Blind Tiger
Page 64
“If my wallet were here, you wouldn’t be wearing new clothes right now.”
I sank onto the bed and opened the leather trifold. The clear ID pocket was empty, but the credit cards inside belonged to— “Shit. Leland left it here.”
Titus sat on the mattress next to me and I gave him the wallet. He thumbed through the credit cards, then opened the billfold to find a thin stack of cash. “They only took his ID.”
“Which means they were looking for him, right?”
Titus shrugged. “All I can say for sure is that this wasn’t a robbery. But yeah, they could have been looking for Blum. Or they could have been looking for Justus, and found Blum’s ID instead.”
“So, whoever broke in here found Leland’s driver’s license, tracked him down, and killed him?” And that probably wasn’t Justus; he wouldn’t have to break into his own apartment.
“Looks like it,” Titus said. “But ID alone wouldn’t have led them to his dorm room.”
“Because addresses aren’t listed on college IDs and his hometown address would have been listed on his license.” I nodded, thinking of my own university identification. “So how did the killer find his address?”
Titus frowned. “I think the more pressing question is ‘Why would someone kill Leland Blum?’”
“Oh, good. A mystery. But I have to warn you, I’ve seen every episode of Scooby Doo. Even the ones where Scoob was a puppy.”
Titus smiled, in spite of the circumstances. “Wow me, Thelma.”
“Okay, but I call dibs on ripping the rubber mask from the murderer, when we find him.”
“Didn’t the Scooby gang specialize in finding missing property?”
“Yes, but in my humble opinion, they never lived up to their true potential,” I said, and Titus actually laughed. “You’re taking this a lot better than I expected.”
He shrugged. “I have to admit; I’m a little relieved to have potentially eliminated my brother as a murder suspect.”
“Yeah. Okay, so whoever broke in here was either looking for Leland Blum, or was looking for Justus and found Leland’s ID instead.” I stood, and Titus followed me into the living room, while I closed the front door. The latch still worked, even though the lock itself was busted. “So who, other than the two of us, would be looking for Justus? And might also want Leland Blum dead? What’s the connection between Leland and your brother?”
“The most obvious connection is Ivy,” Titus said. “So maybe someone who knows they’re connected to her disappearance?”
“Okay…” I got out my phone and pulled up Ivy Lowe’s social media accounts, one by one while he tilted the couch back onto its feet. “But no one even seems to know she’s missing yet. And here’s why.” I turned the phone around, and he read from the screen. “Thursday afternoon’s post. Three days ago.”
“‘Heading to the cabin for a long weekend! Unplugging…now!’” Titus frowned as he replaced the couch cushions. “So it would have to be someone who knows what happened at the cabin. Which is you and me, poor dead Leland, my missing brother, and…” His frown deepened. “That’s it. Corey Morris doesn’t know that either Ivy or Leland were infected, and he has no idea my brother even exists.”
“So then maybe Ivy isn’t the connection.” I sank onto the couch and pulled him down next to me, linking my arm through his. Holding him close. “What else do Leland and Justus have in common?”
Titus shrugged. “They’re around the same age. They both go to Millsaps.”
“Yes, but if that’s the connection, every male Millsaps student is in immediate danger.”
“Okay.” Titus propped his feet on the metal frame of the shattered glass coffee table. “They’re both newly infected shifters. And it’s likely that neither of them even knew shifters existed until they became one.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere. They were both recently infected. And they’re both connected to you. You’re Justus’s brother, and you found Leland at the cabin.”
“Technically, you found Blum,” Titus pointed out.
“Yes, but I have no connection to Justus. Oh shit!” I twisted to sit on my knees on the center cushion, facing him, as another connection came into sudden, horrific clarity. “Titus, they both know you’re not the one who infected Leland and Corey.”
“Which is why we were keeping Blum hidden. To protect Justus.” Titus pulled his feet from the table and frowned at me. “Wait, you think someone killed Blum to keep anyone from finding out I’m innocent? I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who wants me to look guilty. I think we’re veering onto the wrong track.”
“Maybe so.” I stared at the wallet I still held, suddenly acutely aware that I was holding evidence in a murder case. “I certainly hope so.” But… I took Titus’s hand as another disturbing idea emerged from the tangle of possibilities. “Titus, do you have any enemies in the Pride? Anyone who might want to see you…gone?”
“I’m sure I do.” Though he looked bothered by the thought. “No leader is universally loved. But I can’t think of anyone who’d be willing to kill innocent people to make sure I can’t clear my name.”
“But if there were someone like that…?” I let him fill in the blank for himself.
Titus’s face went ashen. His grip on my hand tightened. “Then Justus would be in danger too, because he’s living proof that I’m innocent. If someone wants me to go down for infecting Corey Morris, then my brother’s is the next name on the hit list.”
“Or maybe his was the first.” I let go of him and stood, my new boots crunching on broken glass as I paced. “Maybe whoever broke in here was looking for Justus—to make sure he can’t clear your name—and found out about Leland Bloom when he smelled the scent of another shifter all over the place.” I waved one hand at the guest room, where the sheets still carried Leland’s scent. “That would explain why that room isn’t trashed. The killer left the moment he realized he had another target.”
“But who?” Titus grabbed my hand as I paced by and pulled me onto the couch next to him, where I leaned back and laid my legs across his lap. “Drew didn’t even want the job. He tried to get me to give it to Jace. The rest of my enforcers are just as loyal. But our Pride is big. Twice the population of any of the others. It could be anyone.”
