Hale’s laptop is on his desk, facing away from us. That doesn’t work for me so I walk past him, the laptop and the desk, then stand in front of the window and glance down. ‘Does it make you feel important to be up here?’ I ask. ‘Looking down on the city?’
‘Is that why you’re here?’ he asks, sounding bored. He turns his head. ‘To admire my view?’
I need him next to me. I blow onto the pane of glass and draw a smiley face in the condensation with the tip of my index finger. Hale still doesn’t move. I curse inwardly and turn round.
His desk is expensive looking and old. One side is piled high with paper. ‘Is this your in-tray?’ I enquire. I reach over and take the top sheet of paper. When I see what it is, I grin. ‘Hey! This is your tax return. I’ve always been curious about what you guys really make.’
He stands up and walks towards me before yanking the paper out of my hands. ‘That’s private,’ he spits. ‘Get to the point, Ms Blackman. Why are you really here?’
‘Alice Goldman.’
‘What?’ He looks at me as if I’m mad. ‘Her again?’
I nod. ‘Yes. I’ve already tried to tell you about her. She was abducted five years ago and I think she’s still alive. We can put our differences aside and work towards finding her.’
‘Why would I care about some girl?’
I look surprised. ‘She’s a young, innocent human who’s in trouble. And it’s not just her; there may be hundreds of children in the same boat. I’m convinced they’ve been stolen from their homes and the streets for some terrible purpose. That’s why I took that teenager from her apartment, not because I’m evil but because she’s one of them. We have the chance to save her and others like her.’
‘Oh please.’ He rolls his eyes. ‘Do you have any idea how many cases like this come across my desk? The important thing is stopping monsters like you. I don’t care about this Alice. I care about seeing you and your kind destroyed for good.’
‘Stop worrying about me and start worrying about the people you can save,’ I snap. ‘Alice Goldman needs your help. I’ve got twenty vampires ready to help. We can work together and find her. She’s in the city somewhere and so are these other children. If we can just…’
‘I’ll see a thousand children dead before I work with the likes of you,’ Hale snarls. ‘You’re worthless. And so are children. They don’t vote. Why should I care about them?’
Despite the situation, I can’t stop myself from staring at him in disgust. ‘Because they’re children. They need our help.’
‘Like I give a shit. Get out of my office, Ms Blackman. Tell the press downstairs whatever you like. Next time you see me, you’ll be breathing your last. I’m going to kill you and all of your kind.’
I glance at the laptop. ‘Why is that little red light on?’ I ask innocently.
‘What?’ He looks over.
Obviously Hale is not very knowledgeable about technology because it takes a moment or two for the penny to drop. The piece of paper falls from his hands as his expression goes slack. I snap my fingers and the red light blinks off. Nifty. I’ll have to thank Rogu3 for that later.
‘As people keep reminding me,’ I say, picking up the paper Hale has dropped and idly folding it into an aeroplane, ‘public opinion is very important. This little chat has been streamed live around the country. I wonder what your constituents will think of someone who doesn’t care about children being abducted.’
Hale looks from me to the computer and back again. His mouth drops open just as a figure appears in the door. So this is his secretary. The young man swallows nervously. ‘Mr Hale, there’s a problem.’ He holds up his phone, showing a website replaying our conversation.
‘Get that off there!’ Hale roars.
I leapfrog over his desk and skirt past the hapless paper-pusher. My work here is done. Doors along the corridor are starting to open as more and more people come out to gawk. I note several approving glances; I guess Hale isn’t as popular as he likes to think. I smile and get back into the lift. Hale is finished and I didn’t need a single drop of his blood to get rid of him. Michael was right.
I press the button for the ground floor and rock back on my heels. That’s when I realise I’m still holding the paper aeroplane in my hands. It’ll be a cool memento. I turn it over in my hands ‒ and suddenly I know how to find the people who’ve been stealing children.
Chapter Twenty: Paper Trail
‘How much did you pay them, Mildred?’ She folds her arms and looks away. ‘Come on,’ I coax. ‘There’s no point pretending any longer. We know that’s not your body. We know what you’ve done. Now it’s time to make things right.’
