Chapter Sixteen

‘I trust you're satisfied now it's been confirmed that DSI Barnes' plans for Supe Squad had nothing to do with Brown's death,' Lukas asked, as we returned to Tallulah.

My response was grudging. ‘I am, but I still need proof positive that a werewolf killed him. I'm quite sure you vampires can also scale walls.' I eyed him. ‘Right?'

He splayed his fingers towards me. ‘No claws here.'

I noticed he hadn't answered my question. ‘A definitive cause of death will make a massive difference.'

‘I'm sure your pathologist friend can help you with that.'

I hoped so. I'd visit Laura first thing in the morning and keep my fingers tightly crossed that there was real evidence of foul play.

‘You should get some rest,' Lukas advised. ‘It's been a long traumatic day and you look tired. We have some vampire guest houses where you can sleep if you still don't want to go home to your boyfriend.'

Guilt twinged at me. I'd barely given Jeremy a thought since he'd walked away from Supe Squad's door. ‘I appreciate the thought, but there's a sofa at Supe Squad that will do me just fine. I can drive there and park outside.' I paused. ‘Would you like a lift back to Soho first?'

Lukas stretched out his arms and grinned at me with an edge of wicked delight. ‘D'Artagnan, this is my time. We vampires might be able to go out during the day, but at heart we're creatures of the night. I'll walk. And I'll enjoy every breath of the sweet, dark air.'

Okay then. ‘That's not creepy at all,' I muttered. I fiddled with Tallulah's door, eventually wrenching it open so I could clamber inside. ‘You don't have to keep helping me, you know. I can take care of the rest of the investigation from here.'

His dark eyes danced. ‘I wouldn't dream of abandoning you.' He winked at me then took off.

Lukas strolled down towards the elaborate wooden archway leading out of Lisson Grove. The werewolves that were still milling around gave him a wide berth. I didn't suppose they were very happy about having a vampire in their midst. His presence, and the nonchalant way he strolled towards the archway, laid waste to the theory that it was a deterrent for vampires.

He glanced over his shoulder and saw me watching him. I coughed and hastily looked away, then shoved the key into Tallulah. It was time to get a move on. Regardless of what Lukas might think, my work wasn't done.

I put Tallulah into gear and drove off. In theory, I could easily park at Supe Squad and walk the remainder of the way, and I'd probably get there faster if I did so. Navigating London's one-way system, especially this close to the centre of the city, could be a minefield. But I still wasn't prepared to wander round the streets on my own.

As far as I was concerned, the night air was far more bitter than sweet. The memory of my death was very fresh – and very traumatic. It was nibbling away at the edges of my psyche; if I thought about it too hard, my mind felt like it would explode. The safest thing would be to do exactly what I'd told Lukas and curl up on Supe Squad's sofa for some sleep.

I'd confronted the werewolf alphas, however. It was only right that I did the same with the vampires and located their leader, Lord Horvath, so I could question him. Lukas might indeed be a vampire – and a helpful one at that – but for all I knew he was at the bottom of the pecking order. And his opinion of the vampires was obviously biased.

I was determined to keep an open mind regarding all the supes and their potential involvement in Tony's death. Seeing the whites of Horvath's eyes, and registering his reaction when I informed him about Tony, would be priceless investigatory material. Assuming that Lukas and his contacts at the DeVane hotel hadn't beaten me to the punch. I mentally crossed my fingers that wasn't the case.

I found a parking spot on the edge of Soho and the vampires' quarter. Lukas had been right about one thing, I thought, peering out of the window. It certainly was a lot busier here than in Lisson Grove. The groups of people wandering around were comforting, but I still glanced down at the crossbow and debated whether to take it with me. But I doubted its presence would endear me to the vampire Lord, assuming I could get close to him. And I'd almost taken Lukas's head off with it by accident. I left it where it was.

The one obvious stumbling block about this little venture without Lukas in tow was that I had no clue about Lord Horvath's whereabouts. Soho wasn't massive, but I could search it all night before I stumbled across him. I considered – and discarded – the idea of asking someone for directions. I wanted to catch Horvath unawares so that he couldn't prepare glib answers to my questions. In order to locate the vampire Lord, I'd have to be sneaky.

