He drew in a deep breath and then shook his head. “Now is neither the time nor the place for that conversation. Not in front of a suspect, anyway.”
“Okay,” Belle said, with an uneasy glance my way. “But you still need to tell me what you need to know.”
“The name of her half brother, a description we can use so our ranger can put out an APB, and her brother’s current location if she knows it.”
Aiden glanced at Ashworth. “Didn’t you ask the records office for a description and name?”
“Yes, but despite emphasizing the urgency of the situation, I was told it had to go through the approval process before I’ll get answers.” He shrugged. “They did say the request would be fast-tracked, but this way will be infinitely quicker and easier.”
“And fucking illegal!” Molly piped up. “You can’t just read people’s minds willy-nilly—it’s against the law.”
“Actually,” Aiden said, “in circumstances that involve a noncompliant witness and a situation that is unresolved and dangerous, all law enforcement officers have the legal right to use telepaths if the witness has been given ample opportunity to answer questions. Which you certainly have. Belle, proceed.”
“Right.” She cracked her knuckles and then got down to the business of mind reading. After a moment, she said, distaste heavy in her voice, “Oh my God, he’s your damn brother, girl—what the hell are you thinking?”
“It’s none of your damn business what we do.”
“In that, you may be right, but it’s still damn disgusting. And illegal.” Belle’s gaze narrowed as she dug deeper into the other woman’s thoughts. “His name is Jack Lea, and he lives off the money his sister makes working at Émigré.”
“Sounds like a right charmer,” Aiden murmured.
“What’s her address?” Ashworth asked. “If we could get this creep caught tonight, it will make the task of tackling the soul eater that much easier.”
“Hang on.” Belle’s gaze narrowed again. “Okay, she’s attempting to confuse matters by throwing random addresses at me mentally, but they’re living in the new terraces on Kennedy Street. Number three.”
“It’s interesting that Marlinda, Aled, and now Molly all live in houses that are worth well over six hundred thousand, and which both Marlinda and Aled, at least, bought outright, with cash,” Aiden said. “They’re obviously paying bartenders and waitresses a whole lot more than they did back in my day.”
“Because you’re so old and they were only paying pennies back then,” I commented, voice dry.
His grin flashed, despite the tension I could sense in him. “We were paid the award. What I meant was, I couldn’t have lived in the type of accommodation these two are on what I was earning. I certainly couldn’t have afforded to support a second person.”
I’m sure Molly wouldn’t have been able to if she’d only been on bartender or waitress wages. But she’d been one of Maelle’s feeders, and as such had been well looked after. At least until she’d allowed her inner bitch loose.
“I’m guessing,” he continued, “you wouldn’t have a theory about their apparent wealth, would you?”
“Rich parents, perhaps?”
He raised an eyebrow, annoyance evident. All he said, however, was, “Can you get a description of her brother, Belle?”
She nodded and, after a few seconds, said, “He’s got Sarr blood in him, though his skin is more a light brown than the black of mine. He’s got their black hair and silver eyes, though.”
“Build?”
She hesitated. “Thin. He’s got a rather large nose, and big hands and feet.”
The latter being the reason she was first attracted to him, she added silently.
She’s got a foot fetish?
Belle nudged me lightly, sending the tea I’d all but forgotten about slopping over the edge of the cup. Thankfully, it hit my jacket more than my fingers.
No, idiot. Remember what they say about men with big feet? Well, apparently it’s true in this case.
Eww. And he’s still her brother, big dick or not.
She doesn’t appear to have the same sensibilities as you or me.
Wonder if the same could be said about the rest of them, given they’re willingly feeding and fucking a vampire?