“If he could afford those, he should have installed better security.”
“Security doesn’t usually stop the kites.”
“No, only decapitation or the sun can do that.” She frowned down at the body. According to the SIU labs, the kites were some sort of offshoot of the vampire family tree. The SIU researchers were desperate to get their hands on a live specimen for testing, but as yet no one had figured out a way to capture one. “This wasn’t a random attack. The kite came straight to this apartment.”
“Maybe the victim was the only one moving around.”
Sam shook her head. “There was movement in several apartments, but the creature ignored them all and came straight here.”
Gabriel frowned. “There’s been no evidence that the kites can be programmed to kill certain individuals.”
“But there’s been no evidence that they can’t, either.”
“True.” He studied her for a moment, his hazel eyes intense. “How did you drive the creature away? Stun rifles don’t work on kites.”
“No, but they definitely don’t like it when you fire it at their head. It seemed to affect their ability to echolocate.”
He raised his eyebrows in surprise, but any comment he was about to make was cut off as a wristcom—a two-inch-wide communications and minicomputer unit worn around the wrist—beeped. His, not hers.
He hit the unit’s interface with more force than necessary. “Stern here,” he said, with more than a hint of impatience in his voice.
Given the tightening of his already annoyed expression, the news obviously wasn’t good.
“What?” she said the minute he’d hung up.
“It looks like our serial killer has struck again. Byrne wants me to investigate.”
Me, not we, she noted—and wondered if, in fact, Stephan had said that, or if Gabriel was locking her out again. “Where this time?”
“Elwood.”
She raised her eyebrows. If it was the same killer, then he was certainly showing no preference for area. So far, he’d killed in Toorak, Broadmeadows and now Elwood. And it was more than just miles that separated the three suburbs; each one occupied a different rung on the social ladder.
“What about the blood bank stakeout?”
“Briggs and Thornhill have taken over.”
Lucky them. But she’d seen the two working together before, and she had no doubt that Briggs would be considerate enough to offer her partner some hot coffee long before his butt froze to the step. “So let’s go investigate.”
Gabriel’s gaze narrowed, as if he’d sensed the hint of sarcasm underlying her words. “You disobeyed orders and came after the kite. Now you’re stuck with this case, I’m afraid.”
But if the kite hadn’t attacked, he would have found some other reason to keep her away from the murder investigation. Had it been anyone else, she would have sworn it stemmed from distrust—of both her and her ability to cope with the job—but he’d already told her it wasn’t so much her, but partners in general. It was almost as if he distrusted himself more than her or any partner he might be assigned.
Not that that thought made any sense at all—unless, of course, something had happened to his other partners. Something he felt responsible for. Maybe that was something she needed to check out, because it would certainly go a long way toward explaining things.
Of course, it was also something he should tell her, but obviously the man had a stubborn streak a mile wide. Either that or he thought telling her it wasn’t about her, but about partners in general, was explanation enough.
“Well, at least it’s better than filling out endless rounds of paperwork.”
His brief smile held a grim edge. “You’ve been with the SIU for just three months. You’ve yet to go through full training. Don’t expect to be treated as anything more than a trainee.”
She snorted softly. “Don’t worry. Any expectations I might have had have long since died.”
Anger flared briefly in his eyes. Then he glanced at the hovering CSM and his face became impassive once more. “Keep in contact. I’ll see you back at the office.”
He turned and walked away, his movements sharp and agitated.
She stared at the door for several minutes after he’d disappeared, then turned and walked across to the bedroom to see what she could find.