Leopard's Prey
Page 120

She would never forget his face, the way he yanked her out of the hotel room and shook the living daylights out of her. He’d cared. He’d been alarmed. That had been the moment she realized much more would have gone on in that room than her simply overdosing. She saw it in his eyes. In the expression on his face. He’d been horrified and he’d been angry. She would never forget his eyes as long as she lived.
Everything about Remy was beautiful to her, even his famous temper. He would always be a cop, but he would be her cop and she knew she could live with that. She had a home and a family and Remy had given both to her. There was no way to describe to someone else how much she loved him. The intensity of her emotions when she was around him sometimes overwhelmed her.
She drove carefully in Saria’s car. She loved fast cars and often went to racetracks and drove. She’d never mentioned that little secret to Remy, or the fact that she owned more than one high performance car. He’d never asked her much about her life and he was in for a few surprises. She did like to live simply, but that didn’t mean she didn’t like nice things—or really fast cars.
Laughing at the thought of his pained expression when she told him, she pulled up to the police station. At night it looked different. Somber. Even haunted. During the day people were in and out, but at night there was only a single valiant light over the door and the place appeared to be deserted.
As she walked up the stairs to the station door, she glanced around her. Night had closed in completely and fog had drifted in. Lights from street and stores appeared dull yellow halos, unable to penetrate the gathering fog. She shivered and rubbed her arms. That other inside of her was restless and she could tell the female leopard’s mood was affecting her as well. She told herself she was too imaginative and the fog and deserted streets were making her edgy.
Much more sober, she walked through the station, heading back toward Remy’s office. There were only a couple of people working and they looked up and waved. She lifted a hand as she went through to the homicide bull pen. Remy didn’t appear to be in his office. She glanced at her watch. She was a little late. Had he left her? Forgot? That wasn’t his style.
Her mouth felt dry and her heart beat too fast. The other pushed at her, wanting her freedom. Bijou was too new in the ways of leopard to know what to do to settle her down. She took several deep breaths and prayed Remy would hurry up.
A woman came around the corner, both hands wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee. She smiled at Bijou. “Remy asked me to tell you he stepped out for a couple of minutes. He’ll be right back. He’s just down the street at the gallery. I’m Angelina, the computer nerd.”
Bijou smiled at her, relief flooding. Remy wouldn’t be gone long, and he’d know what to do. “I’m Bijou Breaux.”
“Remy’s woman,” Angelina said. “You’ve made him very happy.”
Bijou liked Angelina immediately. “I hope so. He certainly makes me happy.”
“Would you like a cup of coffee while you wait?” Angelina asked.
“That would be lovely,” Bijou said.
She wandered around the room, looking at the desks and computers, marveling at how the men and women working there solved murders and various other crimes. Her path took her nearly straight to the murder board. She tried not to look, but it was impossible not to stare at the horrendous pictures of a man brutally murdered.
“You shouldn’t look at that,” Angelina said. “It will give you nightmares.”
“It’s like the train wreck you can’t stop watching, isn’t it?” Bijou asked as she took the coffee. Her gaze went back to the board. “It’s almost mesmerizing. Who could do such things to another human being?”
“Sadly, Bijou, working here, I’ve learned human beings can be very cruel to one another. I stopped being shocked many years ago—until this killer came along.”
Bijou studied the altar. It was so bizarre. “Is that really a bowl of blood and a human hand? His heart? This looks like something from a horror movie, not real life . . .” She trailed off, peering closer.
Her breath rushed out of her lungs. Her hands went numb. The coffee mug crashed to the floor. “Angelina,” she said without turning around. “Where did you say Remy went?”
“To the gallery. Are you all right?”
“No. No, I’m not all right. Call everyone. Call them right now and send them to the gallery.” She ripped her phone from her purse and took off running, hitting the only other number she had on speed dial besides Remy.
Saria answered almost immediately. Bijou burst out of the station house. “Remy’s in trouble, Saria. Send Gage and everyone else to the gallery just down from his station. He’s there now.”
She yelled into the phone as she tried to run down the street toward the gallery. Her high heels slowed her down so she kicked them off and ran in her stockings.
“What do you mean?”
“The stone. In the altar. It was Arnaud’s. Remy went there to talk to him. I may be crazy but that stone is unmistakable.” She was breathing too hard to continue talking so she just ran, her heart in her throat.
Her leopard had been trying to warn her something was wrong, but she hadn’t yet gotten used to trusting her other side. There was no doubt in her mind Remy was in trouble. Everything in her screamed that he needed her. Every hair in her body stood up. Goose bumps ran up and down her arms.
“Gage says wait for help,” Saria screamed into the phone.