Page 16 of The Psychic and the Vampire: A Bad Case of Vampire Curiosity

“How could you guarantee that the visions you might pick up from him, or the impressions you get from him, are actually going to have anything to do with his sister’s case at all?

You could be looking at a dozen murders and not know the details behind the scenes.

I’m just throwing spit balls here, but it has to be said.

It’s possible that if Carmine could be implicated in the murder of a family member, then there was nothing stopping him from murdering a dozen other people since then.

You might not have the time to wade through all his crimes to get to Carol’s demise.

I think we should come up with a different plan. ” A safer one.

“There might be a way where I could find the time I need,” Ant said, his hands landing on Viktor’s chest. “I don’t think you’re going to like the idea, though.”

“Then you’d better tell me what it is.” Viktor sighed. “At least that way I’d have time to get used to it, because we all know you’re going to do it anyway.”

A glimmer of a grin hovered around Ant’s lips. “See how well we’re getting to know each other?”

But then Ant was serious again. “I always hear you. Don’t ever doubt that. I do factor in your concerns with my thought process. But, when I think about this situation logically, I believe it’s time to play Carmine at his own game – tell him a few lies of our own.”

Frowning, Viktor said, “Not that I’m opposed to the idea, but how is that going to help in this case?”

“What if we told Carmine that the scene of Carol’s murder had been contaminated by the magic we found there?”

“Aha.” Viktor nodded. “As we assume it was Carmine who arranged for the magical trap that almost severed my leg from the knee down…”

Ant fake coughed, looking up at him. “Is that honestly how you’re going to tell that story?”

“It could’ve happened. I couldn’t get out. But anyway,” Viktor hurried on, “if you told Carmine about the magical contamination, and that you couldn’t read the scene, then Carmine is going to think that he’s pulled one over on you.”

“Giving him a sense of invincibility.” Ant nodded. “Assuming that mood will hold…”

“Which, in Carmine, it would because it’s his natural state.”

“Exactly. What if I told him that the only way to find out what happened the night Carol was murdered was to hold a séance and speak to her spirit?”

“A séance?” Viktor was sure his shock was showing on his face.

Perhaps his sweet mage needed a sugary tea or something similar.

“Are you talking about one of those staged scenes you used to see on low-budget television in the eighties, where people sit in a darkened room while someone in a robe interprets knocks on a table? Since when does a level twelve mage conduct a séance?”

“The appearance of a séance in this case is a tool to make my job a lot easier,” Ant said calmly.

I’m never going to be able to work out how my mate’s mind works.

“I can summon Carol to talk to her, but it would be a lot more effective and easier to do if a contact of hers – like a blood relative - was in the room with us.”

“I’m still not seeing how this will work. Carmine’s not going to be able to see Carol’s spirit, so even if you say you’re talking to her, he’s not likely to believe it.”

“I know, and that’ll work for me, too.” Ant was grinning.

“Carmine has already said he doesn’t believe in magic as such.

By using the word ‘séance,’ I’ll actually be playing into his idea that most magic is trickery or plain not true.

There’s a good chance he’ll think that I’m clutching at straws trying to find out something about Carol’s murder to prove my worth to him. ”

“We already know what happened.” Viktor flicked his hand in the direction of where Ant had fallen to his knees. “We saw it happen.”

“Carmine doesn’t know that, though, and I don’t have to actually perform a séance to talk to Carol, especially if Carmine’s in the room. But it gives me the perfect excuse to be touching his hand.”

“I’m not sure about this, babe,” Viktor said, trying not to bristle at the mental picture of a darkened room and Carmine holding hands with his mate. “We should talk to Bridget about it. I can imagine so many ways this could go wrong, but I could be overreacting, so talking to her would help.”

Then Viktor had another thought. “Wouldn’t it be easier to tell Carmine that the site was contaminated and you couldn’t read it at all?

Yes, he’ll think he knows how to thwart your magic going forward, but it also means he will never know just how powerful you are.

I don’t think it’ll do us any favors if he knew that for sure. ”

“If it were just us dealing with Carmine, I’d agree with you.

I’ve never cared what someone’s opinion of me was – good or bad.

