Page 18 of Vampire so Virtuous (Boston Vampires #1)

He quickly scanned the lobby, noting the few lingering glances, but it seemed no one had caught on.

There was a long queue before the information desk, and a group of four men off to one side.

One was dressed in a suit, another in the uniform of a senior police officer, four gold stars gleaming on his collar.

A couple of other cops stood nearby, deterring any who might approach.

Antoine had already drawn their attention, and with each step closer, their tension grew. They shifted, positioning themselves between him and the Commissioner, hands twitching toward their holsters.

Chattel. Always expecting the worst.

“Gerry, good to see you,” Antoine said, loud enough for the others to hear. The man in the suit looked up in surprise as he caught sight of Antoine.

“Anthony! There you are.” His eyes flicked down and back up, taking in Antoine’s attire. “I hardly recognized you.”

“Going incognito,” Antoine said conspiratorially. “Thought it best, you know?”

“Oh, yes, I quite understand,” Gerry replied, his expression showing he really didn’t, but willing to accept Antoine’s explanation. He turned slightly. “This is Superintendent Steve Cox.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Du Pont.” Cox’s tone was neutral as they shook hands, but Antoine could see the resentment in his eyes. Cox had his feathers ruffled. Not that Antoine cared.

“Shall we?” Gerry asked, and led the way to the security barriers. A wave of his hand and the officer on duty opened a side gate, allowing all five men to pass through. With a gesture from Cox, the two escort officers peeled off, heading to other duties, their task complete.

Gerry thumbed the button for the elevator. “I was surprised to get the call from Bill,” he said. “You could’ve called me directly, you know.”

Antoine smiled disarmingly. “I would’ve done if I had your number.”

“Ah.” Gerry looked sheepish. “Here, let me remedy that now.” He fished out a business card and handed it to Antoine. “Anytime you need anything.”

“Thank you.” Antoine slipped the card into his coat pocket, ignoring the Superintendent’s surprise.

The elevator dinged its arrival, and all three men entered. Gerry pressed another button. “Steve confirmed we do have a triple-homicide suspect in our custody. One Cally Davis. That the woman?”

“Indeed,” Antoine replied smoothly. And now he had a name.

“We’ve paused questioning, and she’s resting comfortably in our holding area until we get this sorted out. After the call from Bill, I felt it was prudent.”

“I’ve heard of you, Mr. Du Pont,” Cox ground out, looking like he’d swallowed a lemon, “and surprised to hear you were involved in something like this. The case seems open-and-shut. She was standing beside the three bodies when we arrived, and admitted she’d attacked them.”

“Gerry, I dropped by to help,” Antoine said, his tone carrying a slight edge. “Let’s dispense with the ‘involved’ language, shall we?”

“Of course, Anthony, of course.” Gerry glared at Cox. “I’m sure the Superintendent meant nothing by that remark.”

“I’m just a concerned citizen, in the wrong place at the wrong time”—Antoine smiled blandly—“or the right place to help an innocent woman.” He had to lay the groundwork before he tried to influence them with his power; may as well start right away.

Otherwise, he risked melting their minds, like he had the cop outside.

“Quite,” Gerry said, eager to move past the tension.

The Superintendent cleared his throat. “Why were you in the area, Mr. Du Pont?” His tone was mild, but with an unmistakable edge.

The elevator shuddered to a halt. “Out for a walk,” Antoine said blandly.

They arrived on a busy department floor. Gerry led them through an open-plan office to a large meeting room with a decent-sized polished table and a good number of chairs. Antoine surmised it was the department board room .

“I’m sure we’ll get this all cleared up in no time.” Gerry’s eyes flicked pointedly to the stoic Superintendent, even as he seemed to be addressing Antoine. He gestured to a chair. “Make yourself comfortable. Would you like a drink?”

“No, thank you.” They didn’t have his vintage.

“Superintendent?” Gerry prompted once they were seated.

“Thank you, Commissioner,” answered Cox, then turned to Antoine. “A few questions, please, Mr. Du Pont.”

Antoine leaned back in his chair, his posture deliberately relaxed. “Of course. But call me Anthony. We’re all friends here.”

“Thank you… Anthony.” The Superintendent looked down at his notepad, his expression impassive. He clearly didn’t agree they were all friends there.

“Indeed, indeed,” Gerry interjected, leaning forward slightly. “You may not be aware, Steve, but Anthony here has regularly contributed to the department’s Benevolent Fund.” He leaned back again as Cox glanced at him in surprise. “For some years. Large amounts. Anonymously,” he added, pointedly.

