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That raised my eyebrows. “And what of the guarantee you gave the council to shed no blood and feed on only the willing while in the confines of this reservation?”
“Oh, I would not, in any way, break that promise. I did not, however, make any such guarantee for Roger.”
I glanced across at the man in question. He smiled benignly, sending another round of chills up my spine. Roger, I suspected, had done his mistress’s dirty work on more than a few occasions.
“Shall we head over to Marlinda’s apartment now, Ms. Grace?” he asked.
“Sure.” I returned my gaze to Maelle. “Thank you.”
She inclined her head, the movement regal. “It’s in my best interest to help you, young Elizabeth, but do be aware that this will not always be the case.”
I couldn’t help the smile that touched my lips. “Oh, trust me, I’m well aware of that.”
“Excellent.”
And with that, she slid from the stool and disappeared back into the shadowed confines of her nightclub. Another chill ran down my spine, though I wasn’t entirely sure why. I slung my bag over my shoulder and headed out. Roger was a silent presence at my back.
It didn’t take us long to reach Marlinda’s apartment and, once we’d ducked under the police tape and slipped inside, he said, “What, exactly, are we looking for?”
“I don't really know. A photograph, letters, something that mentions Janice’s name.” I shrugged.
“Do young people these days bother to print out their photographs?” he asked. “Don’t they just post everything onto social media or keep it on their phones?”
“Yes, but given she probably had her phone with her the night she died, it’ll now be in the rangers’ hands and therefore out of my reach.” I shrugged. “It doesn’t hurt to check for other possibilities—we might get lucky.”
He snorted, but nevertheless started opening drawers and checking them. Given the disarrayed state of many of them, it was pretty obvious the rangers had already done all this, but I couldn’t ignore the need to check—if only because my psychic senses might spot something ordinary senses had dismissed.
But after an hour of solid searching, it turned out to be a false hope. I stood in the middle of the room with my hands on my hips. “Is this the only apartment she had?”
“Yes.” Amusement touched Roger’s thin lips. “Maelle might indulge the whims and desires of her feeders, but she’s not that generous.”
“I suppose the rangers have impounded her Mercedes?”
“Indeed, although the car was leased by my mistress and merely used by Marlinda. I believe her vehicle is still in the parking lot down the road.”
I frowned. “Why wouldn’t the rangers have impounded it?”
“Probably because she was not driving it the night she died,” he replied. “But you are in a better situation than I to have that question answered, given your somewhat close relationship with Aiden O’Connor.”
I ignored the amusement lurking around his eyes. “Have you seen her keys around? It might be worth checking her car, just in case there’s something there.”
“She would have had her main keys with her, but I believe there’s a spare set in the biscuit tin in the pantry.”
“You really do know everything about her.” I went to investigate.
“It’s my duty to ensure Maelle’s attendants are happy and healthy, and that they have everything they might need to keep them that way. As such, I must have intimate knowledge of their desires, needs, and secrets.”
“Secrets?” I glanced at him as I opened the biscuit tin. “What secrets did Marlinda have?”
“Other than her fetish for feet—which is not a need my mistress is inclined to cater to—there were none. She was something of an open book.”
“What about her other feeders?” I fished out the car keys and then put the tin back on the shelf. “And how do you, as a thrall, manage to keep them from your mistress, given she can read your thoughts and speak through you at any time she desires?”
“I have learned to compartmentalize my thoughts regarding the upkeep of her feeders. She does not intrude unless I indicate there is a matter that needs her attention.” He turned and headed for the front door. “Over the years there have been many feeders whose secrets I have kept.”
“And the current crop? Have they any secrets you’re keeping from your mistress?”
“One has an illicit relationship with her half brother, who is wholly supported through Maelle’s generosity.”
