Chapter Ten

Despite being dumped in Supernatural Squad to live out the rest of his career, Tony had done well for himself. Not only was his flat in central London, a mere stone's throw from the office, it was in a pleasant street and hidden behind the fa?ade of a well-maintained, eighteenth-century building. He was in 2A, from which I surmised he was on the second floor. I couldn't see any lights on from my spot in the street, and there was no indication that he was home. His flat might look out onto the back of the property, however.

Rather than jiggle the door or attempt entry by other means – and potentially alert Tony to my presence or upset his neighbours – I banked on the fact that it was the end of the working day. Other residents would be returning home. Sure enough, I barely waited ten minutes before a car drew up and a young woman stepped out, walked up the steps to the door and used her key to open it.

I crossed the street and reached the door before it locked shut again. Catching it with my fingers, I nipped inside. So much for security. The woman's heels were already click-clacking up the stairs and she was none the wiser.

I double checked that I had my trainee's ID in case I was stopped and questioned, then I started up after her. By the time I reached Tony's flat, she'd vanished into her own home.

Pressing my ear against his door, I listened for signs of life from within. The walls were thick and, considering the upmarket nature of the building, it was entirely possible they were also soundproofed. If this had been an action film, I'd simply have raised my foot and kicked my way in, but I suspected that trying that here would only result in me breaking my ankle.

I pursed my lips, wishing I had my phone so that I could text Molly and tell her where I was in case things went wrong. Then I gripped the paperweight with one hand and knocked sharply on Tony's door with the other.

There wasn't any answer. I knocked again, more loudly this time. Still nothing. I was about to give it yet another shot when the door across the landing marked 2C opened and a bloke about my age peered out. When he saw me, he seemed to relax slightly. I guess I didn't look much of a threat. ‘Is everything alright?' he asked.

‘I'm Tony's niece,' I improvised. ‘I've not heard from him for days and I'm getting really worried.' I widened my eyes and did my best to look anxious. ‘You've not seen him lately, have you?'

‘Yesterday morning,' he said. ‘We bumped into each other on the way to work.'

I noted the man's starched shirt and plain suit before I spotted the gold ring adorning his little finger. It was difficult to be sure from this angle, but it looked to be engraved with an XP. Chi Rho. I sent a brief prayer of thanks to my old Religious Studies teacher for having a penchant for old symbols. Chi Rho was formed by putting together the first two Greek letters for Christ, and it was one of the earliest symbols of Christianity. A man whose only extravagance was a religious gold ring was not the sort of man who would approve of supes.

I wrung my hands. ‘You must know he works at Supernatural Squad. I worry about him so much. All those vampires and werewolves…' I shook my head. ‘Forgive me for saying so, but it's not natural. Any of them could turn on him. We were supposed to meet for lunch today. He didn't show up, which isn't like him at all.'

The man's expression softened. ‘You're from Melissa's side of the family?'

I had no idea who Melissa was. ‘Uh-huh. I'm Emma.'

‘I'm Will. I was sorry to hear about what happened to her.'

I dropped my gaze. ‘Yeah,' I mumbled. ‘Me too.'

‘Well, you're in luck, Emma. It turns out that I've got a spare key.'

My head snapped up. My daft ploy had actually worked. Unbelievable.

‘We swapped copies of our keys when I moved in. I'll use it to check that he's in and he's okay.'

Tony's neighbour was a damn sight more trusting than Liza. Tony should have had more sense than to give his key to a bloke like this. ‘That would be great!' I burbled. ‘Thank you!'

‘It's the least I can do. Just wait a minute and I'll grab it.'

I did as he asked, banging on Tony's door a few more times for effect. He wasn't at the office and he hadn't been into CID, so he had to be home. Unless he was propping up a bar somewhere, drowning his guilt at having murdered his own mentee. That thought turned my blood to ice and I swallowed.

If he wasn't in, I'd make up some excuse about waiting for him inside until he showed up. Hopefully his gullible neighbour trusted me with the key. Stranger things had happened.

‘Here we go,' he said, waving a small silver key. ‘This should do the trick.'

I stood back, calculating the possible outcomes of entering Tony's flat like this. I still had the paperweight, not to mention Will by my side as back-up. He didn't look like he'd be capable of much if Tony was hiding inside with a sharp knife in his hand, but it was good to be prepared for every scenario.

As Will wiggled the key and turned it in the lock until there was a click, I tensed my muscles. You can't hide from me forever, Tony. I'm coming to get you – one way or another.

The door swung open. ‘Tony, are you—' Will called. He swallowed the rest of his question in stunned shock when we saw what was awaiting us inside.

It was complete devastation. Either Tony was the world's messiest man or a tornado had whipped through his home. Papers were scattered everywhere, a mirror was lying smashed on the floor and a long sofa had been upturned. I leapt forward, all my earlier suspicions vanishing in an instant. I wasn't the only one who'd been attacked; Tony had been targeted too – and that put a completely different spin on everything.

I darted from room to room, my heart in my mouth as I searched for a body or bloodstains. I was desperate for anything that might provide a clue about what had happened to him. There was nothing helpful; each room was in a worse state than the last. Whoever had been in here had been thorough.

