Fallen Angel (16 page)

“Really Angelica, this is not very lady like conversation.”

“Honestly father it is not as if I am some simpering miss that it going to swoon from the news.”

“Enough, I do not wish to discuss this unpleasantness with you.” He said angrily and left the table without having touched his breakfast.  Angelica finished her breakfast and was on her way back to her room when they butler stopped her. 

“Miss there is a Mr. Harrison here to see you.  He claims he is not a reporter and that you know him.” Angelica felt her heart begin to pound Luke was here?  Why?  She nodded at the butler who was still waiting for her response.

“I will see him.”

“Very good ma’am, he is in the parlor.” Angelica walked slowly toward the
parlor. She held her breath and pushed open the door. She felt her heart sink and carefully controlled her breath to keep it from whooshing out of her lungs. It was not Luke it was Matt. She tried very hard to keep the disappointment from her face as she entered the room.

“Good afternoon Mr. Harrison, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?”

“Good afternoon Ms. Austin. I just wanted to check that you were settled alright.” She crossed her arms, she didn’t believe for a second that was the only reason that he had come. 

“I am quite fine, Mr. Harrison thank you for your concern.” He eyed her for a moment as if he was trying to decide how best to proceed.

“I am glad to hear it.” He glanced pointedly at the body guard that had followed her in and was standing just inside the door.

“A little privacy if you don’t mind.” She said to him, again he looked irritated but he left closing the door behind him.  “Alright Mr. Harrison since I am quite sure my well being is of little concern to you. What is the real purpose of your visit?” He looked surprised by her bluntness and she took a deep breath and sat down on the sofa offering him a seat as well. She tried to remind herself that it wasn’t his fault that his arrival had marked the end of her time on the ranch but it wasn’t easy.
He sat down across from her and smiled. She assumed that he was trying to put her at ease but it wasn’t working. She did note that he didn’t have the same smile as Luke, in fact looking at him now she didn’t think he looked much like Luke at all.

“Actually Ms.
Austin your well being is of concern to me as is the well being of the other women in the city.”

“I am afraid I’m not following you.”

“I am certain you are aware that there is a man out there killing women of a certain type.”

“I am.”

“Well I am working with the local authorities to try to catch him. It’s what I do.”

“You’re a bounty hunter?”

“You could call it that I suppose.” He said blandly. Her brows raised slightly.

“Interesting.”

“How so?” He asked frowning at her.

“You really are nothing like your brother, are you?” She smiled at him, he looked surprised but then he smiled.

“The same woman gave birth to both of us but that is pretty much where the similarity ends.  Our personalities are as different as night and day. ”

“So I guess the D
ouble H is destined to remain a single.” Matt stared at her for a full second then laughed, it was a deep rich sound that did remind her of Luke.

“I have less than no interest in ranching. Luke knows that, he alway
s has but he is a determined man and once he makes up his mind about something he just never gives it up.”

“So Mr. Harrison, you are working with the authorities to catch the slayer, what does that have to do
with me? The media was mistaken. I was never one of his victims. You know that.” She had to change the subject back to the original topic. Talking about Luke was just too painful.

“Well the media was right about one thing. You are his type, in fact you fit the type of woman that he hunts exactly.”

“Yes and thanks to that there are a dozen strangers in my house that feel they have the right to follow me where ever I go.”  He smiled a sympathetic looking smile, she didn’t return it.

“I want you to help me catch him.”

“How am I supposed to…” She sat up straight and looked him in the eye. “You want to use me as bait.”

“Not precisely but essentially yes.”

“You are insane.” She laughed.

“I have been
told that before,” he laughed. “Ms. Austin this man is killing women with your build, with red hair and blue eyes.  All of the women that have fallen victim have been women that travel in your circle. All of the investigating we have done has led us to believe that the killer is among Austin’s upper class. Ms. Austin the Slayer is someone you would invite into your parlor, someone who has probably attended one of your balls.”

“That is absurd, I don’t know anyone who would be capable of killing even one woman let alone seven and mutilating their bodies, whatever that means.”

“That is precisely the attitude of your peers. This is why he hasn’t been caught, because no one believes that someone they know could be doing this.”

“Again I don’t see how I can help you.”

“As I said, you are exactly what this man has been going after. If you’ll forgive me there aren’t very many women that look like you and now there are significantly less. If you’re not next on the list you’re close.”  Angelica felt her heart pound at the idea. “For now I would just like to keep you under surveillance, without raising an alarm with your security staff.” 

“What exactly is he doing to these women?” She asked quietly. “And don’t say mutilating them, I am so tired of hearing that word that conveys nothing of the reality.”  Matt looked at her for a long moment as if he were deciding whether or not to tell her.

“What I tell you cannot leave this room. Many specific details have been withheld from the public to avoid panic or a possible copycat.” Angelica nodded and swallowed back the uneasiness in her throat. “He cuts them, specifically their eyes and faces, the eyes are missing from the bodies and the faces are cut beyond recognition.” Angelica felt her stomach turn and she held up her hand to make him stop.  She didn’t think she could help as much as Matt seemed to think she could, and she knew that Luke would hate the idea and as much as she didn’t want to admit it that mattered to her.

“I am sorry I would like to help you, but the truth is
my father hired all these security people. They don’t listen to me so I can’t tell them to just ignore you or your men.” She got up and retrieved an invitation to the ball. “Here take this, perhaps you might be able to find who you are looking for at the ball, or at least find a lead.”

