Nature of the Beasts (Spark of Magic), page 10
“That makes sense, I suppose.”
Dmitry stopped and stared in the distance at the car coming up the long gravel driveway. “Sheriff’s here.”
Sarah frowned and shaded her eyes from the sun. “That was fast.”
“He might’ve been close when he got the call. Come on. Let’s get you in the house. Then I want to get back on the hill with Dastan.”
Sarah nodded and followed Dmitry as he quickly led her to the back door.
* * * *
Dmitry made it to the top of the hill while the sheriff talked with the hands in the front yard. As he and Dastan waited, they noticed another car making its way up the driveway.
“Coroner?” Dmitry asked.
“Probably,” Dastan replied.
They watched in silence as the sheriff met up with the coroner; then the two of them headed toward the path.
“Do you get the feeling this guy is just itching to pin this on us?” Dmitry murmured.
“Sometimes, but let’s not be paranoid.”
Dmitry shrugged. Hell, he disagreed. He believed that maybe they should be paranoid. They were new to the town. Just a few weeks after they move in, the murders start? They would be crazy not to be paranoid or think they wouldn’t be the first suspects. The question was what did they do if that actually happened?
They could leave. Go back to their own dimension.
Dmitry hated that plan. He loved it here on the ranch. The wide-open spaces, the hard physical labor. It felt good doing things with his hands. The last thing he wanted to do was leave. He would fight for this place. He would fight for Sarah. He would fight for what he had come to love.
The sheriff topped the hill and stopped. “So where’s this one?” he asked.
Dastan pointed behind him with his thumb, and Mike made his way over to have a look. He made a face and motioned for the coroner to join him. “Yep, she’s dead,” the coroner said. “But she didn’t die here.”
The sheriff nodded. “Gentlemen, this is our coroner slash investigator, Tim Price. Tim, this is Dastan and Dmitry. Two of the unluckiest ranchers I believe I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet.”
Tim raised an eyebrow but nodded a hello. Dastan gave the sheriff a tight-lipped smile while Dmitry rolled his eyes.
“The two of you want to explain to me how a dead girl got on the hill behind your house? And who might’ve put her there?”
“We were hoping you could,” Dmitry replied.
Mike snorted. “The two of you got any enemies I need to be made aware of?”
“No,” Dmitry replied.
“If we did, I believe we could handle them,” Dastan said.
Dmitry wanted to smack him.
“You’ve got a problem here, Dastan,” Mike said as he moved aside and let Tim examine the body more closely. “I really don’t think the two of you are dumb enough to be killing these girls and leaving them here. So either it’s one of your hands or someone’s trying to frame you.” Mike glanced down at the body and made a face of annoyance. “Albeit badly.”
Dmitry was a bit shocked. He glanced sideways at Dastan and noticed his friend had the same reaction.
“The question is why,” the sheriff said.
“That’s one I would like to know the answer to myself,” Dastan said truthfully. “Are these local girls?”
Mike rubbed his chin. “The other one was. I’m assuming this one is too, but no one has reported anyone missing yet.”
“I can assure you, Sheriff, it’s not one of the hands,” Dmitry said.
Mike nodded with a sigh. “Those guys were here with Sam and Cody. I don’t believe it’s one of them either. To find the girl on the trail is one thing. To find one here is way too coincidental in my opinion.” He studied Dastan for a couple of seconds, then looked out over the ranch. “How the hell did he get this body up here and nobody see him?”
Dastan glanced around as well. “We’ve been a little busy with the cleanup, staying close to the house. I suppose it’s possible he came up a back way.”
It was a flimsy excuse, and they all knew it. Dmitry knew how he’d gotten that body up here. Magic. But unfortunately, they couldn’t tell the sheriff that.
“I understand Sarah found the body?”
“Yes,” Dastan said.
The sheriff nodded. “I’m gonna want to talk to her. She in the house?”
“Yeah,” Dmitry replied before Dastan had a chance.
