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I sat up and Jodi’s gaze followedseveral ti wasn’t voluntary, but at the whie amounts of protein, est, most available, easiest-to-catch-and-kill food supply on the planet That made perfect sense But I couldn’t say that to Jodi I said, "I think ue, but sick I think thehiet sick I thought that was the purpose of drinking blood for eternity--iht be Katie’s liaison at NOPD, but Jodi didn’t like vamps Not at all

"Maybe it’s rare" I watched her take that in and mull it over I waited another beat and said, "I need to see the crionna happen"

"Then I’ll call Leo Pellissier I figure he can pull strings and get htly, startled "I need you to wait on that"

I had just pushed a button Leo and Jodi? Nah, not with her antipathy to va else So I pushed "Yes You can make it happen It’s the crime scene on your say-so or Leo" When she hesitated, I said, "I’ve hunted rogues before I need to see the scene so I can tell if it looks like anything from past kill sites"

Beast rumbled deep inside, Never hunted liver-eater Which was true, but not soently, I added to Jodi, "Leo can make it happen if you won’t But I’d rather ith you, not him"

"You’re pretty chummy with Leo He makes sure I call him Mr Pellissier"

"I’m sure he’d like me to be polite too"

Suddenly Jodi smiled, a wry pull of lips "You yank his chain like you yank ours?"

I didn’t like being transparent, but I did like the smile, so I answered honestly "More"

Jodi chuckled under her breath and stood "My ass’ll be in the grinder if it gets out you were on a cri trace in And you step where I say and not one step farther"

"Thanks," I said, standing slowly, trying for humble and appreciative I was pretty sure it worked because Jodi led me to the crime-scene van and handed me paper and plastic PPEs It turned out I needed all the personal protective equipment The house was a bloodbath Another trite term But the only one that fit

CHAPTER 21

The Lord of the Manor

I stood just inside the front door, the here the rogue entered to my left A trail of blood splatters marked the wall from thefor six feet, evidence that he’d wounded hilass It was the kind of splatter arterial bloodsprays, arcs that dribbled down the wall Ten feet inside the door was a blood-drenched leather recliner where a man had once sat His body had molded the chair to his form; now blood pooled in the depression It still looked damp, tacky to the touch There were two slippers on the floor under the foot-rest, which was up, the back of the chair pushed nearly flat, facing the TV

The man, or as left of hiest chunk, was beside the chair, as if he had been pulled to the floor after the kill and feasted upon The abdoone, all the way to the spine, the pelvic bones exposed The chest cavity was nearly as clean, ribs ripped up and out of the way, internal organs e rise, a sick reaction to the butchery I had slaughtered rogue vamps I had taken down prey with Beast, so blood and butchery weren’t foreign However, even with that experience, this level of wanton carnage was hard to take