Once on our floor, I raised a brow and regarded Sebastian with interest. “All you have to do to treat me to a good time is take your clothes off.”
“How should we break it to your family that you’re neither pure nor innocent?”
“We could lure one of the assholes I have to kill off to the front yard and indulge in a murder. I can show them how I got my name.”
“It’s rude to kill people where kittens might see it, Harri.”
I huffed. “They’re lynx kittens. The only thing that scares those little devils is my face. And we’re fixing that. Within the next two weeks, if everything works out to my satisfaction.”
“You want to have the operation immediately?”
“Tank my virus, Mr. Sebastian Sumners. Tank my virus so hard it’s the easiest scar removal operation for a lycanthrope they’ve ever performed. She’ll like it, promise. So will I. We’re easy to please.”
Sebastian laughed all the way to our room and let us in. A bouquet of roses waited on the entry stand, a new addition since I’d left in the morning. “Yes, those are for you. There’s catnip among the roses.”
I had special needs, and Sebastian understood them. Purring, I went to investigate the bouquet, burying my nose in the bright red blossoms and breathing in. Sure enough, I smelled catnip—the good stuff. “I’m going to be so stoned during the spa treatments, aren’t I?”
“We’re having facials done, and I’m taking you to them while you’re stoned on catnip. This place offers bribes to well-behaved lycanthropes, and since it’s significantly more expensive than the place in Cincinnati, I want to see if the bribes are better.”
“How the hell is this spa going to give better bribes? The other spa gave some really nice stuff.” Thanks to the other spa’s offerings and what I’d purchased, I doubted I’d need anything for bathing for a full year. “I will be the best behaved lynx on the planet.”
“I will even pretend you’re the best behaved lynx on the planet. Just try not to get upset if somebody grimaces. I did warn them, but I’ve learned people just don’t believe me when it comes to how scarred you are.”
“I’d say it’s okay, but then I’d be lying.” I shrugged, taking another deep breath of the flowers. “I really like these. Thank you.”
I wouldn’t tell him he was the first person to ever give me flowers that hadn’t been picked out of the yard. Once he went to bed for the night, I’d take the bouquet downstairs and find out if there was a way to preserve them.
I didn’t want to see a single blossom fade.
“I’m glad you like them. You’re welcome.”
“What do we have on Loureni?” I lugged my work crap to the sitting room, which we’d set up to be our primary workspace despite the suite having an office and a proper dining room with a table. “If I wasn’t aware of why he found me interesting, I would have assumed he was just curious.”
“Loureni has a brother, and I’m of the opinion the brother is the likely mastermind and killer and that Stefan Loureni is the grab man. Kenard is older than Stefan by three years. I asked the CDC and FBI to pull files from all members of the Loureni family, and then I had them do a search of all immediate family, and we found something interesting about Kenard’s wife. She was in a serious car accident that resulted in the loss of their unborn child. She had several organs removed due to trauma. Shortly after the child was supposed to be born, she disappeared. Kenard claims they were separating, she left him, and she went missing for several years before she showed up long enough to file for divorce. However, I use the term ‘show’ loosely. Documentation with the appropriate signatures made an appearance, but she was never seen. It was all done remotely and through the mail.”
Hello, red flags. “And nobody investigated that sooner?”
“Kenard wasn’t viewed as a suspect, as he doesn’t have any direct connections to the missing women. My request created some problems, but then I pointed out that Kenard—and all of the Loureni family—is connected to the killings through Stefan. When viewed in that light, they decided to cooperate. It took them all of an hour to locate the disturbing coincidences.”
“Let me guess. The organs of the missing women are the same as his wife’s.”
“How did you guess?”
“It seemed pretty obvious to me when you laid out the background and why you think Kenard is involved. But why take those organs?”
“I suggested that Kenard had his missing ex-wife alive somewhere and was trying to find suitable organs for transplant.”
I sat on the couch and stared at him. “Say what?”
“The FBI agent I spoke to started cursing at me when I made the suggestion, and then he hung up on me. Ten minutes later, he called me back with a list of fugitives who could handle such a transplant, odds of survival, odds of success, and so on.”
“But what about the babies?”
“Here’s where things get creepier.”
“You mean creepier beyond the one woman, one child theory?”
“Oh, that’s still in play, and yes, that’s part of why this gets creepier.”
I inhaled. “Okay. I’m ready. Hit me with it.”
“I had all known medical records for Stefan pulled, and after the investigators went through everything with a fine-toothed comb, they came to one possible explanation for why the brothers would be working together. There’s a high possibility Stefan is infertile. So, as his brother wants scarred women who might be the match for his wife—or more importantly, their organs, it’s possible that Stefan is having his brother give him the born children to maintain his appearance while getting rid of any children that don’t meet his standards for the picture-perfect family. Upon further digging, the CDC does believe Stefan is seeing a woman. The CDC interviewed competitors who have worked with Stefan, and he has brought a girlfriend with him several times—the same woman. She was described as the perfect trophy wife, sophisticated, gorgeous, well-mannered, and apparently deeply in love with Stefan, and Stefan also played that part well. Everyone interviewed seems to believe they have a genuine relationship. What we don’t know is if the board of his work is aware of this partnership or not. The CDC doesn’t want to tip Stefan off that he’s being investigated.”
“So, we’re up to three people involved potentially?”
“Right. The woman is an issue. She is related to a fairly noteworthy Washington politician, the kind of man who’d want to bury any scandals. We could approach the politician, but if he is involved, it would create quite the issue.”
“If he’s involved, and he gives up all of the information, I won’t stab him ruthlessly in the face for being an accomplice, but that’s the best I’m offering him,” I replied.
“Yeah. Nobody involved would be lenient against this politician if he is involved,” I guessed.
“So, a new part of your job is to, if possible, find out if the politician is involved.”
“Can I stab the politician if he is involved?”
“Unfortunately, we can’t assassinate the politician. I asked. I asked several times if they were really sure. The politician is to be left alone unless you catch him in the act. If you’re grabbed like we expect you to be, and he’s present where you’re being held hostage, you will be expected to use lethal force.”