From the relative safety of Tallulah, I watched a group of women cross the road. A few of them looked the worse for wear, no doubt having imbibed a lot of alcohol. To a woman, they were wearing short skirts and pretty tops that were entirely at odds with the cold weather. I glanced down: I'd have to do better than an oversized coat and sweater if I wanted to blend in.

I removed them both, then tied the bottom of the large T-shirt into a knot so my midriff was exposed. My get-up was hardly the stuff of high fashion, and it made me feel more vulnerable, but it would have to do. I ran a hand through my hair to muss it up. A moment later, I left Tallulah and slid in behind the women so anyone watching would think I was a part of their group.

A pretty blonde, with tanned skin and long false eyelashes, staggered into me. ‘Sorry.'

I smiled at her. ‘That's fine.' I hooked my arm into hers.

She frowned, obviously trying to place me, then she shrugged and giggled. ‘I've had way too much to drink,' she confided.

I laughed lightly. ‘That makes two of us.' I leaned my head in towards hers. ‘But I heard that the vamps like it when we're drunk. It makes our blood taste better and gives them more of a rush.'

‘Have you been bitten before?' she asked in a loud whisper.

I winked. ‘I'm a vampire virgin.'

The woman beamed. ‘Me too!'

‘I want tonight to be my first time.'

‘Me too!'

‘But I want it to be a good vampire.'

‘Me too!'

I was beginning to think I'd chosen the wrong person to attach myself to. I'd need more than agreement to get the information I needed. ‘You know,' I said, ‘I want to find the sort of vampire who's quite high up. One with a lot of power. Someone,' I lowered my voice, ‘who's in the inner circle.'

‘Me too!'

Damn it. ‘Where are we heading to now?' I persisted. ‘Is it somewhere with the right kind of vamp?'

‘We're going to Heart, silly.' She rolled her eyes. ‘Didn't you know?'

I was about to mumble a reply, but she continued speaking. ‘All the best vamps hang out there.' Her eyes widened. ‘And that often includes Lord Horvath.'

I exhaled. Praise be.

One of the other women turned round. She jigged up and down, although I wasn't sure whether it was from excitement or the cold. ‘Word's come down that Horvath has just shown up. He's inside Heart right now.'

‘Do you think he'll bite one of us?' my companion asked eagerly.

I grinned at her. ‘Why wouldn't he? We're a tasty bunch.'

‘We have to get into Heart first. They don't let just anyone through the door.'

All the more reason to stick close to these ladies and slide in with them.

‘Piece of cake,' I told her, exuding all the confidence I could muster. If there was one thing I'd already learned, the vampires' quarter wasn't for the shy and retiring.

We rounded the corner. High above the street was a flashing, heart-shaped neon sign. Not a love heart: this was an anatomically-correct heart. I swallowed and looked at the long queue snaking outside. Maybe sneaking in was a mistake. Perhaps I should mimic what had worked at the Fairfax's place, march to the front and demand admittance. The last thing I wanted was to wait around for hours and then be turned away.

I needn't have worried. My group of women were glitzy enough and loud enough to attract the attention of one of the bouncers. He was more slender than a wolf, but he had even more of a dangerous edge as he sauntered over and looked us up and down.

The blonde next to me pressed the palms of her hands together in mock prayer while one of her friends offered him a saucy wink.

‘Go on, then,' he said. ‘You guys can get in.'

There were several squeals from the group – and several groans from the other people waiting. I exhaled with relief and made sure that I kept close as we tripped past the queue and headed inside.

‘All phones and cameras have to be checked in,' intoned a second vamp. He pointed to a desk, behind which lay a mind-boggling number of stacked lockers. It was just as well I'd not brought my crossbow; if they were this pernickety about phones, they certainly wouldn't look kindly on lethal weapons.

I indicated to the vamp that I had nothing on me. He looked at me suspiciously, as if he were sure I was lying. Unwilling to lose ground now that I'd come this far, I gestured towards my body with what I hoped was a sexy smirk. ‘You can search me if you want.'

He grunted. ‘I'm on the job. Maybe another night.'

Trying not to look relieved, I winked at him. Then I ducked past my new women friends and pushed open the swing doors leading to the club's interior.

Lukas had mentioned that the vampires had great PR to advertise to the world that they were nothing more than hedonistic fun-lovers. From my vantage point, it looked like a hell of a lot more than PR. The sight that greeted my eyes was like nothing I'd ever seen before. No wonder people were queuing to get in.

