Playing Their Parts

“You…you can’t fucking…come in without a…a warrant!” he snarled, panting with effort as he tried to close the door.

“If you do not want us to come in, then send Frank Yarrow to the door.” Stone’s deep voice was low, but controlled, Cassie was glad to note. “Or better yet, send out The Beast.”

“Mr. Yarrow’s…not…here,” the thug grunted, still trying to force the door closed with all his might. Stone simply stood there, holding it open with one hand with no visible effort at all.

“They why are you?” Cassie demanded, frowning at him. “I have a hunch guys like Frank Yarrow don’t leave home without their bodyguards.”

“I wouldn’t call Brutus here my bodyguard exactly,” a new voice said.

Looking over the muscle’s shoulder, Cassie saw the same middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair she’d seen on Amelia’s phone. He was standing there calmly, sipping something bright green out of a martini glass and looking as cool as a cucumber.

“What is he then?” she asked, frowning at the man who had to be Frank Yarrow.

“Oh, just a friend I pay to look out for me—that’s all,” Yarrow said airily.

“Right. A bodyguard,” Cassie repeated. She flashed her badge at him. “Frank Yarrow, I’m Detective Cassandra Steel and this is my partner, Detective Stonev with the Tampa PD. We need to talk to you.”

“Now, officers…” Yarrow raised his free hand placatingly. “If this is about little Lucy Stein, I can assure you that she looked much older than fifteen. In fact—”

“Is the man who calls himself The Kindred Beast here?” Stone interrupted, his voice a low growl.

For the first time Yarrow looked surprised.

“Why no, I’m afraid he’s not, officer. Er…would you like to come in and check?”

“If your ‘friend’ will let us through,” Cassie said sarcastically. Because Brutus—who was clearly not the brightest bulb in the bunch—was still straining mightily to shut the door in their faces. His face was red and sweating with the effort but he couldn’t make any headway against Stone, who was still holding it open with one hand.

“Brutus, let the nice officers through,” Yarrow said amiably. “They’re just looking for The Beast and you know he’s not here.”

“We’ll see about that,” Cassie said as Brutus at last released his grip on the door and stood aside, panting heavily.

“Come right in. Feel free to have a look around,” Yarrow made an expansive gesture with the hand not holding the martini glass. “You’ll see that he’s not here—I haven’t even seen him or spoken to him all day, as Brutus here can tell you.”

“That’s a very convenient alibi, Yarrow,” Cassie snapped. “Especially since he’s wanted in connection with a murder that was committed earlier today.”

“A murder did you say?” Yarrow’s face went pale and surprised and Cassie—who made a living reading people’s faces—would have sworn that he was genuinely astonished at this revelation.

But apparently Yarrow’s surprised expression didn’t impress Stone.

“Where is he?” In a flash, he had Yarrow by the front of his shirt and was dragging him further into the house.

“I told you, I don’t know!” Yarrow gasped. The martini glass crashed and shattered on the marble floor, sticky green liquid going everywhere. “I haven’t seen him!”

“You are lying. You’re going to take me to him now,” Stone growled, in Yarrow’s face—which was slack with shock. “Now!”

“Hey, no! Lettim go!” Brutus shouted, racing after them. Cassie ran after all three men, her shoes grating on the broken glass shards. Damn it, what was Stone thinking? This was not a good way to handle this situation at all!

Stone was fast and by the time she got around the corner, she saw the big Kindred had dragged Yarrow into the downstairs bathroom. He had Yarrow by the scruff of his expensive-looking shirt and was shoving his head in the toilet bowl.

“Where is he?” her enraged partner was growling as he dunked Yarrow face-first in the toilet. “Tell me and I might not drown you. Where is The Beast?”

“Don’t…know! Swear…I don’t!” Yarrow gasped and burbled. Bright blue toilet water was trickling from his bedraggled salt and pepper hair down his red face.

“The fuck you don’t,” Stone snarled, dunking him again. “Talk, Goddess damn you! Where is he?”

Suddenly Brutus was pointing a gun at Stone’s head.

“Lettim go!” he yelled, his finger tightening on the trigger. “Let Mr. Yarrow go, you Kindred asshole!”

Oh God, things were spiraling out of control!

“Hold it right there,” Cassie drew her own gun and shoved it the bodyguard’s ribs. “Drop it,” she ordered grimly. “Or I’m going to blow a hole right through you.”

By now, Frank Yarrow had completely lost his composure.

“He’s not here, he’s not here! I swear he’s not here!” he was screeching at the top of his lungs—between burbling every time Stone dunked him. “But I’ll tell you…tell you everything I know. Just let…let me go!”

“Stone, stop!” Cassie yelled at the big Kindred. “Stop it and let him talk!”