Page 26 of In the Monster's Wake
“As you know, we were hired to investigate the death of someone I suspect was one of Kester’s victims.She was killed with her boyfriend,” he explained.“I contacted one of their friends.She’s waiting for us.”
“Let’s go, then.”
Braith was gone when they walked out of the office.Jasper was kind of relieved.He didn’t want to get on Archie’s bad side because even though he hadn’t wanted to get involved initially, he’d changed his mind.He needed to take down Kester, if anything so he could sleep better at night.
Jasper let Archie take the lead.It wasn’t only that he was human while Archie was a monster like most of the victims they were looking into.It was also because this was Archie’s job.Jasper had been a good hunter, but he’d never investigated, even when they were hunting.If they were convinced that a monster had killed or hurt people, they went after them, and that was that.They didn’t need to find proof that the monster had done any of the things they thought they had.
Jasper had always despised that way of doing things, and he’d been happy to leave it behind.That wasn’t how Jasper and Archie would work.
He was glad to let Archie take the lead when he saw the way the monster they were here to talk to watched him.She clearly didn’t trust him, but she didn’t say anything about him, no doubt because of Archie’s presence.Jasper just nodded at her and stayed silent.
This wasn’t something he’d be able to do if he was investigating on his own.Even if he’d found out about this monster, she wouldn’t have been willing to talk to him.She probably still wasn’t.She kept her attention on Archie, but Jasper could tell that she was watching him from the corner of her eye.Maybe she expected him to attack her or something.
“Thank you for agreeing to talk to us,” Archie said as he settled on the edge of the couch.
The apartment was cute.There were plants everywhere, and the sun streaming in through the windows made it cheery, even though the person it belonged to had clearly been crying.
“I want you to find out what happened to Lucas and Cherry,” the monster said.
“We’ll do our best.”
She glanced at Jasper.“You work with a human.”
Jasper leaned forward.“I’m Jasper, and I can see that you’re uncomfortable with me, but I promise that Archie is in charge here.I’m just going to sit and listen.”Maybe that would help her relax.
She stared at him, still not trusting him.“I’m Camille,” she eventually said.
Jasper nodded at her again and kept his mouth shut.He wanted her to forget that he was there.
“Why don’t you tell us about your friends?”Archie asked.
Along with information on most monsters in the city, the hunters had info on the people who’d been killed by monsters or were suspected to have been killed by them.He’d looked into the most recent crimes and reading about Lucas and Cherry in more detail than he’d get on the news.Their deaths had been horrifying.
Thankfully, they weren’t here to talk about that, at least not in specifics.Archie asked questions about the evening the two of them had been killed and when Camille had last seen them.He asked her about them and what they’d been like.Camille was eager to answer.
“I’m sure it was Cherry’s ex,” she eventually said.
Jasper frowned.They were almost a hundred percent sure that Kester had killed Lucas and Cherry, but there was a chance he had nothing to do with it.They had no proof it had been him.That was why they were investigating and trying to find him.
“Why do you think that?”Archie asked.
“He was jealous.She dumped him a few months ago, and he started stalking her.He always popped up where she was, and it became worse when she started dating Lucas.”Camille smiled softly.“They were friends for the longest time before they started dating, you know?We all knew they were in love, but she was with that dickhead.I cheered when I found out that she’d dumped him.I didn’t think he was that dangerous.”
Archie and Jasper glanced at each other.They suspected Kester was responsible for these two deaths, but they could be wrong.Archie had been hired to find out what had happened to Cherry, and that went beyond Kester.
“Why don’t you tell me how to find Cherry’s ex?”Archie asked, leaning closer to Cherry.
Jasper suspected that Cherry’s ex was about to regret everything he’d ever done to her.
* * * *
“DO YOU THINK THE EXhad anything to do with this?”Jasper asked once they were back in the car.
He’d been silent while they talked to Camille, which hadn’t been a surprise.She’d been visibly wary of him, and he’d noticed it.It had been wise of him because Archibald didn’t think they’d have gotten as much as they had out of her if she’d felt obligated to tell a human about her friends.
Archibald took a moment to think about the conversation they’d had with Camille.She was sure that Cherry’s ex was involved in her death, and maybe she was right.They had no proof that Kester had killed Cherry, but considering how brutal her death had been, Archibald would bet everything he owned on it.There was no way Kester wasn’t involved in at least some of the murders Archibald suspected him of being involved in.“I think it’s possible.I want to talk to him either way.”
Jasper nodded.“Should I stay out of it like earlier?”
