Blood and Chocolate

"Vivian," Ulf cried again. "It wasn't you." His face was streaked with tears.

She stared at him stupidly long enough for Willem to snatch the matches from her.

Gregory stepped over one of the lower walls.

"Is he coming?" Willem asked.

"Yeah," Gregory said.

Then Gabriel was there.

"Oh, baby," Gabriel said gently, wiping the sodden hair back from her face. "You need a bath."

Chapter 27

27

Vivian's knees gave way, but Gabriel caught her before she fell and swept her into his arms. "It's all right now, it's all right," he whispered against her bedraggled hair as he carried her down to the river. She crushed herself against his chest to stop the trembling, and when he lowered her gently into the river she was reluctant to let go. But she slid from his grasp to strip off her ruined clothes, then submerged herself in the tepid water.

"What does Ulf mean, it wasn't me?" she asked as she emerged dripping from the river.

Greg handed her his T-shirt. It came to her knees.

"Tell them," Willem ordered, his hand on Ulf's , shoulder.

Ulf lowered his eyes and bit his lip. "Astrid came home with a meat-boy tonight," he said in his quiet, high-pitched voice. "Her and Rafe. They thought I was out but I went back for my sleeping bag and some comic books, and got sidetracked reading an old Sandman. Then I heard Mom come home with Rafe making a bunch of noise. I thought they were drunk and I ignored them until I heard a cry. I looked out my door and saw them kill him."

Gabriel cursed, and Ulf backed up the riverbank. "Its okay, little brother," Gabriel said. "I'll not bite."

Oh, sweet Moon, Vivian thought. I almost killed myself for nothing.

"They didn't see me," Ulf continued, watching Gabriel warily. "I left while they were rolling him up in the carpet they'd done him on. I climbed out the window and went over to Willem's."

"He wouldn't tell me what was wrong at first," Willem said. "But you know Ulf, it was obvious something was."

"How could I turn in my mother?" Ulf wailed.

Willem put his arm around the smaller boy. "I brought him to you, Vivian. I thought you'd know what to do. But then I found your note."

"He called me," Gabriel continued impatiently. "I left Finn in charge and came with Greg as fast as I could. Willem had already followed your trail. I followed his."

Sweet Moon, did he think her a coward? She couldn't let him think that. "I was doing it for the pack," she said. "To protect them from me."

Gabriel's dark brows knit into a frown. "But why did you think the killer was you?" he asked. He folded his arms and waited for some sense out of her.

It was Rafe who had said she'd been heading for Tooley's that night, and Rafe had given her the booze  -  Rafe who despised her and now consorted with Astrid, who hated her, too. "Ulf," she said. "Did they say anything about setting me up?"

Ulf swallowed. "No. They just went through his pockets. Mom found some letter on him. When she read it she laughed."

Dread buzzed in Vivian's chest like an evil black fly. "What did it say?" she demanded.

Ulf flinched. "I don't know. But after Rafe read it he said, 'I'd rather be there at two o'clock.' "

"Quince," Vivian squeaked, and covered her mouth.

Gabriel took her arm. "Was he your boyfriend? The one you wanted to make jealous?"

"No. His friend." Tears blinded her. "He brought me a message from Aiden. Astrid and Rafe were across the street when we talked. They must have followed him." Sudden panic gripped Vivian. "What time is it?"