But this is about Carol, and I still want to get justice for her.

There was nothing in the scene I saw that indicated those men killed her in self-defense.

Besides, I’d like to talk to Carol anyway because I’m still not sure how the two men killed her, and the ME’s report didn’t shed any light on it. ”

“Excuse me. Are you all right?” Viktor asked. “Only, I’m pretty sure it was your mind I was tapping into when I saw Carol being brutally murdered by two men.”

“The wounds they left on her were superficial. They were healed before the men left – likely by a simple medicated ointment that could be bought over the counter from any mage-endorsed store. The only thing I can think of that could have caused her death was a poison in the whiskey she was drinking.”

“Whiskey?” Viktor still didn’t even remember seeing a bottle, but Ant had mentioned it earlier.

“Yes, she had a bottle of whiskey when they first arrived in the clearing. I told you that. She was drinking directly from the bottle, and now I’m thinking about it, I remember seeing her wave it in their direction a few times, probably offering them a swig, but they didn’t take it.

They were just encouraging her to keep drinking.

She laughed as she did it, probably thinking it was funny. ”

“That doesn’t explain why they roughed her up so badly, and then healed those wounds after she died.” Viktor got a sudden shiver down his spine. “That sounds weird, just mentioning it.”

“You’re right. None of that made sense.” Ant shook his head.

“For all I know, they got a thrill out of beating a woman they already knew was dying. But then, perhaps they got worried about Carmine finding out, or that they would leave trace evidence on her body, so they healed her and tidied her up. But no. They were prepared – they had the salve, and that’s not something most people would just have in the dash of their car.

” Ant grimaced. “I don’t know. I can’t work any of this out.

I just know she didn’t deserve any of that. ”

Ant was sad again, and while Viktor couldn’t summon the same level of empathy for a dead woman, he could care for his mate.

Rubbing Ant’s scalp, Viktor said softly, “If you recall when we were back at the house, you said that you wanted to do the scene reading, which you’ve done. Food was next on the list, which we all need, including Able.”

Able looked up and wagged his tail as his name was mentioned.

“Then you said you wanted to go to the library, and before we consider this idea of a séance or trapping Carmine, or anything else, I seriously think you need to look into ways that you can protect yourself from Carmine. He can give you a headache just by being in the room with him, so you need to have more protections in place before you go putting yourself into a situation where he’s going to hold your hand. ”

Viktor barely kept the growl out of his tone as that picture flashed across his mind again. We’re working on being more understanding, he warned his vampire side.

“It’s what people in séances do.” Ant shrugged. “I can’t think why, to be honest. It doesn’t do anything to impact the outcome, but if that’s what Carmine’s expecting, he can hardly say no.”

“What if he wears gloves?” Viktor was seriously considering doing that himself, assuming he was going to be part of the séance circle. He didn’t want to be touching Carmine for any reason.

“Aww, come on.” Ant chuckled. “How on earth is the spirit going to be able to come through if somebody’s not relishing the skin-to-skin contact with another person? I mean, the circle of life has to be preserved. How else can the spirit come through?”

“I’m sure I’ve read some shit about that somewhere” - Viktor scowled - “usually spouted by scammers who were looking to steal the watch off your wrist while the lights were dimmed.”

“I don’t want Carmine’s watch,” Ant said.

“It’s far too flashy for me. I want to know what he’s up to and what he knows about Carol’s murder.

If Carmine comes to a séance where I might possibly talk to his dead sister, then he’s going to be thinking about her, and that’s all I need to get the details about what he knows.

No spirit knocking or stolen watches required.

I don’t see that as a bad idea, do you?”

“I’ll make you a list of why I don’t think this will work over lunch,” Viktor promised.

“I can see a lot of ways where this is a bad idea. But I guess we’re going to go along with it anyway.

Now that’s decided, can we please get out of here?

” Viktor glanced over at the patch of grass where his foot had disappeared.

He doubted he wanted to walk in a park anytime soon.

He would feel a lot happier when his boots were hitting the pavement again.

“Use your vampire mojo, my mate.” Ant lifted his arms and hooked them around Viktor’s neck. “You can speed walk Able and me back to the car if it makes you feel better.”

It did.