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“The SBLE version, or the one I’m going to tell the police?”

“I’ll handle the police. Tell me how you saw it.”

“Someone got in to see Brad by bespelling the nurse and pretending to be an SBLE doctor. This ‘doctor’ told Brad his face was unfixable and that he’d always look like that. Brad believed him and decided to jump out of the window.”

“Damn.” Feehan shook his head. “This is not going to go down well with our head office or with the Dailey family.” He hesitated. “Um, we don’t have doctors in the SBLE, do we?”

“No.” Vadim pressed his handkerchief to his lip again to stem the bleeding. “Where’s Ms. Walsh?”

“I passed her in the hallway. She’s gone to find the security tapes, or whatever they call them nowadays, for this floor. We’ll bring them back to our office to review.” Feehan patted Vadim’s knee, making him flinch. “Let’s hope we get an image of that so-called doctor.”

The sound of an altercation at the door reached Vadim’s ears and he looked up. Ella was toe-to-toe with one of San Francisco’s cops.

“He’s not ready to be interviewed. Can’t you wait until we’ve cleared up our part of the investigation before you start on yours?”

“I’m okay, Ms. Walsh.” Vadim waved the police officers over. “How can I help you?”

He told them the cleaned-up version of how Brad had been standing on the windowsill, threatening to jump, and that despite Vadim’s efforts, he hadn’t been able to reach Brad in time to stop him. The officers seemed okay with that, nodding as he described Brad’s fragile mental state and his often-expressed desire to die. The hospital records would confirm his words. It was contrived, but at this point, it was in everyone’s best interest to believe that the death was viewed as a suicide—everyone apart from Brad, his family and the investigating team of the SBLE, of course.

The police officers departed to check in with the medical team in the ER, where Brad now lay. Vadim shoved a hand through his hair and dislodged another shower of shards.

“You look like the Christmas fairy.” He looked up to see Ella standing in front of him, arms crossed over her chest, her expression fierce. “Are you really okay?”

Her mind tentatively touched his, and some part of him relaxed. “I’ll be fine.”

“Feehan wants us to go back to the office. Do you want me to put him off until the morning?”

Vadim got to his feet, aware of a thousand small pinpricks of pain stirring in his still-tender skin. He felt like an old man. “I’d rather get this out of the way while it’s fresh in our memories.”

“Then at least let me drive. Your car’s still here, isn’t it?”

He dug in his pocket and handed her the keys. “You don’t actually use the key. The door will unlock when you approach the car. You start the engine by putting your foot on the brake and pushing the start button.”

“Got it.” She jangled the keys in her hand in a manner guaranteed to set his teeth on edge. “Do you want me to bring the car around to the front of the building?”

“I want to see Delia first, and then I want to see Brad’s body.”

“Sure. I’ll come with you.”

He halted, his hand on the back of the chair. “You don’t have to follow me around.”

“Yes, I do.” She raised her chin to meet his gaze. “Let me show you where Delia is.”

* * *

Ella studied the nurse.Delia looked as if she were having an excellent nap. Only the fact that her eyes were still open gave a clue that it wasn’t exactly a natural kind of sleep.

“Can you get her out of it, Morosov?” She still whispered, even though she knew Delia couldn’t hear her.

“I’m not sure.”

Vadim sounded exhausted. She had the strangest urge to pick him up, wrap him in a blanket and take him home to bed. Not that he’d be any use to her there, but at least she could hold him close and look after him…

“Ms. Walsh, what’s wrong?”

Had her horror shown on her face? A ministering angel she was not. Damn Vadim for putting her in touch with her feminine side.

“Is she in a Fae trance?” She concentrated hard and found it impossible to penetrate Delia’s mind. It was as if a thick fog surrounded her thoughts.