Succubus Lost (Files from the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency, #2) by Tiffany Allee Page B

to go,” I said without looking at him. Then I turned and took my sorry ass home.

Chapter Nine
    My embarrassment the next day was only made worse by the fact that Costa didn’t call and try to talk to me. Not surprising, really, since I’d stormed out like a shamed teenager who’d never kissed a boy before. That he didn’t call me in the morning either didn’t help. I knew that I should act like an adult and call him, but I couldn’t. So I steeled myself and went in to the station without him. I was fully intent on ignoring what had happened between us and focusing on finding Elaine.
    Then I saw him.
    Costa stood next to the coffee pot with Lieutenant Vasquez, and they spoke in low tones. With his normal serious expression plastered on his face, Costa didn’t look concerned at all. He appeared well rested and confident.
    Handsome and cool. Not at all ruffled by our kiss.
    Fine. Two could play at that game.

    I gave Costa a cool nod, and then headed to Astrid’s desk.
    Astrid looked up at my approach and smiled at me.
    “Hi, Marisol. How goes it?”
    I filled her in on my theory, in low tones not so hushed as to draw attention, and her brows drew together when I finished.
    “That all tracks. In fact—” She opened a file drawer and grabbed a folder out of it, then flipped it open. “We just got a report in from Denver about burned remains found there. I doubt it would have been in the database yet. It’s not new, but they just figured out the oh-dub connection.” I shook my head and she nodded. “This one is also likely an otherworlder, found in an odd spot, right outside of the doors of a twenty-four-hour Target.”
    “Security cameras?” I asked.
    She shook her head. “Missing. Quite mysteriously, of course.”
    I stilled, mind going into overdrive. Camera footage going missing. That sounded too familiar to be a coincidence. No way were these people just sneaking in to steal the camera footage from all these places—someone would have seen something. They could only get lucky so many times. Were they buying the footage? Paying off people on the inside?
    “But we did luck out,” Astrid continued. She shut the file folder and met my gaze. “The killer—or killers—
    screwed up.”
    I sat down across from her and leaned toward her, reaching for the file folder. “What did we get?”
    “A couple of spots of blood were found only a few feet away from the ashes, and they were untouched by the fire. We think it’s our vic, and it sounds like it matches the M.O. you’re looking for. But we’re waiting on lab results.” I scanned the file as she spoke. “And?” When Astrid didn’t continue I looked up from the folder, but her attention was focused above my shoulder.
    Great. I looked behind me and up into Costa’s grim expression.
    “Keep going, Astrid,” I said, and turned my attention back to the folder.
    “The woman disappeared around three weeks before the ashes were found. She was young—twenty-one. And she was a siren.” Astrid’s expression went blank and her eyes unfocused, staring at the wall behind me.
    “Astrid?” The young woman didn’t move at the sound of my voice. “Are you all right?” I waved my hand across the space her gaze was locked on, and she took in a deep breath.
    “Sorry,” she whispered, then shooting a quick glance at Costa, she said to me, “I’m headed to the lab, if you want to come.”
    Should I go to the lab? The large presence at my back reminded me of the benefits of accompanying her. I could avoid Costa for a while. Give myself a chance to overcome my embarrassment.
    No, you put on your big girl pants today, remember?
    No hiding out. You’re an adult.

    “That’s okay, but thanks. I have some other stuff I want to follow up on. But let me know what you find out, okay? I’ll do the same.”
    “Sure,” she said, but the tension in her shoulders didn’t dissipate.
    “Give us a second, Costa,” I said, keeping my eyes on Astrid.
    I could feel