Stained (12 page)

“It’s been a pleasure, my lad.”

Sé left and Thorn couldn’t help noticing how his jeans were worn in all the right places. She said a spell of protection over him sending a piece of her energy to him before he made it out the door. He was a loner like her and he had integrity. He was a man you could depend on. Beneath her irritation, Thorn was starting to trust him and it scared her. She was lost watching him walk down the street. Her uncle’s dry warm hand found its way to hers.

“He’s worth the risk, dear heart.”

“No, Uncle,” she sighed. “Caleb can’t know about him. We can’t see him anymore. It would be leading a cat to a mouse.”

“I think Sé has a part to play in this, and he is determined to protect you one way or another. Why else was he here?”

“Hmmm. I think you’re right about him wanting to protect me. I’ll just have to be more firm about it. I can’t risk his safety.”

“Your heart, my dear, must also be strong during the fight. Your grandma Muirin would have told you that.”

Thorn didn’t want to face her uncle’s words but he spoke the truth. The problem was that she didn’t want Sé to follow her into the dark places she was about to go. She might come back twisted and maimed. Would he even care about her if he knew what she was going to do? Would he let her do what she wanted to do if he knew about it? Did he have a right to know? The questions roiled in her tired brain—this is why she never got involved, she thought.

Her mamó Muirin had warned her to grow her heart magick. Her life on the run had left little opportunity or inclination. Now when she might have found someone to grow it with she couldn’t.

Uncle Charles and Thorn finished their coffees and made their way into the brisk fall air. The sunlight was fading into a gloomy day, more suited for the forecasted rain. They walked along the uneven sidewalks that were beginning to fill up with private vendors, aging hippies and young street people, peddling handmade goods along Telegraph Avenue. Reese and Gwynn were in the shop, getting the place ready for a workday. They were shocked to see Thorn. Her late nights kept her away until afternoon at the earliest.

“Well hello, sunshine,” Reese said, smiling at them.

“Good morning, Reese, Gwynn.”

“Good morning, my lasses, work hard, keep the devil at bay. That’s what I say,” Uncle Charles said. Gwynn and Reese giggled. He winked at them. Before he did anymore charming, Thorn ushered him upstairs.

“Saw him,” Raven said.

“How did you know?

“Look funny. Tell him go away.”

“I did. He didn’t listen,” she snarled then sighed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. I don’t know what to do.” She dropped into her favorite chair. “Sé isn’t going to just go away, I’m not sure I want him to either. I want him safe but I admit I like having him around.”

“Love magick powerful, protect, and attract. Work for and against you.”

“I know.” It was the way it could work against Sé that concerned her.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

White candle, flame so bright, I chant this spell to hold me tight, from bad luck, all day long. I chant this spell so hold me strong!

Sé left the coffee shop feeling good. He was reasonably sure he could trust Thorn and Charles not to get into trouble during the day. All the murders had taken place at night. Thorn wouldn’t do anything to endanger her uncle. Sé had a brisk step to his walk as he made his way to his bike. He had shown his intentions to stay involved in her life and he wasn’t going to give her a chance to push him away again. He was smiling and didn’t realize it.

Then he thought of his next task, Kate, and the good mood disappeared. He would back her off. She didn’t do well with no, so he needed to reinforce it. He climbed on his bike and surged the engine too loudly as he roared out on the way to her place.

Taking Ashby from Telegraph to San Pablo Avenue, Sé was able to ride a straight line along one of Berkeley’s main east, west arteries. Starting higher up in the hills, Ashby ran the gamut from some of Berkeley’s most expensive homes, to lower rent areas near the Bay. He noticed signs of restoration creeping into the area, with approval. Sé parked behind Special Agent Simm’s car in the lot of the trendy new apartment building in Emeryville, where she lived. His bike blocked her vehicle. She couldn’t leave without talking to him. He stomped up the stairs, being as loud as possible to alert her that someone was there, and that someone was pissed. She answered the door before he knocked.