“Thank you. If you hear anything or if you change your mind you can find me here.” He handed her a folded slip of paper with an address on it.

Angelica looked at herself in the mirror and took a deep breath. She was wearing a blue satin gown and white gloves that extended past her elbows. Her long hair was cascading down her back in big curls.  A diamond necklace
, earrings and bracelet caught the light and glittered from every direction.  She lifted a dark blue mask adorned with blue feathers and fastened it to her face. She had chosen a masquerade ball because she knew everyone would be staring at her and she thought she could hide behind the mask. Now she wished she hadn’t, if there really was a killer among them and Matt managed to find him how would he identify him? She had to admit the idea that the killer could be someone she knew left her a little unsettled. More than once she found herself thinking about the characteristics of each man she knew but she couldn’t think of anyone that seemed like they could be a suspect.

Luke scanned the ballroom he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to find Angie amid all these people wearing masks. He felt ridiculous but they wouldn’t admit him unless he put the mask on so he had relented. Now as he looked around the room it occurred to him that he would have stood out if he hadn’t been wearing the mask. All the men were wearing black masks very similar to the one he had been given but the women all were wearing masks of varying grandeur that matched their gowns. He knew he would never understand women and fashion. He owned one suit and he was wearing it. Thankfully he had only worn it one other time so it was a basically new black suit so he didn’t stand out in that regard either. He carefully threaded his way through the room. He heard her name mentioned in several circles but he didn’t hear her voice.  He was beginning to wonder if she was even there. Then the energy around him seemed to change, people were whispering and pointing he turned toward the door and that’s when he saw her. She was breath taking, literally he felt as if he couldn’t breathe. She had a mask on as well but he would have known her anyway. The crowd parted as she glided into the room someone led her out on to the dance floor judging from the dark hair with gray at the temples it was her father. He watched her on the dance floor she was so graceful, he ached to touch her to bury his hands in those shinny red curls.

“I think this may be the best turnout we’ve ever had for a fundraiser.” Patrick Austin gushed, he wasn’t looking at her he was looking around the room at the turnout.

“Just be careful what you say, I am sure at least half of these people are reporters.” Angelica said without so much as a smile. 

“I know I have already been approached by several asking for interviews.”

“Don’t give any, wait until they are really desperate and then you can make exchange with the editor of the Herald
, an exclusive for an endorsement in your re-election campaign.  They were the only hold out last time.”

“Ah Angelica, if only you had been born a son you would be perfect.”
He laughed she forced a smile and made the appropriate responses as he continued to whisper excitedly about the various people in attendance. Finally the music ended and she was able to break away from him making the excuse that she needed to mingle.

“Angelica, it is so good to see you. We were so worried about you.”

“Oh Patricia thank you.”  Angelica paused only long enough to say the words and continued moving, she didn’t want to be pulled into actual conversation. 

Luke watched Angie as she moved though the room, she didn’t look like she was just talking and mingling. She looked as if she was moving with a purpose. In fact as he watched he could swear there was a pattern to her movements. He saw her dance once but it looked as if she were avoiding anyone who looked as if they might ask. When he saw her relatively alone near the refreshments table he couldn’t resist any longer.

“Hi Angie, would you like to dance?” Angelica felt her hair stand on end at the sound of that voice, but it couldn’t be, still there was no one else in the world who called her Angie. She turned slowly.

“Luke? What are you doing here?”

“Fundraising apparently, I am just not sure what for.” She felt herself start to smile and had to remind herself that it was against the plan.

“For my father’s re-election campaign.”

“Ahh.” He looked into her eyes for a long moment, he couldn’t see much else of her face. “
So how about that dance?” He held his hand out to her and she took it. Her heart was pounding as she felt him wrap his arm around her and pull her close.  “You don’t look very happy to be home.” He kept his voice low so no one else would over hear.  “Don’t get me wrong you look great, just not happy.”

“I guess I am just still figuring things out.”  All she could see of his face were his pale eyes behind the fitted black mask and his lips. It was unnerving.

“What are you doing here Luke? You should be happy to be rid of me. You can get back to your life. Why are you wasting your time at a dumb ball?” She made herself look anywhere but his face.

“I never said I wanted to be rid of you. Besides I thought you might like to know how your kid was doing.”

“Ice,” Her head snapped up and her eyes met his again. “Is she okay?”

“She’s fine, I’ve been taking care of her don’t worry.”

“Oh really and who is babysitting now while you’re out on the town?”  She challenged and he laughed. She felt the hair on her neck stand on end again. She knew she needed to get away from him he was causing her resolve to crumble but it felt so good to be near him again.

“Tom is taking care of her.”

“How is she?”

“She’s good, she has taken to following Layla around now. It seems to work well for both of them.”

“That’s good, she belongs with her own kind.” She said softly looking down away from his face again.

“Is that what you think
Angie? That you belong with your own kind?” Angelica looked up again surprised at how quickly he had counted her as one of these shallow empty headed debutants. What did it matter to him anyway he was the one made it clear she didn’t belong with him. She tried to pull away from him but he held her.

“Everyone has to be somewhere Luke, we don’t all get to have our bliss.” She hissed then stomped on his foot. He yelped and released her. “I’m sorry
, forgive my clumsiness.”  She said loudly in a sugary voice then turned and left the dance floor. He stared after her for a moment stunned then followed. He saw her leave the ballroom through a side door but when he attempted to follow his path was blocked by two men.