Magic Lantern

5

The streets were packed near the East End alley where the fourth Mr. Hyde murder had taken place. Annja instructed the cabdriver to get as close as he could, then paid him and walked the rest of the way.

She didn’t like being at a crime scene. Several of the digs she’d been on had been crime scenes, as well. But there wasn’t the immediacy of present-day death.

A logjam of onlookers, police and emergency teams filled the narrow street. Flashes went off from cell phones and pocket cameras. A cold breeze, shot through with patchy fog, blew in from the Thames. The blue lights of the police cars whipped across the apartment buildings and stirred the shadows.

Despite the number of people, Annja got close enough to see a middle-age woman sprawled half on the curb and half in the street between parked cars. Blood darkened the sides of the cars. Bloody handprints streaked the back windshield of one.

“She fought him.” A woman in her late forties or early fifties stood in front of Annja in a faded house robe with a grape Popsicle in one hand, talking to an older man. “’Course, didn’t do her no good. Poor thing couldn’t get away from that madman.”

Annja nudged closer. “Excuse me.”

The woman looked back at her.

“Did you see what happened?”

Her eyes narrowed. “You’re American?”

“Yes.”

“Thought so. I recognize the accent. And yes, I did see what happened. I called in the bobbies. My name is Jane. Jane Morris.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Morris.”

“Are you a reporter?”

“Something like that.”

Jane regarded her suspiciously. “I don’t see no notepad.”

“I’ve got a very good memory.”

“No camera, neither.”

Annja nodded toward the policemen as they started out into the bystanders. “Anyone who’s taken a picture is likely to have their phone or camera removed as part of an effort to collect evidence.”

The woman watched as the police officers gathered the cell phones and cameras. Of course, the law enforcement officers didn’t get them all because the crowd started dispersing. The ones who had their grisly souvenirs were intent on keeping them. They’d pop up on Facebook, blogs and Twitter within minutes if they hadn’t already.

“This is my first murder,” Jane said in a low, confiding voice.

“Could you tell me what you saw?”

The woman pointed the Popsicle at the murder victim. “I saw that poor thing fighting with a proper big bloke. He was huge. Like some kind of gorilla. Shoulders out to here.” She placed her hands about three feet apart and the Popsicle dripped on the neck of the man ahead of her.

The man cursed and shot her a nasty look. He took a step away.

“Sorry, love.” Jane licked the Popsicle momentarily dry. “She hardly had time to cry help. I was standing up there.” She pointed at a balcony on the third floor of the nearby building. “I called the police immediately.” She shook her head sadly. “But I knew it was too late.”

“The man got away?”

“Of course he did. A man who can stomp in a woman’s head like he’s stepping on a peanut? No one around him is going to stop him. We don’t carry guns like you Yanks.”

“Do you know who the woman was?”

Jane shook her head. “Looked like she was a waitress, from the way she was dressed.”

Feeling ghoulish, Annja surreptitiously took out her sat-phone and brought up her Twitter account. Keeping the phone hidden from the police, she scrolled through the news and didn’t have to go far before she found the first tweets about the dead woman.

Audrey McClintok. A twenty-seven-year-old waitress at a diner.

Annja put her phone back in the pocket of her Windbreaker. So far, none of the victims had anything in common except for being women. The ability of the man to kill and disappear was chilling.

“Well, now here’s something.” Jane sucked on her Popsicle.

Two uniformed policemen pushed through the crowd, backing people off and heading straight for them. Probably wanted to talk to Jane, since she’d reported the murder, Annja thought.

They stopped in front of Annja. The oldest of the two was grizzled, and his bleak eyes indicated he’d seen too much over the years. “Ms. Creed.”

She nodded.

“DCI Westcox would like a word with you, miss.”

“Now?” The last thing Annja wanted to do was get involved in the murder investigation.

“Yes, miss. Now.”

The two policemen had flanked her and she got the distinct impression turning down the detective chief inspector’s invitation wasn’t an option.

“This way, miss.” The older policeman waved her forward and the crowd parted once again.

Along the way, bright flashes from cell phones and cameras temporarily blinded Annja.