“Sé, baby, come on in,” Kate said, in a breathy voice.

“I’d rather talk on the porch.”

“Okay, I was just getting ready to leave for the office.”

“Good, I’ll make this quick and simple so you understand. I want you to stay away from my case. You have no jurisdiction. I want you to stay away from Thorn. If I hear that you’ve threatened her again I’ll report you. Got it?”

“You can’t talk to me this way!” Her eyes flared. Sé started to leave. “Don’t you walk away from me!” Kate’s voice climbed. He ignored her and kept on walking. She lost control.

“That bitch thinks she’s safe,” she screamed, “but she better watch her ass, Sé, because I’m going to nail her for these murders.” Sé turned around and met Kate’s eyes.

“Did I not make myself clear enough for you, or were the words too big, Kate? Leave my case alone,” Sé said, softly, his control in direct contrast to the loss of her own. He left no doubt about his determination. Kate looked startled, finally Sé left her, hoping his warning would convince her. He didn’t feel hopeful about that.

As Sé heeled his kick-stand his beeper went off. He grabbed his cell and called in. His face grew grim as he listened to the call. There had been another murder in the night. Scettico wanted him at the crime scene. He wanted to haul Thorn in. The new victim was named Mathilda Heath.

Sé drove down to the Marina. Mathilda’s body had been found not far from the pier, wrapped in the same thorny twigs that Azayrid’s wrist had been wrapped in. Scettico, of course, got a hard on about the evidence, and assumed that Thorn would be unbalanced enough to leave them a calling card like that.

When he got to the scene he parked his bike and made his way over to the body. His captain was there, since this case had gotten so fucking huge.

The body looked the same as the others, death by decapitation. Mathilda had a Celtic stylized cat on her upper arm with a big part of it missing. He forced his gorge back. How many more would this freak kill? Sé knew it would be hours before he could clear this scene and get back to Thorn. Hours, and piles of paperwork.

“Sé!” his Captain barked.

“Yes sir,” Sé said, as he jogged over to the Captain and Scettico.

“Come over here. From what Scettico said the interview with Thorn went well. I think we need to pick her up after this if she doesn’t have an alibi.”

“She won’t,” Scettico sneered. “She has to be our killer.”

“Scettico, let me remind you that while she looks good for it, there are very few women serial killers. Just check it out,” the Captain said. “Not many women are strong enough to decapitate four people in one stroke.”

“I don’t think Thorn looks good for this. Sir, she just doesn’t fit. Besides,” he said, looking pointedly at Scettico, “Her uncle is staying with her.”

Suddenly his Captain was looking at him closely. He didn’t look happy. Sé let out a deep breath. He wasn’t making a good argument for professional detachment.

“And this uncle,” Scettico made air quotes, “can vouch for her every minute of the night? The guy looked like he could barely stand yesterday. She could have gone out while he was sleeping.” Sé shrugged, he knew Thorn’s habit of taking Raven out late at night.

“O’Bradigen we’ll discuss this later in my office. For now you get out of here, you’re pissing me off. The body is already processed. We got lucky and the coroner was here almost as fast as we were. Scettico can handle it from here on out. You go talk to people in the area and get statements.”

“Yes sir.” Sé wanted to object, but knew it would just make the man dig in his heels. He went about getting statements from people and tried to keep an eye on Scettico at the same time. Things got worse when Kate Simms showed up on the scene. What the hell was she doing here? Her office was in San Francisco, not even on this side of the bay. She just couldn’t keep her ass out of his business and this case. She shimmied up to Scettico.

Sé finished with the person he was talking to and approached Scettico and Kate to see what they were up to.

“Hey Kate, don’t you work in the city? Funny how you keep popping up over here,” Sé said, coldly, as he walked up to the pair.

Scettico smirked at him. Nice. Now two of his least favorite people were getting cozy. Kate gave him a sly smile.

