Lycan Packs 1: Lycan Instinct (8 page)

“Okay, I’ve got a report to file with the sergeant. After that, let’s head over to see if they turned up anything.” She rose to leave.

“Hey, how’d it go at the funeral?”

She thought of the sudden sensation she’d had of someone watching her. “Fine. I now have a few more names on the list I want to check.”

“Any news cameras?”

“With all those VIPs there? Of course. Why?”

“You didn’t wear that to the funeral, did you?” His gaze slid over her.

She looked down at her black blazer, V-necked, cream-colored blouse, and black thigh-high skirt. “What?” Did she have a stain on it from breakfast?

Cooper reached out to finger her collar, ran a thumb over it as if testing the texture. “Because I doubt the cameramen could focus on the funeral with you there in this getup.”

She was about to take him down a peg or two when his eyes widened in surprise and his hand dropped to his side. The prickle at her nape erupted into blazing tingles.

“I agree.” Although the statement was positive, the deep rumble of that voice held a touch of menace.

Mackenzie turned to find Rafe Stone standing in the doorway. His eyes, harder than she’d ever seen them, focused on Cooper.

“What are you doing here?”

To her ultimate irritation, he ignored her and stared at Cooper. “Who are you?”

“Mac’s partner. Got a problem with that?”

Rafe made no move to shake hands. Coop didn’t seem to mind since he didn’t offer a hand.

“Lord, save me from testosterone,” Mac grumbled. “What are you doing here, Mr. Stone?”

His golden gaze shifted to her and softened. “I thought I asked you to call me Rafe.”

“You can ask. Answer the question.”

“I came to save you a trip out of town.” He held out a black case.

She blinked. “You brought a handgun into the police station?”

He shrugged. “You did request it for testing, and I agreed to cooperate, did I not? Besides, it’s locked and unloaded. Although if you’d like some of my ammo, I brought a couple boxes.” He grinned. “They’re outside in the limo.”

“Coop?”

“I’m on it,” he snapped. “But I won’t be long.”

Rafe moved aside to let him pass. “Protective partner.”

“We’re cops. Friends. Nothing more.” Now why had she felt the need to say that? What he chose to believe was incidental, and her personal life was her business, not his.

For a moment their gazes locked, then his slid over her body like a caress that both inflamed and unnerved her. Aggravated with herself, she returned the favor and pointedly eyed him from jet-black hair to shiny designer shoes. Liking what she saw and trying hard not to, she looked back at his face and forced her gaze to remain there. His knowing smile pissed her off more.

Frustrated, Mackenzie started to shift away from Rafe’s intent look, but the sudden touch of his hand on her cheek stopped her in her tracks.

“You haven’t slept well, Detective. I can see the weariness in your eyes.”

“If that was an attempt at a compliment, you failed miserably.” Irked, and a little embarrassed, she pulled away, moved around the desk, and shuffled some papers, not really seeing the words on them.

“You strike me as a woman more interested in the truth than in waxing poetic prose.”

His accurate observation confounded her, so she lashed out with sarcasm. “Oh, I don’t know. I’m always in the mood for a little Keats or Byron.”

“How about Shakespeare?” He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, with a quirk to his lips. “I have seen roses damasked, red and white, but no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight, than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. I love to hear her speak—”

She couldn’t help herself. She laughed.

“Ah, light returns to eyes of blue when laughter is again renewed.”

Mackenzie quieted, flushed. When the silence became unbearable, she asked, “And who do you quote now?”

“No one. Just speaking the truth.”

Cooper’s footsteps interrupted their exchange. Mackenzie returned her attention to the papers on her desk.
Wait, this was Cooper’s office
. She stuffed her hands in her pockets.

“I left a receipt for your property with the driver.”

Rafe nodded. The tension between the men thickened the atmosphere. She frowned.

Rafe looked from her to her partner. “Now that my civic duty here is done, I’ll say farewell. Mackenzie, a pleasure to see you again. Detective Cooper.”

“Mr. Stone—”

The phone rang and since she was closest, she snatched it up. “Lyons.” As she listened to the caller, her muscles tensed. When she hung up, she looked at Rafe and knew he’d noticed the change in her demeanor.

