A Wolf's Heart (Harlequin Nocturne) (8 page)

Chapter 10

“T
he mayor thinks that you’re the best man for the job.”

Gabriel couldn’t believe what the superintendent was telling him. He’d been back at the lab for maybe a half hour before the man had cornered him in his office and sprung the bad news.

His leg was still really sore. After being released from the hospital, Gabriel had quickly driven to his favorite park, shifted and gone for a run. He couldn’t run far because of his injured thigh, but just being in his wolf form had enabled him to heal a lot faster. After that, he ate red meat, then swung by the lab where he had hoped to catch up on the case.

Instead, he got sideswiped.

“You have got to be kidding me. I need to be here in the lab, doing my job. With Elise out of the city, she should be fine.”

“She asked for you, Gabriel. So the decision’s been made. There is no discussion.”

He rubbed a hand over his face, anger welling inside. “I didn’t realize I worked for Elise Leroy now.”

“You don’t, but you do work for me and for this city, which in turn, truthfully, is the mayor. She called him, and he called me. You know how it rolls.”

“Yes, obviously.”

Jakob rapped his knuckles on Gabriel’s desk. “Besides, you’re still injured. I would’ve been sending you off to recuperate anyway. So now you can recover in luxury at a beautiful country cottage.”

Gabriel just looked at Jakob. What could he possibly say? It was obvious there was no room for debate or discussion. Elise had snapped her fingers and everyone had jumped.

He had wanted to truly believe she wasn’t like that, that she hadn’t changed into a demanding star, but some of her behavior told him otherwise. This one topped the list.

“I’ll leave you to the details, Gabriel. I’m sure the case will be solved in days, a week at the most.”

Gabriel nearly groaned at the prospect of spending a week with Elise in an isolated cottage. Just the two of them. He’d actually have to make conversation with her. What did he possibly have to say to her? He’d already mistakenly spilled his guts about missing her. He couldn’t take that back now. It was out there. And he was sure Elise would use it to her advantage.

With an angry sigh, he picked up the phone to call his team in for a meeting. If he was going to be gone, he wanted his people to be working extra hard on the case. Every stone had to be turned, including looking into all the people who had been close to Elise over the years. Gabriel had a feeling this attack was from someone she knew and trusted. It was too close to home to be a stranger. The saboteur had gotten onto a closed set. Not an easy thing to do.

The phone on his desk rang. He picked it up. “Bellmonte.”

“I heard you got hurt.” It was Olena, his lead investigator.

“Nothing to worry about.”

“What about the case? Do you need me? I can be back in ten hours. Cale and I are in London for a time visiting his folks.”

“We’re good. Don’t cut your holiday short. You earned it and then some.”

“Okay, but don’t hesitate to call. I know how hard it is for you to admit you need help, but don’t be an ass about it.”

He laughed. It was just like Olena to call it as she saw it. There was no bull crap with her. “I will.”

“Uh-uh. We’ll see.” And with that she hung up. That’s what he liked about Olena—she was no-nonsense. He figured she’d be the one who took his job eventually.

* * *

Forty minutes later, most of his team had assembled in his office. Sophie, Kellen, Francois and the other head investigator, Maria Serrano, sat around his office as he laid it out.

“I’ve been recruited to be Ms. Leroy’s bodyguard while she’s out of town so it’s up to you guys to put this case together and quickly.”

Kellen smiled. “So, the two of you are going to shack up together somewhere all quiet and private like?”

Gabriel glared at Sophie. The lycan decidedly couldn’t keep her mouth shut.

She shrugged under his scrutiny. “
Que?
I couldn’t help it. That’s just too much to keep to myself. I mean, you, Gabriel Bellmonte, had a relationship with the most beautiful and talented actress in the world. It’s too odd and strange to not tell everyone.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

He ignored it. “Can we talk about the case, please?”

Everyone nodded in agreement again.

“Where are we with the prints?”

Maria noted from the report she was holding. “We ran the extra set of prints on the letter through our database. We got a hit. They belong to Reginald Alcott.”