Dastan shot him an angry look, but Dmitry ignored him. “She thought you probably would, so I’m sure she’s waiting for you.”
Dmitry knew Dastan didn’t want Sarah involved in this, but they didn’t have any other choice. The hands told the sheriff she’d found the body. It wouldn’t look good at all if they tried to hide Sarah from the sheriff, even if the sheriff didn’t think it was them doing it.
Mike turned back to Tim, who still crouched by the body, studying it. “What do ya think, Tim?” Mike asked. “Same as before?”
“Most likely. Mangling is postmortem, just like the other. Unlike the other, she wasn’t killed here. She was moved here.”
“Before she was mangled?” Mike asked.
Tim shook his head. “After.”
“Do you still think it’s an animal this time?” Mike asked.
Tim sighed. “Now I’m not sure it was an animal last time.”
Dmitry crossed his arms over his chest and took a chance by asking a question, even though he already knew the answer. He was just hoping to spin them in another direction. “Is it possible that whoever did this has created a hand piece that would make the mangling look like an animal?”
Both Mike and Tim turned to look at him as though he’d grown another head. Dmitry shrugged on shoulder. “I was just wondering…”
Tim tilted his head. “You know…that’s not implausible.” He turned to Mike. “I think we might have a serial killer.”
Mike shook his head in determination. “Let’s not jump to conclusions.”
Tim stood. “Why shouldn’t we? Just because we’re a small town doesn’t mean it can’t happen to us.”
Mike dragged his hand through his hair, then stared hard at Dastan and Dmitry. “How come all this shit started when you arrived? You got any answers for that one?”
“Not at the moment,” Dastan murmured.
“One of you take me to Sarah.”
* * * *
Sarah sat at the kitchen table and stared at her steaming cup of coffee. She couldn’t stop picturing that poor girl. Why would anyone do that? Her thoughts shifted again to her mother. If it hadn’t been for the attack against her, Sarah wouldn’t be here. That was a morbid thought that made her more sick to her stomach than anything. To think her father was someone who got his kicks off hurting people.
She blinked. Was there somehow a connection? The shifter that had attacked her mother was never caught. She hadn’t been able to describe him. Even to this day, she couldn’t remember what he looked like. Was it possible his tastes had grown more grotesque? Instead of hurting and raping, was he now killing? Tears gathered in her eyes as she realized she came from someone that sick—that some of that insanity could be inside her.
“Sarah?” Dmitry called from the living room.
She quickly rubbed the tears from her eyes and sat up a little straighter. “In the kitchen.”
She looked up just as Dmitry entered the room, Sheriff Mike Sims behind him. Sarah wasn’t surprised to see him. She’d been expecting that he would want to talk to her.
He was a nice-looking man with dark hair and eyes. He was tall and muscular with a commanding presence that seemed to always make women feel safe. She could certainly understand why the women in town always looked twice when they saw him walking down the street.
Mike took his cowboy hat off and glanced around the lower level. “Wow. Looks like you guys got quite a bit of damage in here.”
“Yeah,” Sarah said as she stood, then sighed. “The twister went between the house and the barn. We were lucky it didn’t hit either dead-on.”
Mike turned to stare at her. His eyes widened slightly as he nodded in acknowledgment. His gaze traveled down her body, then back up. Sarah fought the desire to frown at his obvious appraisal. Although she’d seen him around town numerous times, they’d never met in person.
“You’re not quite what I expected for a housekeeper,” Mike murmured.
Dmitry frowned as he moved to stand closer to Sarah.
“I get that a lot,” Sarah replied. She waved to the table. “Have a seat. Would you like some coffee?”
Mike started toward one of the chairs and took the one across from Sarah’s. “Coffee would be great,” he said as he set his hat on the table.
“Cream or sugar?” Sarah asked as she went to fix him a cup.
“Black. Thank you.”
Sarah poured the coffee, then set it on the table in front of him. She tried to ignore his intense stare as she took her seat and reached for her own cup. Dmitry started to take the chair closest to Sarah, but Mike stopped him.