There’s a knock on the door then my grandfather walks in and hands me a piece of paper. I glance down at it and suck in a breath. ‘That’s ninety-eight in total.’
He nods. ‘That we know of.’
‘Ninety-eight lives,’ I breathe. ‘So many children who’ve slipped through the cracks because no one cared enough.’ I shake my head. ‘What about Alice?’
‘No sign of her yet, although it seems that she was probably the first one they took. When there was such a fuss about her disappearance, the people responsible switched tactics and went for street children instead.’ His voice is grim. ‘The ones no one would miss.’
‘I guess they held back on using her until some of the brouhaha died down. She’s out there somewhere.’
‘We’ll find her. The education authorities have been extraordinarily helpful. Together with the ones who’ve been rounded up by MI7, most of the lost ones have been home-schooled.’
It makes sense. ‘Home-schooling can easily be faked and it means they don’t have to go through the rigmarole of actually going to school. I don’t suppose there are many pensioners willing to sit through Maths lessons.’
Mildred rolls her eyes and breaks into the conversation. ‘It’s not the lessons that are the issue, it’s teenagers. Who wants to hang around with those raging hormones on display all the time?’
I sit up. Finally she’s giving us something. ‘Did they suggest home-schooling, Mildred? The people who arranged your body swap?’
‘Yes,’ she huffs. ‘They did.’
‘And who are they?’
She turns back towards me disdainfully. ‘You won’t catch them. What are you going to do? Keep us all imprisoned? Torture us? You won’t know who you’re punishing. Is it me or is it the body I’ve taken that is suffering?’
‘You don’t care about anyone but yourself, do you?’ I grab her arm. ‘How much did it cost you to steal a life?’
‘More than you’ll ever see.’
My voice hardens. ‘How much, Mildred?’
‘Two million. Happy now?’
I exhale. ‘Thank you.’ I leave her where she is and follow my grandfather out of the room. Anger reverberates through me as the door closes behind us. ‘A lucrative business.’
‘Assuming you don’t get caught,’ my grandfather mutters.
I grimace. ‘We don’t have them yet.’ I reach for my phone. ‘But we will.’
***
‘We’ve uncovered a considerable number of companies who pay the amount of tax you’re talking about,’ Foxworthy says. ‘I still don’t see how this is going to help. We’ve got ninety-eight minors in custody, courtesy of MI7, but nobody can tell for sure who’s genuinely a child and who’s a freaking body-snatcher. That is, apart from one we released this morning who was apparently attempting to flee the country because his parents didn’t like his girlfriend.’
‘I think, generally speaking,’ I say drily, ‘if you can trace their parents, then you’ll know they are who they say they are.’
‘These are lost children, Bo. Most of them want to be lost. They don’t want us to know where they’ve come from.’
‘If they’re children at all,’ I point out. ‘But I see your problem. I really appreciate all the time you’ve taken on this.’
‘The tax stuff is scut work but
it makes a pleasant change from dealing with the mess left by the Families.’ He says it without thinking and realises as soon as the words have left his mouth. ‘Bugger. Sorry, Bo, I didn’t mean it like that. I…’
‘I understand what you meant. Don’t worry about it. I kind of feel the same.’ I smile up at Michael as he enters the room. Now he’s looking healthier, my habitual feelings of lust stir. It doesn’t help that he’s wearing next to nothing. I eye his tight boxer shorts which leave little to the imagination and lick my lips. ‘How many companies are we talking about?’
‘Over three thousand.’
My attention snaps away from Michael and my jaw drops open. ‘You’re kidding me.’
‘I wish I were. It’s three thousand two hundred and thirty-three, to be exact,’ Foxworthy says.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. That’s a hell of a lot more than I expected. I guess the economy isn’t doing as badly as I thought.
‘I’m emailing you the list,’ he says heavily. ‘But you have to realise that these are only the companies that are paying their taxes in full. Anyone who’s evading their bills isn’t on here and, given how nefarious this activity, is, I don’t think you’re going to find them this way.’
