of
those tells, he still expressed one in great abundance—confidence. Arrogance.
The first time he’d interviewed Brunes two years ago, the man had sat with both
feet on the floor, his hands steepled together, a look of lost remembrance and thoughtfulness
on his face. The man knew he had nothing new to go on and his over-confidence
shone like a blinking pink neon sign screaming ‘See me, I’m not hiding
anything!’
“When the Givens’ family fished your
dead wife out of the water that night, they claimed they saw bruising on the
side of her face like she’d been struck. Do you have any idea why that might
be?” He watched for a reaction. He hadn’t brought this up in the previous
interview.
Brunes didn’t lose his smile. “Perhaps
she hit her head when she fell over the railing. You know, Justicar Brayden,
this was a long, long time ago. Time I’ve spent moving on and putting the past
behind me.”
I’m sure you have .
“I spoke with the lead Justicar from the investigation. You remember Daniel
Cuthwright, don’t you?”
Brunes smile fell into a perfect frown. “Ah,
Daniel. Damn shame what happened to him.”
Brayden didn’t move, but his heart
skipped a beat. “And what happened to him?”
Brunes shook his head side to side. “Hit
by a car while crossing the street. Damn, damn shame. He was a good man.”
“Interesting. It’s rare that a car can
kill a vampire.”
“Well, he wasn’t just hit once. After
the initial car claimed him, another behind him drove right over him. Didn’t
have time to stop. Crushed his skull like a watermelon. Terrible way to go.”
Brayden’s next question was interrupted
when the doors flew open and a panicked, wide-eyed, nearly in tears Vanessa
flew to him. “H-he was here. He was here, Brayden.”
Brunes stood. “What kind of trouble do
you bring here, Justicar?”
Brayden shot him a hard look to shut him
up. “What are you talking about? What happened?” he asked Vanessa.
She sucked in an unsteady breath, but
still didn’t have her ragged breathing under control. “The mating wrap. It was
here. On the car.”
Brayden blinked. “Mating wrap?”
Her wet eyes darted around and she
started speaking animatedly with her hands waving all around. “Yes, the mating
wrap. The binding between two mates. The symbol of our bonds. My hair and his.
Hello, does any of this mean anything to you? It’s here at the car!”
“Just a moment,” Brayden shot to Brunes,
then grabbed Vanessa and took her outside. He walked up to the car, unlocked it
and scanned inside. “What are you talking about?”
She didn’t answer. Jerking his head over
his shoulder, he found her frozen in place, a look of utter disbelief on her
face. “It was right there. On the door handle. It was right here!” she
screamed.”
“Vanessa—”
“Don’t!” she said in a hard voice then
leaned down to peer under the car. She searched all around it, then gazed off
into the grass. “It was wrapped around,” she said softly as if speaking to
herself. “Maybe it blew off. Maybe it...”
Brayden’s heart squeezed tight and he
pulled her into his arms to ease it. “Tell me what you saw.”
She told him again and he stared at the
passenger door handle. “Hold on.” Leaning down, he studied the door handle.
Pulling it out and searching.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“Looking for any strands of hair that
might have gotten stuck.” After a second, he stood and looked at her. Not a
single piece of hair was there.
Stray tears fell down her face. Her hands
wound together then wrapped around her body. “You don’t believe me. You don’t
believe me.”
He scanned the thick expanse of forest
surrounding the house. “I believe you, Vanessa.”
He could hear the breath she sucked in. “You
do?”
So much hope hung in her words it
clenched like a fist tight around his chest. “Yeah, baby, of course I do. Why
wouldn’t I?” True enough. He did believe her.
A sob left
those tells, he still expressed one in great abundance—confidence. Arrogance.
The first time he’d interviewed Brunes two years ago, the man had sat with both
feet on the floor, his hands steepled together, a look of lost remembrance and thoughtfulness
on his face. The man knew he had nothing new to go on and his over-confidence
shone like a blinking pink neon sign screaming ‘See me, I’m not hiding
anything!’
“When the Givens’ family fished your
dead wife out of the water that night, they claimed they saw bruising on the
side of her face like she’d been struck. Do you have any idea why that might
be?” He watched for a reaction. He hadn’t brought this up in the previous
interview.
Brunes didn’t lose his smile. “Perhaps
she hit her head when she fell over the railing. You know, Justicar Brayden,
this was a long, long time ago. Time I’ve spent moving on and putting the past
behind me.”
I’m sure you have .
“I spoke with the lead Justicar from the investigation. You remember Daniel
Cuthwright, don’t you?”
Brunes smile fell into a perfect frown. “Ah,
Daniel. Damn shame what happened to him.”
Brayden didn’t move, but his heart
skipped a beat. “And what happened to him?”
Brunes shook his head side to side. “Hit
by a car while crossing the street. Damn, damn shame. He was a good man.”
“Interesting. It’s rare that a car can
kill a vampire.”
“Well, he wasn’t just hit once. After
the initial car claimed him, another behind him drove right over him. Didn’t
have time to stop. Crushed his skull like a watermelon. Terrible way to go.”
Brayden’s next question was interrupted
when the doors flew open and a panicked, wide-eyed, nearly in tears Vanessa
flew to him. “H-he was here. He was here, Brayden.”
Brunes stood. “What kind of trouble do
you bring here, Justicar?”
Brayden shot him a hard look to shut him
up. “What are you talking about? What happened?” he asked Vanessa.
She sucked in an unsteady breath, but
still didn’t have her ragged breathing under control. “The mating wrap. It was
here. On the car.”
Brayden blinked. “Mating wrap?”
Her wet eyes darted around and she
started speaking animatedly with her hands waving all around. “Yes, the mating
wrap. The binding between two mates. The symbol of our bonds. My hair and his.
Hello, does any of this mean anything to you? It’s here at the car!”
“Just a moment,” Brayden shot to Brunes,
then grabbed Vanessa and took her outside. He walked up to the car, unlocked it
and scanned inside. “What are you talking about?”
She didn’t answer. Jerking his head over
his shoulder, he found her frozen in place, a look of utter disbelief on her
face. “It was right there. On the door handle. It was right here!” she
screamed.”
“Vanessa—”
“Don’t!” she said in a hard voice then
leaned down to peer under the car. She searched all around it, then gazed off
into the grass. “It was wrapped around,” she said softly as if speaking to
herself. “Maybe it blew off. Maybe it...”
Brayden’s heart squeezed tight and he
pulled her into his arms to ease it. “Tell me what you saw.”
She told him again and he stared at the
passenger door handle. “Hold on.” Leaning down, he studied the door handle.
Pulling it out and searching.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“Looking for any strands of hair that
might have gotten stuck.” After a second, he stood and looked at her. Not a
single piece of hair was there.
Stray tears fell down her face. Her hands
wound together then wrapped around her body. “You don’t believe me. You don’t
believe me.”
He scanned the thick expanse of forest
surrounding the house. “I believe you, Vanessa.”
He could hear the breath she sucked in. “You
do?”
So much hope hung in her words it
clenched like a fist tight around his chest. “Yeah, baby, of course I do. Why
wouldn’t I?” True enough. He did believe her.
A sob left
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