Page 59 of The Vampire and the Case of the Malevolent Mermaid

‘No … but he wanted to. After I’d killed the big guy, some twin girls appeared just like that.’ She clicked her fingers. ‘They were ghosts. They said the skinny one had raped and killed them. Kate freaked out because she was scared they meant her dad, but I think it was Bob. He had this hungry look in his eyes ... ’ She shuddered. ‘I’m going to needsomuch therapy.’

‘We can help you with that,’ I promised. ‘We know some good local therapists.’

‘What’s going to happen to Kate?’ she asked in a small voice. ‘Her dad drugged us. Weknowhe’s involved in all of this, even though he didn’t visit the bunker.’

‘We need to find out if Kate’s mum is involved,’ I said.

Now it made sense why Cobalt Robertson hadn’t wanted us involved, why he’d been angry about us searching the property and the grounds. He couldn’t stop Connor from summoning us without raising a shit tonne of questions, but he’d done his best to suggest the girls had run away or that a third-party necromancer had sneaked into town to disrupt the wards. I suspected he’d opened the window himself because there had been no ladder marks or footprints under the window, nothing to suggest the kidnappers had used that as a point of ingress or exit. Robertson had probably let the kidnappers in through the front door. The total betrayal of Kate’s trust made my heart hurt for her.

‘For now, we’ll keep Kate in protective custody,’ Gunnar promised Essie. ‘She’ll be safe.’

It was a broad promise and I suddenly wondered what the true purpose of the king’s men was. If Cobalt Robertson was part of this, why would he summon other vampires to come in and investigate? He’d want to hush it all up.

I thought about Connor’s chilling words, that Reams would normally be torturing people by this point. Had Reams and his team been summoned not because the girls were taken but because Cobalt had lost evidence that could point back at himself? And if that was true … was Connor’s dad involved in the sex trafficking? Were Reams and his crew loyal to Cobalt Robertson because he was the king’s lieutenant, or were they loyal to the king himself? How high did this go?

I frowned. If the men weren’t here to find the girls, why had they found the bunker? That didn’t make sense. Maybe Robertson hadn’t summoned them at all; born vampires were incredibly rare, maybe the king trulyhadsent the men to find Kate.

I turned it over in my mind until I forced myself back to the here and now, with Essie. ‘Do you want us to contact your mum?’ I asked her. I was learning about not making assumptions.

Essie’s relief was evident. ‘Yes, please.’ Her eyes filled with tears. She’d been so brave, but the thought of her mum coming to find her had weakened her last reserves.

‘I’ll call now,’ I promised and left the interview room to do just that.

‘Lily Kaleak.’ Essie’s mum answered the phone a few seconds after it started ringing.

‘It’s Bunny Barrington from the Nomo’s office.’

‘Yes?’ Her voice wobbled with hope.

‘Are you alone?’

‘Yes.’ Dread had crept in her tone.

‘We’ve found the girls and they’re safe and sound,’ I said quickly.

‘Oh, thank God,’ she said, and promptly burst into tears.

I let her cry herself out. When the sobs lessened I said, ‘Kate isn’t ready to go home. Can you come straight to the office? Please don’t tell anyone they’ve been found, including Kate’s parents.’

‘Poor Kate,’ she said softly. ‘I won’t tell a soul.’

‘Why poor Kate?’ I asked.

‘Essie’s dad may be absent, but I’d prefer that to him being here and treating her like that asshole treats Kate.’

‘Do you suspect abuse?’

‘Physical? No. Emotional? He’s an ice sculpture in a tuxedo. I’m not sure his heart ever functioned, even back when it was beating.’ She sounded bitter. ‘I smother that girl in love every chance I get.’

I thought of Sigrid, who did the same to me. ‘She appreciates it,’ I said, my voice cracking. This whole case was too close to home for me and I was struggling to be objective. The parallels were too great with my own dysfunctional family.

‘I was in the shower when you called and I still have suds in my hair. I’ll be with you as soon as I can. Tell Essie I’m coming for her.’

‘I will,’ I promised.

When I went back into the interview room, Essie gave a watery smile. My heart ached when she slipped an arm around her bestie to comfort her. No one was coming for Kate. Not yet, anyway.

We left the girls at my desk with Sigrid, Fluffy and Shadow while Gunnar and I went to tell Sidnee she was officially off the hook for Donovan’s murder.

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