away, but that in no way quelled her urges. They needed to go somewhere with a little less amorous ambience, like a slaughterhouse or something.
“Hmmm, it’s odd.”
“Not really, the smell’s already pretty bad.”
“Not about that, I mean this grave’s odd.” Raf crouched in front of a shiny, black gravestone.
Isis walked over to join him. “Elspeth Grey, beloved sister and daughter, died 1897. I’m pretty sure Elspeth has a good alibi for last night.”
Raf pulled his sunglasses down his nose. “All these graves in this row are at least a hundred years old. In spite of what I’m sure are Shep’s sterling efforts at keeping this area tidy, all the other graves have weeds and are crumbling. But this one is nearly new, the ground is well tended and there are some fairly fresh flowers on it – they only look to be a week old. It’s pretty out of place.”
“Maybe someone has a really strong sense of family and has a total hard-on for their long-dead rellys.”
He gave her a wry smile. “Or maybe they remember their relly Elspeth in person.”
“Ah, you’re thinking vampire.”
“I’m thinking the vampire that pushed you into that grave. What happened to you has been bugging me.” His voice hardened slightly. Could it be? Was he pissed at someone for trying to hurt her? Ms. Kitty was thrilled at the prospect – that was just how mates thought of one another. Ugh, this again. Pushy tiger had been dancing around that word since they met the night before. Then she started actually hurling it at Isis and roaring loudly.
“Well, now you’re starting to think like an SEA agent.”
Raf chuckled as he stood up and faced her. “I’m flattered.” He was inches from her, the perfect height just to steal a kiss from those full lips. Yep, the two-inch heels had been a good choice.
“You should be. Well, if a vampire has been sneaking in here to visit a grave it would explain what they were doing here, and I guess they wouldn’t want to get arrested for loitering.”
“They might be a witness to who did this.” He pushed his sunglasses up his nose.
“Or they might not. But maybe we can do a search on Elspeth’s family in the Vampire Directory.”
“Vampire directory?” he repeated, dubiously.
“Sure, you never used it?”
“I’ve led a sheltered life compared to you and it sounds made up.”
Isis folded her arms. “All vamps are supposed to register with the SEA Vampire Directory, and all new turns are supposed to be approved by an SEA director in advance so they get enrolled on it automatically. Of course, not all of the older vamps voluntarily register, but we reckon at least fifty percent are on there. If that comes up empty, you could always put some patrol cops here at night, and if the vamp comes back, we might actually get a chance to talk to him or her.”
Raf smiled, and Isis tried not to simper. “Sounds like a plan.”
“I’ll get Jessie on it. She’s my team’s resident computer geek – she can find out in a flash if Elspeth has any fangy connections.” She pulled out her phone and in a few short words set that in motion. “She’ll call me back. So what now?”
“For first-time grave robbers, whoever did this was well prepared. If Shep hadn’t accidentally come across the broken lock on the gate, they could have filled in the graves and been out of here before anyone had any idea those bodies had been touched.”
“You think they’ve done this before?”
“More like hoping they have.” He chuckled in embarrassment, and a charming dusky pink settled over his cheeks. “That came out wrong.”
“I got what you meant.” Oh, he was cute when flustered, and also flirty, and also when he was angry – okay he was just plain cute. Ms. Kitty swished her tail in agreement.
“Maybe if we find a pattern, we can have some clue about how to find them. We can go through the recent
“Hmmm, it’s odd.”
“Not really, the smell’s already pretty bad.”
“Not about that, I mean this grave’s odd.” Raf crouched in front of a shiny, black gravestone.
Isis walked over to join him. “Elspeth Grey, beloved sister and daughter, died 1897. I’m pretty sure Elspeth has a good alibi for last night.”
Raf pulled his sunglasses down his nose. “All these graves in this row are at least a hundred years old. In spite of what I’m sure are Shep’s sterling efforts at keeping this area tidy, all the other graves have weeds and are crumbling. But this one is nearly new, the ground is well tended and there are some fairly fresh flowers on it – they only look to be a week old. It’s pretty out of place.”
“Maybe someone has a really strong sense of family and has a total hard-on for their long-dead rellys.”
He gave her a wry smile. “Or maybe they remember their relly Elspeth in person.”
“Ah, you’re thinking vampire.”
“I’m thinking the vampire that pushed you into that grave. What happened to you has been bugging me.” His voice hardened slightly. Could it be? Was he pissed at someone for trying to hurt her? Ms. Kitty was thrilled at the prospect – that was just how mates thought of one another. Ugh, this again. Pushy tiger had been dancing around that word since they met the night before. Then she started actually hurling it at Isis and roaring loudly.
“Well, now you’re starting to think like an SEA agent.”
Raf chuckled as he stood up and faced her. “I’m flattered.” He was inches from her, the perfect height just to steal a kiss from those full lips. Yep, the two-inch heels had been a good choice.
“You should be. Well, if a vampire has been sneaking in here to visit a grave it would explain what they were doing here, and I guess they wouldn’t want to get arrested for loitering.”
“They might be a witness to who did this.” He pushed his sunglasses up his nose.
“Or they might not. But maybe we can do a search on Elspeth’s family in the Vampire Directory.”
“Vampire directory?” he repeated, dubiously.
“Sure, you never used it?”
“I’ve led a sheltered life compared to you and it sounds made up.”
Isis folded her arms. “All vamps are supposed to register with the SEA Vampire Directory, and all new turns are supposed to be approved by an SEA director in advance so they get enrolled on it automatically. Of course, not all of the older vamps voluntarily register, but we reckon at least fifty percent are on there. If that comes up empty, you could always put some patrol cops here at night, and if the vamp comes back, we might actually get a chance to talk to him or her.”
Raf smiled, and Isis tried not to simper. “Sounds like a plan.”
“I’ll get Jessie on it. She’s my team’s resident computer geek – she can find out in a flash if Elspeth has any fangy connections.” She pulled out her phone and in a few short words set that in motion. “She’ll call me back. So what now?”
“For first-time grave robbers, whoever did this was well prepared. If Shep hadn’t accidentally come across the broken lock on the gate, they could have filled in the graves and been out of here before anyone had any idea those bodies had been touched.”
“You think they’ve done this before?”
“More like hoping they have.” He chuckled in embarrassment, and a charming dusky pink settled over his cheeks. “That came out wrong.”
“I got what you meant.” Oh, he was cute when flustered, and also flirty, and also when he was angry – okay he was just plain cute. Ms. Kitty swished her tail in agreement.
“Maybe if we find a pattern, we can have some clue about how to find them. We can go through the recent
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