She leaned back and dusted a rogue ash off her black dress. “Bono knew from the beginning. You can’t hide a shoe size.”
Christian gave her a crooked smile. “I’ve known a few women in my time with large hooves.”
Attempting to shut Christian up, I asked, “Do people know about you, or do you keep that private?”
Harper pinched the stem of her wineglass. “Admittedly, most can’t tell. I was born a girl in a male body, and as I got older, people started calling me a girl. I didn’t grow up in a pack. My mother wanted to shield me from all the hate, but to be honest, I never felt any until I mated Bono.”
“Why’s that?”
“I took a virile male out of the mating pool. We wanted kids but obviously couldn’t have them. I went through extensive surgery, but that doesn’t fix the problem.” She waved her hand around as she spoke. “Some packs didn’t want us because of the controversy. Others were afraid it might upset the single women. Heaven forbid. I suppose we could have tried other cities, but frankly, I was tired of the rejection. We didn’t need that negativity in our relationship. I didn’t grow up in a pack, and I turned out fine. Bono grew up in a pack, so that was all he knew. We had a long talk, and I convinced him we could make it on our own. Bono suggested getting a kid off the black market, but I was against it.”
“Is that so?” Christian asked, not hiding his skepticism.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m not just saying that because of you. Bono could have children, so it didn’t make sense to acquire someone else’s child. But he also didn’t want to have sex with another woman. It would complicate things. We talked to a Relic, but in vitro fertilization wasn’t his specialty. Aside from that, it’s impossible to find a Shifter who’s willing to carry someone’s baby and give it away. It’s not in our nature. That meant finding a woman who wasn’t in a pack and had no desire to join one. A secret like that would ruin her. Anyhow, we never got that far. Bono died.” Harper’s lip quivered as she stared at the last drops in her wineglass. “It would have been nice to have a piece of him left behind.”
“I’m sorry.” I lowered my eyes for a moment to offer sympathy before delving into the details we really needed to know. “How did he die?”
“Watching TV. He was alive one minute, and the next…” She shook her head. “I’d gone into the kitchen to get ice cream and then found him slumped over. I thought maybe he’d nodded off or was playing a prank, but his eyes— When you see a dead person’s eyes, you just know. They don’t always close.”
I furrowed my brow. “He was just watching TV?”
Harper nodded slowly. “No hanky-panky. Nothing that would have spiked his heart rate. Bono was fit. It’s not like he sat around all day on the couch. He was a jogger, but I think he ran because of his sweet tooth.”
“How long were you out of the room?” Christian asked before sipping his beer.
“I wasn’t. We had an open floor plan, so there wasn’t a wall between the kitchen and living room. I just turned my back for a minute. No one could have sneaked in and done something without my knowing. And besides, there would have been a struggle. I just couldn’t believe it. The Relic said it happens sometimes—babies born with defects that go undetected. It just seems like that would have shown up on a regular checkup when he used to see a Relic as a kid. I asked the Council for an investigation, but they turned me away. They wanted to cremate him, but I—I probably shouldn’t tell you this.”
“Go on,” I said. “We’re not here to arrest anyone.”
Harper pinched the stem of her wineglass. “I stole his body. The higher authority prefers cremation so humans won’t get ahold of the body, but packs are allowed to bury the dead on their land. I don’t see any difference in giving me those same rights. Bono didn’t want to be cremated.”
Christian straightened his back. “So you put him in the trunk of your car?”
She gave him a look of derision. “I’m not telling you where he is, and if you charm me, I’ll make you regret it for the rest of your unnatural life. Burials aren’t against the law.”
I picked at my black nail polish. Ren was right. This didn’t feel normal at all. Maybe I didn’t know enough about Shifters, but people dropping dead while couch surfing? This story was similar to some of the others we’d heard. A few deaths we ruled out entirely. They were suspicious, but we had no evidence to prove the deceased was murdered by their partner or, in one case, a disgruntled landlord. That still left a decent number of unexplainable deaths. One minute they were fine, and the next, gone.
“Had he been feeling sick?” I asked, wondering if Bono might have exhibited the same symptoms as a few others.
Harper shrugged. “Just heartburn. Nothing a little ice cream couldn’t cure. He didn’t look sick. He didn’t look like a man who was about to die. I just don’t get it. Is the higher authority going to open an investigation on his death? Is that why you’re here?”
The heartburn could simply have been a precursor to a heart attack. What exactly could I promise her? “I don’t know,” I said truthfully. “We’re just looking into things to see where help is needed, but I don’t know what can be done in this case. If you need anything, you have my number. I’ll see what I can do.”
Harper put on her jacket and flipped her wavy hair out from beneath the collar. “You two make a handsome couple.”
Startled, I blinked at her. “We’re partners.”
As if sensing my surprise, she stood and gave me a cunning smile. “A girl can always tell. He’s handsome in a brooding, serial killer kind of way. A fanghole, but some women like a challenge. I’d keep an eye on him if I were you.” She steered her gaze to Christian. “And if you want my help achieving the ultimate satisfaction in bed, give me a call.” Harper rounded our chairs and placed her hands on Christian’s shoulders, leaning in close. “Don’t worry. You’re not my type.”
After she left, Christian quietly resumed drinking his beer.
“What do you think?” I asked.
He wiped his mouth. “I don’t need any sexual assistance in bed. You hear? If that lunatic thinks I require special toys, she can saunter on and shove that little cigarette case where the sun doesn’t shine.”
“I meant about her mate. Do you think…” I mouthed the word virus.
“Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe you shouldn’t have committed to a case you can’t solve. We’re not a charity.”
When I got up to sit across from him, I sat on Harper’s cigarette case. “She left this,” I said, opening it up.
“Throw it in the bin. It’s a vile habit for a woman, to be sure.”
I read the inscription etched inside the lid: All my love, Bono.
“Order me some onion rings. I’ll be right back.” Before leaving, I leaned down and whispered in Christian’s ear, “Aren’t you a little bit curious about a few kinky sex toys?”
After kissing his neck, I weaved through the crowd toward the front door. She couldn’t have gotten far, and maybe I could ask her some personal questions that she wouldn’t answer around a Vampire. Especially one with a mouth like Christian’s.