The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine

paper,’” Michael said. “Abducted last night walking to her car.’”
    Claire frowned. “Why would it be in the paper? I mean, they don’t usually put stuff like that in the papers, right?’” Because in Morganville, murder was sort of legitimate, wasn’t it?
    â€œThey do if it wasn’t vampires,’” Eve said, and nibbled on a carrot stick as she rolled the dice. “Oooooh, pay me my two hundred, Mr. Banker. If she’d been dragged off by vamps, even rogue vamps, it would have just been swept under the carpet like usual. Payoffs to the family, end of the story. But this is different.’”
    â€œIs that, you know, unusual? Crime? Crime that isn’t vampire related, I mean?’”
    â€œKinda.’” Eve shrugged. “But people tend to get nasty around Morganville. Nasty, or drunk, or timid. One of those.’”
    â€œWhich are you?’” Shane asked. Eve bared her teeth at him and growled. “Ouch. Right. Gotcha.’”
    â€œSo…Eve, I heard your brother’s out of jail,’” Michael said. Claire was rolling dice for her move, and by the time the plastic hit the board it sounded as loud as plates shattered on a tile floor. Nobody was making a sound. Nobody was breathing, so far as she could tell. From the expression on his face, Michael was clearly rethinking having brought up the subject, and Eve looked…hard and fierce and (deep down) scared.
    Shane was just watching, no expression at all.
    Awkward.
    â€œUm…’” Claire cautiously slid her Scottie dog the six squares that she’d rolled. “You haven’t said much about your brother.’” She was curious what Eve would say. Because clearly Eve was not happy Michael had brought it up.
    â€œI don’t talk about him,’” Eve said flatly. “Not anymore. His name is Jason, and he’s a dick, and let’s drop the subject, okay?’”
    â€œOkay.’” Claire cleared her throat. “Shane?’”
    â€œWhat?’” He looked down at the board where she was pointing. “Oh. Right. Three hundred.’”
    She mutely handed over her last bills as Shane took the dice in hand.
    â€œEve, you know what he went to jail for. You don’t think—,’” Michael began, very slowly.
    â€œShut up, Michael,’” Eve said tensely. “Just shut up, okay? Is it possible he did it? Sure. I wouldn’t put it past him, but he just got out yesterday morning. That’s pretty fast work, even for Jason.’” But she looked shaken, under the fierce expression, and even paler than normal. “You know what? I have to get up early. ’Night.’”
    â€œEve—’”
    She jumped up and headed for the stairs. Michael followed, two steps behind as she climbed toward her room, black tattered-silk skirt fluttering. Claire watched them go, eyebrows raised, and Shane continued to shake the dice.
    â€œGuess the game’s over,’” he said, and rolled anyway. “Heh. Boardwalk. I think that completes Shane’s real estate empire, thank you for playing, good night.’”
    â€œWhat was Michael talking about?’” Claire asked. “Does he think Eve’s brother might have taken that girl?’”
    â€œNo, he thinks Eve’s brother might have killed that girl,’” Shane said. “And the cops probably think so, too. If he did, they’ll get him, and this time, he won’t be getting out of jail. In fact, he probably won’t even make it to jail. One of Karla’s brothers is a cop.’”
    â€œOh,’” Claire said in a small voice. She could hear the murmur of conversation upstairs. “Well…I guess I should get to bed, too. I have early classes tomorrow.’”
    Shane met her eyes. “Might want to give them some privacy for a while.’”
    Oh. Right. She