* * *

“DIDN’T TAKE YOU FOR A looky-loo, Ms. Creed.” DCI Alfred Westcox was a tough, no-nonsense cop. Probably ten pounds underweight, he looked as if the excess had been hammered off him. He wore a trench coat and hat, and the tie clipped to his chest lifted as the wind gusted. His cottony white hair matched his eyebrows and mustache. He wore thick glasses over his watery blue eyes.

“I’m not.” Annja respected how the chief inspector ran his business, but she wasn’t happy with the way she’d inadvertently ended up on the wrong side of him.

Westcox didn’t like her any more than he did any of the other media people gathered around for the story. In fact, she didn’t know why he’d singled her out. There were plenty of others on hand.

“Yet here you are, Ms. Creed. In the middle of my murder investigation.”

“I came out to see if I could help.”

“Really?” Westcox cocked a dismissive eyebrow. “You? I don’t know why that idea never crossed my mind.”

“Your time would be better served solving Audrey McClintok’s murder, than coming down hard on me.”

Westcox took a deep breath and his nostrils flared. “Who gave you that name?” He glared at the two policemen who had fetched her.

“Not me, sir.” The grizzled man stood his ground.

The younger man took a step back. “Nor me.”

“Brought her here straightaway. Just as you said.”

Annja didn’t like the two men taking heat for something that wasn’t their fault. “It wasn’t either of them. I got the woman’s name off Twitter.”

Westcox turned his glare on her.

“Someone tweeted about the murder. Probably someone in the neighborhood who recognized her.”

“Or it was the killer.” He raised his voice to call, “Peters!”

A younger detective in a Windbreaker turned toward his superior.

“Get your mobile and give the lab a ring. Put one of the computer lads on to the Twitter accounts. Find out who put up posts regarding this unfortunate girl. I want their names, addresses and a chat with them.”

“Yes, sir.” Peters turned away and pulled out his cell phone.

Another uniformed policeman trotted up to Westcox. “The coroner is here, sir.”

At the end of the street, Annja saw a new vehicle with flashing lights.

“Get him over here so we can shut this circus down.”

“Yes, sir.” The policeman turned and fled.

“Now you, Ms. Creed.”

“I don’t know why you’re taking such issue with me.” Annja met the man’s gaze full measure.

“I was told this absolutely amazing story about a botched robbery last night. Apparently a few young Asian gang members held up a restaurant not far from here.”

Annja kept her face devoid of emotion.

“The restaurateur and his lucky daughter—and even the gang members—all tell the same fabulous story of a red-haired American woman with a sword who interfered with the robbery.”

“Okay.”

“Would you happen to know anything about that?”

Annja didn’t like lying, but in this case the truth wasn’t something she was prepared to tell. “No.”

“Why would the woman with the sword run off like that?”

“Perhaps she heard how appreciative you were of anyone trying to help with your investigation.”

The grizzled officer laughed, then quickly covered it with a coughing fit. “Sorry, sir. It’s this bloody fog.”

Westcox glared at him, but the man stood with his eyes averted.

“You’re not here to help me with my investigation, Ms. Creed.” Westcox returned his attention to Annja. “If you interfere, or turn vigilante with a sword, I’m going to lock you up.”

“All right.”

That answer seemed to take Westcox by surprise. He stood there for a moment. “I don’t much care for your nose in my case. Your particular television show seems dedicated to prattling on to the feebleminded about ghosts and ghoulies.”

The accusation touched a nerve. Annja liked what she did for Chasing History’s Monsters and was tired of defending her work.

Before she could speak, Peters turned back to him.

“Chief Inspector.”

“What?”

“I’ve accessed the Twitter feed regarding the murder.” Peters pointed at Annja. “They also appear to be aware that Ms. Creed is with you.” He held out his cell phone for Westcox to see.

Annja saw it, as well. Someone had snapped a picture of her talking to the detective chief inspector.

“Whoever took this is assuming you called Ms. Creed in for a consultation regarding the Mr. Hyde murders.”

Westcox looked apoplectic. “No one has even said this is a Hyde killing.”

“Actually, someone has. Mr. Hyde himself has tweeted in and claimed credit.”

