Welcome to the Neighborhood (22 page)

Still smiling, she headed for her bathroom. Happiness filled her once again and motivated her to work. She’d clean up in the shower, then spend time unpacking. Although she’d bumped into trouble twice in Westport, she’d also bumped into a wonderful man. Her problems would improve. She was certain of it. Tomorrow would be a better day, and she couldn’t wait to see it.

And it just so happened it was the night of the full moon.

17

Greg sat in his office, in downtown Indianapolis, and stared at his computer monitor. Seventeen emails from staff filled his inbox and he didn’t have the drive to answer any of them. The smell of onions and vinegar lingered in the air from his half-eaten Italian sandwich lying on his desk. Outside his semi-closed door, the chatter of employees distracted him. Christi, his paralegal, jabbered to a coworker how Greg had sent seven deadbeat dads to jail this morning. Maybe he had been a little harsh, but all of them clearly failed to obey their court orders.

He lifted his sandwich and took a bite. Chewing, he glanced at the time on his screen. It was after one o’clock and he had yet to hear from the police about Alexi’s burglary investigation. Greg had left a message before he’d left for court in the morning. The secretary had promised someone would call him back. If he didn’t hear from them by four thirty, he was going to demand to speak to a supervisor. How difficult could it be for one of them to return his call?

Anger steadily rising, he crumpled a napkin on his desk, then tossed it to the side. He reached into his pocket and withdrew his wallet. His patience was running thin after last night. He wanted to help Alexi retrieve her safe and clear her name sooner rather than later. How much more drama did his new neighbor have to go through? She needed peace. She needed a chance to settle into her new home. She needed an enormous amount of love.

Everything had gone well last night until the drive home. They’d laughed some. They’d talked and shared. They’d danced. He’d even managed to give her an orgasm with his clothes on. Not bad for a first date. Then somehow he ruined the date by discussing her job. That one was still a mystery he needed to work on solving.

Determination to help the woman he longed for thrived like a weed that would never go away regardless of the amount of poison dumped on it. He’d find a way to get Alexi to open up to him again, and he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

Holding his wallet, he opened the cash side and spotted the police officer’s card in front. He removed it and stared at the number for Tom Williams. Tom was the tall cop without the mustache and whom Greg had spoken to the day before. The officer seemed to think they would have the results from the fingerprints they took. Greg doubted the lab could find them so fast, but he held on to hope. Even if they hadn’t received the identification matching the fingerprints, Greg needed a status on the case. Each day that passed increased the chance of the thieves cracking open the safe. Alexi needed the contents back and he wasn’t about to sit around waiting for the police to make sure she got them.

A knock on the door drew his attention toward it.

“Are you busy?” Corey widened the opening and stepped into Greg’s office. “Smells like lunch.” He shut the door behind him.

Greg set his wallet and Tom’s card on the desk. “What’s going on?”

“I came to see if you wanted to run out for lunch, but it looks like you’ve already got something.”

“Yeah, I have court all day. The morning session ran late, so I picked up the sandwich on my way back to the office.”

“How did your date go last night? I must have been sleeping hard because I didn’t even hear you come home. Then I missed you this morning.”

“Yeah, I decided to come in early to go through the cases before court.”

“So…” Corey grinned. “How did it go?”

“It went well, very well in fact. But when we came home there were two Nightwatch detectives in front of her house.” Greg held back telling Corey about the conversation in the car and at the zoo, and the orgasmic time at the club. Little details his roommate didn’t need to know.

“Detectives?” Corey’s brows came together. “What did they want?”

“For starters, one of Mr. Sullivan’s dogs is missing and was last seen around Alexi’s house.”

“Nightwatch detectives come out for missing dogs?” Corey chuckled. “That’s new.”

“I don’t think they showed up at her house because of that. I think Mr. Sullivan was looking for his dog when they arrived and they questioned what he was doing.”

“Okay. So why were they at her house?”

“Apparently there has been two murders recently. Both victims had little blood left in their bodies and marks on the necks indicate the murderer was a vampire.”

“Oh shit!” Corey jerked forward in his chair. “Do they think it’s her?”