“If you don’t mind, I would like to talk to Sarah alone.”
“I do mind,” Dmitry replied.
“It’s fine, Dmitry,” Sarah cautioned.
Dmitry nodded reluctantly. “I’ll be on the front porch,” he said, then shot Mike a look of warning.
Mike watched him go. Sarah didn’t miss the hint of amusement in his eyes. “They’re protective, aren’t they?”
Sarah smiled slightly. “Sometimes a little overprotective.”
Mike turned back to her. “How long have you known them?”
“All my life,” she said softly.
“So you came here with them.”
“Yes.”
“Are you in a relationship with one of them?”
Sarah frowned. “What does that have to do with the girl?”
Mike shrugged and lifted his cup to take a sip of coffee. “Nothing.” He swallowed. “This is good. You make it?”
Sarah nodded again, this time more cautiously. She wasn’t sure she liked these questions.
“The coffee at the station sucks. I never drink it there anymore. I usually go the coffee shop downtown and grab a cup.”
Sarah didn’t say anything as Mike sat and studied her. She felt as though she was being sized up for something. Sitting back, she crossed her arms over her breasts and waited.
“How did you end up here with them?” he asked.
Sarah recited the lie she’d memorized upon coming here. “Dastan was friends with my father. When he died, Dastan was the only family I had left, even though we’re not blood related. He’d promised my dad he would watch out for me, so when he and Dmitry decided to buy this place, I came with them. I didn’t want to be back home alone.”
“And where is back home?” Mike asked.
“New York.”
“Seems kinda strange… New Yorkers buying a ranch.”
Sarah shrugged. “It’s something Dastan has always wanted to do. It still bugs you that your friends sold this place without telling you, doesn’t it?”
Mike sat back with his cup. “Yeah, it does. That’s not like them. Not at all.”
“They wanted to be with Keegan. Keegan introduced them to Dastan, and that’s…” Sarah shrugged, “how it all came to be.”
Mike didn’t say anything, he just watched her. His stare made Sarah uncomfortable, and she began to squirm. “Do you know who that girl is…or was?” she asked.
“No.”
“Did she die like the other one?”
Mike nodded.
Sarah swallowed. This wasn’t good. Not at all.
“You seem nervous,” Mike pointed out.
“Of course, I’m nervous,” Sarah snapped. “There’s a man out there killing women and dumping them on our ranch. How do I know I’m not next?”
“How do you know it’s not one of them?” he asked as he nodded toward the front porch.
Her eyes widened as anger tightened her stomach. “I know it’s not them. Dastan and Dmitry would never do that to someone, much less a woman.”
“You seem pretty sure about that,” Mike said, still watching her.
“I’m very sure about that. I thought you wanted to ask me about the woman.”
Mike pursed his lips briefly. “What were you doing up there?”
“I went for a walk. I do that often.”
“Did you hear anything? See anything?”
Sarah shook her head.
“You just missed him, Sarah,” Mike said softly. “She hadn’t been up there long. He may have even been in the brush close by, watching you.”
Sarah shivered as she realized just how right Mike was.
“I didn’t see a thing.” And she hadn’t. She hadn’t seen anything, smelled anything, heard anything…nothing. “I’d just turned around, and there she was.”
Whoever had done it hadn’t been there. He was long gone, using magic to disappear as soon as he’d prepared the body. He’d come and gone in a flash, leaving only the poor girl behind to let them know of his presence.
Mike pulled a business card from his shirt pocket and slid it across the table. “This has my office number on it and my personal cell number on the back. If you remember anything or just need to talk, you can reach me at one of those.”
“Thank you,” she whispered as she picked up the card.
Mike stood and put his hat back on. “Thanks for the coffee.”
Sarah watched him go. Worry snaked its way up her spine to lodge in her chest. Mike obviously didn’t trust Dastan and Dmitry, but did he think they were doing it? God, she hoped not. She would hate to see them have to leave this place. She would hate to have to leave as well. She’d grown to love it here, and if she left, she’d leave a piece of herself behind.