“The director?” Sophie asked.

Maria nodded. “Looks like he was arrested in 1886 for participating in the Haymarket Massacre in Chicago where eight police officers were killed by a bomb. There was no real evidence against him so he was released.”

“I remember that day,” Kellen said. “I wasn’t in Chicago but I do remember it.”

Gabriel ran a hand through his unruly hair. “Wow, I didn’t know we had records from that long ago.”

“You’d be surprised what we have on file,” Maria said.

“Okay, obviously Elise’s assistant was mistaken on who touched the letter. She must’ve called him to come look at it and forgot that she’d done that.”

“Or he is the culprit,” Francois added.

Gabriel shook his head. “No, I’m pretty sure it’s not him. But to be on the safe side, we need to have a long talk with him. And with Lily, Elise’s assistant. There’s something going on there with her, I’m sure of it. She’s keeping something secret. It might have nothing to do with what is going on with Elise, but we need to be sure.”

Maria flipped open her cell phone. “I’ll make the call.”

While she barked orders into her phone, Gabriel looked at Sophie. “Any leads on the sabotage?”

She glanced at Kellen. “I checked at the way it was rigged and there’s nothing there of too much interest. The wires had been frayed. The perp could’ve used just about any instrument for that. No marks to indicate any specific tool that we could track. It did look like a rush job, though, so that might be something. Maybe he or she was interrupted. Or they only had a small window of opportunity.”

Gabriel nodded. “That’s good info, actually. Check with the front gate guard and get a list of everyone who was in and out the night before or the very early morning.”

Sophie jotted down notes in her notebook, a habit she’d picked up from Gabriel. “Will do.”

“Anything from the charity event? Any leads there?”

She shook her head. “We have no witnesses. The vehicle was scratched with either a knife or a sharp piece of metal. Not much to follow there.”

“Any word on the driver?”

“No. He’s still missing,” Sophie said.

“Let’s get a warrant to check his place. I don’t think he’s involved, but we need to make sure.”

She wrote that down. “Okay, boss.”

Maria ended her call and flipped her phone closed. “The director is on his way here to make a statement. I couldn’t get a hold of the assistant.”

Gabriel sighed. “I can talk to her when I go to Elise’s to pick her up.”

Kellen chuckled. “So, where are you two going? Romantic hideaway?”

Gabriel gave the vampire a hard stare. “Do you like your job here, Falcon?”

Kellen shrugged playfully. “It’s okay, I guess. A raise would rock, though, if you’re offering.”

“I’m not. And you’re lucky you have a job. If Sophie wasn’t so enamored with you, I would’ve shipped you back to Necropolis.”

Kellen jumped to his feet, Sophie along with him. “Oh, I know you like me, Gabe, so don’t play coy.”

Gabriel shook his head, but appreciated the vampire’s humor. Despite his theatrics and the loud hardcore music he played in his lab, he liked Kellen. He’d been a good addition to his team.

“I’ll keep you apprised of our status, Gabriel,” Maria said. She offered him her hand. He took it and shook it, appreciating her thoughtfulness. “Have a safe trip.”

“Thanks, Maria.”

She left. Francois followed her out without many words. The young witch had lost some of his vigor when Olena had married the Interpol agent who had worked on a case with them last year. Francois had been in love with her for a long time. That left Sophie and Kellen to aggravate him.

“I’ll call you if anything happens,” Sophie said.

“Call me even if nothing happens. I hate being out of contact.”

“You just don’t want to be alone with Ms. Leroy,” Kellen needled him.

Gabriel stood and was about to come around the desk when Sophie pushed on Kellen’s chest to take him out of the room. “We’re going, Gabe. Stay safe.”

“Yeah, remember to use a condom,” Kellen said just as he was dragged out of the door.

Gabriel was angry, but not at Kellen. He enjoyed the vampire’s good-natured ribbing. He didn’t often get that, as he didn’t have many male friends. Certainly not anyone he would confide in, or confess that he still had feelings for Elise and wasn’t sure if he was strong enough to be around her for a few days without acting on those emotions. There was no one from his pack that he felt close to. One of his closer lycan pack members had died last year in the bombing of a nightclub. Coincidentally, Kellen had been the one who had tried to save him. The vampire had saved Sophie and hundreds more, as well.