“She’s a suspect since she moved here recently and there haven’t been any murders like this before.”

“Man, I’m sorry. Do you think–”

“No, there’s no way.”

“But you don’t really know her.”

“I know her enough to say with certainty she didn’t kill anyone. She’s not like that. She’s very smart and she has a sense of humor and love for music hiding underneath her businesslike facade. Deep down, she has passion. I’ve seen it, and felt it.”

“Oh really?” One of Corey’s brows rose as he grinned widely. “Felt it, huh?”

Greg ignored him. “Since when do vampires kill anyway?”

“Hell if I know. I never heard of one killing, but the movies and books always made them out to be some horrific creature.”

Damn movies and books never described supernatural creatures right. Thus, another reason humans frowned upon them.

“Yeah, well, she didn’t do it, but they suspect her since she is new to the area and also a vampire.”

“Was she upset?”

“I think so. Someone has stolen her property, and now the cops look at her like she’s a criminal. All within a few days time.”

“Wow, if I were in her shoes, I would probably consider moving back.”

Greg stared at his roommate and swallowed hard as touch of dismay ran through him. Good God, would Alexi think the same thing? He couldn’t blame her if she did. The events were enough to make anyone question if they’d made the right decision to move.

“What did she think about the patio door and the carpet?” Corey asked.

“I don’t know. I never got around to showing her. After the cops left, she asked me to leave.”

“Now that really sucks. You went through all the trouble of taking care of everything and you didn’t even get to see her response.”

“I’m sure she was fine with it.”

“Yeah, but you at least deserve a thank you.”

“She has a lot on her mind right now.”

“Are you defending her, counselor?”

“Just stating the truth.”

Corey laughed. “Wow, you must really like this woman.”

Not commenting, Greg picked up Tom’s card and stared at it. Truth was, he fell for the young vampire and couldn’t get her out of his head. He didn’t just like Alexi, he longed for her in a way that reached deep into his heart. If only he knew if she felt the same way.

“What’s that?” Corey asked.

“One of the police officer’s cards. I’m waiting to hear an update on Alexi’s case. Since I have court this afternoon, I thought I’d call.”

Corey slapped his hands on the small armrests of the chair and rose. “Well, since you’ve got lunch and I don’t, I’m going to go find something to eat.”

“Let’s meet for lunch tomorrow. I only have court in the afternoon.”

“The full moon is tonight. You are coming along with the rust of us to run, right?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t miss it.”

Corey twisted the knob on the door and opened it. “See you later,” he said on his way out of the office.

Greg lifted the receiver from the phone on his desk and dialed Tom’s number located on the card. As he listened to the ring, he slid the card back into his wallet.

“Westport Police, this is Tom Williams speaking.”

“Tom, it’s Greg Holmes. We spoke yesterday regarding my client’s case.”

“Mr. Holmes, how can I help you?”

Greg leaned his elbow on his desk. “I’m calling to find out if the prints from the lab came back.” He didn’t think they would have, but had to ask anyway.

“No, they didn’t. It might be another day or so.”

His hope dwindled from the lack of news. Finding the werewolves before they crossed the state line was important. With each passing day, he feared they might be closer to the line, if they hadn’t made it there already.

He ran his hand over his head. “Have you found any new information?”

“No. The moving company said they would call us when the team returned. Since they haven’t called, I’m assuming the suspects are still in our state.”

A flicker of hope returned and he perked up. “Any word on the vehicle?”

“We’ve had a couple of reports from local enforcement, but nothing has panned out.”

“Where were the tips from?”

“Mr. Holmes, I assure you–”

“Humor me, Tom, please.” He didn’t want to toss out any legal threats, but if it would result in a speedier apprehension of the thieves, he would certainly put the pressure on.

The cop made a slight grunting sound. “Hold on just a moment.”

Waiting, Greg leaned back in his seat. The sandwich on his desk was looking less appetizing by the minute. He lifted the top slice of bread and noticed the vinegar dressing had soaked into it. Wrinkling his nose, he dropped the soggy bread and pushed the sandwich to the side.

