Page 37 of One Dark Kiss (Grimm Bargains #2)

THIRTY-TWO

Rosalie

R osalie, wake up, Ella says urgently.

I roll over and blink, for a moment thinking we re back at the boarding school in Switzerland.

I flip on the light. Ella s hideaway is a cute two-bedroom Craftsman in a quiet residential neighborhood.

I tossed and turned for a while last night thinking about Alexei, but finally I drifted into sleep. Wh-what? I mumble.

You re not going to believe this. Get out of bed.

She pulls me from the bed, and I pad barefooted into the adorable kitchen where she has her laptop on a fifties-style red-and-silver table.

I sit in a matching chair and yawn widely, dressed in one of her small T-shirts and my underwear. What s going on? I m still half asleep.

She flips a laptop around so I can see the screen. Hendrix Sokolov was murdered last night.

I jolt wide awake. Are you serious? The news is reporting a murder?

She shakes her head. No. I hacked into the local PD system. The media doesn t have it yet.

I look at the microwave. It s six in the morning. Where s Alexei?

I don t know, she says.

I stand. You need to take me home. I brush my teeth, capture my thick hair in a ponytail, hurriedly get dressed, and soon she s driving me in the battered old white car to my place. We screech to a stop on the front curb. Thanks.

I m coming in, she says, hauling her backpack with her laptop over her shoulder.

I pause. Alexei s probably here.

I know, she says, but I m not letting you go in there alone.

My heart warms. All right. We march up the front walkway through the big front door, hearing boisterous laughter from the kitchen.

I frown. She looks at me and shrugs. We walk through the formal living area, that I ve left the same as my aunt had decorated it decades ago, into the now modernized kitchen.

All seven of my boarders sit around my oak table eating pancakes with Alexei and Garik. I stop short in the doorway.

Oh, hi. Felix looks up. We hoped you d get home soon.

Alexei finishes chewing and sets down his fork. Yes, we were.

While Felix sounded thrilled, there s a darkness to Alexei s tone. His gaze flicks past me toward Ella. Miss Rendale.

She smiles. How s it hangin , Sokolov?

I think amusement dances in his eyes, but I m not entirely sure.

He pushes away from the table and crosses around toward us. I take a step back, but Ella remains in place. Keeping his gaze on her, he pulls her backpack off her shoulder.

Hey. She tries to grab for it.

He partially turns and yanks out the laptop and disc. These are mine.

She pushes him. You gave that to me, and the disc is Rosalie s.

His gaze slams into mine over her head, and I want to take another step back.

I didn t give you the laptop, and when you found information on the disc to exonerate me, you fucking posted it online.

That put both of you in crosshairs. Period.

I won t allow you to purposefully end up in danger. He says the last directly to me.

Ella reclaims her backpack. The disc is only partially repaired. I m not done.

Oh, you re done. He hands the laptop and disc to Garik before returning to his seat and clasping his fork. It s going to cost me more, but I ll have my computer guy come back for a couple of weeks. He digs into his pancakes.

I take a deep breath to steady myself, studying the assembled men. What are you all doing? My stomach growls.

Ozzy, who as far as I know, worked for an electrical company his whole life, flips another pancake at the stove.

He s the oldest of my boarders, at about ninety, and is also the best cook.

He s long and lean like a string bean, and I worry about him eating enough.

We looked for you all night, so we thought we d eat and try again.

I told everybody you d be back in time for breakfast, but no one listened to me.

It s a tradition with my boarders for us to have a big breakfast together every Saturday. I find it sweet that he thought I wouldn t miss our meal.

Vehicles screech outside and everybody stills. Garik stands. What s going on?

I wince. I m not quite sure how to say this, even though Alexei and Hendrix aren t close, it ll probably hurt. Somebody murdered Hendrix Sokolov last night.

Alexei pushes away from the table, his eyes going dark. Are you serious?

Yes. Ella got the news before anybody else. The media doesn t have it yet.

He cocks his head. You didn t let your friend Alana know? She could post all about it.

All right. We kind of deserve that. We did send the footage of Hendrix planting the knife in the pond directly to her, and she posted the video all over social media.

