“I’ve already told you my connection to Jason. He was with me at that tragic shooting. And you knew Sadie at the Tribunal. But did you work on any cases with her?”
“Let me think.” She closed her eyes, and he let her be. When she opened them, her eyes were narrowed. “Only one time that I can recall. Donaldson had asked me to close a file on a missing woman, and I’d been in pretty close contact with the husband, Evan Pierce. His wife, Heather, had been abducted at a Christmas Party. This was nine years ago, maybe longer. Anyway, I was able to make excellent progress, then suddenly I was shut down. Sadie was the one who delivered Donaldson’s orders. But that’s the only encounter I had with her.”
“Was she working for Donaldson back then as his assistant?”
“You know, I think she was a temp at the time. She’d been filling in that night because Donaldson’s assistant was out sick. And he’s had the same one from the time I came on board.”
Connor thought this through. “And what about this man, Evan, who lost his wife. Did you ever speak with him again?”
“I went to see him in Phoenix to tell him that the case had been shut down. He’d been very accepting at that point. He knew enough about Five Bridges to understand the chances of getting his wife out alive and unharmed were slim. But are you thinking he’s involved somehow?”
Connor shook his head. “Just trying to piece things together.”
“Well, Evan is human, not altered. He wouldn’t be any kind of threat here in our world.”
“No, he wouldn’t.”
Iris shook her head slowly. “I hated that case. Evan was so in love with his wife. It reminded me of all that I’d lost.”
“Did you ever find out what happened to his wife?”
Her phone rang and she lifted finger. “I should take this.” With the phone still on speaker, she answered the call. “Meldeere.”
A woman’s voice came on the line. “Iris?”
Iris’s lips curved. “That’s me.”
“Oh, thank God, you’re okay.”
“Hi, Faith. I am. Thanks.”
“How you holdin’ up, sweetheart? We all saw the news footage that a Crescent BP officer got you off the bridge before it blew.”
“He did.”
“I wish you’d called in to let us know you were all right, but I’m sure you were pretty shaken up.”
“Horribly. But is that why you’ve called? I mean if it is, that’s fine and it really is wonderful to hear your voice.”
“Actually,” Connor heard Faith sigh. “Donaldson came down here a couple of minutes ago. He scowled the whole time. He said he didn’t care that you almost died, he needed you on another assignment. Pronto.”
Another set-up. Shit. Adrenaline flooded Connor’s heart and veins. He moved close to Iris, sliding his arm around her waist. Now that he knew it was possible they were dealing with a pair of homicidal maniacs, Connor didn’t want Iris anywhere near them.
Faith continued, “We’ve got an incident in Crescent that Donaldson wants you to check out. It’s in the central section and pretty far from that mess down in Rotten Row. Have you been following those killings?”
“I have.”
“Brutal.”
“Yeah, they are. So what’s the incident?”
“Right. Four or more vampires out near Tonopah Bridge. Looks like a drug deal gone bad, or something. But that’s all the info I have. I don’t know if they’re dead, or hopped up on flame, or what. FYI, the canal over there has been breached and there’s water flowing beneath the bridge on the ditch side, not sure how much though.”
Iris’s brown eyes were wide, and he could see her pulse beating fast in her throat. “Got it. I’ll head out there in the next few minutes. Was there anything else?”
“No, but call me when you’ve assessed the situation.”
“Donaldson’s orders?”