‘Oh, they’ll be on the list. If Mildred gave us the correct information and my arithmetic is up to scratch, one of those companies is responsible for all this. They’re hiding in plain sight. It’s been their strategy all along.’ A bloody clever one as well – but it’s not clever enough. I’m going to find these bastards.
‘If you say so.’ Foxworthy still sounds doubtful. ‘There’s something else you should know. It’s being kept out of the press for now but they’ll pick it up sooner or later.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Vincent Hale was attacked last night. He’s in hospital. It was some group calling themselves the Parents’ League for Justice. They’ve already claimed responsibility.’
I smile. ‘Well, would you look at that?’ I murmur. ‘Strike one for the vigilantes.’ Hale has also already resigned his position so at least I’ve achieved something this week. I’m not going to waste any more time on him. He’s done.
Michael hands me a glass of warm blood and my skin tingles when our fingers brush. I give myself a little shake. ‘You need to keep looking for more children, Foxworthy. Alice Goldman hasn’t turned up yet and there will be others who’ve gone to ground rather than try to escape the country.’
‘You know we will,’ he growls.
On that promise, I hang up. ‘Thank you,’ I say quietly to Michael.
He waves a hand. ‘De nada. There’s plenty of blood to go around, thanks to your grandfather. I haven’t even had to offer myself up yet.’
I shudder at the thought. ‘I wasn’t referring to the blood.’ I meet his eyes. ‘You talked me down from a bad place, Michael. Things could have gone very differently if it wasn’t for you.’
He sits down beside me. ‘You forget sometimes that you’re still very young for a vampire, Bo. And you didn’t stick around long enough with the Families to get the kind of training in self-control that the others did.’
I raise my eyebrows. ‘And whose fault was that?’
He covers my hand with his. ‘You’re going to get there. I’ll keep you on the straight and narrow.’
The strange thing is that I know he will. Physically I’m stronger than he is now; I’m the one the others are looking to for leadership but I know I can’t do this without him. I lean my head against his shoulder and take a sip of the blood. ‘You’re wonderful.’
He grins. ‘I am.’
My phone beeps as Foxworthy’s email comes through. With some reluctance I get to my feet. ‘We’ve got work to do.’
***
I look round my motley crew. I’m still trying to remember all their bloody names, yet each and every one of them is watching me with grim eagerness. Horrifying as what’s happening to these children is, it’s also doing what Foxworthy said: it’s giving us something to focus on. Instead of wallowing in our own grief and misery, we’ve got a mission.
I clear my throat. ‘You’ve each been given a list of companies whose tax bracket resembles what we believe the bodysnatchers are making. Look into each one and be thorough. We need to know who’s legit and who isn’t. If you can find physical products, they’re probably not what we’re looking for. Any company that offers nothing more than vague services, is going to need a second and a third look. This is the way it goes, ladies and gentlemen. Detective work is dull but necessary. Just bear in mind that we’re going to be saving lives.’
‘Uh, Miss Blackman?’
I search round and find the ex-Medici vampire. ‘Please don’t call me that. It’s Bo.’ I try and remember his name in return. ‘What is it, William?’
‘Are we looking for specific examples of illegal activity?’
I grimace. ‘Unfortunately, no. Whoever these bastards are, the face they present to the world is one of legitimate, law-abiding wealth. I know it’s not going to be easy but we’re searching for bland and boring. On the surface, anyway. Any company which fits that bill should be passed to Rogu3.’
The teen hacker raises his hand and waves at everyone.
‘This isn’t going to be easy,’ O’Shea mutters by my side.
I glance at Maria. She’s no longer hiding away but she’s still hunched in the corner, never straying far from Rogu3. ‘It’ll be worth it,’ I say. ‘Let’s do this.’
Although following the paper trail is vital, it’s painstakingly dull and slow. I discount eight of the companies from my own list almost immediately as I’ve already heard of them. I’m fairly certain that the manufacturer of sugar-filled fizzy drinks isn’t stealing bodies on the side. There are several others which I manage to cross off easily but others are bloody difficult, partly because the work they do is so incomprehensible. What happened to our nation of shopkeepers?
