The Vampire of Tinkerfall (Elysium #3)

Chapter Twenty

 Trinket remained on the ground for a few moments longer, breathing steadily and trying to clear her mind. When she finally attempted to sit up, she hissed at the pain in her head. Slowly, she rose to her feet and balanced against the wall. Taking a deep breath, she shuffled her way out of the alley and glanced about the street. There were only apartment buildings, although a few looked as though they had been abandoned and left to rot. She wasn't sure where she was exactly, and after checking her surroundings to be certain none of the Mice had followed her, she dared to venture out in search of the police station.

When she reached the next road, she recognized it as the same one the station was on. The rain was still coming down in sheets, but her muscles ached too much to deal with the umbrella, so she tucked it under her arm and ignored the way her soaked dress clung to her skin.

The familiar brick building came into sight, and she felt an unexpected rush of relief. Picking up her pace, she kept her eyes focused on her destination, eager to get out of the wet cold.

Something shot out of the shadows and grabbed her. Her scream was smothered by a gloved hand clamped over her mouth as someone pulled her close, pinning her arms to her sides. The stranger's face was difficult to see, but the moment he spoke, she knew who it was.

"You're a slippery little creature, aren't you?" Scales hissed.

She struggled against him, but he only tightened his grip.

"None of that, now. I would think you'd know better than to fight against the likes of me."

He was right. Fighting wouldn't do any good. He was much stronger than she was, and though she knew her faux perfume was in the pocket of her dress, there was no way for her to reach it. So she gave up and turned her eyes to him.

"There's a good girl. I apologize if my men gave you a fright earlier. They can come off as brutes. I just wanted to have a nice chat with you."

She raised an eyebrow, and he chuckled at her response.

"I saw you at the scene of the latest death. You and Larkin must know something. Was he off to butcher the body?"

Did he expect her to respond? If so, it would be a little difficult with his hand over her mouth.

"Of course, you could imagine my surprise when I saw you and Larkin part ways. What could have enticed you to stay standing out in the cold rain while your precious doctor went off to play with cadavers? Hmm?"

Clenching her jaw, she resisted the urge to swallow for fear it would give away her terror.

Scales pulled her closer and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "I know that Larkin wouldn't waste his time on someone ordinary, so you must have something twisted about you. At the very least, I know that you are very good with details, hence why he brings you on all his little outings and investigations. So if you felt the need to stay behind even as the body was carried away and the crowd dispersed, you must have seen something. You seemed to be moving with a purpose. Like you were following someone. Who was it?"

She averted her eyes, hoping she appeared to be evading the question rather than searching for some way to escape. Aside from the station, there were only abandoned buildings nearby. Some broken bottles were in the street, but they would do her no good since she couldn't reach them.

Giving her a shake, Scales tightened his hold on her jaw. She let out a whimper.

"If it would help you to remember better, we could take this conversation back to my office. I find that people tend to be more persuaded to talk when I employ my skills in a place where I won't be interrupted."