Page 26 of The Vampire and the Case of the Hellacious Hag

‘Does he work in the mine?’

He nodded.

‘What race is he?’

Leif sighed. ‘He’s a dwarf.’ He looked up with fire in his eyes. ‘No dwarf would remove another dwarf’s head,’ he insisted once more. ‘They know what it means – the consequences. It’s impossible.’

Yet we had a headless dwarf. I wasn’t so sure that itwasimpossible.

Chapter 17

It was strange leaving the body behind, but we couldn’t do anything about it. If we went all law and order on them, the dwarves would shut down and disappear and we’d get nowhere. Sometimes the human world was much easier than the paranormal one: in the human world law and order was more black or white and applied to everyone; in the supernat world, each faction had its own rules and regulations. It made things messy.

We were headed to the tailings site, hoping to find the real crime scene. Thomas was meeting us there; he’d already been in the wind when we’d finished up with Alfgar.

‘Thoughts?’ Gunnar asked, once we were back on the road.

‘I think a dwarf is definitely involved, although not necessarily the killer,’ Sidnee said.

‘A miner certainly,’ I agreed. ‘Leif was pretty vitriolic about the head removal thing, though he seemed certain no dwarf would do it.’

‘You’d think a doctor would never kill a patient but it happens,’ Sidnee said darkly. ‘Shit happens. Life isn’t fair.’

I grimaced: she was having another of her downward spirals. I texted Thomas discreetly, letting him know that she needed some TLC. I hoped she’d do the same for me if I was feeling blue.

Gunnar looked in the rearview mirror. ‘Reggie,’ he asked, deliberately using Fluffy’s human name, ‘have you got anything?’

I looked over my shoulder at my dog. He cocked his head but didn’t indicate anything, nor did he shift to join the discussion. I tried to hide my disappointment. ‘What do you think, boss?’ I asked Gunnar.

‘I’m with Sidnee. I’d be surprised if the hag is involved. She doesn’t seem like the message sending type. She’d just kill and be done with it.’

‘I agree. However, she could have taken the head after the fact.’

‘Indeed,’ he grunted.

‘This is such a mess.’ I sighed. ‘We have one hair, a little dirt and a note. Alfgar could have picked up the stupid hair anywhere – hell, it could be one of his wife’s. She’s aredhead. And he was killed at the tailings pile. How much do you want to bet that Leif has radioed ahead and the dwarves have already found any blood there and taken it?’

Gunnar nodded. ‘I’m not fool enough to take that bet. Thomas said he’d meet us though, so we’re hustling. Maybe – just maybe – we’ll get there before they interfere with our damned crime scene.’ He thumped the steering wheel in frustration then pressed the pedal to the metal.

The SUV roared forward. We’d left the paved section and were on a well-used gravel road. We passed a huge truck full of dirt and kept on chugging around the mine, up a hill and then back down to a desolate looking valley. It was just the other side of the mine, but the hill and valley made it more of a journey than if we’d just been able to walk as the crow flies. Thomas’s dark-green truck was up ahead, so we pulled in next to him and I climbed out with our trusty black bag in tow.

Thomas looked as prepared as ever with a rucksack slung across both shoulders and a plethora of weapons strapped to him. Despite his deadly nature, he opened Sidnee’s car door and held a gentlemanly hand out to her. ‘Miss Fletcher,’ he greeted her with a soft smile.

She hit him playfully. ‘Sidnee,’ she cooed.

His smile widened. ‘Miss Sidnee.’

She laughed,and I felt a smile tug at my own lips. He wassogood for her. I tried not to watch as he took her hand and raised it to his lips to brush a kiss against the back of it. If she wasn’t swooning, I sure was.

I texted Connor.I want a kiss on my hand next time you see me. xxx

The response was immediate.I’ll kiss you wherever you want, as long as I also get to kiss whereverIwant. Xx

My cheeks heated.Deal! xx

I slipped my phone back into my pocket and tried to focus on work.

I let my Fluffy out of the car, sure that this was where he would shine. We weren’t sure where the murder had taken place and his nose was already full of Alfgar’s scent. ‘Okay, bud, time to find a murder site. You ready?’

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