Page 45 of Death Raiser

“No. Should it?”

“I believe that is the identity of the woman who is haunting the corner outside your apartment.”

“Oh…” she repeated. “You’re very fast.”

“I had some assistance.”

“Do you have enough to help her rest now?” Cathy’s voice trembled.

“No. I still need her bones and a sacrifice to do that.”

“And I guess it will take a while to locate her remains. There are a lot of cemeteries, and some families are very private about details.”

“They can be, but that won’t be an issue. She was buried under her Chinese name—Zheng Mei Hua at Royal Oak.”

More silence.

I didn’t know Cathy well. Hell, I didn’t know her at all besides how she promptly paid the invoice sent to her and her obsession with this ghost. Was there something else I was missing?

“How would you like to proceed? I can go by in the next night or two if you’d like for me to help her to the veil.”

“Oh, ah yes. Yes, that will work. Please continue and keep me informed,” Cathy said in a rush of words.

I said goodbye and hung up. Something wasn’t quite right about this case. I liked to believe in humanity’s possible redemption, but why would a single woman care so much about a ghost to foot the bill to see her at rest?

Maybe I’d become too cynical, but it just seemed odd.

Chapter Fourteen

After an independent investigator gently took my statement and contact information, I left the active crime scene. I wouldn’t be charged for necromancer assault as I clearly acted in self-defence, the two detectives backed my statement, and the man had a gun at the scene of a murder. Though VicPD would have to wait for ballistics results and other corroborating evidence, dollars to donuts, the bullet used to kill Odette would match the assassin’s gun and ammunition.

I was just glad Kang didn’t have to shoot anyone. In our last case, he’d fired his service firearm, saving a cheating woman from her spirit-possessed partner. But for all Kang’s gruff exterior, taking that shot had cut him deeply.

I pushed thoughts of Kang from my mind and relaxed into the passenger seat. Estelle had called me to go out with her again, and I’d happily agreed. I needed a distraction. The alternative meant sitting alone in my apartment to overthink how I’d had a gun to my head and how today’s events could’ve gone completely different. My hands still shook.

“We’re here,” Estelle announced.

I looked out the town car’s window and froze. The familiar neon light lit up the interior of the vehicle. I shot my hand out and grabbed Estelle’s forearm without thinking. She had one jeweled high heel already on the pavement, ready to gracefully emerge from the car.

Instead of biting my hand off, Estelle merely turned toward me and raised an eyebrow.

“I can’t go in there,” I said. I should’ve asked where we were headed when I got into the car.

Estelle frowned. “We were here the other night.”

“Yeah, but…” I looked away and removed my hand from Estelle’s arm. I couldn’t dish details about Kang and Jacob’s ongoing investigation, and telling Estelle a man told me not to go to the club sounded lame, even to me.

Despite what Kang might think, I didn’t have a death wish. I agreed to stay away from Grant’s club because I agreed with Kang. He was looking out for me, not trying to control me and I appreciated the difference.

Estelle waited patiently, one leg still out of the car, her hand propping the door open.

I sighed. I was with the human servant to the Master Vampire of Victoria, and two vampire guards from his inner circle—Antonia and Pierre. Gregor wouldn’t let anything happen to Estelle, but second to that, I was an asset to him as well. He wouldn’t risk my safety, either.

“Never mind,” I mumbled. I would be safe with Estelle.

“That’s my girl.” Estelle winked and slipped from the town car.

Pierre opened my door and held out his hand to help me from my seat. I placed my hand in his smooth, cold palm, and he gently lifted. I flashed him a smile in thanks and followed Estelle into the club.

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