He wished someone would save him right about now, because he had a feeling he was heading for one giant disaster.

Chapter 11

G
abriel pressed the button on the intercom at the gate to Elise’s home and spoke into the built-in microphone. “Inspector Gabriel Bellmonte.”

“ID, please,” the male guard said.

Gabriel slid out his wallet, opened it to his badge and put it up to the small camera. After a few seconds, the gate started to open.

He drove the rented Mercedes through the gate and parked in the loop at the front door. He figured Elise would appreciate a luxury car instead of the older sedan he used for work. The door opened before he even got out of the vehicle. Lily stood there waiting for him. She smiled when he approached.

“Elise will be ready in a moment.”

Gabriel followed her into the house. She led him to the main sitting room. “Would you like something to drink?”

He shook his head. “No, but I would like to ask you a few more questions, if that would be okay?”

She eyed him sidelong. “I guess, if you think it would help Elise’s case.”

“I understand Inspector Serrano called you.”

“Hmm, I don’t think so.”

“She said she left a message for you to call her.”

She shrugged. “I didn’t get a message.”

“There were four sets of prints on the letter, Lily. Why didn’t you tell me that Reginald Alcott also touched it before we arrived?”

“I guess I forgot.” She folded her hands in front of her. He wondered if it was to stop the little shake he saw in them. “There was a lot of stuff going on at the time—it’s easy to forget some details.”

“That’s true.” He was glad to have his suspicions confirmed. He didn’t think the director was their letter writer. “Is there anything else you are forgetting to divulge?”

“No.” Her voice went up an octave. He heard the slight infliction in its timbre. She was definitely hiding something.

“I know there’s something, Lily. You may not think it has anything to do with Elise’s situation, but you could be wrong. I know how much you care for her, and I know you wouldn’t want to be keeping the one piece of information that could break this case.”

Angry now, her cheeks flared pink. “I resent the implication that I would ever do anything to harm Elise. I have been nothing but cooperative with you and have answered all your damn questions. I have nothing further to say to you.”

But before she could escape from the sitting room, Elise filled the doorway. “It’s okay, Lily, you can tell him.”

Lily stopped in her tracks, frowning. “Excuse me? I don’t have anything to tell.”

Elise moved farther into the room, her gaze on Lily. Gabriel could see a sorrow in her eyes. “It’s all right, Lily. I know. You don’t have to keep it secret any longer.”

Tears started to trickle down Lily’s cheeks. “Elise, please, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

When Elise reached the witch, she placed her hand on her wet cheek. “I know about you and Diego, Lily. I’ve known for some time now.”

Lily’s head dipped and the tears fell unhindered, dotting the ivory rug at her feet. “I’m so sorry,” she sobbed. Elise gathered the girl in her arms and hugged her close. She patted her back and made small soothing noises to her.

Gabriel felt extremely uncomfortable watching this unfold. He knew Lily had been hiding something, but he hadn’t thought an affair with Diego Martinez was what she was holding back. He hadn’t even considered it. And he wasn’t sure if the affair had anything to do with Elise’s case or not. He was at a loss for words.

“Um, maybe I should wait in the car.”

Elise looked at him over Lily’s shoulder and shook her head. She pulled back and rubbed her thumbs over Lily’s cheeks brushing away the tears. “It’s all right,
ma belle.
”

“You’re not going to fire me?” she stuttered.

“Of course not. I could never replace you.”

Lily chewed on her bottom lip. “I’m so sorry, Elise. I don’t know how it happened. It just did, then I got caught up in it and it just steamrolled from there.”

“I understand. Diego has his charms, however hidden they may be.”

Lily wiped at her eyes. “I’ll break it off, I swear I will. You’re more important to me than he is.”