Chapter Thirteen
“Well,” Dastan said as he dropped tiredly into one of the dining room chairs. He couldn’t remember ever working this hard, but it felt good. He’d grown soft as a council guardian. He enjoyed all the physical labor the ranch required. “I think I’m about beat.”
Sarah smiled softly at him from her spot at the island. “Did they get the body?” she asked.
“Yeah. They’ve taken her off, scoured the land around her. They found lots of tracks, but nothing that helps them.”
“Did you see any more of the shifter tracks?”
“Yeah and so did they.”
“What did they make of them?”
Dastan shrugged and twisted his lips in agitation. “Who knows? They seem to believe it’s the same breed that had attacked Keegan when she was here, but no one seems to know where they come from.” He snorted. “Can’t imagine why.”
“Do they still think the girl was mangled by a wolf?”
“Nope,” Dastan replied. “I need to find that shifter.”
“How?” she asked.
He pulled the small piece of fabric from his pocket that had the girl’s blood on it and turned it over in his hands. “I’m hoping this will tell me something.”
There had been enough blood still wet to get just a dab. It really wasn’t what he needed, but she knew Dastan would try anyway. “I can help…”
“No,” Dastan said firmly.
“You’re so damn stubborn!”
“Of course, he is,” Dmitry said as he strolled into the kitchen. “He’s had over a thousand years to perfect it too.”
Sarah rolled her eyes but still didn’t miss the little thrill of excitement that always raced through her body whenever she saw them all sweaty from a hard day’s work.
“I just got a call from the insurance company,” Dmitry said as he opened the refrigerator door. He grabbed a can of soda and went to sit at the table. “They’ll be out here tomorrow to take some pictures of the damage. In the meantime, we’ll throw up some boards to block the broken glass.”
“Can we just use magic for that?” Sarah asked, already worn out from the day’s work and all the other issues she’d been dealing with.
Dmitry grinned. “Yeah, once we know the hands are in for the night.”
“Thank you,” she whispered and dropped her chin into her hands. “Is anyone hungry?”
Dastan’s look was so intense as he stared at her, Sarah felt herself melt. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to you since earlier,” Dastan said. “Are you okay?”
Sarah nodded. “I’m okay.” She sat up and rubbed the back of her neck. “I just don’t have much of an appetite. I keep seeing that girl.”
Dmitry stood and walked over. He placed a sweet kiss on the top of her head that made her heart skip a beat. She reached out and touched his hard stomach through the material of his shirt.
“Don’t worry about Dastan and me. You go take a long bath or shower. Relax. We’ll just snap something up for dinner.”
Sarah smiled at the image of him snapping up anything. “Would you snap me up a glass of wine?”
Dmitry chuckled and snapped his fingers. A glass of wine appeared before her on the island. “One glass of wine for one very tired witch,” Dmitry whispered, then kissed her temple.
Sarah wanted to just sink into him and let him hold her until she felt normal again. Would that ever happen? Would she ever feel like herself? Would she ever feel safe or unafraid?
She glanced through the window toward the hill where she’d found the body. Was he there now? Was he close? What did he want? Why was he doing this? They were all questions she doubted they would ever find the answer to.
Dmitry put his finger under her chin and turned her away from the window. She met his concerned gray-blue eyes. “Don’t think about him, Sarah. Put him out of your mind for now.”
“How can I when we know how close he was?”
“He won’t hurt you. I promise you that.” He softly kissed her lips, then smiled. “Go.”
She reluctantly moved away from him and headed for the door. Dastan joined her at the space that separated the living area from the kitchen. He touched her cheek, and Sarah felt her skin tingle beneath his fingers.
“Dmitry and I have a few things we need to take care of. Then we’ll be up.”
Sarah licked her lips, slightly uncertain. What did he mean by up? And more importantly, what did she want it to mean? “Let me know when you’re done,” she whispered.