The place was vast, and everyone was having a good time. Servers dressed in blood-red clothing wove between tables and skirted the edge of the huge, packed dance floor. Most of them had their arms in the air and were swaying to the music which, while not earsplittingly loud, was definitely upbeat.

It felt like I'd wandered into an adults' version of Disneyland. I noticed that my foot was tapping and frowned. I wasn't here to have a good time; I had serious business to attend to. But there was an oddly joyous sensation zipping through my body, and I wondered whether the vamps pumped some sort of happy chemical into the air. It wouldn't have surprised me.

I shook myself and focused. There was a roped-off area to the left and a raised mezzanine area. If Lord Horvath was here, that was where he'd be.

I plunged in, pushing my way through the crowds. A server approached me, her eyebrows raised questioningly. I didn't want a drink, so I shook my head and continued moving. I'd work out the lay of the land then approach Horvath directly. This wasn't the best place for an interrogation, but it would have to suffice. I could adapt.

I sidled past a crowd of blokes in their twenties who were gathered round one of their friends; from the look of the L-plates round his neck, he was here on his stag night. I tried not to stare at the female vampire, whose fangs were buried deep in his neck. From the glazed look of ecstasy in his eyes, he didn't mind.

I licked my dry lips and pushed myself up onto my tiptoes to get a better glimpse of the VIP area. I took in the assembled vampires on the balcony. Some had their heads bowed in conversation and some were gazing outwards, thoughtful expressions on their face. I shivered as I wondered if they were looking for conquests.

On a raised dais in the centre of the area was a gilt throne. I could just make out the top of the head of the person sitting there: Horvath himself, no doubt. His face and body were obscured by the two scantily-clad women in front of him, one of whom was caressing his face with long, scarlet-painted talons. The other was dancing, her hands travelling up and down her body suggestively. I hopped to the right to get a better look, just as the dancing woman also moved.

I gasped aloud. That had to be Lord Horvath – his body language certainly exuded authority and power. He was leaning back, one leg draped loosely over the arm of the throne. Despite the attentions of the women, he looked mildly bored. But it wasn't that which shocked me; it was the fact that Lord Horvath's face belonged to Lukas.

I moved behind a pillar in case he glanced over the sea of bobbing heads and noticed me. I could have slapped myself for not working it out earlier. Suddenly everything was starting to make sense, from DSI Barnes' odd deference, despite her obvious anti-vampire beliefs, to the way the werewolves had acted when we'd entered Fairfax's club. When everyone stared it wasn't because of Tallulah, it was because I was wandering the streets with the vampire Lord himself. No wonder the female vamp at the front of Tesco's had suddenly decided to play nice with me. He must have put the word out – and his word was no doubt sacrosanct.

I clenched my teeth. His involvement in both my murder and Tony's death was also making sense. He was the vampire leader, so any brutalities on his doorstep were ultimately his responsibility. I shook my head in dismay at my own stupidity. Had he been laughing at me all this time? So much for confronting him to gauge his reaction about Tony's death; he knew as much as I did – if not more.

I ducked my head and moved away from the pillar. I had to get out of there. My shame at not working out what had been right in front of my face was too much to bear. Some detective I was.

Then anger began to seep in. This might all be a joke to him, but it was real life to me. And real death.

A figure stepped in front of me, blocking my path. I muttered an apology and moved to the side. He reached out and grabbed my arm. My head jerked up.

‘Emma, where have you been?'

I stared at Jeremy. His eyes were roving over me like he couldn't quite believe I was real. He pulled me in close, wrapping his arms around me tightly. He smelled warm and familiar and I couldn't stop myself from hugging him back.

‘What are you doing here?' I asked, my words muffled into his chest.

‘Looking for you, of course! I get a cryptic message from you and you don't come home. Nobody at the Met seems to know what's going on and, when I went to Supe Squad, the building was empty.'

I leaned back my head and looked into his eyes. He gazed back at me. I had the strong sensation that there was something he desperately wanted to ask but he was afraid of the answer.

‘I'm sorry, Jeremy. I'm so sorry. Everything's been crazy lately.' I linked my fingers with his. ‘Can we get out of here and talk?'

He nodded. Gripping my hand tightly, as if he were scared to let go, he led me out.