Hard Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires 4)

"So, what did you learn?"

"I found the original police report - and it listed the vic's name. Well, a last name and first initial, anyway. Guy or gal named 'P. Donaghey.' Also from Chicago - "

Shaking my head, I cut him off. "Jeff, I know that name." I squeezed my eyes closed but couldn't place it. "Can you Google it?"

"Oh, sure." I heard fingers flowing across the keys. "Oh, this is bad."

"Tell me."

"'P. Donaghey' stands for 'Porter Donaghey.' He was Seth Tate's opponent in his first mayoral election."

Now I remembered where I'd seen Paulie's photograph before. "Paulie Cermak punched Seth Tate's opponent in the face."

Ethan's eyes went as big as saucers.

"Wait, there's more. I've got pictures.

Campaign events. Tate's on the podium, and you can see Paulie in the background."

"Send the images to Luc," I told him. "Same way you did before." Something else occurred to me. "Jeff, in that file you found, did it say anything about who represented Paulie? The attorney that got the file sealed, I mean?"

"Um, let me scan." He went quiet for a moment but for a little nervous whistling.

"Oh, crap," he finally said.

Only one lawyer made sense. "It was Tate, wasn't it?"

"It was Tate," Jeff confirmed. "Cermak punched Tate's opponent, and Tate got him off.

Paulie Cermak and Tate know each other."

The phone still pressed to my ear, I looked at Ethan. "I don't think that's the end of it, Jeff. If Paulie's involved with drugs, raves, and Celina, and Paulie and Tate know each other, then how much is Tate involved with drugs, raves, and Celina?"

"What's the theory?" Ethan quietly mouthed.

"Tate's under pressure to reassure Chicagoans about vampires. He decides to be proactive - he helps create a problem; he helps solve the problem. Wham, bam, thank you, ma'am, and his poll numbers are up by twenty percent."

"Oh, I gotta tell Chuck about this," Jeff said.

"Can you get an arrest warrant for Tate?"

"On this little evidence? No. You don't have anything that ties Tate to, as you said, drugs, raves, or Celina. It's not enough that Paulie knows him."

"Not enough? What more do you want?"

"You're the Sentinel. Find something."

I hung up the phone and looked at Ethan, apology in my expression.

"I knew it wasn't over," he said. "I knew just as well as you did yesterday. I just wanted to momentarily bask in the possibility that we could find a few hours of peace."

"We had a few hours," I pointed out with a smile. "Otherwise I wouldn't be standing in your apartment in a T-shirt and with some serious bed hair."

"That is true. Your bed hair is rather serious."

"You're funny at dusk, Sullivan."

"And you're adorable. I assume it's time for you to wreak havoc again?"

"My file's already annotated. Better more demerits in my file than more pressure on the House." I moved up on tiptoes and pressed my lips to his cheek. "Call Luc and Malik and get them ready for the fallout. I'm going back to Paulie's house."

"One moment," he said, and before I could ask him why, he was tugging my T-shirt to pull me closer. He kissed me brutally, and then pulled back so abruptly I nearly stumbled backward.

"What was that?" I asked, my voice suddenly hoarse.

He winked. "That was the kiss you owed me.

Now go get your man, Sentinel."

Twenty minutes later I was dressed, katanaed, and on my way to Garfield Park. Ethan, Luc, and Malik were in the Ops Room, ready to send out troops, but hoping to save the House any more involvement than necessary. They'd also conferenced in Jeff in the event I needed computer assistance.

Unfortunately, I knew something was wrong when I pulled into Cermak's driveway. The garage door was open and the Mustang was gone.

The house was dark and empty, even the cheap lace curtains stripped from the windows.

I pulled my car to the curb just past the house.

"I was this freakin' close," I cursed, pulling out my cell phone and dialing up the crew.

"He's gone," I told him as soon as Luc answered. "The Mustang's gone, and the house is empty."

But then, my luck changed.

"Hold on," I said, turning off the car and slinking down in the seat, my eyes on the rearview mirror. The Mustang pulled up to the curve. Paulie hopped out of the car and hustled toward the garage.

"What's going on, Sentinel?" Ethan asked.

"He's back. He's running into the garage.

Maybe he forgot something."

Sure enough, not ten seconds later, Paulie hustled out of the garage with . . . a steering wheel in hand.

"He forgot a steering wheel," I dryly informed the crew, wondering if Paulie had any idea he'd soon be brought down by a car accessory. Ah, well. His loss, my gain.

After a moment, he pulled the Mustang back into the street. I waited until he'd passed me,then turned on the car and pulled out behind him.

"He's leaving again, and I'm on his trail," I told them. "I'm about two blocks back, so hopefully he can't see me."

"Which direction?"

"Um, east for now. Maybe toward the Loop?"

I heard Malik's voice. "Maybe he's trying to bust out Celina?"

"If he and Tate are friends, he wouldn't need to do any busting. In any event, I'll keep you posted."

I hung up and put the phone down again, and then concentrated on tailing Paulie through the city. He was the kind of driver that irritated the crap out of me: he had a fine car with undoubtedly a solid engine, but he drove like his license was on the line. Too slowly. Too carefully. Of course, there was a warrant out for his arrest, so it made sense for him to avoid giving the cops any reason to pull him over.

It took twenty minutes for him to reach the Loop, but he didn't stop there. He kept moving south, and that was when I got nervous again.

I dialed up the crew.

"We're here," Luc said.

"Send out some backup," I said. "He's heading for Creeley Creek."

I didn't bother entering Creeley Creek through the front gate; I didn't want to give the mayor and his apparent crony that much warning.

Instead, I parked a few blocks up, buckled on my katana, jumped the fence, and snuck across the grounds. I'm sure there must have been security somewhere, but I didn't see any, so I moved around the house, peeking through the low, horizontal windows until I saw them - Tate behind his desk while Paulie chatted animatedly from the other side of it.