Page 52 of Destined for Dreams
She gave him a wistful smile. “Yes. We’ve been lovers for several decades now.”
“Does he make you happy?”
“Yes.”
“Good,” he said, meaning it.
Bartol and Sofia may have ruined their friendship by sleeping together, which resulted in unreasonable expectations arising from it—mainly that she wanted exclusivity and he didn’t—but he still wished her well. It also helped that he now understood her yearning for companionship in a way he never had before.
“You should visit Benjamin later tonight when he is free,” she suggested.
“No.” Bartol gave her an apologetic look. Even if he could spare the time, he wasn’t up for socializing with old acquaintances. This trip was already surpassing his quota. “There is too much to do.”
“Such as…”
“I need a list from you of the places the demon visited while he was here.” He resumed pacing. “I’ll need to visit each of them, but especially the church.”
Sofia stood, tugging her sweater down so that it sat more neatly against her chest. “I’ll see what I can do, but for the church, it’s best if I take you to see it myself.”
“Why?”
“Your investigation will go faster with my help.” She paused. “And there is a certain time of day that is best for viewing the site if you wish to seeallthe evidence.”
He paused and looked over at her. “What do you mean?”
Sofia’s expression turned grim. “You’ll have to trust me on this. I will bring the list to you in a few hours, but for the church, I’ll meet you downstairs in the lobby a quarter till two tomorrow afternoon.”
Bartol didn’t want to wait that long. “Why not tonight?”
“It’s difficult to explain, but you’ll see.”
Before he could ask any more questions, she flashed away, disappearing from the hotel room. Now he understood the frustration Cori always felt when he ended their conversations the same way.
***
Bartol spent most of the night and the next morning going through the list of places Haagenti had visited. The same as in Lapel, werewolves had tracked most of the locations, but witches had also been involved where scents in the large city would have been lost. Most were the homes and businesses of the victims, which Bartol viewed invisibly when necessary to prevent upsetting anyone with his presence. It burned through some of his power, but he hadn’t had a choice with tensions so high in the city against supernaturals.
Along the way, Bartol discovered the demon had once again stayed in a quaint hotel that didn’t stand out in any particular way, and he’d eaten regularly in restaurants. None of the places offered much in the way of usable evidence, which was disappointing but not surprising. And anyway, his primary purpose was to learn Haagenti’s habits—which places he preferred to visit, and how he chose his targets. If Bartol could compare notes with what Caius and Tormod came up with, then perhaps it would help them track the demon more easily once they located his current whereabouts.
For the moment, though, he was standing in front of the Saint Joseph Cathedral where the last known human sacrifice—or more aptly, massacre—had occurred. The façade was primarily red brick with a Romanesque architectural style. It had been built nearly a century and a half ago but had been damaged by earthquakes and war since then, requiring extensive renovations. Sofia filled him in on the general details in case any of it might be useful for his investigation. One never knew what might be pertinent, so he took notes on everything to go over later.
“The place is still in use?” Bartol asked, pen poised over a notepad.
“Oh, yes,” Sofia said, nodding. “They have regular masses every day.”
“Is there anything particularly special about this place compared to all the other cathedrals and churches in the city?” That was the thing that bothered Bartol the most. Why one place over another, or was it entirely random?
She shook her head. “Nothing I can think of or that I’ve heard.”
“Let’s go inside.”
They moved from the sidewalk to the two heavy and intricately designed doors. Sofia opened them and gestured for Bartol to go first. As with most Catholic churches he’d visited, this one had high ceilings and numerous stained glass windows. There were two long rows of pews with room to walk on either side. He followed the middle aisle toward the front dais and altar, not seeing anything out of the ordinary.
“They’ve cleaned all the evidence,” he said, glancing back at Sofia.
She was right behind him. “That was what we thought at first, but…” She glanced at her watch. “Wait three more minutes.”
“What will happen then?”
