry. We may as well have been drinking cough syrup.'

‘No, it's not that.' Dulcie pulled away. ‘I'm not drunk. Honest.' She looked around into three sets of disbelieving eyes. Four, if you counted the kitten's. ‘I can explain what I said about Thorpe, really. But right now, I have to concentrate. There's danger here.'

Raleigh and Lloyd exchanged a look, and Trista took a step forward. In one moment, Dulcie was going to be hustled away from that alley, whether she liked it or not. She needed to explain what she suspected and, more urgently, had heard. Mr Grey wouldn't have warned her if there were nothing—

‘What was that?' Raleigh turned back to toward the alley. The kitten mewed softly. ‘No, not that.' She pointed into the darkness. ‘
That.'

Another sound. A groan, soft but distinct. They all heard it that time.

‘Holy—' Trista turned back toward the alley, but Dulcie caught up to her in a flash.

‘Wait! There's someone back here.' Dulcie peered into the dark. ‘Be careful.'

A soft sound, almost a sigh. Dulcie saw a movement. Something pale.

‘
Dulcie …'
Mr Grey again, but fainter, and for the moment, Dulcie tuned him out as she heard the sound again. It was human sound: a moan.

‘Over here,' Dulcie called. Lloyd and Trista were by her side, as she stepped forward, farther back in the shadow than they had yet explored. There, lying against the brick wall of the building next door, pale as a ghost in the darkness, was a woman: Emily Trainor.

‘Emily!' Dulcie ran over and knelt beside the prone student. ‘Are you hurt?'

‘What? Where am I?' Emily was lying on her side and struggled to get up. ‘I thought I heard … I must have been …'

‘We were just here, but you must have been out cold.' Raleigh was behind Dulcie. ‘We should just call 911.'

‘No, no,' Emily protested. ‘I have to get up. I have to go.'

Ignoring Raleigh, Dulcie reached out. The hands that took hers were muddy but functional, and with only a little help, the younger woman pulled herself to her feet.

And stumbled.

‘Hang on.' Dulcie moved beside her. Emily was taller, so it was easy for Dulcie to get under her arm and let the younger student lean on her. ‘Easy does it.'

‘What happened?' Trista took her other side as they walked her out of the alley, and Dulcie made the introductions. ‘Who did this to you?'

‘I – no, I don't remember.' At the entrance of the alley, Emily paused. The moonlight seemed to confuse her, and Raleigh, still holding the kitten, pulled out her phone.

‘You shouldn't try to walk,' she said. ‘We'll get an ambulance.'

‘No, please!' Disengaging from Trista, Emily reached out and Raleigh looked up, skeptically.

‘We have to, Emily. You're probably in shock now,' she said.

Lloyd nodded, adding, ‘especially if you can't even remember what happened.'

‘No, I can.' Emily stepped away from Dulcie, as if to prove her fitness. ‘It was just all so sudden, you know?'

‘What was?' Raleigh was testing her; Dulcie could see it. Any sign of vagueness, and she'd finish punching in the number for emergency services. ‘Tell us.'

‘I was going to the reception, you know? At the department offices?' They all nodded. ‘And then, something – no, I guess it must have been someone grabbed me.' Emily put her hand up to her throat. It was hard to tell in the moonlight – didn't this city have any good street lights any more? – but Dulcie thought she saw bruising on the girl's fair skin.

‘Did you see who it was?' Trista asked the question first.

‘No.' Emily rubbed her throat and swallowed. Dulcie could see the muscles working under the pale skin. ‘It – he was behind me. It was all so fast.'

‘And then?' Dulcie's voice was soft.

Emily shook her head. ‘It – he pulled me back into the alley. I think maybe someone was coming; I don't know. I tried to grab at his hand. Tried to claw at him, but he was so strong. Then he threw me against the wall. I think I hit my head.'

‘Did he say anything? Or –' Dulcie paused, wanting to choose her words carefully – ‘make any noise?'

Emily thought about it. ‘I thought I heard something. Maybe that's why I thought somebody was coming. But I'm not sure it was a voice. It might have been an animal.'

Dulcie felt her friends turning toward her, but a werewolf wouldn't have spoken. Would it? ‘What did it sound like? I mean, did you hear any words? Anything you could make out?'

A slow shake of the head, accompanied by more rubbing of the throat.

‘He grabbed me and shook me, and I hit my head pretty hard. I, maybe I heard something about “mind” or “mine.”'

‘Or Mina?' Lloyd had stepped closer.

‘Could have been.' Emily looked up. ‘You think this was the same guy who attacked my room-mate?'

‘You're the room-mate?' Trista looked aghast, and Raleigh chimed in. ‘That's it. I'm calling the cops.'

‘No, no. Please.' Emily grabbed Raleigh's free hand. The kitten, now tucked inside her jacket mewed. ‘
Please.
I promise. I'll go talk to them in the morning. I just, I really want to go home now.'

‘Dulcie …'
The voice. There was a warning in it, almost a hiss. She didn't need the scrape of claws against the back of her hand to alert her. Somewhere, out there, danger still lurked. Dulcie spun around, as if to face the moonlight. And nearly fell.

‘Whoa there.' Trista caught her. ‘I think maybe we all need a good night's sleep. What do you say?'