can’t go in there,” one answered, reaching out an arm to block Toby’s way.
He didn’t even pause to argue, just entered one mind, then the second. They could catch grief later. Right now he was feeling less than sympathetic toward law enforcement of all stripes. Toby stepped into the hall, just in time to meet Agent Bright directing two others, carrying a computer and a box of papers.
“Acquiring evidence, Agent Bright? I did agree to hand over whatever you requested.”
“No need, Mr. Wise. I have a search warrant and a subpoena for certain documents and your computer and disks.” He pulled a paper from his inside pocket and flashed it at Toby.
Faster than Bright could tuck it safely away, Toby took it from him. Ignoring the man’s surprise, Toby read. Fast. He looked up at the agent’s irate eyes. “Find everything you want?”
Courtesy and helpfulness appeared unwelcome. How times had changed! “Obstruct me and I’ll have you arrested!” Bright scowled as he all but elbowed Toby out of the way. He’d have succeeded with a fellow mortal. As it was, with luck he would have a rather sore elbow.
“I have no intention of doing so.”
Amy Redding, the current day nurse, came rushing out. “Oh! Mr. Wise, thank heavens you’re back. It’s been terrible; I had no idea what to do, and they had papers.”
Toby rested his hand on her shoulder. Pity he couldn’t will calm on her, but he had too large an audience for that. “Never mind, Nurse Redding. Is Piet alright?”
“Yes, I think so. They pestered him a bit, finally gave up. The poor man. It upset him some but he’s settled back. The banging and bumping distracted him a bit, but he’ll be fine.”
Toby hoped the same could be said for the Duncan Phyfe library table in the study. However, if they scratched it, they did. He could see for himself the slate floor in the hall would never be the same again. “I’ll sit with Piet, Nurse Redding. I’m sure you’re due for a break. I never expected you’d have to cope with this.” His gesture included the dark-suited types scurrying back and forth. One, Toby noticed, carried his printer.
Let the mortals have their fun. They’d find nothing. Tom Kyd was too good for them.
It was almost an hour before they finished moving furniture and confiscating disks and subversive-looking books. Toby considered himself the soul of endurance and patience, but Bright’s insistence he sign for, and accept, a receipt almost drove him to the edge.
Granger Fox snapped his cell phone shut. Interesting, and the perfect out from the unpleasantness looming ahead. A suspicious fire on the outskirts of Dark Falls was good enough reason to dash over and see what sort of story he could find. He had a legitimate excuse not to obey the order to return to Axel and report, but the compulsion was too strong.
He could no more disobey than fly.
He drove the remaining distance to the newspaper office and braced himself. He had failed and deserved the coming chastisement.
“She what?” Axel’s eyes blazed almost red as he glared. “You were told to see she obeyed. Maybe I need to encourage her.”
“No!” He wasn’t that far gone to let Axel have his hands on Laura. “She’ll get what you want. There was coming and going all night. She didn’t want to risk getting caught. That wouldn’t help, would it?”
Axel’s silent shrug implied little concern over any possible awkwardness for Laura. “She’d better get me something tonight, without fail.”
“She promised, didn’t she? My Laura will come up with something.” He so hoped.
“So”—the light in Axel’s eyes turned to a feral gleam—“come here, Granger. Take off your shirt.”
It was what Granger Fox feared, loathed, dreaded…and yearned for as much as air and sunshine. His fingers trembled as he unbuttoned his checked shirt. He pulled it off his arms and, still holding his shirt by the collar, looked up at Axel.
“Your left arm this time, I think.”
Taking a deep breath, Granger stepped forward and held out his left arm. A cold hand grabbed his upper arm and yanked him close. He held his breath, bracing for the pain as Axel’s fangs scraped skin. Granger winced, almost suppressed the groan and shuddered as Axel sucked hard, pulling at the flesh until the skin tore more and Granger cried out.
He could have screamed, for all the difference it made. Axel fed, taking what he wanted while Granger waited, passive, steadying himself on the desk with his free hand.
Then, as always, through the pain and hurt came a flicker of pleasure, like a match in pitch dark. Granger exhaled as the slender dart of sensation became a raging blaze. For a few, brief moments, he rode the wave of ecstasy, until Axel abruptly pulled his mouth away and Granger was jerked back to the reality of a messy office and an unwritten story.
Axel reached for the dropped shirt and wiped his mouth with it before tossing it to Granger. “Better get dressed. Might shock the populace to find you in your undershirt.”
Giddy and lightheaded, Granger sank into the desk chair and reached into a drawer for the tissues he kept for these moments. As Axel slammed the door behind him, Granger held a wodge of tissues to the still-seeping wound. It would soon stop bleeding. It always did. But his arm—heck, both arms, legs and chest were a mass of scars and fading bruises. If he had any sense he’d refuse Axel before the man bled him to death. But that had never happened. Denying Axel was beyond his strength. He needed Axel, dreaded being abandoned, and for him to keep Axel, Laura had to come up to snuff.
What a day! Talk about an insane twenty-four hours. Toby scowled at the phone. He’d had a panic-stricken phone call, faced down a decidedly venal deputy, rescued Adela from a witch hunt, witnessed arson, fought a filthy mythical beast, found the woman he’d developed a tendre for rifling though his filing cabinets, and had his home invaded by the FBI. On top of all that, he had to call Vlad Tepes.
He should be able to manage that. Might even actually get a couple of hours in at the office if he looked lively, not that it really was worth it at this point and—damn! He’d forgotten that Adela was still down on the beach waiting for him to give the all clear.
Still, it was a nice morning. Alright, a nice afternoon. She could wait. She owed him, whereas he was in Vlad’s territory.
First, he called the office. Sarah Wallace’s “Hello, Mr. Wise’s office. May I help you?” was the best reminder of normality he’d had all day.
“Sarah, Toby here. I’m not coming in today. Our friends Healy and Bright were here at the house.”
Her snort showed what she thought of the FBI. “They’re here right now, grabbing and snatching and waving search warrants and I don’t know what. I feel sorry for the cleaning crew this evening. The place is in a shambles.”
“Tell maintenance to send in extra teams if needed, and ask everyone there to tidy up their own areas as best they can. Let the marauders take whatever they want. Just be sure they leave the coffeemakers. I don’t want a staff revolt tomorrow morning.”
Her snort suggested she didn’t appreciate levity. “They are taking computers,
