Chapter 9

Secrets

Intro Song: Secret, The Pierces

Author's note: This intro song is a choice I love for this chapter – very quirky sound and one of the lines is "Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead". How true is that?!

Mick St. John watched the buildings roll by from his vantage point in the taxi as he made his way to the 30th Precinct. The view triggered memories of his last visit to New York, when he saw Sara Whitley for the first – and as it turned out - last time. He had been completely unaware of her existence until that trip, and it had brought home the fact that his best friend kept many secrets from him.

If Sara was a secret for all those years, what other secrets does Josef have? What the hell is this Crucis – and why hasn't he told me about it? I need answers...

The last visit to New York had not ended well. He had almost begged Beth to stay there with him. After Josef's sad confession about Sara, he had suddenly been overwhelmed with the desire to feel human, even if only by doing what humans would do. He wanted to stroll the streets of New York in the crisp, cool air, listen to some good jazz, have a few martinis with a lovely lady...

Beth had rejected him, instead returning to L.A. - and Josh. Her excuse had been that things had not been good with Josh when she left, and she needed to get back to clear the air. He had seen the truth in her eyes though. They were full of fear - fear of ending up like Sara Whitley, who had been in a coma for over 50 years after a failed attempt by Josef to 'turn' her. Do you blame her? No, but it had still hurt. It felt like she was turning her back on him and what he was. Does she still think about that day?

With a sigh, he thumbed her number on his cell again, aware that it was evening in L.A. To his surprise, her phone rolled over to voicemail again. "Hi, you've reached Beth Turner from the L.A. County D.A's office. Please leave a message and I'll return your call as soon as I'm able."

She can't still be in meetings with Talbot, can she? The thought made him uneasy. He didn't like – or trust – Assistant District Attorney Ben Talbot and thought that Beth taking a job working for him was a bad idea. BuzzWire had been complicated enough; working for an ADA was downright dangerous. He had to concede, however, that the information she received in the course of her job had already come in handy, most recently in the Monaghan investigation. Her new occupation was yet another complication of their already difficult lives.

Or is she just pissed off about Victoria answering my phone?

"Beth, hi. It's Mick," he added unnecessarily. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't call you sooner, I was in a freezer after the flight out. About the woman who answered the phone..." he paused, not quite sure what tact to take, then took a deep breath and plunged ahead, "...that is Victoria Silver. She's our host here in New York and she thought she was being helpful by answering my phone." Sure, she did… The explanation sounded lame, even to him. He finished with "Look, I'm on my way to the police to look at their reports. I'll try you again later."

Breaking the connection, he belatedly realized he should have added "I love you" – or should he? He felt like he was navigating completely unknown territory in this human-vampire relationship – without the aid of a map.

Pulling up in front of the precinct station, he bounded out of the taxi and up the steps into the police station. Once inside, he realized he had no idea what Gabrielle Sinclair looked like. He needn't have worried - before he could complete the thought, a very petite young-looking Asian woman, her long hair woven into a thick braid, walked up to him.

"Mick St. John?" When he nodded, she stuck out her hand, shaking his firmly. "Gabrielle Sinclair. Victoria sent me to help out."

"How did you know it was me?" St. John was genuinely curious.

"Oh, Victoria gave me a pretty good description. Let's see...six–foot–two, very fit, wavy brown hair, hazel eyes, long tailored coat, incredibly sexy..." leaning in closer, she whispered, "and a vampire." Straightening, she continued in a normal voice, "Yep, I think she was pretty accurate. And those are just the things I can say out loud." She laughed at Mick's startled look.

"Just so you know, the cameras in that bathroom work both ways, and I have some excellent video as reference – purely for identification purposes, of course. Just something to remember when you are with Victoria..." She smiled wickedly as she showed him the display on her iPhone, clearly enjoying his obvious discomfort.

Oh great. Now, all I need is to have Josef get wind of this and I'll never hear the end of it. And, god help me if Beth ever sees it…

He barely heard Gabrielle's greeting. "Welcome to New York, Mick! Now, let's see about getting you those police reports."

The evening in Los Angeles was just getting underway- but for her, it was over. Beth had had enough, pure and simple. A week that started with an idyllic weekend was now enmeshed in emergencies, intrigue and secret movements – in other words, 'vampire business.' Logically, she understood - and to a large degree, accepted - the absurdity of her life. She was involved with Mick St. John, and all which that entailed.

And right now, she was escorting her errant friend home from their happy hour at The Library Bar.

Beth heaved a sigh of relief as Marissa pulled into the entrance to her apartment parking lot. Her friend rolled down her car window, and looked back at her, giving the "all's okay" wave, as they'd done for each other so many times over the years. A quick toot of acknowledgement, and Beth drove off, alone with her thoughts.

Why did she feel this way? Did the strange, sultry female voice on Mick's phone really rattle her to this extent? Or rather, the woman she imagined as its owner? Her maudlin introspection was mercifully interrupted once she reached the entrance of her building's parking structure.