“Okay,” Tom said. “We’ve had tips from South Bend, Terre Haute, Fort Wayne, Merrillville and Evansville. So far, state troopers checked out the former three and the vehicles cleared. The plates didn’t match. We’re still waiting to hear from law enforcement in Merrillville and Evansville.”

Evansville wasn’t far from the Illinois border. However, the town was at the opposite end of the state, nowhere near Chicago. Greg doubted the thieves would hide out there. Sure, they would find safety past the state line if they made a mad rush to it, but they didn’t know the territory or the pack in that area. They wouldn’t get help as quickly as they would from their own local pack. As for Merrillville, the town was near the state line and a half hour from Chicago on Interstate 65. If the thieves got nervous, they could run to their brothers in a short amount of time. Greg suspected the criminals would most likely stay close to their home turf.

“Will you let me know when you hear back from them?”

“Of coarse, and if the prints confirm that it is the same people who moved Ms. Cartwright into her home, then I’d say you have a slam dunk case.”

Greg silently chuckled. Though he’d love to put the thieves in jail and make them pay for the turmoil Alexi was going through, getting her property took precedence.

“If I don’t hear from you tomorrow, I’ll call back.”

“If I don’t call you, I don’t have any new information. There really isn’t–”

“My client urgently needs her property retrieved. I gave her my word I would do my best to make that happen. I’m not doing my job well if I don’t keep on top of this case.”

A hint of frustration stirred within Greg. Alexi’s case wasn’t that old and already it seemed as if they were willing to push it to the side. As if they didn’t care and had other important criminals to pursue. Maybe they did, but it was someone still needed to find her property.

“Understood, Mr. Holmes.”

“Thank you, Tom. I’ll check in tomorrow.”

“Have a good afternoon, Mr. Holmes.”

Greg reached over his desk and pressed the receiver down on the phone. He kept his hand on it, pondering what more he could do to help Alexi, to get her property back. Merrillville seemed the most logical place to hide since the movers were from Chicago. If only he knew pack brothers there.

Excitement rushed through him as he lifted the receiver. He didn’t know anyone in the northern town, but he knew someone who did.

Greg dialed Andy’s number. Waiting for his roommate to answer, Greg tapped his fingers on his desk.

“Hey, good buddy,” said his roommate. “What’s going on?”

Greg heard other voices coming from the phone. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“Not at all. Vanessa and I are sitting at the Market and having lunch. She’s got to leave in a few minutes for afternoon court.”

Greg leaned back in his chair, dragging his arm over the desk. “I have to head back soon too.”

“I always say we have a secure job because there’s always someone breaking the law.”

Greg chuckled, remembering the countless times he’d heard the comment from his friend. “Yeah, we do.”

“So, what’s going on?”

“Do you know anyone up in Merrillville?” He pulled the drawer out from underneath his desk.

“Up north, near Chicago?”

“Yeah.” Greg grabbed a pen and scooted the drawer back into place.

“Not personally, why?”

“What about Scott?”

“Our pack leader?”

“Yeah, would he know anyone in Merrillville?” He tapped the pen on his desk.

“Scott knows all the leaders in the area. They meet on a regular basis. Why? Are you thinking of moving?”

“No, I’m fine, but I have a friend, actually, she’s more than that and some werewolves robbed her.”

“Are you kidding me?” He lightly chuckled. “Wolves robbed your girlfriend? And when did you meet her. I’ve only been gone about a week and you haven’t said a word about any girlfriend.”

Greg set the pen down and debated how to respond. He couldn’t consider her his girlfriend without her consent. Even though he was highly protective of her and falling madly in love with her, it just didn’t feel right to use the label unless she agreed. “Well, she’s technically not my girlfriend, and she moved into the house next door several nights ago.”

“Wait a second. You’re telling me you have an interest in our neighbor?”

“She would be more mine than yours since you don’t live there as much, but yes.”

“Does Corey know this?”

“Yes, he does.”

“Okay, well this is all news to me.”

“She moved here from Chicago and the moving company she hired we’re werewolves. They knew she had a safe and that is the only thing taken from her house.”