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off the walls. A few bits of melted yellow police tape fluttered past
his face, propelled by the giant plumes of fetid smog.
Finally, he found his voice. Help! he screamed. Fire! Fire!
In the distance, he heard the blare of sirens and knew that
Darkisle s only fire truck and assorted gang of volunteers would soon
assemble in an effort to save The Dunes. Their second act, he felt
sure, would involve pinning the disaster on him.
The only thing left to do was turn and run.
When he did, he crashed into something solid. Powerful hands
gripped Reggie s shoulders, stopping him in mid-stride.
Sebastian Morgan stood glowering down at him.
Reggie what have you done?
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208 Cassandra Pierce
Chapter 17
No sooner had Briana found a TV show she could tolerate than a
cacophony of sirens erupted outside, drowning out the soundtrack.
Since the cell had no window, she could only listen for clues about
the emergency vehicles direction. She assumed a boat engine had
exploded, not unusual along the public moorings, or a grease fire had
broken out at one of the seafood restaurants downtown.
Not long after, Will came in wearing an odd expression.
What s going on? she asked. When he didn t answer directly,
she knew something was wrong.
Any idea where your brother might be right now?
That s pretty funny, considering you dragged me out of my own
house in irons. I assume he stayed behind.
Before we got there, did he mention any plans? Any place he
usually goes in the evening?
Briana s eyes narrowed. She could see where Will meant to take
this. I think it s safe to say he s not out with Ami. Whether he had a
date with anyone else, I couldn t say.
That kind of attitude won t help any of us, Briana, least of all
Todd. Try to think back and give me some ideas. We really need to
find him.
She frowned. May I ask why?
Bri, those sirens you just heard were for you. Your motel just
burned to the ground. Arson.
Briana felt as if she d taken a blow to the stomach. Weakly, she
sagged to the bed. Oh, no. Was anyone hurt?
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Heirs to Darkisle 209
We re still sifting through the rubble, but for now, no one s
reported any injuries. The kid at the desk called for help first. He s
fine.
What does this have to do with looking for Todd? You don t
think he s inside, do you?
There s no evidence of that. But we do want to talk to him.
Reggie saw someone slip in and then run out of the office. The person
had a key and knew where you kept the cash box. We re pretty sure it
was Todd. Everything fits.
But why would Todd burn down our own motel? It doesn t make
any sense.
Simple. To destroy evidence. To protect you, maybe. Or
himself.
No! That s impossible. Though she tried valiantly to hold them
back, angry tears spilled down her cheeks. You re always talking
about what a good friend my father was to you. How do you think
he d feel if he knew you wanted to throw both of his children in
prison?
Will shook his head. I don t have the power to put anyone in
prison, Briana. That ll be for a jury to decide. But I can promise you
that I m going to find out exactly what happened to Ami and to The
Dunes. That motel belonged to your father long before it belonged to
you, don t forget. His stubborn expression softened briefly. Look,
Briana. For your dad s sake, I m advising you to hurry up and get a
lawyer. A lot of people will be wanting to talk to you soon.
I m working on that, she murmured.
All right, then, Will conceded. He turned to go. We ll leave it
there for now.
She remained huddled on the cot as he walked away, not looking
up as he closed the connecting door between the cell and the lobby.
She wasn t sure how much time passed before she heard it open
again.
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210 Cassandra Pierce
What s the matter, Will? she growled without looking up. Did
you think of some other crime to charge me with?
When Will didn t respond, she lifted her head and gasped in
surprise. Sebastian stood in the exact spot the sheriff had occupied
moments before.
I-I thought I couldn t have visitors tonight, she blurted.
They don t know I m here. Sebastian s gaze traveled along the
ceiling and corners. There s no surveillance. I d be able to tell. A
slight smell of smoke followed him into the room. You ve been to
The Dunes, she said.
Yes.
Sebastian, Todd is missing. The police think he emptied the petty
cash box and set the fire. I was afraid he got trapped inside, but I
couldn t be sure until now.
Todd did not perish in the flames. No one did. I sensed no aura
of death.
He stepped closer. The same magnetism that had drawn her from
the beginning still hummed between them, even though she had
decided she could no longer trust him. Her hands itched to reach
through the bars and pull him to her. Somehow, she managed to hold
back.
I ve made a few calls, he told her. A lawyer will be here for
you tomorrow morning. Needless to say, I won t be able to
accompany him, but I want you to know that I am doing my best to
help you.
You don t have to.
I do. I know you think this is somehow my doing. I promise you
it isn t, but I still consider you my responsibility.
She blinked away a fresh stream of tears, hoping he couldn t see
them. She knew that would be futile though. Sebastian always knew
everything. What about those things Will Garvey told me? About
Amsterdam? I thought I knew you.
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Heirs to Darkisle 211
You do know me, better than anyone. Briana, that woman was a
troubled soul who tried to infiltrate our community. She wanted to be
one of us. That wouldn t be impossible, or unheard of, but she wasn t
an ideal candidate. She approached a number of us and asked us to
turn her. Each of us refused. Not long after, she disappeared.
Eventually, I learned of her death. I did know her, but nothing existed
between us except my advising her to drop her idea and find another
means of fulfillment.
Who killed her then?
He shrugged. The list of suspects is longer than the Amsterdam
police could ever be allowed to know. Perhaps she eventually
connected with the wrong people. Perhaps she foolishly attempted to
blackmail someone into meeting her demands. Unfortunately, I can
offer no more than speculation. The authorities in Amsterdam were
not content with that, but they were forced to accept it. I m afraid you
must as well.
I believe you didn t kill her yourself. But like you said death
follows your kind. That woman became one of the casualties. Ami
turned into another. And it s looking more and more like my brother
and I will be next.
Not on my watch. The cords in his neck stiffened visibly. He
seemed to grind his teeth in frustration. Perhaps I was to blame for
some of this, but I intend to repair the damage. If we cannot resolve
the issue legally, there are always...alternatives.
Briana scowled. Like what?
He slid his hands through the bars and snapped his grip tight. She
had no doubt that the slightest flick of his wrists would twist the metal
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