“If you’ll excuse us. Coop, we have to go.”

She started past Rafe but stopped when he caught her arm. “Be careful.” The concern she saw in his eyes made her flinch and nod stiffly before she walked away.

Cooper remained silent until they were in her car, with the dash light flashing. “I don’t like the way he looks at you.”

“Don’t be an idiot. You didn’t like having to look up to him.”

“He’s not that much taller than me.” When she cast him a skeptical glance, he snapped, “Better an idiot than a blind fool. He’s a suspect, Mac.”

“I know that, damn it. Do you honestly think I’d jeopardize my career for a fling? Just because you play the field, Coop, doesn’t mean everyone does.”

Cooper winced, but his eyes blazed.

Mackenzie’s grip tightened on the wheel. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. I didn’t mean...”

“No, I’m sorry, too.” He rubbed his neck and sighed. “Mac, I know what this job means to you. I know you wouldn’t risk it for a one-night stand, but Stone isn’t just any man. A guy like that usually succeeds in getting what he wants. I’m just trying to be a friend when I say, watch your back.”

She braked for traffic at a stop light, and then continued through it as motorists moved aside. “There’s more to this than Stone. What is it you’re not telling me?”

“It’s nothing. Let’s just solve the damn murder before we both go crazy.”

“Coop?”

“There’s talk that the case may be given to more-experienced detectives.”

“What the hell—?”

“It’s a big case, Mac. You and I are rookies compared to some in the division.”

“We earned our badges the same as they did.”

“Yeah, it’s just rumor, and Fuller’s backing us on it right now. He doesn’t like the implication that any of his detectives are incapable of handling a murder investigation, no matter how high-profile the victim is.”

Who wanted them removed from the case? Mackenzie had some ideas where the pressure was coming from, but the second question was harder to answer. Could their sergeant hold out long enough for them to solve the case? Especially since that pressure was sure to increase now.

After they’d driven another block or so, Cooper asked, “So where are we going? What was the call about?”

“To a park.” She glanced at him. “They found another body.”

The light of day unveiled the murderer’s brutality and tarnished the otherwise-peaceful surroundings of the city park. The victim lay discarded amid leaves and brush along a jogging trail.

“Similar MO,” Cooper observed.

Mackenzie nodded. “But not exactly the same.”

The body was nude with the exception of socks and athletic shoes. Bite and claw marks marred the neck and chest, but this time, the face was left virtually untouched. And there were defensive wounds about the arms and legs.

As the forensics team processed the scene, Mackenzie looked for other clues in the vicinity. She hadn’t gone far when she discovered the first remnant of clothing.

“Over here.” She signaled to the crime scene photographer. “There must be more.”

Another hour of searching proved her words true. They found pieces of a man’s jogging suit, shredded and bloodied, scattered along a dirt path. Not as popular as the paved jogging trails, the path was more of a shortcut, overgrown from lack of use.

Cooper walked up, removing his latex gloves. “Medical examiner’s taking the body now. Says he’ll tag it priority.”

“He ran for his life,” she murmured, staring at the trail. “It’s almost like the killer was toying with him. Attack. Call off the dogs. Let him run, then attack again.”

“Judging from the trail of clothing, I’d say the fanny pack was the first thing to go.”

“Was there a cell phone inside?”

He nodded.

Didn’t want him calling for help, did you?
she thought.

“Guess the killer got lucky there, huh?”

Luck or training?
“Maybe. What else was in it?”

“Keys and a wallet with five dollars in cash, a debit card, a Visa, couple pictures, and an ID for one Carl Shumaker.” He paused until she looked at him. “His address is not far from here.”

“Let’s go.” They headed for her car.

“Detective Lyons. Can you give us a statement?” The woman shouting the question stood behind crime scene tape and held a microphone. The lens of a camera was visible just over her shoulder.

“Duty calls,” Cooper said with a chuckle. “No way around them. Your car’s on the other side of their news van.”

Sighing, Mackenzie approached the reporter.

“Evalyn Drake, Channel 9. Detective, what can you tell us about the city’s latest homicide?”

