Industrial Magic
Page 79
Dont worry, I called after him as he stalked off. Well find Stephen ourselves. But thanks for offering to help us look.
Cassandra popped her head back through the doorway. Are you two coming?
In the few seconds it took us to reach the door, shed made it to the elevator and pushed the button. A minute later we were heading for the main lobby. Cassandra paused partway there, head turning from side to side, eyes narrowing. I dont understand how vampires track people, and Ive never dared ask Cassandra. All I know is that its not by scent, yet its like tracking by scent in that they pick it up at the source and the trail fades over time.
Cassandra wheeled and strode back down the hall. I looked at Lucas, shrugged, and hurried to catch up. As she shoved past a middle-aged couple, the man muttered an epithet after her. Not stopping, she glanced over her shoulder, eyes meeting his. The man looked away fast, his arm going around his wifes waist as he picked up their pace.
Cassandra veered into a side hall. I turned the corner as she pushed a door clearly marked EMERGENCY EXIT. Before I could call a warning, she flung the door open. Sunlight flooded in, momentarily blinding me. I braced for the alarms, but none came.
Cassandra walked though, letting the door swing shut behind her. Lucas grabbed it before it hit me. We stepped outside. When the sun-blindness cleared, I found myself at the edge of a half-filled parking lot.
Damn, I murmured. You cant track him if he took a car.
Ignoring me, Cassandra marched into the parking lot. From the front of the building came the squeal of tires peeling into the lot.
The search team? I asked Lucas.
I doubt theyd make their arrival so obvious, but they should be here by now. I should fill them in. Will you be all right?
Ill get a speed-walk workout, I said. But Ill be fine. You go on.
I went after Cassandra. Shed stopped about twenty feet from the door.
Can you? I began.
She started off again, darting between two minivans. I sighed and broke into a jog. She moved fast, taking a roughly diagonal path across the parking lot, weaving around cars. When I stepped behind her, she wheeled so fast I jumped back. Her eyes narrowed, and I was preparing a retort when I noticed her gaze was fixed somewhere behind me. I turned but saw nothing.
Someones here, she said.
In a hotel parking lot, that didnt strike me as strange, but before I could say so, she strode past me and backtracked a row. Then she stopped and surveyed the lot.
Maybe we should I began.
She disappeared between two cars. I looked around. Beyond the distant road noise, the lot was still and quiet. I cast a sensing spell. Nothing. Not evenCassandra, who should have been within range. Damned spell. I really needed more practice.
I stood on tiptoes. Sunlight glinted off Cassandras auburn hair as it bobbed between the cars. As I headed toward her, I heard the soft fall of footsteps behind me. I slowed, but didnt turn. Instead I glanced at my reflection in the side of an SUV. The gap behind me was empty.
I was turning my attention back to Cassandra when a shadow flickered past, the metal side of the SUV darkening for a split second. I whirled, casting my sensing spell as I turned. This time the spell caught something, but farther off, to my left. At the same moment I heard the clack of womens shoes to my right and the equally purposeful footfalls of the person approaching from my left. On my right, the footsteps stopped as Cassandra emerged from between two cars.
There you are, she said. You have to keep up, Paige. I cant be
I turned left. Again, it was who I expected. Lucas covered the distance between us, expression blocked by the sun.
Strange, I said to Cassandra. I sensed Lucas, but not you.
She frowned.
With my spell, I mean. It didnt pick you up.
Yes, well, your spells arent exactly foolproof, Paige.
Or it could be the whole undead thing, I guess.
Her lips tightened. Now, dont you start on that, too. I am not
As she spoke, I saw Lucass face and my gut tightened. I didnt hear the rest of what Cassandra said.
They found him, didnt they? I said.
Lucas nodded, and I knew they hadnt found Stephen alive.
Stephen had been killed in his car, shot in the temple, then placed in the reclined drivers seat, with sunglasses on and a ball cap pulled down to cover his wound. To anyone walking past, it would look as if he was dozing in his car. Odd, but not alarming.
I told Lucas that Id had the feeling I was being followed. Cassandra concurred, and Lucas deployed the team to search the lot while we stayed with the body. If I hadnt said anything, would Cassandra have mentioned her suspicions? I doubted it, yet not because I thought shed intentionally prevent us from finding the killer. Why would she? She didnt care. And that, really, was the crux to understanding Cassandra. She didnt care.
An hour later, the team concluded that the killer was gone. Id have liked to stay, to hear their findings, but its difficult enough to conduct a clandestine crime-scene investigation in a hotel parking lot without having onlookers.
Youve been quiet, Lucas murmured as we headed for our car.