Annja responded immediately. “Trace the tweet.”

“Computer forensics is already on it.”

“This is a break,” Annja said to Westcox. “Hyde has never tweeted before.”

“And he may not have…have tweeted now. Someone else may have done that. We can’t jump to conclusions.” Westcox shoved his hands into his trench coat.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Inspector.” Despite her respect for the man’s job, Annja had had enough. She wasn’t the only person interested in the Mr. Hyde story. The number of people taking note of the murders was growing every day. He had no right to lean on her while she was simply trying to do her job. “Are we done here?”

Westcox hesitated. Finally he gave a brief nod. “We are. But watch your step, Ms. Creed.”

“I always do, Inspector.” Annja walked away as the haggard-looking coroner hunkered down beside the woman’s corpse. She headed into the crowd without looking back. She’d seen more than she’d wanted to.

“Annja! Annja!” A young female reporter with blond highlights held out a microphone while a camcorder operator trained his sights on Annja. She raised a hand to block the sudden bright light.

“Ms. Creed, what kind of help do you expect to give Detective Chief Inspector Westcox regarding the Mr. Hyde killings?” That came from another journalist, one with an Irish accent.

Annja ignored them and headed for the other end of the street. A few of them followed her, but gave up when she hit the cross street.

Her phone rang. Caller ID showed it was Doug Morrell. She didn’t want to take the call, but she knew if she didn’t Doug would just keep calling back.

Just as she started to answer, a dark Jaguar S-Type glided to a stop at the curb. Both passenger doors opened and two men holding pistols got out.

“Ms. Creed. Get in the car, please.”

6

For a moment, Annja hesitated.

“If you attempt to flee, I will shoot you in the legs and pull you into the car.” The speaker was a man of medium height and Asian ancestry. He held the pistol with a steady hand.

“You’ll shoot me with the police just up the street?” Annja asked calmly.

“And I’ll get away with it. They are compromised in this area. Before they can mobilize and get here, we’ll be gone.” He waved the pistol. “Now get in before I have you put in. We won’t be gentle.”

She’d escaped many traps in the past. Sometimes it was better to step into them and work on the fly. A moving trap couldn’t stop and think, or reset itself. At least, not most of the time.

She folded herself into the backseat of the car. Another man, also Asian, sat in the front passenger seat. He held a pistol in his lap. Once she was seated, the two men who had gotten out got back in. She was sandwiched between them.

At a word from the driver, the car pulled into traffic as smoothly as wax running down a candle.

Annja sat quietly between the two men on either side of her. “Do you want to tell me what this is about?”

The man in the front passenger seat turned to face her. “It’s simple. We want the magic lantern Edmund Beswick purchased from the antiquities auction.”

The answer surprised Annja. “I don’t know where it is.”

The man’s expression remained flat and unreadable. “That’s too bad. My employer will not believe you. It would be better if you knew where the lantern was.”

“Why would anyone think I knew where it was?”

“Because Edmund Beswick has shown you the lantern.”

“No, he hasn’t.”

“Then he planned to. My employer knows this.”

“Planned to. Didn’t.” Despite her anger, Annja was worried about Edmund. Why hadn’t the men gone to his flat first?

“My employer will believe you’re lying.”

“Why would I lie?”

“I only asked you so that we could stop and pick up the lantern before I take you to him.” He shrugged. “It’s too bad you don’t know. He is a very determined man. Many people fear him, and with good reason.” He turned back around and watched traffic, then gave directions to the driver in Chinese.

Annja couldn’t understand what was said, but she guessed it wasn’t good. She shifted in the backseat. “How did you find me?”

One of the men sitting beside Annja showed her his cell phone. The picture of her talking with Detective Chief Inspector Westcox. He grinned. “We have been watching you. We only just missed you in the hotel.”

The commander flicked his gaze to the rearview mirror and spoke harshly.

A scowl darkened the face of the man beside Annja. He put his cell phone away.

Even in the shadows of the car, Annja saw the tattoos ringing the guy’s neck. As with the Japanese Yakuza and the Russian Mafiya, in the Chinese Triad, tattoo designs were badges of office and warnings to everyone else.

