Pure Blood_ A Nocturne City Novel - Caitlin Kittredge [20]
“Luna, he obviously OD’d,” said Shelby. “Maybe he got a shot of the same stuff as our other guy. Probably a new mix that some jackass dealer is making in his bathtub. I’ll check with my guy in Narcotics. Let’s bag him and get out of here.”
I pulled Vincent’s shirt open and noticed similar oblong bruises on his clavicle, as well as nipple rings and diagonal red welts across his pectorals. The welts were healing, but the bruises were fresh and dark.
“Come on,” said Shelby, who was standing as far away from Vincent’s body as she could get and still be in the room. “My shift is almost over. We can take another look at the morgue tomorrow.”
“No,” I said, seeing another rising bruise on Vincent’s jawline. “No, we’re waiting for the medical examiner.”
“He’s here,” said Kronen, coming through the door and positioning himself next to me. “What’s so important?”
I showed him the bruises, the tracks, and the welts. Imprints of violence are hard to erase. Vincent would be buried with his bruises. They would never fade. Over Shelby’s irritated sigh I said, “I think he was restrained.”
Kronen swabbed blood from the fresh track in Vincent’s arm and nodded. “By a person. These marks were made by fingers, I believe.”
Shelby blew out a puff of air behind me. “So he was in a fight. So what?”
I stripped off my gloves and stood. “So maybe the fight ended with him getting a hot dose shoved in his arm. That’s a murder. We’re homicide detectives.”
Shelby flipped her hair over her shoulder, gathering it into a nervous ponytail and then letting it fall again. I looked into her eyes. Panic was rising from their depths and it got worse every time she looked at the body. “I don’t think this merits an investigation,” she said desperately.
“Well, I do,” I said. “And partners listen to each other. We’re working the case.”
I touched Kronen lightly on the arm. “How soon can you have him bagged and autopsied?”
“For you, I’ll push him through in the express lane,” said Kronen. “Ten gunshots or less.”
“Hilarious,” I assured him when he mistook my silence for disapproval. No matter how long I work in the department, I’ll never get used to morgue humor.
“Can we please go file a report now?” Shelby demanded. On the other hand, cop humor was something I could use a little more of lately.
“Yeah, yeah, we’re going,” I assured her. Behind her, Trevor pushed through the crowd to the uniforms guarding the door.
“Luna!”
I went over to him, taking his hand and guiding him away from the scene. He stopped me, gripping my shoulders. “What happened in there? Why did you run out on me?”
I bit my lip. “Someone died, Trevor.”
He sagged, and then gathered me into his arms, which turned me into a human-sized wooden board. I forced myself to relax and return his embrace.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I muttered against his shoulder. “It’s not my first dead guy in a bathroom.”
He let me go and peered at the barricade. “Who was it?”
“I can’t discuss the details of an open case,” I repeated perfunctorily, and then it hit me that Trevor and Blackburn might have run in the same circles. Vincent certainly dressed the part. “It’s Vincent Blackburn. Looks like he might have had an accident.” If the accident was being held down and injected with poison, that is.
“Hex me.” Trevor passed a hand over his face. “That sucks, man. That’s really messed up.”
I took his hands in mine. “Do you know anything about Vincent? Could you help me?”
“He bartended at some fringe place downtown … one of those shitty basement venues, whips and chains, you know.”
“Fetish club?” I wasn’t surprised. The Blackburn family had a reputation for being into anything that involved blood and pain, preferably a willing victim’s.
“Luna,” said Trevor suddenly. “Did you like my song?”
Shelby came out of the bathroom and motioned toward the door. I waved her ahead and faced Trevor.
“I have to know,” he said. “I put my heart into it.” And dammitall, he meant it. His eyes searched my face and I forced myself to soften. He was a good guy. He thought he loved me. The song was something