Fires Of Solstice Part 12

Leaning her hips back against the sink, Meredythe gripped the edges of the counter and muttered, "Well, there goes that theory. I'm sorry, Aunt Evie. I know Celts really weren't into human sacrifice, not like people seem to think. It's just that I've been racking my brain and typing until my fingers cramp, but I can't come up with anything else."

Evelyn rose and carried the two other teacups on the table to the sink. "What exactly are you looking for?"

"A clue as to who's responsible for the murders I'm researching."

"What do you know so far?" she asked as she rinsed them out.

Meredythe frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "There have been twelve murders in the last eight years-three in New York, the rest in cities across the country. Every victim has had his throat torn out, and the murders that happened on dirt had wolf or wolf-dog tracks around the bodies."

Evelyn's hand went to her throat. "On my. How dreadful. And you said all the murders happened on Celtic holidays?"

Meredythe counted them off on her fingers. "Yule, Ostara, Litha, Mabon and Samhain."

"Are you sure?" Evelyn tapped her lips with a finger. "And there were wolf tracks at all the sites? In all the different cities?"

"Around the bodies not on concrete."

"Well, then," her aunt said with a frown, "you need to find out who is able to travel around the country with wolves without raising suspicion. Circuses maybe?"

Meredythe grinned and threw her arms around her aunt. "Circuses, of course. I knew I could count on you, Aunt Evie. You've always had the answers whenever I needed them." "And I'm always here whenever you need me, dear," her aunt replied as she returned Meredythe's hug. "Now I suppose you're going to leave right away."

Meredythe flushed. "I know I just got here, but..."

"You want to go work on your story. Go on, dear. You know where to find me."

"I promise I'll come for dinner next week. What night?" she said impulsively.

Evelyn's smile was fond. "I'm busy with appointments for tarot readings all next week and I'm dining with Mary Francis the following Tuesday. Better make it a week from Thursday."

Another hug. "A week from this coming Thursday. It's a date, Aunt Evie. I promise. I 'll be here with rings on my fingers and bells on my toes."

Evelyn laughed. "Mind what you say, dear. I might hold you to it. It's been quite a while since we danced naked in the moonlight."

Meredythe laughed with her. "Wouldn't old Mr. Hoffnagle just love that?" After one last hug, she hurried into the living room and shrugged into her coat.

Her aunt followed her out onto the porch. "Drive carefully, dear. I'll see you Thursday night."

After blowing her aunt a kiss, Meredythe slid into her car. As she backed out of the driveway, her brain was spinning with names of circuses.

"Is she gone?"

Evelyn closed the door firmly behind her. "Yes. James was right. She couldn't wait to get back to work on her 'story'."

Mary Francis set the tray she was carrying onto the coffee table and sat down on the purple sofa.

Jezebel jumped up and settled next to her.

Lifting a cup, Mary Francis sipped. "I made us some more tea. There's a definite nip in the air today."

Sighing, Evelyn settled into an overstuffed chair covered with a multicolored afghan. "It's a wonder you don't slosh when you walk with as much tea as you drink."

Her friend chuckled and scratched underneath her wimple. "Ugh, why didn't Rhys pick an order that would ease up on its dress code?"

Evelyn snorted. "And how was he supposed to know what nuns would be wearing now all those centuries ago? Besides, you were the one who insisted on joining in the first place."

Shrugging, Mary Francis continued to sip her tea. "We couldn't just let them take over, you know. Someone had to infiltrate their church and see what their religion is all about."

Grasping a cup of tea, Evelyn frowned. "Morgana was supposed to-"

Jezebel hissed.

Her cup clattered on her saucer when Mary Francis set it down. "Morgana was a traitor, interested only in herself, not the good of her people."

A low growl rolled through Jezebel's throat.

"Are you sure she's dead?"

Mary Francis nodded. "No one could have survived that fire."

Jezebel's low growl became a snarl.

Sighing, Mary Francis stroked the angry cat from the top of her head to the tip of her tail. "I'm sorry, dear. None of us thought her curse would last after her death, but at least you're still alive."

"Morgana always was good with curses," Evelyn mumbled into her cup.

"d.a.m.n it! Why can't I find anything?" Meredythe swore at her computer as she slapped her palms on the desk. She'd been searching over a week and every potential lead had fizzled out.

"Problems?" James King stopped before her desk, an amused smile on his face.

Meredythe wrinkled her nose at her boss and said, "I can't seem to get anywhere. Do you know not a single circus has an act with wolves? Can you believe it? I was sure I'd get a good lead by checking out circuses."

Her boss sat down. "Wolves seem too dignified to lower themselves to the casual entertainment of humans-to me anyway."

She turned her attention back to her computer. "Yeah well, I'm not personally acquainted with any so I couldn't say for sure. I really need to consult an expert on wolves. Maybe he or she can give me some insight into their behavior and whether or not they could be trained to kill. That guy who spoke at Columbia University, what was his name?" Shoving her chair back, she rose, went to her desk and began shuffling though her notes. "Here it is. Dr. Bleddyn Glyndwr."

James chuckled then said, "You p.r.o.nounced his name wrong, Meredythe. His name is Welsh. The dd's are p.r.o.nounced like a th, the y like an i, and the wr is p.r.o.nounced like an oor. So his name is p.r.o.nounced Blethin Glindoor."

