“Didn’t look all that surprised.” Michael tapped a pencil on the edge of his desk. “I bet Wallace won’t be either. She’s got to have seen this coming.”
“Doesn’t mean that she’s going to like it though.”
“No.” They had no proof, just circumstantial evidence, but come on… “I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
They finished the rest of their coffee, keeping an eye on the time. Michael went from tapping his pencil to chewing it, unable to concentrate on anything while they waited to see their boss.
“D’you think we should let Alpha Thomas and the others know what’s happening?” Frank asked. “Give them a heads-up that we might be scaling back the investigation into Smith?”
Michael bit his lip. As much as he wanted to see Aaron again, they didn’t need to tell them yet. “Nah, let’s wait and see how this plays out first.”
Arlington’s thirty minutes turned into an hour and thirty, and it was almost eleven o’clock by the time he called them into his office. “Close the door,” he said as Michael followed Frank in. “I thought about including Alpha Thomas in this, but I’d rather not bother them until after the full moon run, if we can avoid it.”
Michael automatically glanced out of the window, not that he could see much from his vantage point—more from force of habit. He’d forgotten the full moon was tonight.
I wonder what he looks like as a wolf.
The thought sent a shiver through him, and he almost missed Arlington saying his name. “Sir?”
“We’re ready to talk to Wallace, or is there anything else I need to know?”
“I believe you’re up to speed on everything we know, sir.” And why weren’t the council busy doing full moon stuff?
“Good.” Arlington reached for his phone and dialled the number for the alpha council. “Alpha Wallace, it’s Detective Chief Inspector Arlington, and I have Detective Sergeants Archer and Coldwell with me. We apologise for interrupting your full moon preparations.”
Soft laughter on the other end of the line. “Thank you, Detective Chief Inspector, but we’re well used to the full moon runs by now. Our control is excellent, and our preparations are minimal. What can I do for you, Detectives? Do you have any news on Dale Wilson?”
“Not exactly.” Arlington paused, and Wallace sighed on the other end.
“You think he’s the one committing the murders, don’t you?”
“It’s looking increasingly likely, yes.”
Michael held his breath, hoping she wouldn’t close ranks.
To his surprise, she sighed again and said, “I agree.”
Arlington’s eyebrows rose, as did Michael’s.
“I hoped you’d find him and it wouldn’t be the case. His family and alpha are adamant he wouldn’t do anything like that, but… we can’t ignore the fact that he’s missing in a city where a shifter is killing humans.”
“How would you like to proceed? Would the council like to be involved from this point going forward?”
With a pack outside of London now involved, inviting the council to be fully part of the investigation would facilitate much quicker response times than they could manage on their own.
“What do you plan to do now?”
“Well.” Arlington glanced at Frank and then Michael. “I’m not convinced we should stop looking into Daryl White just yet. So as well as searching for Wilson—”
“Who?” Alpha Wallace interrupted.
Arlington frowned. “Daryl White. The guy we’re looking at who runs the illegal fights and gambling.”
“I thought you said his name was Mr Smith?” Her tone was a touch accusatory, and everyone in the room bristled. “That’s how you referred to him the last time we spoke.”
“That’s the name he goes by in his nightclub businesses and fights, but his real name’s Daryl White. Do you know White?” He sounded incredulous, but Michael was positive she’d recognised it.
“Yes, Detective Chief Inspector, I do.” She paused, and the sound of papers being leafed through filled the silence. “Daryl White, age thirty-six, applied to the council two months ago.”