Minutes later, Beth was safely locked in her apartment. She dropped her purse on a desk near the door, and plopped down on her sofa, drained. She knew that Mick wanted her to stay at his place while he was out of town because of the additional security it offered, but this was familiar to her. Years of dinners, parties, friendships and love, had all had been witnessed and fostered within these walls. Her time with Josh... even the first night she and Mick spent together... it was all here.

In the sanctuary of her space, Beth could not help but compare the differences in her relationships with these two men. She'd been with Josh for over a year, and never had a key to his place – a point Marissa had ribbed her about on more than one occasion. Truth be told, she hadn't cared about having a key to his apartment, which probably should have told her something to begin with.

Mick had given her a key, unbidden, only a week or so after they'd officially become a couple. Considering their special situation, and the secrets he had to keep, Beth knew his was not a capricious decision. It meant a lot to have him offer up this piece of himself – he really wanted her with him. But was it too soon? How did she fit into his world? Would he tire of being tied to a frail human he always had to worry about?

Goodness knows he had his pick of any female – human or vampire. Her girlfriends' reactions to him readily confirmed that. Unbidden images of his ex–wife Coraline came immediately to mind – the vampire who had kidnapped her as a child in a desperate attempt to win him back. That she had been willing to go to those lengths to try to keep him was very telling.

Why would he want me? She had to admit that there was a large dose of self-doubt and misgivings in that thought.

Frustrated with herself, Beth set about to collect the items she needed to take with her back to Mick's penthouse. She threw herself into choosing clothes, perfume, and other personal items with the hope that the orchestrated mindlessness of the tasks would somehow pacify the litany of questions running through her mind.

Why was she now feeling this wave of insecurity, when before she was so confident and comfortable? Because she already couldn't imagine her life without him and that scared her.

Because you love him.

Mick St. John had to admit that, despite the almost constant ribbing he had taken at the hands of Gabrielle Sinclair – who looked as if she were no older than 20 to his 30 – she had been very efficient in getting him access to what he needed to investigate Sara Whitley's death. It was particularly difficult, given the fact that, as far as New York's finest were concerned, only Paula Bridges, the nurse on duty, and an unidentified patient, had been present at Waverly Place when it burned to the ground. As hard as that made it for Josef – and for his investigation - it had to remain that way. Trying to explain the presence of a woman who had disappeared more than 50 years ago would be impossible. They did not need closer scrutiny from the police.

Sitting in a vacant interrogation room with Gabrielle, he reviewed the fire marshal and arson squad reports, and saw that they all agreed on the cause of the fire – the lethal combination of oxygen tanks and cigarettes. Convenient – but possible. Explosions and fires resulting from oxygen under pressure being exposed to cigarettes were well–documented causes of many deaths.

Pausing on the summary page in the arson report, he re–read one of the entries, frowning. Six oxygen tanks? They had found remnants suggesting that five or six oxygen tanks had been present. That seemed like overkill to him – had no one questioned the presence of that many tanks? He searched his memory for any image of oxygen tanks when he had been in Sarah's room and could only recall one, set aside in a corner. What were they doing with six tanks?

"What is it, Mick?" Gabrielle noticed his frown. Laying down the report she was reviewing, she asked, "What did you find?"

The private investigator pointed out the offending item in the report. "Doesn't that seem like a lot of oxygen tanks for one person? Especially one person who didn't need oxygen, as far as I can tell. I think it was just there as window dressing for the home health care professionals."

"Yes, it does seem like a lot." She frowned, reaching over from her spot next to him at the worn table and taking the report from his hand. "It looks like there was follow–up with the medical supply company – did you see that?" She looked up to make sure she had his attention. "It says that they were contacted by Paula Bridges, who apparently had the misfortune of coming on duty Sunday afternoon. When she saw the delivery, she called New York Medical and left a message for the owner – a Mr. John Giles. Apparently, there was some mix–up and they had recorded an order for 6 oxygen tanks to be delivered on Saturday. According to the investigating team, the owner told them they'd made other deliveries there before, so they didn't question it. And, the relief nurses were on duty Saturday evening when the delivery was made, so they apparently didn't know what to do about it. The company couldn't get back to pick them up that day but were scheduled to pick them up on Monday… today."

Gabby looked up again with a shrug. "It does sound plausible, Mick. Just an unfortunate mix-up."

"Yeah, it does. Nice and neat too. And, usually, when something looks too perfect to be true – it is." The vampire drew on his years of working as a private investigator, his mind worrying at this new piece of information like a dog with a bone. Frowning, he made a decision. "I'm going to want to interview that owner myself tomorrow. Can you arrange that?"

"I'll certainly try, little boy," Gabrielle grinned, invoking the nickname she had designated for Mick, courtesy of the fact that, despite looking like a teenager, she had discovered that she was actually about 40 years older than he. "I'll see what I can arrange."

"Gabrielle, you are really beginning to grow on me – despite your twisted sense of humor," Mick sighed, glancing at his watch. There was nothing more he could do till dawn. I can try Beth one more time. He could only hope that Victoria's little soiree was over by now.

"Well, if you call me Gabby, I might cut you some slack – maybe." She smiled at the handsome vampire. He really is pretty special. Victoria picked a winner this time.