Meredythe stared at her notes. Interesting. Her ancestors had been Welsh too. But then, with a surname like Welsh, that was pretty obvious. "I wonder where he lives. I wish I could have gotten there quickly enough to meet him, but he was already gone by the time I got to the auditorium." She returned to her computer, her fingers flying over the keys.

James King sat silently, another small smile on his lips. The more she found out for herself the better.

She held up a sheet of paper. "Here it is. He has his own website. What do you know? He lives in upstate New York-Winterbourne to be exact. What a break. James, I'

ll be out of the office for a few days."

He nodded and rose. "When will you leave?"

She frowned. "It's already Tuesday. I'd like to leave today, but I promised Aunt Evie I'd be there for dinner Thursday and I'm not going to stand her up again. I guess I'll leave from her house Friday morning."

Jim clasped his hands behind his back. "How do you know this Dr. Glyndwr will be there? Are you going to call ahead?"

Frowning, she tapped her lips with a finger. Then she shook her head. "No. Whoever committed the murders travels with a wolf or wolves. Maybe this is the guy we're looking for. I don't want to warn him that I'm coming. If he's off lecturing, I'll just nose around town and see what I can find out about him."

Her boss frowned. "You will be careful."

Meredythe grinned. "I'm always careful, boss. You know that."

He smiled wryly. "That's why I've had to bail you out of jail three times."

"Stop worrying."

After he left, she returned to her computer. Five minutes later, she had a motel reservation. Grimacing, she wished she hadn't promised to meet Jon for dinner later. Well, she could always call and cancel. She glanced at her watch. Four o'clock. She stared at the blank screen then shrugged. At the moment, she was at an impa.s.se, having exhausted every lead except this Dr. Glyndwr. Why not have dinner with Jon again? He was fun.

Switching off her computer, she put her files into her briefcase and shrugged into her coat. After slinging her purse over her shoulder, she grabbed her briefcase.

Stopping in front of her friend's desk, she said, "I'm going home early, Alice. I'll be back in tomorrow and the next day, but then I'll be heading upstate for a couple of days."

"Sure thing. Oh, and enjoy your second date."

Mumbling under her breath about nosy friends, she stomped out of the office.

The new moon was high in the sky when they got to the door of her apartment building. Meredythe turned to Jon, a warm smile on her face. "I had a wonderful time. Thanks for inviting me."

He smiled down at her. "I had a great time too."

Silence stretched between them. Jon s.h.i.+fted his weight to his other foot. "Ah... "

"I guess I better go in now," she interjected before he could hint that she should invite him in. "I'll let you know when I get back. Next time is my treat."

She smiled mentally at the obvious relief on his face. He must have been expecting her to dump him. Poor guy had probably been a real geek in high school. And even if he was good-looking now, how many women wanted to go out with a guy who dissected dead people?

"I'm looking forward to it," he said. "Do you think you'll be back next week?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I should be, but you never know. Once, I spent three weeks in little town gathering information for a story."

When he stepped closer and laced his fingers through hers, she swallowed. When he bent down to kiss her, she didn't draw back. His kiss was gentle yet searching.

With a sigh, she answered.

When he finally lifted his head, she smiled. He lifted her hand to his lips. "Remember to call me as soon as you get back."

"I will."

He stepped away but waited until she disappeared into her building. By the time she reached her apartment and hurried to her front window, he was gone. She lowered the blind, surprised at her thoughts. Jon was really a nice guy, and she liked him. Maybe there could be a future for the two of them. She closed her eyes.

Then why was it the kiss she kept remembering came from a man with gray eyes rather than blue?

Across the street, a shadow slid out of the alley. Damian shook his head. Rhys was not going to like this report.

Meredythe stuck another file in her briefcase. "Okay, Alice, I'm leaving now. I'll call when I get settled in my motel."

Alice looked up from her computer. "Do you have everything? You have your laptop, don't you? I don't think Mr. King will be too happy if you charge another one to your business account because you left yours at the office."

She stuck her tongue out. "If you had put it in my briefcase like I asked you to, I wouldn't have forgotten it."

Alice grinned. "You're the hotshot reporter. You should have checked to make sure it was there."

Meredythe shuffled through her briefcase once more. "Where's the Chicago file?"

Alice stepped to her side. "Isn't it in there? I remember handing it to you yesterday morning, and you put it in your briefcase."

Meredythe stopped shuffling papers and looked up at the clock-4:50. "Oh s.h.i.+t. I left it at home."

Alice shrugged. "Stop and get it on the way. You're driving in that direction anyway."

She snapped her briefcase shut. Stopping at her place wasn't too far out of her way. "I guess I could. I'd like to have it."

"Well, then, that's your answer. I'll call your aunt and let her know you're running late."

Meredythe headed for the door. "Thanks, Alice. I appreciate it."

"Sure thing. Good luck. And be careful. The weather report is forecasting an early snowstorm."

"s.h.i.+t, not another one!" d.a.m.ned if she hadn't hit every red light between the building where she worked and the one where she lived. Turning onto her street, Meredythe glanced up toward her apartment.

Light shone out the front window.

Frowning, Meredythe slowed and rolled down the window. She hadn't left any lights on this morning.

Words as sharp as daggers stabbed into her mind. Do not stop. Flee.

Her head snapped up and she looked around. "What the... "

Fool! Run! Now!

An icy breeze blasted her, and a tall man clothed entirely in black strode out of the alley toward her. Her eyes leaped to his pale face. His black eyes burned like coals, and his white-fanged grin had icy shudders racing up and down her spine.

Get out of here, now! Then... forget.