Past Due (16 page)

Frankie didn’t reply or turn to face him. She grabbed the bar with both hands and her knuckles turned white.

Alex sighed. “I didn’t mean it, Frankie.” He stepped up behind her. “I just wanted you to see reason.”

“
You would kill him if you had to though, wouldn’t you?” she asked.

“
If I had to, yes. But I don’t kill for pleasure, Frankie, only necessity.” He wanted to put his hands on her shoulders but she was too stiff at the moment, she would only throw off his touch.

He went to the box of cigars and pulled one out, clipping and lighting it. He offered it to her.

Frankie looked at the cigar as if it had personally offended her but her desire for the nicotine overrode her anger. She took it from him and her posture relaxed somewhat but the atmosphere was still tense. The silence stretched on between them.

“
Is it because I’m a woman?” Frankie finally asked. When Alex looked perplexed she continued, “That you don’t want me protecting you?”

Alex smiled. “No. If anything it’s because you’re a human, or mostly human but really it’s because this can be handled very simply. I fail to see why you don’t want that.”

“
So it’s racism, not sexism,” she replied, ignoring the second half of his statement. “That makes me feel a whole lot better.”

“
Are you always this argumentative?”

“
Only when I’m right.”

“
And I suppose you’re the only one who knows that?”

Frankie glared at him, showing him she didn’t appreciate his sarcasm and she wasn’t backing down.

“
Very well. We must still speak with your detective so why don’t you arrange an appointment for after dark.” He reasoned it would be better to show her why she was wrong. As long as Alex was there he could still vamp the detective and undo any damage she caused.

“
Why not now? He could come here during the day.”

“
Because it’s late in the day and I haven’t slept yet.” He looked at his watch. “I should rise again in four hours. If the professor calls before that, wake me, if not, I’ll see you at six.”

Frankie realised she hadn't noticed how tired he looked. He had large purple smudges under his eyes and his whole manner was slightly slower than usual. She’d slept the night away while he’d been working and she felt a little guilty for her outburst. Not that that would make her back down.

He headed for the hallway. “Oh and make yourself comfortable.
Mi casa es su casa
.” He half expected she would be gone when he awoke but he hoped not. Perhaps her protective streak would keep her here, watching over him.

And perhaps not. Only time would tell if her pride was more important than her feelings for him.

“
Boss, I might have found something,” Wilson said as he rushed into Will’s office.

Will looked expectant and, Wilson would almost swear, hopeful.

“
The most recent victim Kate Redman, she worked at a nightclub called Dante’s.” He handed over her employment records for Will to check. “Then I looked back over Sylvia Fornham’s employment record and found she worked there a few years ago,” he handed over a second sheet of paper.

“
Any link to the first victim?” Will asked.

“
Not that I can find. I called her mother but she had no knowledge of where her daughter and her friends hung out. I haven’t been able to reach her friends yet.”

“
It’s a place to start. What have you found out about the club?”

“
It’s a gothic place, attracts the black eyeliner crowd, you know. It opened about six years ago in the Grassmarket. It’s owned by Alexander McNabb and it has a website if you want to take a look.

“
Alexander McNabb?” Will asked.

“
Yeah. That name mean something to you?”

The name Alex McNabb certainly did. It couldn’t be a coincidence, he didn’t believe in them. Assuming Frankie had found this connection and also Alexander McNabb, why hadn't she told him? And why was Alex answering her phone?

He didn’t want to say anything yet though, not until he was sure. “Not in relation to this case. Do you have an address for this McNabb?”

Wilson handed over a printout from the website. “He lives above the club. There’s even a map on the contact page.”

Will grabbed his coat. “Keep checking for a connection with the first victim.”

“
Where are you going.”

“
To interview Mr. McNabb.”

“
On your own?”

“
For now. We don’t have any evidence linking him to the crimes yet so it’ll have to be an informal chat.”

“
We can get a warrant compelling fingerprint and DNA samples.”

“
I’ll see if he’ll volunteer them first. Good work, Mike.”

Chapter Nine

When Alex awoke he wasn’t surprised to feel that the sun was gone for the day. What he didn’t expect was to hear raised voices. He lay still and listened to what they were saying.

Frankie was arguing with someone. The other voice used the language of a police officer and judging by the familiarity in their speech it was probably her friend, William Campbell.

They were arguing over him. Not surprisingly Campbell wanted to question Alex. Frankie on the other hand, insisted he was an MI5 asset and point-blank refused to allow it.

He felt like a child whose parents were bickering about him. Not a feeling he was used to and he realised he also didn’t like it.

As much as he might find Frankie’s protective streak flattering, it was equally insulting, as well.

He took his time dressing again and hoped they might be finished by the time he headed through to them but his hope had been in vain. In fact he stood leaning against the door frame for a good five minutes before either of them noticed he was even there.

Finally Alex cleared his throat and they both whipped around to face him.

“
Detective Chief Inspector Campbell, I assume,” Alex held his hand out, keeping his voice smooth and comforting. He may feel patronised but he had been controlling his emotions for 700 years; he was well practised at hiding things. He knew from their argument that Frankie hadn't called the detective; he had just shown up. “I’m so sorry we couldn’t speak earlier.”

Frankie took a step towards him. “Alex, no.”

“
There is no harm in answering his questions, Frankie. For heaven’s sake, you act like I’m guilty.” That seemed to have the desired effect and while she continued to glower at the pair of them, she didn’t try to stop them.