“The medical examiner will determine whether this is a homicide, Ms. Drake.”

“But a body was found here.”

“Yes, the body of a white male was discovered today in the park.”

“Any ID on the victim?”

“We are withholding the man’s name until his identity can be confirmed and relatives notified.”

“If this is not a homicide, why are you here?”

“Pending the outcome of an autopsy, we are treating the case as a homicide.”

“Can you tell us how he died? Do you have any suspects in the case?”

“In answer to your first question, I will not jeopardize the case by speculating on the cause of death. I’ll let the medical examiner determine that. As far as your second question, I have no names to give you at this time.”

“Can you tell us whether this case is related to Senator Robertson’s murder? You are the lead investigator on both cases, are you not?”

“I am, and no, I will not confirm any connection between the death of a man in a city park and the murder of a state legislator.”

“What about suspects in the Robertson murder?”

“I’m not here to discuss that murder. You have your statement. I have to go.” She turned to walk away.

“The Robertson’s case remains unsolved. Will having to work two cases not split your resources, Detective?”

Mackenzie stopped and faced the reporter and her cameraman. “We’re both professionals, Ms. Drake. You have a job to do, and I’m sure you’re quite capable of covering several stories a day. Except, when the ON AIR light goes off, you unhook your mike and go home. My job is a little different. My job is tracking down people who kill, and all victims are priority, no matter what they did for a living, how much money they had in the bank, or what their names were. I treat each and every case that comes across my desk with the utmost respect, and I will seek to solve every one of them with a tenacity that you can only dream about. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I’ve got work to do.”

Cooper waited only until she closed her car door. “Nice speech. Especially the tenacity part. Liked that.”

“Can it, Coop.” She cranked the engine, shoved the car into gear, and forced herself not to stomp on the accelerator and spin out.

Rafe stepped onto the patio and spotted Gabe lying face down on a chaise lounge by the pool. He’d been swimming nude again, his black hair still damp.

“Good thing I didn’t bring home any investors. What would they think seeing the Lykos Institute’s no-nonsense vice president in the buff?”

“That I dislike tan lines.” Gabe rose up on his elbows. “You’re late, but then so is Luc.”

“I had business that required my presence.”

“Oh?”

Rafe sat and watched the last rays of sunlight sparkle across the water’s surface. He’d taken time out of a very busy schedule to turn his gun in to Mackenzie. He could’ve easily waited for her to come pick it up, but he’d wanted to see her. And that disturbed him. He felt like a gnat drawn to the flame. She was trouble, he knew, and yet, he found himself wondering at odd moments of the day what she was doing.

After meeting her partner, seeing that appreciative look in his eye, Rafe’s urge to know her every move grew. Her clarification of their relationship only soothed his male instincts a bit. The fatigue in her eyes, however, concerned him the most. What had put that haunted sadness there?

“Hello, brother?”

“Yeah?”

Gabriel shook his head. “Never mind. I can see what business kept you in the city.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“It means your mind is off tracking that detective again. What? Did she show up with a warrant for your arrest yet, or are you just hoping she doesn’t forget the handcuffs?”

“Don’t be an ass, Gabe.”

“That might be hard to do since it’s hanging out for the whole world to see.” The feminine voice made Gabe wince and Rafe turn with a grin to see his elderly housekeeper bring out a fresh pitcher of lemonade and glasses.

Gabe splayed a hand over his heart. “Marge, you wound me.”

“If I was your mother, I’d do more than that. I’d tan your backside so you wouldn’t need the sun to do it.” The twinkle in her eyes belied the threat.

“And if I was a few years older, I’d give Ainsworth a run for his money.” Gabe gave her a saucy wink, and she huffed.

“You’d run all right. My husband would chase you all over creation with a pitchfork.” She laughed. “Kids these days! They don’t know the meaning of propriety.”

“Marge, why the extra glass?” Rafe indicated the additional one on the tray. “Is Lucian home?”

“You know that rascal won’t drink lemonade. You have a guest. She’s pulling up the drive now.”

“She?”

“Said she’s a detective. Made her show me a badge before I buzzed open the gate.”

Mackenzie? Here?