Hidden Nature
by Shadowriter

Part Eight

It was just getting dark when Lindsay Boxer headed toward her car. She'd given a short report to Tom, a lie, actually: they had nothing; second forensic tests had not confirmed the initial findings, the theory was still that someone was kidnapping people and letting their pet dog or tiger chew them to death.

Then she told him she was going home and probably taking the next day off to deal with personal issues.

Which was a Lindsay Boxer first and immediately alarmed her Lieutenant and ex-husband. He'd given her the day and told her to call if she needed more time.

In reality, Lindsay just didn't want to deal with this case anymore. It had cost her far more than most. Even Kiss-Me-Not, while taking her marriage and her father, hadn't ripped a part of her soul as quickly or thoroughly as this one had.

She hit the button and heard the alarm beep at her. Reaching for the door, she pulled back to hold it open, then was suddenly pushed forward, trapping one hand behind her and the other between her body and the door frame. Something sharp appeared at her throat and she froze.

"Don't turn around, Inspector." The voice was deep, but definitely feminine. "I don't want to hurt you. I just want to talk."

"Most people just invite me for a beer."

"Well, I'm not most people."

The Inspector closed her eyes. This day just kept getting better and better. "Drake?"

"Yes. I know Thomas told you what I am."

Lindsay gave a humorless chuckle. "She didn't exactly have a choice."

"I guess not. Is Jill okay?"

"She has a headache."

"That's to be expected. It won't last as long as it would if I had hit her over the head."

"I'm sure she's glad of that." She glanced down. "If you wanted to talk me, you didn't have to use a blade."

"It's not a blade." The pressure was gone, and Lindsay sensed the other woman moving back. "It was just my claw."

Turning slowly, Lindsay faced her antagonist. "Claw?"

Drake lifted her hand and showed it to the Inspector. Attached to her index finger was a long talon that slowly sank into her finger even as Lindsay watched. "Just a part of me."

Boxer blinked. Her mind was telling her what she'd just seen was impossible. But her eyes hadn't lied.

Which meant, maybe Cindy hadn't either.

"So. You and Thomas." Lindsay's gaze dropped. "You've been good for her. She's been -- stronger. Less . . . flighty, in a way. It's like you calm the energy overload she has."

There was no reply.

"She's more confident. She actually argued with me today."

"About what?"

"About what I wanted her to do. She didn't want to do it. She begged me not to make her."

"Why did you?"

Drake shrugged. "If you were Claire, and you held evidence to a whole new life form, would you willingly give it up, just because someone asked you to?"

"Maybe not. But I'm not Claire." She folded her arms. "It's all been destroyed?"

"Yes."

Lindsay nodded. "I could arrest you for obstructing justice."

"Do you really want to do that?"

"You don't want to ask what I want to do to you right now."

With a smile, Drake nodded. "Maybe not. But whatever you want to do to me, don't take it out on Cindy."

"Why? Because you 'made' her do this?"

"Yes."

"She broke the trust of three people who have gone out on limb time after time for her. Why? What did you do to make her do that? Did you threaten her life?"

"I threatened her bond, so in a way, I did."

That brought Lindsay up short. "What?"

"She didn't tell you about it. A few months after she and I met, I joined her to the clan in what's called a sacred bond. You've probably seen the mark. It's a scar on her right shoulder blade, just the to side of her spine."

Lindsay felt her jaw drop a little. She had noticed such a scar on Cindy. Her lover had muttered that it was from childhood and she didn't remember how she'd gotten it. Lindsay had commented that it looked almost like a bite.

"What it means is that if I come to her and ask her for help, she must respond. She must assist in anyway she can. If she refuses without good reason, I can call her to justice before the clan. At that point, there are two possibilities. One, that she'll be declared innocent, which never happens because no one calls for justice without an excellent reason. The other possibility is two fold. If found guilty, then the clan can give two punishments. The first means you've endangered the honor of the clan and you are hereby banished. No contact with other clan members will be tolerated."

"And the second punishment?"

"Is for treason. Endangering the clan itself. If I had called Cindy before the clan and told them she wouldn't help me retrieve physical evidence that could prove our existence, they would have found her guilty. And the punishment is death."

Lindsay stared at her. "Would you really have done that?"

Drake tilted her head to the side. "Honestly? Probably not. But I couldn't tell her that."

"So you convinced her that her life was in danger, so she'd help you. She betrayed us because of you."

"She betrayed me, too. She swore to never tell anyone about the clan. Now three people know, all of them dangerous to our existence."

"The only reason she told was because you left her no choice."

"She could have just done what was asked of her."

Lindsay took a step forward. "And you could have left her alone. Not threatened her. Not used her."

"Are you defending her, Inspector? She betrayed you."

"But she wouldn't have done that without you!"

"So why are you so angry at her?"

"I--" Lindsay pulled back, finally seeing the logical trap that the woman had backed her into. She said nothing.

"Look, I don't know where you and Cindy are in your relationship. And I know this will be hard to get past. But, please. Don't walk away from her because I made her do this." Drake put her hands in her back pockets. "I'm gonna get this guy. He's my responsibility. And once I do, once it's over, I'll call and tell you. But don't destroy what could be for what I should have never done." She shrugged. "I just wanted to say that."

Boxer nodded, her head dropping down as she stared at her boots. "I'll keep that in mind."