I sank onto the bed and opened the leather trifold. The clear ID pocket was empty, but the credit cards inside belonged to— “Shit. Leland left it here.”
Titus sat on the mattress next to me and I gave him the wallet. He thumbed through the credit cards, then opened the billfold to find a thin stack of cash. “They only took his ID.”
“Which means they were looking for him, right?”
Titus shrugged. “All I can say for sure is that this wasn’t a robbery. But yeah, they could have been looking for Blum. Or they could have been looking for Justus, and found Blum’s ID instead.”
“So, whoever broke in here found Leland’s driver’s license, tracked him down, and killed him?” And that probably wasn’t Justus; he wouldn’t have to break into his own apartment.
“Looks like it,” Titus said. “But ID alone wouldn’t have led them to his dorm room.”
“Because addresses aren’t listed on college IDs and his hometown address would have been listed on his license.” I nodded, thinking of my own university identification. “So how did the killer find his address?”
Titus frowned. “I think the more pressing question is ‘Why would someone kill Leland Blum?’”
“Oh, good. A mystery. But I have to warn you, I’ve seen every episode of Scooby Doo. Even the ones where Scoob was a puppy.”
Titus smiled, in spite of the circumstances. “Wow me, Thelma.”
“Okay, but I call dibs on ripping the rubber mask from the murderer, when we find him.”
“Didn’t the Scooby gang specialize in finding missing property?”
“Yes, but in my humble opinion, they never lived up to their true potential,” I said, and Titus actually laughed. “You’re taking this a lot better than I expected.”
He shrugged. “I have to admit; I’m a little relieved to have potentially eliminated my brother as a murder suspect.”
“Yeah. Okay, so whoever broke in here was either looking for Leland Blum, or was looking for Justus and found Leland’s ID instead.” I stood, and Titus followed me into the living room, while I closed the front door. The latch still worked, even though the lock itself was busted. “So who, other than the two of us, would be looking for Justus? And might also want Leland Blum dead? What’s the connection between Leland and your brother?”
“The most obvious connection is Ivy,” Titus said. “So maybe someone who knows they’re connected to her disappearance?”
“Okay…” I got out my phone and pulled up Ivy Lowe’s social media accounts, one by one while he tilted the couch back onto its feet. “But no one even seems to know she’s missing yet. And here’s why.” I turned the phone around, and he read from the screen. “Thursday afternoon’s post. Three days ago.”
“‘Heading to the cabin for a long weekend! Unplugging…now!’” Titus frowned as he replaced the couch cushions. “So it would have to be someone who knows what happened at the cabin. Which is you and me, poor dead Leland, my missing brother, and…” His frown deepened. “That’s it. Corey Morris doesn’t know that either Ivy or Leland were infected, and he has no idea my brother even exists.”
“So then maybe Ivy isn’t the connection.” I sank onto the couch and pulled him down next to me, linking my arm through his. Holding him close. “What else do Leland and Justus have in common?”
Titus shrugged. “They’re around the same age. They both go to Millsaps.”
“Yes, but if that’s the connection, every male Millsaps student is in immediate danger.”
“Okay.” Titus propped his feet on the metal frame of the shattered glass coffee table. “They’re both newly infected shifters. And it’s likely that neither of them even knew shifters existed until they became one.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere. They were both recently infected. And they’re both connected to you. You’re Justus’s brother, and you found Leland at the cabin.”
“Technically, you found Blum,” Titus pointed out.
“Yes, but I have no connection to Justus. Oh shit!” I twisted to sit on my knees on the center cushion, facing him, as another connection came into sudden, horrific clarity. “Titus, they both know you’re not the one who infected Leland and Corey.”
“Which is why we were keeping Blum hidden. To protect Justus.” Titus pulled his feet from the table and frowned at me. “Wait, you think someone killed Blum to keep anyone from finding out I’m innocent? I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who wants me to look guilty. I think we’re veering onto the wrong track.”
“Maybe so.” I stared at the wallet I still held, suddenly acutely aware that I was holding evidence in a murder case. “I certainly hope so.” But… I took Titus’s hand as another disturbing idea emerged from the tangle of possibilities. “Titus, do you have any enemies in the Pride? Anyone who might want to see you…gone?”
“I’m sure I do.” Though he looked bothered by the thought. “No leader is universally loved. But I can’t think of anyone who’d be willing to kill innocent people to make sure I can’t clear my name.”
“But if there were someone like that…?” I let him fill in the blank for himself.
Titus’s face went ashen. His grip on my hand tightened. “Then Justus would be in danger too, because he’s living proof that I’m innocent. If someone wants me to go down for infecting Corey Morris, then my brother’s is the next name on the hit list.”
“Or maybe his was the first.” I let go of him and stood, my new boots crunching on broken glass as I paced. “Maybe whoever broke in here was looking for Justus—to make sure he can’t clear your name—and found out about Leland Bloom when he smelled the scent of another shifter all over the place.” I waved one hand at the guest room, where the sheets still carried Leland’s scent. “That would explain why that room isn’t trashed. The killer left the moment he realized he had another target.”
“But who?” Titus grabbed my hand as I paced by and pulled me onto the couch next to him, where I leaned back and laid my legs across his lap. “Drew didn’t even want the job. He tried to get me to give it to Jace. The rest of my enforcers are just as loyal. But our Pride is big. Twice the population of any of the others. It could be anyone.”
