A Wolf's Heart (Harlequin Nocturne) (18 page)

“I’ll call as soon as I know anything.”

She walked to the door and put her hand on the knob.

“Thank you, Lily.”

She smiled over her shoulder. “You’re welcome.” Then she left, shutting the door behind her.

When she was gone, Gabriel sighed deeply. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a brief moment. He needed to find out everything he could about Rory Langford. He didn’t think he had enough to get a warrant for the guy, or for his house, but he would put out a call that he wanted to talk to him.

This guy was hovering just under the radar and Gabriel wanted to know why.

He had a bad feeling that Elise was in grave danger. That if it was Rory who had Elise, then she was under the thumb of a very powerful vampire. One who, if Gabriel was right, had been in love with Elise for nearly ten years now without any love back? Love could be a dangerous thing. It could create but it could also destroy.

He had to find Elise before that happened.

Chapter 28

G
abriel was heading down to the morgue to get the report on the autopsy of Constable Ron Sharpe, when Sophie caught him in the hallway.

“That liquid we found on the floor near the broken door?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s ketamine.”

“Well, that’s certainly not what I was expecting.”

“I know, right. But ketamine has been known to work as a sedative.”

“Yeah, but only in high doses. Where does someone get their hands on that kind of stuff?”

“Veterinarian practices use it all the time during surgeries. It’s especially effective with big dogs.” She rubbed at her nose. “Something to do with the olfactory cells inside their noses. Would work effectively on lycans, as well.”

Scratching his neck, he nodded. “Okay. Run with it. See if there have been reports of thefts at any of the veterinarian practices in the city.”

“Will do, boss.”

He grabbed her arm before she could dash back down the hall. “Oh, and keep the name Rory Langford in your mind. If there is a connection anywhere there, please let me know immediately.”

She lifted her brow in question.

“He’s Elise’s agent. Has been for the past ten years.”

“He’s a suspect?”

“A person of interest right now. High interest though, if you get me.”

“I always get you, Gabe.” And with that she was out of sight down the hall.

He continued on to the morgue.

“Tell me something good, Ivan.”

The medical examiner turned toward Gabriel, a rib cutter in his big hand. “Ron Sharpe suffered from blunt force trauma. But this did not kill him. He was dragged from one spot to another.” Ivan pulled up one of Ron’s legs. There were dark marks along the back of his thigh. “You see these are drag marks.” He set the leg down. “He was then bled out by a deep cut to his thorax.”

“Any drugs in his system?” Gabriel asked, trying hard not to look at the body on the gurney. Ron had been a good cop and Gabriel felt he’d failed him in some way.

“I sent a sample to tox. Haven’t heard back. Are you looking for something in particular?”

“Ketamine.”

That lifted Ivan’s bushy gray eyebrows. “Hmm, not a usual drug.”

“I was thinking that Constable Sharpe was subdued with it somehow.”

Ivan shook his head. “He was subdued with the bash on his skull I’d say.” He pointed to Ron’s head. “There is a substantial dent in it. I’d say he was knocked unconscious, dragged to wherever and had his throat slit. I would think he didn’t regain consciousness after that initial blow.”

“Okay, thanks, Ivan.”

Ivan handed him his report. Gabriel took it and was about to leave when Ivan said, “Funny thing about that ketamine. I dated a vet once. She was an unscrupulous little minx, that one. She used to sell ketamine to junkies looking for a fix.” He shook his head. “It’s amazing to me what some people will shoot into their bodies.”

“Can ketamine also be inhaled? Does it have to be injected into the body?”

“Inhaling it would be like sniffing laughing gas. Same sort of method.”

“Could it act like chloroform?”

Ivan frowned. “In this way, you mean?” He picked up a piece of cloth on the table and held it over his nose and mouth. He released it.

Gabriel nodded.

“Absolutely.”

“Thanks, Ivan.” Gabriel pushed through the morgue doors. As he walked down the hall back to his office, his cell phone trilled. “Bellmonte.”

“I got something.” It was Sophie.

“I’ll be right there.” He slid his phone into his pocket and walked even faster down the hall to the analysis room that Sophie always used. She was sitting at one of the computers.

“What do you have, a break-in?”

“Nope, insurance claim.”

“An insurance claim?”

