Page 18 (1/2)

"What about Lacey?"

"It was probably an accident Given the level of depravity we’ve found here, nothing would surpriseher in the yard like thisit has an unplanned feel to it"

Phoebe nodded "He had tih to do a better job of losing the body"

Duncan shrugged "He probably meant to come back and take care of it, but then I showed up"

"Any files in the DC house?"

Duncan nodded "Hidden and encrypted, buthilad you’re here, my lord We needed you" The smile fled as she turned her attention to Lacey’s still for than this"

"I wish I’d arrived a week earlier Lacey ht still be alive We need to keep this quiet, Phoebe"

"Does she have family?"

"Just Eoing to raise a fuss?"

"No" When Phoebe’s curious gaze met his, he added, "I’ll take care of it" He let a touch of power chill his voice to remind her who he was

Phoebe lowered her eyes briefly "How can I help?"

Duncan nodded "My security chief, Louis, is upstairs, along with a couple of others We’ll take the computers and files back to DC with us, but in the meantime, he’s made a composite file of every face visible in the videos Some of them we think we know, but I want you to help track down the others"

She stiffened, then bowed formally from the waist "I am yours to command, my lord" She spun around and headed into the house Duncan watched her go, then walked over to the forensic tech as closing the doors of the cargo van

"You’ve a place to store the body?" Duncan asked

"Yes, ht outside Falls Church We can leave her there for now"

"Make sure Miguel has the inforo soon" Sunrise was only a couple hours away, and they’d need that ti hoh the day

"Yes, my lord" The vampire pulled a sheet of paper from the bottouel, who’d followed Duncan like a shadow ever since they’d found the body

"We should leave, too, uel said quietly as the vampire tech climbed into the van and drove away

Duncan looked over fro van "I need to stop at Euel," Duncan said softly "I will stop and speak with Euel nodded sharply "We’ll leave at once then Ari can drive I’ll have the others finish up here and lock the house They can take the second truck back to DC"

Duncan nodded He didn’t look forward to telling Eo to the human authorities Somehow he’d have to persuade her to let him handle it, and if he couldn’tWell, then he wanted one last time with her before she hated him forever

Chapter Thirteen

Emma’s car was parked a few doors down from her house when they arrived Duncan sent a thread of power into the house, searching Baldas there, and aware Baldas one of those who’d been with Duncan the other night, which meant he’d already been invited into Emma’s house That was important since Emma had been deeply asleep and would re she was having sweet dreahtmare would become real