“I wasn’t aware,” the Superintendent replied sharply. Antoine quite liked the prickly officer. Cox turned back to Antoine. “I appreciate your generosity, Mr. Du… Anthony. Our Benevolent Fund has never been significant. I’ve often wondered how we do so much with so little.”

“It’s the least I can do. Now, how can I assist with your enquiries?”

“Perhaps you could tell us in your own words what happened,” Cox suggested, pen ready.

“Mmm, by all means.” Antoine leaned back, composed. “I was out for a walk when I heard a commotion from a parking lot. Three men were surrounding a woman, clearly intimidating her. I would’ve intervened, but I was outnumbered.”

He paused, allowing a note of satisfaction. “It turned out to be unnecessary. The woman rendered all three men unconscious.”

“Unconscious?” the Superintendent interjected.

“As I said,” Antoine confirmed.

“You’re sure they intended harm?”

“Without a doubt. The threatening posturing, the suggestive sexual comments—one even tried to lay hands on her.”

Cox scribbled in his notebook. “Continue.”

“Before I could get there, a fourth man appeared and finished the job. He snapped each of their necks. Check for yourselves—I’m sure they’ll all be found the same way.” Antoine gestured indifferently. “I assume he was a vigilante.”

There was no surprise on Cox’s face. Antoine had known the other man would already be aware. Yet a good lie was ninety percent truth, delivered with the right amount of innocence.

“And then what happened?”

“Well, I shouted across the lot, more from shock than anything else. By then, I was close enough for him to hear me.” Antoine made a small, self-deprecating gesture. “I acted on instinct, though it was foolish to interfere.”

“Very dangerous,” Gerry muttered.

Cox ignored him. “And then?”

“The fourth man ran off.”

“Did you engage him?”

“No, never had the chance.”

“A good thing too,” Gerry said quickly.

The Superintendent studied Antoine—but it was easy to stay relaxed. They were human, and he was… not. There was no doubt about the outcome; he just needed to sow the seeds.

“Your statement contradicts what my officers heard from the suspect.”

“Discrepancies always arise when you ask two people their views,” Antoine responded mildly.

“Indeed,” Gerry chimed in. “I think we’re done here, Steve.”

“Not quite,” Cox said, the tension still heavy. “The woman stated that a fifth man was involved. Did you see him?”

“I did not.”

“Were you the fifth man?”

“I was the fifth person there, beyond the woman.”

“Superintendent, Anthony’s integrity is beyond reproach,” Gerry said, more firmly now.

“We do have three bodies in the morgue, Commissioner,” Cox said, his tone pointed.

“Then focus on finding the fourth man,” Gerry snapped. “Mr. Du Pont has already assisted us.”

“It’s quite all right,” Antoine demurred, “Superintendent Cox is simply doing his job.”

Cox bristled, clearly not appreciating the condescension. Antoine had known he wouldn’t, but it was too good an opportunity to resist.

Antoine decided they’d been at it long enough. He’d already given the men a reason to believe the woman’s innocence, the groundwork laid. He gave a small, controlled surge of power in his words, careful not to overdo it. “Everything I’ve told you is the truth, a full account.”

Both men blinked, their demeanors shifting in unison.

“Thank you very much, sir,” Cox replied, pocketing his notebook and pen.

“Excellent, excellent,” Gerry said, leaning forward once more. “Anthony, you really are most kind.”

That had worked even better than Antoine had hoped. Was his mind power stronger after just one night? What had changed?

Then the answer came to him.

I fed from Minh.

The shock of that revelation almost unraveled him; drinking Minh’s blood had boosted his power to levels far beyond what three centuries of life should’ve allowed. He fought to keep his face neutral as Gerry, bemused by the long silence, waited for him to speak.

Antoine forced a smile. “I’m trying to see justice done, Gerry. What happens now?”

“Well, I see no reason to detain the woman any longer. She had every right to defend herself and committed no crime. Wouldn’t you agree, Superintendent?”

“Indeed, Commissioner. Thanks to Mr. Du Pont’s most enlightening assistance, I don’t believe we need to hold her any longer.” He pushed back his chair and stood. “If you gentlemen will excuse me, I’ll take care of it now.”

“Carry on, Superintendent,” Gerry replied, his tone slightly dismissive.

“Yes, sir. Mr. Du Pont, sir.” Cox left the room.

“Well, Gerry, it’s been good to see you, but I must be going. I have things to do.”

“Of course, of course. Let me show you out, and thank you again for coming. We’re once more in your debt. If there’s ever anything you need…”