Someone knocks sharply on the door. Alexei Sokolov, come out now.

Today he s dressed in dark gray slacks and a white button-down shirt. I take it I m a suspect?

Ella nods vigorously. According to the warrant they were putting together, you re the last known person to be seen with him.

Where was he killed? Garik sputters.

Right outside of his family home. I guess your family home, Alexei, she hurriedly bursts out.

That s where we dropped him off, Alexei says grimly. Time of death?

Ella shrugs. I have no idea. I was up working on the other destroyed file from Blythe Fairfax s home.

I figure showing Hendrix planting evidence is one thing, but if we can catch him actually committing the murder, all of this will go away.

Well, that was before he died. She frowned. You didn t kill him, did you?

Don t answer that, I say instantly, turning into his lawyer.

Amusement dances across his face. I didn t kill him.

It sounds like he s telling the truth, but he s also trying to consolidate power as a mob boss, so I m not entirely sure I believe him.

More pounding echoes on the door. Open the door. We re coming in.

Just a moment, I call out. All right, let s go.

He walks calmly around the table, his heat instantly engulfing me. We have things to discuss, Peaflower.

I m sure we do. There are more important matters to attend to right now, I say smartly, looking down at my skirt and wrinkled blouse. I don t have time to change. How did they know you were here?

Alexei shrugs.

Wally brings up a computer feed over in the far corner. I have security all around this place. If we re being watched, I didn t know it. My guess is they traced the phone records. You ve been in and out of here, Alexei.

It doesn t matter how they know. Alexei glances over his shoulder at Garik. Take advantage of this matter, will you? You have access to the funds, and you know what I need.

Are you sure about this? Garik frowns. We can go out the back if you want.

Alexei rolls up his white shirt sleeves. No, this is what I want—it s actually the perfect opportunity. He nods at me. All right, attorney, let s see how good you are. There s a mild undercurrent to his voice I don t like, but I don t really blame him.

What are you two talking about? I ask. That is some kind of bro code. What matter? What does he need? Alexei?

This doesn t concern you, he says quietly.

We move toward the door, and I open it to see the full SWAT team. He s coming out and we re going in voluntarily, I say.

He s coming with us. Detective Battlement moves toward Alexei, who calmly turns and allows himself to be a handcuffed. We have solid evidence.

Oh, yeah? I say. Last time you had evidence, it was planted. Nobody trusts you right now.

Detective Battlement blushes. I m aware of that, but this needs to happen.

I look at a very calm Alexei. Don t say anything until I get there.

The detective reads Alexei his rights and then leads him down the long sidewalk to the road with all of the SWAT team following.

I shut the door and take a deep breath.

Wally turns from the stove. We can set up somebody else if you want.

I don t want to ask. You have experience in that kind of thing?

He nods. Yeah. I was a grifter most of my life, and I have pretty good connections.

A grifter? Seriously? The man makes sure I count out his rent every month to ensure he s paid me enough. I look at Percy. And you worked for the mob?

He nods. Wally was with MI6. Doc s definitely a doctor. That leaves two of my boarders as mysteries. Kenny?

Kenny looks up from his pancakes, today dressed in a flannel shirt and overalls. The guy looks like a retired farmer. I was a spy, and that s all I m saying. He pours more syrup over his plate.

I can t believe it. Yardley? I look at him. He s the youngest, and his bald head gleams in the soft light. You weren t with a mob or an assassin or anything like that?

Nope, Yardley says cheerfully. I was a nuclear physicist.

How does that help? Ozzy throws up his arms.

Yardley shrugs. I didn t say it did.

I m getting a headache. It s roaring in from the base of my skull. Come on, Ella. I need a ride.

We re all going, Merlin says.

I turn to hold up a hand. We are not all going. You stay here and stay safe. I ll bail Alexei out with his own money, and we ll figure this out.

Exiting my comfortable home, we walk down the sidewalk and get into Ella s banged-up car. She looks over at me. What do you think the chances are that he killed Hendrix?

I gulp. I don t know. He s trying to consolidate power and Hendrix did set him up. If Alexei was furious enough, I can see him dumping Hendrix s body at the family home, but there s no way he would ve left evidence.