"You do that."

Lindsay's phone buzzed and she pulled it from her jacket to look at it. "It's Jill."

"I'd say to tell her hi, but she probably doesn't want to hear from me." Drake raised a hand. "I'll let you get on with it. Goodnight, Inspector."

With a nod, Lindsay watched Drake walk away. Then she answered the phone.

"Boxer."

"Lindsay, I think we found him."

"Who?"

"The killer. I forgot to tell you the reason I was headed to Claire's office in the first place, and why I asked you to meet me there."

"In all the excitement, I forgot you had even called. What was the reason?"

"I found a simple statement that we missed. One of Anthony Venner's friends said this guy named Turk encouraged him to offer a ride to the Montserat girl. Now, according to the bartender, this Turk is a strange guy that has talked about humans being prey and that predators would some day wipe us all out. He wasn't aware that Turk and Venner knew each other, though, so he didn't say anything till I specifically asked him."

"Nice. Do we have any idea who this Turk is?"

"Well, I was thinking that if the two of them left the bar alone together, then when did they meet him? So I thought about a cell phone, and sure enough, Venner had one. I had them run the last calls made to his cell, and what do you know? Miller Turkette was the last person to call Anthony Venner. Less than five minutes after his friends put him leaving the club."

"I love you, Jill."

"Aw, I love you too. Now, the only problem is Miller Turkette has no driver's license and no registered vehicle and his home address for the phone is a post office box. We're running property records and anything else we can think of. I'll call you if I get a hit."

"Keep me informed. Where's Claire, she with you?"

"Um." Jill hesitated to answer, but finally did. "No. She decided to find out if Cindy's all right."

Lindsay closed her eyes. She couldn't pick out what she was feeling. There was gratitude that Claire had thought to check on the woman. Worry, because she'd seen the desolate look on the reporter's face as she left the morgue. Guilt, because she should have been the one to reach out to her lover.

"If she calls, tell her I said thanks. I --" She hesitated. "I don't think I can talk to her yet."

"I know." Jill's voice was gentle. "Why don't you take it easy? I'll call you if we get anything."

"Thanks again, Jill."

They disconnected, and Lindsay climbed into her car. She took a moment to just let her body relax before she started the car. When the phone rang again, she smiled, thinking that Jill had gotten a hit already.

"Talk to me, Jill."

"It's Claire. Lindsay, I'm at Cindy's and you need to get over here."

"Is she okay?" She threw the car into reverse and hit the gas.

"She's not here. The door was open, the apartment was dark, and there's blood on the floor and claw marks on the back of the door."

Lindsay's gut clenched and she had to swallow bile that had risen in her throat. "I'm on my way. Call Jill and tell her to put a rush on her research. Then look for Cindy's cell phone."

"It's here. It's been turned off, but I think she did that."

"Probably. Turn it on and see if you can find Drake's number. I'll be there in a few minutes." She hung up and tightened her grip on the steering wheel. "Hang on, Thomas. I'll find you, I swear to God I'll find you."

---

Claire was waiting just inside the door of the apartment when Lindsay got there. She let the Inspector in and showed her what she'd found.

Lindsay touched the scratches and then knelt to run her hands over the blood stained carpet.

"Do we call anyone?"

"Yeah. Drake. Was the number there?"

"Drake's been trying to call her." She handed the cell phone to Lindsay. "Looks like she’s been avoiding calls all day long..”

“After the way we jumped on her? I wouldn’t be surprised.” She found the number and dialed. “Let me rephrase, after the way I jumped on her.”

“Oh, we all did, sweetheart, it wasn’t just you.”

“But I should have –“ She broke off as the phone was picked up. “Drake? It’s Boxer. Cindy’s gone.”

“What?”

“She’s gone. Her car is here, her apartment door was open, there’s blood and there’s scratches that you could have made.”

“Damn it. All right. I’ll take care of this.”

“Do you know where he is? Where he might have taken her?” Lindsay heard her phone go off, but handed it to Claire, who answered it softly.

“I think so. I told you I’ll call you, Boxer.”

“Bullshit, you’ll call me. You’ll tell me what you know now or I’ll –“

“You’ll what? Arrest me over the phone?”

“Tell me where he is!”

“I can’t!”

Claire tapped the Inspector on the shoulder. “Jill says she’s got it. Miller Turkette owns a warehouse by the docks. She has the address for you.”

“Thank God,” she whispered. “Drake, we found him. Turkette owns a warehouse by the docks.”

“How did you know that?”

“Never mind. I’m off to stop this asshole.”

“Lindsay, no! Listen to me.”

“I listen to you any longer and Cindy might die.”

“And she’ll be really pissed off at me for that, but if anything happens to you she’ll never forgive me.”

“At least she might be alive to never forgive you.” She hung up, hearing Drake still yelling at her as she hit the button.

She turned to Claire. “Did you write it down?”

“Yeah. Lindsay, you’re not going alone, are you?”

“I’ll be fine, Claire.” She took the paper from her friend and started for the door. “Stay by the phone, and call me if Jill gets any other hits. I’ll bring her home as soon as I can.” She stopped and looked back. “And get your bag from the car. That blood looks like more than a scratch.”

“Just bring both of you back home safe, Lindsay Boxer.”

With a nod, Lindsay was gone.

PART 9

 

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