“
Please, detective, have a seat,” Alex gestured towards the sofa and sat on the chair opposite. He considered offering the detective a drink but thought that might come off as trying to ingratiate himself.

Will held up a picture of Kate. “I understand this woman works for you.”

“
Yes, she’s the bar manager.”

“
Why do you need a manager when you live on site?”

“
So that I’m not tied to this place.”

Will proceeded to ask everything he could about her, how long she’d been there, was she a good employee. Why was she working there when the rest of his staff were students and a myriad of other useless questions. Alex answered as patiently as he could, explaining about Kate’s family situation which no doubt, the detective already knew.

Frankie continued to hover.

Will then brought out a picture of Sylvia and went over similar questions. Again Alex remained calm and answered as best he could. He could tell from the detective’s heartbeat that he hadn't aroused suspicion yet.

Alex had a lot of practice reading people which was why he could tell from body language that Campbell didn’t like him. That he would love an excuse to point the finger at him but he also thought that the detective was too professional to let personal grudges interfere with his work. Alex could only hope this assessment was correct.

Finally Will took out a picture of Kerry Smith.

“
And this girl?”

Campbell’s pulse spiked when he showed the picture and he clenched his jaw; which was how Alex knew that something was off with this question. Most people would have missed those signs, but then most people didn’t have Alex’s heightened senses.

He decided to play it cool. “She never worked for me.”

“
Was she a customer?”

With Sylvia and Kate, Campbell had stated that Alex knew them and he realised from the question that the police hadn't linked Kerry to the club yet. Still, he decided honesty was best.

“
Yes. Not very frequent but she did come here.”

“
Yet you remember her.” Will unclenched his jaw. Finally they had a link to work with.

“
I have a good memory for faces.”

“
Was your relationship with any of these women sexual?” Campbell asked. He sat back in his seat and his posture became relaxed and confident. This probably succeeded in either dominating weaker people or angering strong personalities.

Alex smiled because it wasn’t the reaction that was expected of him. “They are all very beautiful women but alas I have personal rules about relationships with staff and I didn’t know Kerry well enough.”

“
But you did know all three women.”

“
Yes, as did most of my staff and many of my customers.”

Next, Campbell initiated a staring contest. Childish, but effective in establishing dominance. What Campbell didn’t realise though, was that he was in the company of a practised predator who instinctively understood his every action.

Alex stared back, the incredulous expression on his face asking if the detective was serious.

It was Frankie who stepped between them and ended the contest with no clear winner. “Okay, enough.” She held one palm out towards each of them. “Are you done?” she asked Will.

“
For now,” he sounded grudging. “I will need to question your staff though.”

“
Of course.” Alex checked his watch and stood up, asserting his dominance. “Some will be setting up now, the rest should be in soon. There’s a bell beside the front entrance, someone will let you in.”

“
You aren’t coming with me?” Will asked, also rising to his feet and following Alex to the door.

“
I fail to see what my presence will add.” Alex opened the front door for Will and although he hesitated, he left.

Alex was pleased with the way he’d handled that until he turned to see Frankie glowering at him. “What the hell was that?”

Alex understood she had trust issues, commitment issues and that she’d never really formed close bonds before but if she didn’t grow up soon he was going to lose patience with her.

“
The only reasonable course of action. He wouldn’t have taken no for an answer and you made it quite clear that you didn’t want me to hypnotise him. Answering his questions seemed like the only viable option.”

“
I didn’t mean that, I meant the pissing contest you two were having.”

Alex smiled. “Please, Frankie, you cannot put two men together in a room with a woman they both have feelings for and not expect something like that to happen.”

Alex grabbed his coat but Frankie went back into the sitting room. Alex followed her out of curiosity and saw her sitting on the sofa where Campbell had been.

“
What are you doing?”

“
Finding out how much damage you’ve done us,” she peeled off her gloves, closed her eyes and touched the sofa. “It’s not as bad as it could be,” she finally declared, opening her eyes. “He doesn’t think you’re the murderer but he doesn’t trust you and he really doesn’t like you.”

“
I would think less of him if he
did
trust or like me.”

Frankie frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“
It means that I might not be the murderer in this case, Frankie, but I am still a killer.”

“
Are you saying you think less of me because-”

Alex cut her off. “No. If you recall your initial reaction to me was even more averse than your friends. Now if there’s nothing else you’d like to discuss, we have a ghost to question and lay to rest.”

Kate’s house, or rather her parent’s, was a large detached property in the suburb of Morningside. The driveway was occupied by a police car and two more cars stood on the street. The scene of crime officers seemed to have gone, so the primary duty of these officers was keeping the press away.

“
I could use my psychologist ID,” Frankie murmured to him as they surveyed the scene.

Alex shook his head. “I doubt they’d let you in without calling Campbell. Let’s check the back.”

They walked back down the street and turned down the first side road.

“
I doubt there’ll be a handy back passage,” Frankie reminded him.

“
Of course not.” He made another turn and stopped about half way down the parallel street. “We’re directly behind the house now.”

“
So?” Frankie looked at the house in front of her, realising their garden must back onto the crime scene. She also noticed that at the end of the driveway stood a seven foot wooden fence and the gate through to the garden was padlocked. “I can’t climb that!” she told him, “It doesn’t even have any foot holds.”