Paintings had been ripped off the walls and it looked as if a machete had been taken to the mattress in the bedroom. Huge gouges marred its surface and fluffy white stuffing was spilling out in all directions. Tony's clothes were strewn everywhere. I glanced down at a fallen photo frame. The picture of Tony with his arm round a pretty blonde woman was just visible through the cracked glass. Both of them were beaming at the camera and he had a stain on his cheek that perfectly matched the shade of her lipstick. I swallowed. Bloody hell. What was going on?

Will's face was white. ‘You were right to be worried about him,' he whispered. ‘We have to call the police.'

I could only nod; there was no point in telling him that technically I was the police. What good could I do on my own? My legs felt weak and jelly-like. I'd got it all so wrong. ‘I don't have a phone on me,' I said.

‘Mine is in my flat.'

‘Okay, let's call from there.' I moved shakily to the door. ‘Don't touch anything. We don't want to mess with the crime scene.'

If anything, Will looked even paler at my words. I walked past him and gestured for him to follow.

He was distraught. ‘It was those fucking supes. I bet they're responsible for this. Those vampires have got hold of him – he's probably lying in a ditch right now with fang marks in his neck. His bones are going to be gnawed by werewolves. That poor man.'

I rounded on him. ‘Enough! This isn't helping! We don't know that supes did this. It could have been anyone.'

‘It was them.' His eyes were as wide as saucers. ‘It had to be.'

‘We don't know that yet.'

‘They'll get away with it. The supes get away with murder whenever they want. They're ungodly! Tony Brown is a bastard, but even he doesn't deserve this!' His voice was rising with every word.

I resisted the temptation to grab him by the shoulders and shake him as hard as I could. And then his words filtered through.

I might have only been in Supe Squad since the previous day, but I already knew how it worked. Everyone had told me the same thing. Fred's words echoed in my head. If the supes were involved, then this was their case; if they weren't, it would belong to CID. Either way, the investigation would be taken away from me.

I'd been killed and now something had happened to Tony. The two things had to be related. If I called the police now, my own death would be out of my hands. I'd have no control over anything.

I wasn't normally reckless. Procedures were there for a reason and, fast track or not, I was still only a trainee detective. But yesterday I'd died, and I wasn't the same person I'd been twenty-four hours earlier. Nobody would have known Tony was in trouble if I hadn't come here. Questions would be asked about my own involvement, and I wouldn't have any answers. If I was to remain in control of my own narrative – and my own fate – I had to tread very carefully.

I thought quickly. I couldn't guarantee that calling the police now would help Tony. But if I remained free to investigate on my own, I still might be able to save him. My hands trembled. I'd be crazy if I did this; I'd be crazy if I didn't.

‘I'll call the police,' I said. My voice sounded like it was coming from a great distance. ‘I'll deal with this from here.'

Will stared at me. I was pretty certain that I didn't imagine the relief that flashed across his face. Even though he had Tony's spare key, he had no desire to get involved with the old detective's shenanigans, especially when vampires and werewolves and other beasties might be involved.

‘I don't know,' he said slowly. ‘They'll want to talk to me, won't they?'

‘I'm sure they will, but the priority will be to locate Tony. It might take a couple of days before they question you.'

He twisted the ring on his finger. ‘Whoever did this got into the building without anyone noticing. What if they come back? What if they target other residents?'

It wasn't his fellow neighbours that he was worried about; Will's concern was purely for himself. He also wanted me to convince him that I could take care of things so he could remain uninvolved – and his anxiety about his own well-being gave me the avenue I needed.

‘You're right.' I nodded vigorously. ‘If your name is attached to Tony's in any way, the people who did this might see you as a threat and come after you. It's how these bastards work. I'm his niece, so the police will expect me to be involved. There's no need for you to put yourself at risk. Perhaps it's best if we keep your name out of it for now, at least until the police have found who's responsible and Tony comes back.'

I wasn't going to mention that it was possible Tony might never return. To say it aloud would be to give it credence.

‘I … I … I barely know him,' Will said. ‘He's a passing acquaintance. We exchange greetings in the hall, that's all. I don't have anything to do with supes.'

I clicked my tongue in sympathy. ‘That's why it's best if you don't get mixed up in this.'

His head drooped. ‘I knew moving here was a mistake. It's too close to those heathens.'

Yeah, yeah. I stayed silent. I'd said enough to persuade him, but he had to take the final step. If I pushed him too far, he'd push back.

‘Here.' He pressed Tony's key into my hand. ‘You have this. It's logical that Tony's niece would have a spare instead of some neighbour he barely knows.' He looked at me anxiously. He didn't seem to be aware that he'd just suggested I lie to the police. Omission was one thing, deliberate deceit was entirely different – at least to my mind, anyway.

‘Go to your flat. I'll call the police now.' And then, because I knew he'd be keeping an eye out, ‘It might take them a while to get here. Even if they do show up quickly, they might do it on the sly so that anyone watching this building doesn't realise that we're onto them. A big show of force could put Tony in more danger.'

I was talking out of my arse. If I reported that a detective's flat had been trashed and the occupant was now missing, half of the police in London would descend. But Will didn't know that; he simply looked more terrified.

‘You're right. Yes.'

‘Go into your flat, turn up your music and act like you don't know about any of this. I'll take care of everything from here. I promise.' As far as that part was concerned, I wasn't lying.

Will grasped my hands, squeezing them tight. ‘Be careful.'

‘I will be,' I told him. ‘Have no fear on that score. And I'm sure Tony will reappear soon.'