‘What on earth is a ballast equities and transmissions firm?’
Billie, one of the Bancroft vampires, is sitting next to me. ‘You think you’ve got it hard. Try this one. They do natural meditative enhancement holidays to South East Asia. They pulled down more money than Croesus last year.’ She shakes her head. ‘There are lots of IT companies as well. Most of what they do is gobbledegook to me.’
‘Pass anything you’re not sure about to Rogu3,’ I say, although the pile of paper next to him is growing by the minute. He doesn’t appear fazed but there’s a look of intense concentration on his face that I’ve not seen before. I raise my eyebrows at Maria and beckon her over.
‘Is problem?’ she asks.
‘You need to watch Rogu3,’ I say to her quietly.
She gazes at me suspiciously. ‘Why?’
‘He’s desperate to find these people.’
She nods. ‘For Alice.’
‘And for you.’ Maria looks away and I bite my lip. ‘I’m worried that he’ll overdo things though. Make sure he eats and takes breaks. I’m counting on you to look after him.’
Something flickers in Maria’s eyes and her shoulders straighten. ‘I do this,’ she declares and strides off. Maria is a nurturer at heart; she’ll take her responsibility seriously and stop dwelling on everything else we’re doing. And everything that’s been done to her.
Minutes meld into hours. For a long time, nothing can be heard in the room apart from the tapping of computer keys, the shuffling of paper and long, drawn-out sighs. The more time passes, the more desperately futile this search seems, despite my confident words to Foxworthy. I’m aware that the longer it takes us to find them, the more time they’ll have to plot their escape.
I discard my fiftieth name and celebrate by standing up and cricking my neck. My body aches from staying too long in the same position. I hear a whine and glance over to see Kimchi gazing at me with sad eyes. Bugger.
‘I’m going to take my dog out for a walk,’ I declare to no one in particular. He bounces to his feet and lets out an excited howl,
then he skitters towards me, tail wagging.
From out of nowhere, there’s a hiss followed by a blur of movement. My grandfather’s damn cat hurtles across the floor towards Kimchi. Too late, Kimchi realises he’s suddenly prey and yelps, abruptly changing direction to get away from the flying teeth and claws. He crashes into Rogu3’s chair and sends a pile of papers down to the ground. The cat, however, isn’t giving up yet. It also veers off, smacking against Beth’s legs in its haste to get to Kimchi. Beth jerks and spills the cup of blood she’s holding, causing it to spatter in an arc across the shiny floor. The others stand up.
My grandfather, who had been dozing briefly in the corner, barks out an order. The cat skids to a halt although its tail lashes from side to side to indicate its displeasure.
‘It’s clearly not Kimchi that’s the problem,’ I say through gritted teeth. ‘You should put that cat outside.’ I stalk over and start helping to gather up the strewn paper.
‘We’re all on edge, my dear. The animals are sensitive to it.’
‘Actually,’ O’Shea pipes up, ‘I feel pretty good. I had five Red Bulls earlier and I think I can do this. If the rest of you want to get some sleep, I can keep going.’
‘I’ll help,’ Michael adds. ‘I’m on a sugar high.’
I sigh in exasperation and toss the papers onto a nearby table. A photo on the top one catches my eye and I freeze.
‘That sounds like an excellent plan,’ O’Shea beams. ‘Mikey darling and I will stay up. Alone. We’ll work together to find the bodysnatching wankers, our eyes meeting occasionally across the room. When I find the company we’re looking for, he’ll be so delighted that he’ll grab hold of me. He won’t be able to stop himself sweeping me into his arms and…’
‘You do know I’m love with Bo, right?’
‘She’s very short. You’ll end up with terrible backache. I’m much more your size.’
‘Bo,’ Michael says. ‘Please rescue me from the crazy daemon.’
I don’t answer. I pick the piece of paper back up and stare at it.
‘Bo?’