Chapter Three
Twenty questions…or less
In the stifling, gray interrogation room, Faust and I sat across from our suspect while he puffed on a cigarette and sipped coffee from a paper cup. Faust wanted to handle it traditionally before allowing me full access into his head again. I agreed to play nice.
“So, how did you get involved in all this?” Faust asked him.
After a long pull of his cigarette, Cross answered with smoke coming out of his mouth and nostrils. “Okay, so last month a guy – a vampire, I think – comes in and asks me if I want to make some serious money right?” He leaned his elbows on the table. “He gave me a wad of cash and said it was half now and half when the job was done.”
“And the job was to kidnap the girls?” I asked.
He nodded. “Technically.”
“What’s so technical about it?” I pushed.
“Well, I didn’t actually commit the kidnapping. I found these girls, reached out to them through social media and charmed them until they agreed to meet me.”
“You did this all in one night?” Faust asked.
“Nah, man, even I’m not that good.”
“Go on.” Faust urged then took a sip of his coffee.
“It took months of prep work. I had to make these girls trust me. I started feeling bad about it because I was getting to know them too, you know? I tried backing out, but I couldn’t. He beat the shit out of me when I tried.” Remorse played behind his eyes briefly. “Anyway, he said I couldn’t ask any questions or tell anyone about it, or he’d kill me. I mean, if you saw this guy, you’d take his threats seriously too, you know?”
I gritted my teeth as anger festered inside of me. “Vampire, you said?” I asked.
“I assume, yeah. Not human, that’s for sure.”
“So, you kidnapped innocent girls for money.” I stated bitterly.
Cross avoided my eyes and went back to his consumed cigarette. “Listen, he never said what he wanted with them, and I couldn’t back out anymore, do you get that?”
Faust put his hand up. “Relax.” He cautioned. “What requirements did he give you? Age, hair color, race…?”
Cross shook his head and put out his cigarette. “No, man, nothing like that. Well.” He thought for a minute. “They had to be seventeen. And they had to be these particular girls.”
Faust wrote that down and tapped his pen on the notepad. “Anything else?”
Cross looked at me and then away. “They all had to be…” He rubbed a hand over his jaw.
My ears perked up. “Be what?”
“They had to be virgins,” he answered, sheepishly.
Faust and I looked at one another.
We instantly thought some sort of sex trade. I didn’t tell him yet about the vamp at the club that called out my virginity like it was written on the wall.
“Why?” I pressed angrily.
Cross shrugged. “Don’t know, he never said.”
Trying my best to control the bubbling rage inside, I balled my hands into fists and took a deep breath.
“How did you know which ones were virgins?” Faust asked.
Cross just shrugged.
“Answer the question.” Faust demanded. He was starting to lose his patience. The line between his brows deepened.
Cross made an impatient noise in his throat and that sent me over the edge.
I slammed my fist down onto the table and stood up.
Cross flinched so hard that he fell backward in his chair. “Don’t let her near me, please!” He shrieked. “Don’t let her touch me!”
Faust placed himself between me and Cross and reached for my shoulders, but I slapped his hands away. “Don’t!” I snapped.
His eyes hardened, and his hands dropped to his sides.
“Jade—”
“I’m done, Faust.” I intercepted. “I’m about to throw up my arms and let you figure it out on your own. Let me do my job, or I’m out of here. I have enough cases on my own. I don’t need this one, and I sure as fuck didn’t ask to be included.”
He rubbed his eyes and took in a long breath before turning his attention to Cross. In three long strides, Faust crossed the room, wrapped his hands around Cross’s collar and lifted him to his feet. “You better start talking or I will let her loose.” He growled.
“Man, I told you everything.” Cross cried. “Girls are proud when they’re virgins, it doesn’t take a lot to get that information out of them.”
Faust relaxed his grip and slammed Cross back down into the chair.“What if they weren’t? How could you tell for sure?” he asked.
“I couldn’t, but he could,” Cross said lighting another cigarette. “I tried offering him other girls instead, and it was like he could smell that they weren’t pure.”
“What’s the guy’s name, Cross?” Faust asked pinching the bridge of his nose.
“I don’t know,” Cross answered.
“What did he look like?”
“I don’t know, we met in the dark. He wore a mask.”
After a sigh, Faust gave me a nod. “Do what you need to do, Jade,” he said and walked out the door.
It only took me five minutes to violate his mind, but I still couldn’t extract the information I wanted. I wasn’t cast out this time. Instead, his mind was just…empty. As if someone purposely erased all the information.
Maybe he had told us everything, and he truly didn’t know the identity of the man, the reason for the kidnappings, or where the girls were taken. Perhaps contacting the families and touching something belonging to one of the victims might prove to be more effective.
Outside of the interrogation room, Faust waited for me with his back pressed against the beige wall and his feet were crossed at the ankles. Under his arm, he held a manila envelope. His handsome face was tinged with fatigue. “File on the girls,” he said handing it over.
“I didn’t say I was going to take on this case.” I pointed out. “I have a lot going on right now. I would be wasting my time anyway, someone is protecting him, keeping his thoughts from me. You’re the detective, you may need to handle this on your own.”
He was quiet as he nodded.
“I’m sorry, Faust.”
He gave me a fake smile. “I know. I also know that since Eleanor died you don’t want to work with me because you blame me. I wasn’t fast enough. I couldn’t save her.” Faust stated.
I gritted my teeth. “This has nothing to do with her, Faust. That’s not fair.”
“Come on, Jade. You won’t help me because you’re afraid. Afraid you’ll fail. Afraid you’ll succeed…”
“I have to go,” I said walking past him.
Detective Eleanor Bates, Ellie as I called her, was my mentor and my friend.
Actually, she was more than that. She found me on the side of the road making my way out of town after I ran away from an abusive foster home and took me in. I was fifteen.
After my father vanished, my fragile mother’s mental health slipped and she became catatonic. I was thrown into the foster system and spent three years dodging fists and sneers from people that feared me.
I took a few steps down the hall before Faust called my name. “Jade, I miss her too.” He offered. “She was my friend too.”
I nodded and tried to walk on, but when I turned, I hit a wall. At least it felt like one.
The imposing officer from earlier in the evening gazed down at me with dominant brows over deep green eyes.
“Ma’am.” He winked and moved aside.
“Officer Dick.” I spat a greeting and hurried away.
Something about him made me uneasy.
When I watched her get choked along the wall at the club, I was quick to react. I knew the one attacking her wasn’t human. I could smell him. I was very surprised when she charged at me with her short stature and angry fists. Her tone was bitter and demanding. I enjoyed the way her face looked when she frowned up at me. I amused myself with her anger. I’ll admit though, she is quite striking and those lips look mighty tasty. I may take a bite.
Adrian