The two vampires parted company outside the precinct station after agreeing to meet late the next morning to interrogate the medical supply company manager, and the director of the home health care agency. Mick knew the day ahead would be a busy one and was hoping for an hour or two in the freezer and some fresh blood at Victoria's. On the ride back, he tried Beth's number once more and was frustrated to get her voice mail again. Dammit! He was beginning to be worried about her lack of response - Beth normally had her phone glued to her. Or she's pissed about Victoria and giving you the silent treatment…

He thought about calling Guillermo or Logan to check on her, then reconsidered. Given the situation, it seemed likely that Beth just didn't want to talk to him right now. And, she valued her independence. There would be hell to pay if she were just busy with work – or angry at him – and he sent bloodhounds...even friendly vampires... to check on her.

The doorman welcomed him back with a courteous nod – he was well–briefed on Victoria Silver's frequent guests.

St. John let himself into the lovely turn-of-the-century condo with the key Victoria had pressed on him before he left. He heard voices down the hall, coming from the direction of the music room and approached cautiously, moving across the polished hardwood floor with the silence and grace of a predatory cat. Just as he got to the French doors leading into the room, they opened outward and Victoria walked out with several unfamiliar vampires, laughing at something being said by one of them. In the room beyond, he could see Josef Kostan standing, looking after the group just leaving.

"Mick!" Victoria broke stride briefly to put her hand on his arm. "I'm just escorting my guests out. Why don't you join Josef for a drink and I'll be right back." With that, she continued down the long hall, ushering her companions along with her. Mick continued into the music room, shutting the double doors behind him. Whatever was going on, clearly Victoria did not want him to be a part of it.

"How are you doing, Josef?" Mick hurried over to his friend who looked up from his drink with the ghost of a smile.

Josef evaded the question with one of his own. "What did you find out, Mick?"

"Nothing conclusive yet. The explosion was supposedly an accident, caused by oxygen tanks being ignited – but the police report says there were six tanks there. Josef, can you think of any reason why that many oxygen tanks would be at that apartment?"

"No, none." Kostan bit off the words in a clipped voice. "I never remember there being more than one there at a time – and they were only replaced because they had an expiration date and the supply company I bought them from insisted on replacing them. They were really there for show, window dressing for the home health care nurses since they didn't know the real story. I'm pretty sure one was never used on Sara - there would be no reason to. I have no idea why there would have been so many there. What did the police have to say about it?"

"The report indicated that they were dropped off there by mistake. Paula apparently caught the error and called the company, but they couldn't get back until today to pick them up."

"A day late and a dollar short, as they used to say." Josef snorted, lifting the half–full glass of dark red liquid to his lips. "So, what happens now?"

"I'll meet Victoria's forensics expert at the site in the morning, and then Gabrielle is arranging a meeting with the owner of the medical supply company after that. I'm going to try to interview the home health care director and maybe some of the nurses tomorrow too. I'm going to get to the bottom of this Josef, I promise you." Mick looked at his friend, noting that Josef looked more haggard now than he had when he had left earlier in the evening to meet Gabrielle at the precinct station. He definitely needed to go back to the freezer.

"Hey," he smiled, motioning to the glass in Kostan's hand, "you got any more of that stuff?"

"Yeah... sorry Mick. I guess I'm not myself yet." The boyish–looking, 400‑year–old vampire shook his head as he went over to an elaborate bar set in the wall at one end of the elegant room. He poured more of the thick, ruby‑colored liquid into his glass, and then filled a fresh glass for St. John, handing it off to his friend.

"Look, I know if there is anything to find, you'll uncover it. And Mick...thanks."

"Well, don't thank me yet. I don't have any answers for you, Josef. Just a lot of questions – and some of them are for you. Tell me about Crucis." Mick tackled the subject head-on, pinning his friend with his gaze, his face creased with a frown.

Kostan opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment, Victoria Silver burst back through the doors like a force of nature. Without making any reference to the vampires who had just left, she zeroed in on St. John "Mick! Tell me what you found out – I haven't had a chance to talk with Gabby yet."

Mick did not believe that claim for a moment, but putting his unease over the question of Crucis aside temporarily, he brought the head of New York's vampire community up–to–date on his findings so far, repeating the information he had reviewed with Josef. "Gabrielle – I mean, Gabby – has been a big help, Victoria. She's setting up a meeting for me later this morning with the owner of New York Medical."

"Yes, she is very good, isn't she? I'll have to tell you her story sometime – or, better yet, you should ask her yourself." Ever the consummate hostess, Victoria changed topics. "I'm sure you would both like a little more freezer time now that you've taken some nourishment." She smiled as she gestured at their now–empty glasses. "I can wake you in a couple of hours."

"I'll just keep my phone with me this time and set the alarm. No need to wake me, Victoria." Mick was determined to distance himself from the obviously interested woman.

"Whatever you want." Victoria smiled as if to say this isn't over yet, as Mick headed out of the music room, taking the stairs two at a time to the relative privacy of the freezer. He had never missed Los Angeles so much...

Beth, where are you?

End song: Where Are You Now?, Lost Frequencies & Calum Scott