Thinking.
When I didnt go on, he said, Share?
Cassandra popped her head back through the doorway. Are you two coming?
In the few seconds it took us to reach the door, shed made it to the elevator and pushed the button. A minute later we were heading for the main lobby. Cassandra paused partway there, head turning from side to side, eyes narrowing. I dont understand how vampires track people, and Ive never dared ask Cassandra. All I know is that its not by scent, yet its like tracking by scent in that they pick it up at the source and the trail fades over time.
Cassandra wheeled and strode back down the hall. I looked at Lucas, shrugged, and hurried to catch up. As she shoved past a middle-aged couple, the man muttered an epithet after her. Not stopping, she glanced over her shoulder, eyes meeting his. The man looked away fast, his arm going around his wifes waist as he picked up their pace.
Cassandra veered into a side hall. I turned the corner as she pushed a door clearly marked EMERGENCY EXIT. Before I could call a warning, she flung the door open. Sunlight flooded in, momentarily blinding me. I braced for the alarms, but none came.
Cassandra walked though, letting the door swing shut behind her. Lucas grabbed it before it hit me. We stepped outside. When the sun-blindness cleared, I found myself at the edge of a half-filled parking lot.
Damn, I murmured. You cant track him if he took a car.
Ignoring me, Cassandra marched into the parking lot. From the front of the building came the squeal of tires peeling into the lot.
The search team? I asked Lucas.
I doubt theyd make their arrival so obvious, but they should be here by now. I should fill them in. Will you be all right?
Ill get a speed-walk workout, I said. But Ill be fine. You go on.
I went after Cassandra. Shed stopped about twenty feet from the door.
Can you? I began.
She started off again, darting between two minivans. I sighed and broke into a jog. She moved fast, taking a roughly diagonal path across the parking lot, weaving around cars. When I stepped behind her, she wheeled so fast I jumped back. Her eyes narrowed, and I was preparing a retort when I noticed her gaze was fixed somewhere behind me. I turned but saw nothing.
Someones here, she said.
In a hotel parking lot, that didnt strike me as strange, but before I could say so, she strode past me and backtracked a row. Then she stopped and surveyed the lot.
Maybe we should I began.
She disappeared between two cars. I looked around. Beyond the distant road noise, the lot was still and quiet. I cast a sensing spell. Nothing. Not evenCassandra, who should have been within range. Damned spell. I really needed more practice.
I stood on tiptoes. Sunlight glinted off Cassandras auburn hair as it bobbed between the cars. As I headed toward her, I heard the soft fall of footsteps behind me. I slowed, but didnt turn. Instead I glanced at my reflection in the side of an SUV. The gap behind me was empty.
I was turning my attention back to Cassandra when a shadow flickered past, the metal side of the SUV darkening for a split second. I whirled, casting my sensing spell as I turned. This time the spell caught something, but farther off, to my left. At the same moment I heard the clack of womens shoes to my right and the equally purposeful footfalls of the person approaching from my left. On my right, the footsteps stopped as Cassandra emerged from between two cars.
There you are, she said. You have to keep up, Paige. I cant be
I turned left. Again, it was who I expected. Lucas covered the distance between us, expression blocked by the sun.
Strange, I said to Cassandra. I sensed Lucas, but not you.
She frowned.
With my spell, I mean. It didnt pick you up.
Yes, well, your spells arent exactly foolproof, Paige.
Or it could be the whole undead thing, I guess.
Her lips tightened. Now, dont you start on that, too. I am not
As she spoke, I saw Lucass face and my gut tightened. I didnt hear the rest of what Cassandra said.
They found him, didnt they? I said.
Lucas nodded, and I knew they hadnt found Stephen alive.
Stephen had been killed in his car, shot in the temple, then placed in the reclined drivers seat, with sunglasses on and a ball cap pulled down to cover his wound. To anyone walking past, it would look as if he was dozing in his car. Odd, but not alarming.
I told Lucas that Id had the feeling I was being followed. Cassandra concurred, and Lucas deployed the team to search the lot while we stayed with the body. If I hadnt said anything, would Cassandra have mentioned her suspicions? I doubted it, yet not because I thought shed intentionally prevent us from finding the killer. Why would she? She didnt care. And that, really, was the crux to understanding Cassandra. She didnt care.
An hour later, the team concluded that the killer was gone. Id have liked to stay, to hear their findings, but its difficult enough to conduct a clandestine crime-scene investigation in a hotel parking lot without having onlookers.
Youve been quiet, Lucas murmured as we headed for our car.
Thinking.
When I didnt go on, he said, Share?