“I know.” Elise pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Still wiping at her red-rimmed eyes, Lily turned and looked at Gabriel. “Bet this wasn’t what you were expecting to hear.”

“No, not really,” he said, “but it would explain where you were the night Elise’s car was vandalized. You were with Diego, yes?”

She nodded. “Doing it in the cloakroom of all places. I can’t even believe how tacky that is. His date was off dancing with someone else at the time.”

“Yes, but it does provide Diego with an alibi.”

Elise turned her gaze toward him. “I didn’t realize that Diego was even a suspect.”

“Everyone’s a suspect at this point. Everyone who knows you or has had a close relationship with you at sometime or another. The perp knows your habits and your schedule. Not just any stranger off the street can get access to that information.”

Lily eyed him curiously, her cheeks still streaked with tears. “I’m not a suspect, am I?”

Elise chuckled. “Of course, you’re not.” But her smile fell when Gabriel didn’t quickly agree. “You can’t be serious, Gabriel.”

“Everyone is a suspect until they’re not.”

Elise shook her head. “Well, that’s just ridiculous.” She patted Lily on the shoulder.

“I get to decide what’s ridiculous, this time around.”

Pursing her lips, she eyed him carefully then she turned and smiled at Lily. “Could you grab my bags for me? And bring them to the front door?”

Lily nodded and, after wiping at her face one last time, walked out of the living room to do as Elise asked.

Twirling a ring on her finger, Elise walked toward him. “Are we really back there, again, Gabriel?”

“What?”

“You know what. Fifteen years ago.”

Gabriel moved away from her and started for the front door. “We should hit the road if we want to make it to your cottage before dark.”

But she wouldn’t let him escape. She moved with him, matching him step for step. Finally, she caught him, or he let her catch him, he wasn’t sure which. Standing in front of him, she laid her hand against his cheek. “It’s not your fault, Gabriel. What happened to me all those years ago was an accident. You couldn’t have changed it.”

“I could have, if you had let me.” There was pain in his chest. It felt tight and he found it hard to breathe. He wanted to wrap her in his arms, to press his lips to hers and taste her again. But he beat the urge down like forcing a wild beast back into its cage.

“It’s not your job to save everyone.”

“It is now.” He lifted his hand and trailed his fingers along her shoulder down to the dip in her blouse. There he found the scar just above her right breast. It was small, nearly invisible now, but he saw it. He knew it was there.

It was where his best friend, Yves Martin, had torn at Elise’s flesh over fifteen years ago. It was Gabriel’s scar as much as it was hers. It was a reminder to Gabriel that he’d failed in the most important test of his life—keeping the love of his life safe.

She covered his hand with her own. “You didn’t know Yves was rabid, Gabriel. You couldn’t have known that he would attack me.”

“If I hadn’t been late that night meeting you…”

She shook her head. “It’s not your fault. You saved my life, remember? You were the one who pulled him off me. You healed me.”

“If only you hadn’t been so reckless and had done what I asked of you.”

She squeezed his hand then. “What? I wasn’t reckless.”

“You were always reckless. And I don’t think things have changed much.”

She dropped her hand from his and moved away. He squeezed his hand into a fist; his fingers still tingled from where he’d touched her.

“Why can’t you let go of this, Gabriel? Forgive yourself, move on. I have.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed.” He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets although what he wanted to do was fill his hands with her again. “I’ll be outside, at the car. Don’t take too long.”

Without waiting for her response, Gabriel brushed past her and left the room. He marched down the hall and out the front door. Only when he stepped outside did he allow himself to expel the breath he’d been holding. Taking in a few gulps of air, he went to the car and leaned against it for support.

He was a fool. He’d angered her only because of the deep-seated guilt that he couldn’t let go. He hated himself for upsetting her, especially about that night. But to do any less he would’ve broken down. He would’ve dropped to his knees and begged her to forgive him. Begged her to love him again. He hadn’t realized how much she truly meant to him, would always mean to him, until he’d sensed she was in trouble. Right before he pushed her out of the way, Gabriel knew he still loved Elise. And would until the day he died.