Embraced By Darkness (Riley Jenson Guardian 5)

"No worse than having ghosts wanting to sit around and chat." I rubbed my leg gently, wondering how long it was going to take for the ache to go away. "Jorn and Yohan apparently shipped over here a couple of years ago from England. I just wanted to know why they came here - whether they were running to better weather, or simply running from trouble."

"If they were running from trouble, they wouldn't have gotten into the country."

"Convictions keep people out, not suspicions."

"True. And new identities are easy enough to get."

"I'd like to think DNA scanning will put an end to all that." I reached past the laptop and picked up the coffee, taking a sip before placing it back down again.

"DNA scanning technology is expensive and still being trialed," Rhoan said. "It won't get into airports or docks for years."

I grunted, looked into the eye scanner, and waited for the laptop to connect into the Directorate's computer system.

"I guess even if they are finally installed, the bad guys will have worked out a way to get past them."

"Always. Cops playing catch-up with criminals is the way of the world."

The laptop beeped, an indicator my file had been retrieved. "Well, well, well," I said, after scanning the first page. "It seems that Jorn and Yohan owned a nightclub in London that was linked to over a dozen disappearances. All of the missing women were blondes, and all of them were from well-off werewolf families."

Rhoan raised an eyebrow. "Linked how?"

"Seems they were all last seen on the nightclub's premises." I scrolled past the full details of the victims. "The report says that the owners were very cooperative with the police, and handed over all available security tapes. Apparently Jorn and Yohan were never under serious suspicion, and the tapes showed each of the women dancing with a different man on the night of their disappearance. The disappearances were never solved, and the file remains open. Interestingly, the disappearances stopped once they sold the club."

He took a sip of his coffee, then said, "Odd coincidence that they've started up again here, and not long after opening another club."

"Neither you nor I believe in coincidences like that." I scrolled to the next page. "Oh, and it gets better."

"More murders?"

"One more. In Germany." I read the report quickly. "The twins were born in Germany. Their mom died young, and their daddy had a habit of bringing home new moms weekly."

"Whores?"

"Nope. Daddy was a doctor, and tended to float his boat amongst the well-off and comfortably rich. Wasn't too concerned about whether his conquests were married or not."

"Don't tell me, he slept with one married woman too many?"

"Even better. He slept with a rich young werewolf very close to the full moon."

"And she tore him apart in the heat of the moment." Rhoan shook his head. "Humans never seem to learn."

"You can't just blame humans. Us wolves have a responsibility of care, too, you know." After all, we knew how violent we could get.

"So what happened to the wolf?"

I hesitated, reading on quickly. "Nothing. The mating act was consensual, and the death itself was deemed accidental. She did minimum time."

"I take it the twins didn't take this too well?"

"They were witnesses to the mauling, and apparently neither of them said a word before or after the trial. Doctors said it was shock."

"And the wolf? How long did she survive after serving her time?"

"Two days. She was found shot with silver and beheaded in her apartment by her sister." I hesitated. "Her head was never found."

"Wonder what they did with it?"

"I don't think I want to know, thanks."