Page 32 of Immortal by Morning (Argeneau #37)

“Have we got them all?”

Lucian’s question had Crispin glancing up from closing the bag on the last body of bones they’d dug out of the ground. He

followed his uncle’s gaze to his cousin Jeanne Louise Argeneau-Jones, who was pushing what almost looked like a lawn mower

across the dirt. Appearances aside, what she was pushing back and forth across the excavation site in rows was not a lawn

mower. It was a four-wheeled radar surveyor, or at least that was what Jeanne Louise had called it. All he knew was that it

had ground penetrating radar and had shown them where the last eight bodies had been.

Lucian had apparently had the forethought to tell Mortimer to check with the science guys at Argeneau Enterprises to see if there was an easier way to find any skeletons buried next to the house without digging up the whole damned area.

They would have basically had to dig out the entire foundation for the fifty- by twenty-foot extension that was going in to be sure they got them all or at least ensure the construction crew wouldn’t be finding more bodies.

Jeanne Louise had been the answer. One of their top scientists at the family company, she’d arrived shortly after Abril had

lain down to nap. Within moments, the men had all moved out into the tent to watch Jeanne Louise push her radar machine around.

At first, they’d merely marked each spot she said the surveyor indicated there were bones, but once she’d finished a row and

started on the next, they began digging to remove the skeletons marked behind her.

It had all worked rather well, and quickly. They’d dug out the original four and eight more bodies in the last couple of hours

to a count of twelve. Their serial killer had been prolific. Jeanne Louise had just finished marking where the last body was

and had headed inside through the back door to use the bathroom when Abril had appeared at the sliding doors. Now that they

had finished removing the skeletons she’d found, Jeanne Louise was just completing a last run with the radar machine to be

sure they hadn’t missed anything.

“That’s it,” Jeanne Louise said finally. Glancing to their uncle then, she added, “At least there are no more in the excavated

area. Do you want me to check around outside the tent?”

Lucian was silent for a moment, his gaze moving to the back of the tent as if he could see through it to the undisturbed yard

beyond. It hadn’t been dug up yet, but Crispin knew the addition was supposed to run the length of the side of the house and

twenty feet out.

“Yes, and another ten feet beyond that,” Lucian decided. “We will get the bone bags in the van and take down the tent while you do that. Hopefully there are no more, but if there are, it is better to find out and deal with them.”

With five men on the job, it didn’t take them long to stow the bags in the van and take down the tent. Jeanne Louise had only

managed to check half the length of the house by then. Since she hadn’t come up with anything in that time, Crispin suspected

they were done and had found all the victims. Still, he knew she had to finish to be sure. The last thing they needed was

for the construction crew to find a skeleton or two that they’d missed and cause a big stink that they’d have to clean up

later.

“Decker, Cassius, and Crispin,” his uncle said suddenly as they all stood watching Jeanne Louise, “The three of you go inside,

clean up, check dinner, check on Abril, and set the table. We will eat as soon as Jeanne Louise finishes, if there are no

more bodies,” he announced, and then added, “Bricker, you are with me. We will remain with Jeanne Louise until she is done,

just in case she does find something and we have to dig again.”

There were sounds of agreement all around, and Crispin led his brother and cousin inside. Cassius immediately went to open

the stove and check on the meal he’d made, while Decker moved to the sink to wash his hands. Crispin washed his hands as well,

but he was glancing around the kitchen as he did.

Abril’s coffee sat on the placemat in front of her usual seat at the island, but she was nowhere in sight. That troubled him, mostly because it looked as if she’d hardly touched her coffee. If she’d had more than a sip of it, he’d be surprised.

“Maybe she went to her room to change or something,” Cassius suggested, obviously picking up on his concern. “Why do you not

go check?”

Crispin’s gaze shot to his brother at the suggestion, but he bit back his irritation at being read. Mostly because Cassius’s

idea was a good one. Turning off the tap, he quickly dried his hands and said, “Yes. I will go see.”

“Just knock on her door, brother,” Cassius said in a warning tone. “Remember, Dani said no excitement.”

Crispin mentally shot his brother the finger as he headed out of the kitchen, and almost smiled when Cassius burst out laughing.

He noticed Lilith sleeping on the carpet next to the couch in the living room, but paid the dog little attention as he hurried

to Abril’s room. In the end, he didn’t knock. The door was open, as was the door to her bathroom and he could see it was dark.

She obviously wasn’t in either room.

Worry creeping up his back, Crispin turned to look at the couch in case she’d lain down again and he hadn’t noticed, but she

wasn’t there either. His heartbeat starting to pick up with anxiety, Crispin headed down the hall to the laundry room, glancing

through each open door on either side of the hall as he passed. There was no sign of her in any of the rooms. Spinning around,

he hurried back the way he’d come, passing through the living room again as he rushed to and through the kitchen to the hall

to the temporary offices.

“What is it?” Cassius asked as he raced past. “Did you find her?”

“No,” Crispin’s voice was short and worried as he quickly checked Abril’s office, Gina’s office, and the bathroom where he’d

bathed Lilith. When he spun back around after finding each room empty, Cassius was coming up the hall toward him.

“She is not here?” Cassius asked with some of the concern Crispin was feeling.

“No,” he growled, panic beginning to gnaw at him. Where could she be?

“Did you try the pool room? Maybe she went for a swim,” Cassius suggested.

Crispin was moving before his brother even finished speaking. He was running by the time he hit the kitchen, and barely noticed

Decker’s startled glance as he flew past where the other man was setting the table.

“What has happened?” Decker asked.

Crispin heard his brother respond, “Abril is missing. Tell the others. Start a search.”

Crispin didn’t hear any more, he’d exited the kitchen, crossed the entry and was running through the living room by then.

The door to the pool room was unlocked when he reached it. Thinking she always kept it locked, and its being unlocked meant

she must be there he started to relax for a moment, only to tense up again as he saw that the pool room was empty.

“She is not here either.”

Crispin turned to his brother at those surprised words. He hadn’t realized Cassius had still been following him. For some reason he’d assumed he had stopped in the kitchen to talk to Decker. It seemed not, however. Cassius was standing there, appearing as perplexed as Crispin himself was feeling.

“Have you tried everywhere?” Cassius asked finally.

“Yes, every—” His voice died as he suddenly recalled the bathroom here in the pool room and hurried to that door. It was closed,

but not locked and opened at once, only to reveal a dark and empty bath/change room.

Shoulders slumping, Crispin turned around and started back toward his brother, only to breathe, “Abril,” with relief and change

direction when he spotted her through the glass walls that surrounded the pool room. She was in the backyard, on the very

edge of the property, staring into the woods with fascination.

“Thank God,” Cassius said, turning to peer where he was looking, and then following when Crispin moved past him to the doors.

The outer door was also unlocked. He slid it open, and stepped out, calling, “Abril?”

When she didn’t move or even look around, he started forward, shouting, “Abril!”

“Abril!” Cassius added a little louder when she didn’t react again.

The brothers exchanged a worried glance, then began to run.