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"Crap." As we looked farther, we found more of the splatters. "I guess we should cal in Chase. This doesn't look good."
"He's going to want to know why we're in the house. Like it or not, we're breaking and entering," Vanzir said. "But . . . I guess we could say we were just worried. Checking up on the guy for a friend. Which is ultimately true. If Nerissa's friend is worried about him . . ."
"Yeah. We may have committed B and E, but that doesn't matter. Whatever happened here . . . so not good. I wonder if there are traces of Wolf Briar around. I can't smel anything. Whatever happened took place a while ago." I stood up and pul ed out my cel phone. The FH-CSI headquarters was fourth on speed dial, right after Camil e, Menol y, and home.
Chase answered. "Johnson here. What's up?"
"Delilah. We've got a problem, Chase. Besides Amber, we've got at least one other--potential y three more--missing werewolves. And we know this one didn't go without a fight. We found blood on the carpet." I gave him the address and then turned to Vanzir. "Dude, can you go out and bring in the mail?
There might be some clue in there."
He nodded, then sprang out of the house.
Menol y shook her head. "So, two down, one to go. Want to make a bet Saz Star Walker isn't going to be home, either?"
We waited, sitting on the porch steps, until Chase and his team pul ed up. He frowned as he saw the open door and the lights on in the house. As they came up the steps, I held up my hand.
"Save the lectures. We got word he was missing, and I was asked to look in on him. With that Wolf Briar crap around, we weren't taking any chances. It looks like Doug's been gone awhile." I pointed to the stack of mail. "We just pul ed that out of the mailbox, in hopes there might be some clue. And he's not the only one. Franco Paulo, another werewolf, has been gone too long for comfort. His fiancee is freaking. And we need to check on a Saz Star Walker tonight."
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?"