“Yeah, after checking for thefts in the past week, nothing popped up by the way, I decided to just plug in Langford and veterinarian into the system just to see if anything popped up.” She smiled. “Well, it did.” She gestured to the computer screen.

On the screen was a long report, an insurance report claiming damaged and missing merchandise. Reading down, he discovered the missing merchandise was ketamine and the person making the claim was Rachel Langford.

Gabriel didn’t believe in coincidences.

“Sister maybe?” Sophie asked.

He shrugged. “Possibly. Does it say if she works for a veterinarian practice?”

“According to this, she owns this one.”

“Is there an address?”

“Yup.”

“Okay, let’s go and talk to her. We need a connection. If there is one, we can get a warrant.” He glanced at his watch. Time was going by too fast. And he feared Elise didn’t have long. If his hunch was right, then maybe she was safe until tomorrow. Until the ten-year anniversary that Rory made such a big deal out of.

A half hour later, Gabriel and Sophie were standing the waiting room of Crescent Moon Heights Animal Hospital.

“Do you have an appointment?” the young receptionist asked.

“We need to talk to Rachel Langford.”

“What is this in regards to?”

“Her insurance claim,” Gabriel answered.

“One minute, please.” The receptionist picked up the phone. “Ms. Langford, there are people here wanting to talk to you about an insurance claim.” After a nod or two she hung up. “She’ll be right with you.”

Gabriel and Sophie sat down in two available chairs. There was a Great Dane sitting next to Gabriel. The dog turned its head and rested it on Gabriel’s leg. He petted the dog.

“He looks sad,” Sophie commented.

Gabriel scratched under its big ear. “Yeah. I know how you feel, buddy.”

The dog licked his hand.

A tall woman with long, dark blond hair came into the waiting room. Gabriel didn’t need to be told that this was Rachel Langford. She had very similar features to Rory. They were definitely related.

After one final scratch to the dog, Gabriel stood and approached her. She smiled. “May I help you?”

Gabriel flipped his badge. “Is there somewhere we can talk?”

“Certainly.” She led them down a hall and into a big office in the back. She gestured for them to sit in the two big overstuffed leather chairs. She sat down behind the equally impressive desk. “Now, what is this about? I have a feeling it isn’t about insurance.”

“Do you know Rory Langford?”

She arched one eyebrow. “He’s my cousin on my mother’s side.”

“Are you close?”

“Not really.”

“When was the last time you saw him?”

“Last month, at my mother’s three hundred and fiftieth birthday celebration.”

“What did you talk about?”

She hesitated and eyed them both. “What is this about? Is he in some kind of trouble?”

“I won’t lie, Ms. Langford, but your cousin could be involved in a stalking and a kidnapping case.”

She dropped her gaze and swiveled in her chair a little. It was an interesting response to his announcement.

“You don’t seem outraged by what I’ve just told you.”

“However much I don’t believe he could be involved in something like that, there has always been something off with Rory.”

“In what way? Are you talking about his vampiric gift?”

She flinched at that. “Rory has always been charming. Even as a child. But, yes, Inspector Bellmonte, he does possess a certain gift of persuasion.”

“You mean you think he honestly has that mythical power of glamour? I’ve read about it in fiction books about vampires glamoring people, but I’ve never heard of a real vampire possessing it.”

“Well, there’s always a first for everything. And where do you suspect those authors, Bram Stoker be damned, got the idea for it in the first place? I’m sorry, no one is that original.”

Gabriel nodded. She was probably right. “Would you know when he’s using it?”

“In what way? You mean, on me?”

He nodded. “Yes. Could he have persuaded you to give him something? Something you think you’ve lost or never received?”

Her eyes widened. “Are you talking about my ketamine shipment?”

“Yes.”

She worried her bottom lip with her fangs. “Hmm, I would never have considered that. But my supplier swears he shipped me the merchandise. I’ve never had a problem with him before.”

“Would you be willing to give us a statement about all that you’ve told us?”

She nodded. “If Rory is using his power for bad then I won’t be a part of it.”

“Thank you.” Gabriel jumped up. “Sophie, take her statement.”

Sophie nodded and took out some official paper and a pen.

Gabriel flipped open his phone and called his favorite judge to get a warrant. They had enough now. They had just cause to search Rory’s house and to put an APB on him.

Gabriel was certain that Rory Langford had abducted Elise and was holding her captive. He just hoped that he found her in time. Before Rory’s warped mind went into overdrive.