She sighs. Things just get keeping more and more complicated, don t they?

Yes. Not to mention how angry Alexei is with me at the moment. He hid it well, but I felt his fury as he walked past me.

Maybe we should leave him in jail, Ella offers.

I sit back, my mind reeling. It s not a bad idea.

We reach the police station, and I run immediately inside, my newish kitten heels clicking on the tiles. I show credentials and soon find myself in the interrogation room next to Alexei, sitting across from Detective Battlement.

Alexei looks calm and relaxed. I glance at the two-way mirror and wonder who s videotaping us. Not that it matters. I note how strong and handsome, deadly so, Alexei looks. Mirrors love him.

Your counselor is here. Now you can talk, the detective says, his jowls moving with each consonant.

My client has nothing to say. Even though I feel vulnerable in the same outfit I wore yesterday with my hair in a ponytail and no makeup on my face, my voice is strong.

The detective shakes his head. That s not good enough, Alexei. We have you on video. It s all over the news actually, of your brother getting into your car last night.

I m aware of that, Alexei says. We had a nice talk and I dropped him off.

Battlement makes a couple of notations. Where?

At his home, Alexei drawls.

Stop speaking, I say quietly.

He glances at me, one eyebrow rising.

I look at the detective. All you have is Hendrix getting into his brother s car after that same brother bailed him out?

Battlement crosses his arms. That and the fact that your client discovered that morning that his brother quite possibly set him up for an earlier murder. He leans toward Alexei, his belly bumping the table. You spent seven years in prison. You re telling me you don t want revenge?

Alexei shrugs. What I want doesn t matter. We have a company to run. He sounds smooth and believable, but the detective doesn t look convinced.

Your prints were found on the murder weapon, Battlement says.

I blink. What was Hendrix murdered with? Was he shot?

Doesn t matter, Battlement says.

Alexei snorts. You found my prints on murder weapons before.

It s an excellent defense. I hope I don t have to use it. This doesn t need to go any further, Detective, I say. You don t have enough on my client to keep him.

The hell I don t. Forget motive. Like I said, his prints are actually on the weapon.

I sit back. I ll ask again. What weapon was used to kill Hendrix?

The detective opens a file folder and pulls out an enlarged photograph to toss our way. I look down to see a photo of Hendrix Sokolov on his back, his eyes open in death, and blood pouring from his neck. I peer closer and then can t breathe. What in the world?

The detective smiles. Yes, his prints weren t the only ones found on the murder weapon.

Alexei scrutinizes the photograph. What are you talking about?

Yours were there as well, Counselor. Battlement taps his fingers together and steeples his hands beneath his chin. Do you recognize the weapon?

I stare, not believing it. I peer closer to see my letter opener from my office, the one I used just the other day to open bills I can t pay, sticking out of Hendrix Sokolov s neck.

Is that your letter opener? the detective asks.

I sit back. We re not saying anything else. It looks like I need my own attorney.

Battlement tugs the picture back to put in his file folder.

Here s my theory, Ms. Mooncrest. Alexei visited you in your office, saw the letter opener, and took it.

He picked up his brother, Hendrix, took him home, and then there was some sort of scuffle that led to Hendrix s death.

The deceased has bruises on his arms. I think your client s trying to set you up, Counselor. You sure you don t want to talk to me?

I cross my arms, my brain fuzzy. This can t be happening. I m positive.

Very well. The detective slaps the file folder closed. Alexei, you ve been arrested, and you re going to be held.

I leap to my feet. You can t hold him. We re going to request bail.

The detective shrugs. Sorry, but I can t get in front of a judge until Monday, so it looks like your boy is going to spend a little more time in custody.

I look in panic at Alexei, but he seems calm, bored even. The man spent seven years in prison for a crime he didn t commit. Release him on his own recognizance.

That s not my decision, and I don t have a judge available.

The detective stands. In addition, we think he s an extreme flight risk.

He looks at Alexei. Please stand. We re going to hold you at the prison and not here at the jail.

We ve been informed by the local PD that they don t have the resources to keep you safe in their little cell.

My stomach drops.

Alexei stands, as always in perfect control. Don t worry about it, Peaflower. Just get my bail set on Monday.