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Chase and his team spread out through the house, taking fingerprints, looking for evidence, tagging and bagging things. He handed me a pair of gloves. "Now you can help. Check in the desk. Look for an address book. Something to give us next of kin, so we can find out if this is just a robbery."
"Robbery? With blood spatters?" I cocked my head, and he shrugged.
As I nosed through Doug's desk drawers, I thought about the Were's life. The house was fairly sparse. The kitchen showed a place setting for one. No photos on the wal s, nothing to show friendship or family. It al seemed rather sad, actual y.
Stopping short, I held up a clothbound volume. What have we here?
Yep, I thought as I flipped through it, an address book. I sat down and riffled through the pages. First place to look: under the letter S. Surely his parents or siblings would be there. But nobody by the name of Smith was listed. However, I did see Saz Star Walker's name. I showed Chase, then went back to F
and sure enough, Paulo Franco was listed. And Katrina was in the book, too. There were a few other scattered names, including one for the Loco Lobo Lounge--a hangout for members of the Loco Lobo tribe. Exo Reed's Pack. Had Doug been a part of the LLs? Only one way to find out.
I put in a cal to the number and, even though it was late, someone answered on the first ring.
"Loco Lobo Lounge. Jimmy Trent here. What can I do you for?"
I cleared my throat. "I'm wondering if Doug Smith is there? Can you page him, please?"
"I could, but I guarantee you he ain't here tonight. I haven't seen him in two weeks." Jimmy sounded distracted, and the music in the background blasted out of the phone so loud it was a wonder he could hear me.
"When was the last time you saw him? My name is Delilah D'Artigo, and I'm on the board of the Supe Community. We need to contact him." If anything, that might pul an answer out of him. And I was right.
"D'Artigo? The Delilah D'Artigo?"
"One and the same."
"Doug was in about two weeks ago. Last I saw of him and his buddies."
His buddies? I frowned. "You talking about Paulo Franco and Saz Star Walker by any chance?"
"Yeah. How'd you know? Hey, the guys aren't charged with causing trouble, are they?" He sounded genuinely concerned.
I sighed. "Not that I know of, no. Thank you." As I hung up, al I could think about was that they might not be causing trouble but that they were in trouble was beyond doubt. Unless they'd suddenly dropped everything, bled a few drops on Doug's floor, and taken off on a road trip without tel ing anybody.
Chase tapped me on the knee. I stared at his fingers for a moment, remembering other places his hands had been. Places that had welcomed him in.
But now . . . Oh fuck it. Best to stop that line of thought.
"What?"
"The mail dates back to three weeks ago." He held up a letter. "This is postmarked the earliest. By the time stamp and city of origin, I'd say . . . yeah, three weeks to the day." He riffled through the envelopes. "Looks mostly like bil s. No personal letters. Some ads. A Penthouse magazine."
"Three weeks. That coincides pretty much with what Katrina was saying about not seeing her buddies. Tomorrow I'l talk to Paulo's fiancee. What about Saz? Should we stop over at his place tonight?"
Chase began gathering up his gear. "Yeah. I'l tel my crew to stay here, finish, and then be prepared to head out in case Star Walker is missing, too."
He fol owed me outside with the others behind us.
"You okay?" he asked, his voice low.
"Oh, I'm just peachy. I lose my boyfriend, we've got missing werewolves up the yin-yang, and my sister just got disowned by our father al in twenty-four hours. I'm dandy, Chase. Just dandy."
"Disowned? Who? Not Camil e."
"Yes, Camil e. Not only that, she's banned from Y'Elestrial. Don't worry yourself over it. It's our problem, not yours." I knew I sounded bitchy, but I couldn't help it; I was feeling bitchy.
Chase stopped and turned, taking me by the shoulders. He ignored the others as they delicately passed by us.
"Listen, Delilah. This is hard on me, too." He ducked his head. "Don't think it isn't. But I have to figure out what the hel is going to happen in my life now, and I can't do that if I'm worrying about a girlfriend, a lover, or anybody in that capacity. What if I decide I don't like this? What if the Nectar of Life fucks me up for good? I didn't have the chance to go through the proper rituals, and I'm having a hard time. Yes, I'm very grateful to stil be alive, but this seriously has fucked with my head. Good god, woman, you real y don't think I just woke up and thought, Wow, time to ruin Delilah's life?"
