Page 85 of Visions in Blood
She startled and turned to him, her expression sheepish.“Sorry.I was miles away.”
“Understandable.Come.Let’s get inside and warm up.Brandy or hot chocolate?Your choice.”
She scooted to the edge and grabbed his hand.Hers were ice cold.“They both sound good.”
“Together?”He gave an exaggerated shiver and scrunched his face in distaste.“That would be horrible.”
She laughed.A good sign.“You’d be surprised.”
He put an arm around her as they walked up the steps even though she was steady on her feet.It felt good to hold her, but she was still pale.
When they reached the door, Lucas took her hand.“Ginger has a hot bath ready for you.”
“I’m not an invalid, you know.”She still held a smile, but he could hear the annoyance.
By Lucas’s expression, he could also.“Maybe not.But you’re shivering and ice cold.You must know you’re in shock.”
She didn’t argue and let him lead her up the stairs.Lucas gave him a nod before they turned down the hall.
Devon strode to his office, his thoughts moving away from Cressa and to more pressing matters.Like who the hell had killed Underwood.
Sergi and Bella waited in his office.
“How did you get back before us?”Devon picked up the glass of scotch that one of them had waiting for him.
“Bella drives like an old woman.”Sergi had his tablet out, scrolling through pages of what were most likely his notes from the scene.
“Shut it, old man.”Bella stood next to the espresso counter.
“Bella, take a seat,” Devon said.When she hesitated, he added, “You have a habit of hovering, and it can be annoying.”
She did as he asked, though her scowl told him she only did it because it had been a command.
“With that drawing of the necklace, that puts Cressa on the suspect list.”Sergi continued to scroll.“It will take the police a day or two before they discover the connection.They’ll notify the wife and daughter.The detective said they’d wait a day before questioning them, depending on their reaction to the news.He’d like to have a preliminary report before moving forward with the formal interviews.”
“That seems rather cordial.”He searched his desk before pulling out pen and paper.
“The Underwoods, whether we like it or not, are upstanding citizens and philanthropists.The police will need to act accordingly or hear from the mayor.”
“God forbid the wealthy are disturbed for something as messy as the murder of one of their own.”He jotted down a few notes from what he’d observed at the scene.“Bella, did you see the women meet up with anyone while clubbing last night.Or see anything strange?”
She leaned against the counter and stared up at the ceiling, a normal pose when she thought.After a few moments, she lowered her head.“I didn’t have eyes on them all the time.The couple times I saw them on the street, it was just the two of them.”She paused.“There was a couple that followed them into the last club they were in.They all seemed friendly, but they’d been moving from club to club.You know how chatty Ginger gets after a few drinks.”
Sergi, in his normal deadpan expression, said, “She’s chatty without drinks.”
Bella remained detached, but Devon had to grin.Sergi wasn’t wrong.Regardless of what friends they might have picked up along the way, they couldn’t prove without a doubt where the women had been all evening.Sergi would speak with them, but if they had a story to cook up, they were probably running through it while Cressa bathed.
He shook his head and reviewed the notes he’d scratched down.The words were a jumble of first impressions—the condition of Underwood’s body, the possible methods of killing from the perspective of human, shifter, and vampire, and lastly, everything about the necklace including the paper it had been written on and how well it had been rendered.As if someone had a recent firsthand look at it or had seen it in another drawing or book.
He’d kept his eyes on Cressa from the moment they drove into the alley until Lucas took her down the hall to Ginger.She’d already been a bit shaky on the drive over, but when she looked into the limo, the horror on her face wasn’t an act.Her face had drained of all color, and her hands were ice.When he’d caught a whiff of her, his senses confirmed both anger, fear, and most importantly, shock.Unfortunately, his reading of her emotions wouldn’t confirm her innocence with the police.
“Your thoughts?”He turned to Sergi.
“I’d like to see the coroner’s report.I need a better look at the cut radius.My initial assessment ruled out shifters.The slices appeared to have smooth edges, so I assume the coroner will suggest some form of sharp instrument as the murder weapon.I suppose that doesn’t completely rule out a shifter, but it would be a rare occurrence.”
“Not if someone is trying to pin this on Cressa.”Bella was hovering again, but he let her be.
“Maybe.”Sergi responded when it seemed Devon wasn’t going to.“But that assumes the police are being led to believe whoever has the necklace was the killer.If Cressa was the killer, why would she leave such damning evidence behind?”
