Page 29

Chapter 29

A fter the two most ridiculous men in Gordon’s life had left the crime scene, it didn’t take long for Corinne to arrive with the corpse mobile. White-clad, she pushed the gurney into the apartment in which the two deceased sat and waited for attention.

“You know, I know what you always say about how we’re only supposed to deal with the what and when and how and that the investigators have to deal with the who and the why, but this—” she pointed at the bright wallpaper lettered with blood, “—seems uncannily familiar. I know we caught Pearson, and this wasn’t her, but…” Corinne looked away, shaking her head. “This is upsetting.”

Gordon shrugged as he helped lift LeRoux. “It is. This one was a professor for English literature, and our other, open-chested friend was a social worker. They were only ever trying to help people, nothing else.” Gordon sighed. “But you’re right; we don’t handle the whys and whos. That’s for Adler and Maxim to figure out.” Plus, I cannot tell you about a possible conspiracy. Sorry about that .

Corinne’s hold almost slipped. “Did you say lit professor?”

“Yes?”

“At NAU?”

Gordon nodded. “Yes. You don’t know her, do you? If so, that’s a conflict and—”

“No, no.” Corinne shook her head. “I just… I have a friend who’s doing English and French lit, and she was in this group project with this guy. She said the prof is a fae, and I don’t think there’re a ton of fae literature professors at NAU. It was just the two of them in the group because the other guy moved groups. Anyway. I think they got the project done in a flash and then just geeked out about, I don’t know, literature.” She pointed. “Like you and the toys, but with books and stuff.”

Gordon gasped even if the whitesuit hid it. “Corinne! They’re not toys. Don’t say that, it’s offensive. I raised you better.”

“Yes, yes. You know what I mean. Your collectibles . But those two, they speak a different dialect of geek than you do. Anyway, she was telling me how the guy had this wild theory about how Arthur Conan Doyle was really just a straw man and how the real creator of the Sherlock Holmes stories was some ancient vampire who lived through the fall of Rome or whatever. She said the theory was really elaborate—she gave me the highlights, but I don’t remember. Ask me to name all the bones in the foot, no problem, but literary conspiracy theories go over my head.”

They had the fae on the gurney now and were closing her into her comfy body bag.

“Okay? LeRoux let her students run wild. Sounds like she was a good teacher.”

“Yes, I guess. That’s not the point though. He vanished.”

Gordon cocked his head as they were maneuvering the gurney back to the van before taking the second body.

“Who vanished?”

“The nerd with the conspiracy theory. Do you think—” Corinne lowered her voice on the stairs, walking backward and half turning to make sure she didn’t miss one. “Do you think maybe he did this?”

“What do you mean, he vanished?” Gordon asked, hating that Maxim and Adler had already left and weren’t here to ask smart detective-type questions.

Corinne waited until they were at the van. She opened the door.

“I don’t know. All I know is that my friend said she hasn’t seen him in days. Her theory is that he’s run off to chase down his theory like some kind of mad genius, but if this was his professor… What if she didn’t like his theories? What if they argued about it and he got really angry she wasn’t taking him seriously?”

“You shouldn’t make assumptions.” Adler always says that’s what he wants to teach Bachmann, and he’s still not over assuming the Ripper copycat murders were committed by a man.

“I know. I’m just saying this is a strange kind of coincidence. Right?”

They moved LeRoux into the van. Once she was inside, Gordon waved to one of the forensic team members. The small woman came right over.

“Dr. Morris! Did you need something?”

Okay, an exuberant werewolf who wants to be of help to Adler’s mate. Might as well take advantage.

“I do, actually. Can you help my assistant with the second body? I have to make a phone call.”

The wolf nodded eagerly. “Yes!” The forensic technician turned to Corinne. “You’re human, right? Don’t worry, I’ll do most of the lifting.”

“Yeah, right.” Corinne gave Gordon an accusing look before following the werewolf back inside, the gurney between them.

Well, she did call my lovelies toys, so I suppose a little punishment is in order.

Gordon peeled off his gloves and called Maxim.

The hunter answered on the first ring. “Dr. Morris. Miss me? Or are you calling to ask about your mate? He’s been well-behaved, all things considered, no howling or growling, though he keeps sighing like wind whistling over a craggy mountain ridge. I think, dear Gordon, that Adler misses you.”

“Come on, it’s been fifteen minutes. Listen, Corinne just told me about a friend from NAU who did a project with this guy, and the guy had a theory about how Sherlock Holmes was vampire fiction as in, some vampire made it up. They were both in LeRoux’s class. Now, the kicker is, the Sherlock Holmes guy up and vanished and…you know.”

Maxim didn’t miss a beat. “You think he is involved. Remember to give your assistant a cookie for paying attention and sharing with the class.”

“Oh, she gets a cookie just for existing.”

“The friend’s name?”

“Uhm. Will ask.” Gordon looked at LeRoux’s unmoving form. “In a second. Chain of custody.”

“Yes, rightly so. Gordon, stay put, keep watch. I’m turning the car around.”

“But why—”

“I have a feeling. Just don’t go anywhere. And I’ll want to talk to Corinne as well.”

“Okay. Hey, is Adler really missing me?”

“Gordon, dear, the man looks like Heath when he can’t make the numbers work out right on all the tax forms.”

There was grumbling and growling aplenty in the background now.

Maxim laughed. “Can you hear him miss you?”

“Tell him me too.”

“My turtledoves! My darling sugar plums with honeysuckle hair and sherbet lips.”

“Maxim, watch the road. I’m hanging up on you now.”

“Aw, Gordon you—”

But Gordon cut the hunter off and waited for Corinne and the second corpse as well as for his mate and Maxim to return. It was all he could do not to pace.