“I was just telling Detective Scettico how this case resembled the MO of several other unsolved cases we have in other states. The FBI is officially entering the game, Sé. I thought you’d especially be pleased. Ever since we worked that kidnapping case, I’ve been missing the chemistry I felt from the Berkeley P.D.”

“You’ve got the wrong person,” Sé said, with new conviction. He realized he really believed it.

“You know what your problem is, O’Bradigen?” Scettico asked.

“What’s that Scettico?” Sé said, getting in the big burly man’s face.

“You’ve gone soft on the girl. You need a piece of ass or something? Go get laid somewhere else.”

Sé pulled his hand back. It was stopped in mid-air when his Captain grabbed his fist. Scettico sneered. Kate was eating it up.

“O’Bradigen, come over here! Scettico, shut the fuck up!”

Sé followed his Captain out of range of Scettico and Kate. His Captain pulled him roughly to a stop.

“What the hell’s wrong with you? You going to punch out a misanthropic asshole like Scettico for saying shit?”

“I’m sorry, sir,” Sé said, shaking himself off.

“Don’t let me see you pulling that shit again. Now get out of here and go file some reports or something. You got a file to update.”

“Yes, sir.”

Sé started walking towards his bike. He knew they were going to arrest Thorn as soon as they left the scene and picked up the warrant. Hell, Kate probably had one with her. Sé got on his bike and drove down the road a ways and then pulled over. He pulled his cell phone out and called Stained.

“Stained, this is Gwynn.”

“Hi Gwynn, I need to talk to Mr. Beglan. It’s an emergency. I know that Thorn doesn’t have a phone so could someone please go up and get him for me. It really is an emergency.”

“Who can I say is calling?”

“His breakfast guest. He’ll know who that is. Sorry for being so cryptic.”

“Okay, I’ll go get him.”

Sé waited on the phone for what seemed forever. He straddled his bike without putting the stand down, the big machine balanced by his posture. He knew what he was doing was the right thing, but he was about to jeopardize his career. It crossed a line he couldn’t ignore. Eventually Thorn’s uncle came on the line.

“Hello, this is Charles Beglan.”

“Mr. Beglan, do you remember breakfast? I’m your uninvited guest, but please don’t say my name. I don’t want anyone to know I’m making this call.”

“Understood.”

“A police detective and the FBI are on their way to arrest Thorn. There’s been another murder.” Cars were driving by and Sé kept glancing up watching for Scettico or Kate. “I don’t think she’s responsible, or at least I don’t think there’s enough evidence to arrest her. She needs to be in the wind. Is that possible?”

“We’ll take care of it right away.”

“I’ll keep in contact with you. Do you have a cell phone?”

“I do. Thorn doesn’t like them, but I need one to stay in touch with clients.” Charles gave Sé his number and Sé wrote it down on a notebook he kept in his jacket pocket. “My number is on the card I gave you yesterday. I’ll talk to you soon, Mr. Beglan.”

“Thank you, son,” Charles said, quietly. “I know this wasn’t an easy call.”

“Let’s hope it’s enough.” Sé ended the call and got back on his bike just as he saw Scettico and Kate start to come around the bend. He roared off and headed towards the office to work on the file. But, his mind was on Thorn.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Wrap me in shadows thick as night, silence my footfalls, and hide my flight.

Uncle Charles raced upstairs as fast as a geriatric man could and yelled for Thorn. She had just gotten out of the shower.

“Thorn,” Uncle Charles wheezed.

“Uncle, take a minute. Catch your breath. What’s wrong?” Thorn led him to a seat.

“Sé called, no time. Scettico and Simms are on their way to arrest you. He wants you to get out of here. Do you have somewhere you can go?”

Thorn crossed to her dresser and pulled out clothes she would need. She grabbed a duffel bag she always kept handy. It held all the things she needed to make her most commonly used spells.

“Nowhere to go, but I know someone who can find me a place. I’ve got to ward my place before I leave, so they don’t find anything magickal.”