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“Or perhaps only my taste in films.”
“A woman was found dead early this morning near the Knob. I want to search the area before it’s crawling with cops.”
“What makes you think it isn’t already?”
“Because Chief Garcia is keeping it quiet for now, and she’s currently heading back to her office with a stomach full of cinnamon roll.” If I were strictly human, I’d be resting my head on the desk for an hour in order to digest all those carbs.
“Very well then. I’ll be there.”
True to his word, the demon arrived at the Knob a couple minutes after me. He was dressed in more casual attire this morning. In lieu of his trademark starched shirt and trousers, he wore black jeans and a black T-shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders. With that body, he could’ve worn a hot dog costume and still looked undeniably sexy. Life wasn’t fair, as Anya Swanson would agree.
A rectangle of yellow tape was the obvious sign of this morning’s discovery. Upon closer inspection, there was still blood on the ground, as well as on nearby fallen branches. The chief wouldn’t be able to keep this quiet for very long. It was summer, and people hiked to the Knob every day.
Kane observed the scene with a slight curl of his upper lip that I translated to distaste. “It’s a surprisingly large area. How big was this woman?”
“Her head was found at one end and her body was found at another.”
He circled the tape, eyeing the blood spatter as he walked. “And what makes you think I’ll make a worthy detective? I have no special tracking abilities.”
“No, but if you can read a crime scene as well as you can read a room, I’ll consider you an asset.”
His eyes sparked with delight. “A compliment, Miss Clay? I shall mark this day on my calendar.” He crouched to examine one of the bloody branches inside the protected area. “Quite a lot of blood. Are we certain it’s hers?”
“No, but the condition of her body suggests it is.”
“And you don’t think the gwiber is responsible?”
“Based on the chief’s description, her body was covered in puncture wounds, but the gwiber’s fangs were removed by the time this occurred. I don’t see how.”
He resumed an upright position. “Perhaps the fangs regenerate like the arm of a starfish.”
“Not to my knowledge, and even if they did, I doubt it would’ve happened so quickly.”
He scanned the area outside the yellow tape. “What was she doing out here alone?”
“Maybe she wasn’t alone. Or maybe her body was left here to be found.” A spot like the Knob guaranteed a body would be discovered.
He cut a sidelong glance at me. “You think this woman was killed by something other than a monster?”
“I honestly don’t know. I’m keeping my options open.”
His mouth quirked. “Sounds like my dating habits.”
We searched the surrounding area without success. No ghost. No new evidence. No signs of a struggle. Nothing.
“Given the victim’s history and the recent rumors about trafficking, it could be vampires.”
Kane looked at me with surprise. “Do you really think that’s likely?”
“She was known to enjoy their company a little too much,” I said. “She was riddled with holes and decapitated.”
“But was she drained dry? And why was her body left here, where it would surely be found? I have a hard time believing the vampires would demonstrate such a blatant disregard for the delicate balance amongst supernaturals in Fairhaven.”
A plausible rebuttal. “Another monster then.”
He regarded the crime scene again. “Perhaps.” He removed a white cloth from his pocket and wiped his hands, stuffing it back into his pocket when he finished. “Come with me, Miss Clay. I’d like to show you something.”
“Where?”