How had Edmund’s magic lantern drawn the attention of the Triad?

Since she didn’t know where the magic lantern was, she had to escape.

Her captors wouldn’t hesitate to harm her. The only edge she had was that they hadn’t been given permission to kill her.

She hoped.

At a traffic light, the car came to a stop. The man in the passenger seat turned up the radio. Techno-pop filled the Jaguar.

Focusing on what she was going to do, she breathed deeply enough to charge her lungs without drawing the attention of the men beside her. Then she threw a backfist toward the man on her right. As she expected, he was prepared for the attack and caught her arm. However, he wasn’t prepared for her to shift and slam her forehead into his face as an immediate follow-up. She repeated the move and heard the man’s nose crunch under her assault.

He cried out once, then lapsed into unconsciousness.

As the other man tried to bring his pistol into play, Annja fell into the lap of the unconscious man, lifted her left leg and thrust her foot into her second attacker’s face.

The kick slammed the man against the window and shattered the glass. His pistol fell to the floor. Annja kept her foot pressed against his jaw to hold him in place. He struggled weakly, obviously dazed from the impact.

The man in the front passenger seat swung quickly and threw his gun arm across the seat. Annja didn’t wait to see if he was going to threaten her before he opened fire. She reached up and seized his wrist, then yanked down hard and snapped his elbow.

The man screamed hoarsely and dropped the pistol.

Committed now, aware that her life was possibly measured in heartbeats, Annja opened the passenger door, pushed off the guy she had trapped against the broken window and rolled onto the street. She got to her feet at once, cognizant that the conscious men inside the car were clawing for their weapons. Even the man with the broken arm was determined to get his pistol, or maybe he had another.

Annja vaulted to the back of the car and headed for the roof. Bullets ripped through the back windshield, blowing out chunks of glass, and punched calderas in the car’s roof. She never broke stride as she ran across the hood of the car and leaped onto the next stopped vehicle.

Jumping, vaulting and changing directions like a fleet-footed deer, Annja crossed the stalled traffic and reached the sidewalk just as the light turned green. She kept running as car horns, shouts and pistol shots made a huge cacophony behind her.

At the corner of the nearest building, she risked a quick glance back. Bullets tore into the bricks and threw dust in her face. She ducked out of sight, then dared another look. Two of the men had started after her, but their hearts weren’t in it and they’d retreated to their vehicle. Annja resumed running.

* * *

SEVERAL BLOCKS LATER, ANNJA slowed to a walk. Thankfully London stayed busy nearly twenty-four hours. She called Edmund Beswick’s cell several times but didn’t get an answer.

She also debated calling the Metro police, but decided against that until she knew more of what was going on. Detective Chief Inspector Westcox was going to have a lot of questions, and she didn’t have any answers.

Doug Morrell called again and this time she picked up.

“Hey,” he whispered irritably.

“I need you to do me a favor.”

“Me? I was calling you.”

Annja would’ve smiled at that, but she was too worried about Edmund Beswick. “Still need the favor, Doug.”

“Fine. What did you find out from the police?”

“What?” For a moment Annja was thrown for a loop.

“I saw the pictures on Twitter. You and Detective Scarecrow.”

Annja couldn’t believe it. Then she checked herself. Doug Morrell lived for Facebook and Twitter. It only made sense that he’d be trailing any mentions of her or Chasing History’s Monsters. “His name’s Westcox.”

“Whatever. Man looks like an advance warning for a famine.”

“He’s not that thin.”

“Your perspective is skewed because you’re always looking at mummies and skeletons. Skinny living guys must look obese to you.”

Annja shook her head. “Let’s talk about the favor.”

“Let’s talk about Detective Scarecrow.”

“Westcox. Get his name right. The lawyer will need to know it.”

“Lawyer?” Doug’s tone changed immediately from irritated to anxious. “Did you do something?”

“No, but the chief inspector is threatening to deport me if I don’t stay out of his investigation.”

“He can’t do that, can he?”

Annja loved putting Doug on the spot. “Not if I have a lawyer. A good one.”

“We do have a good one.”

Curiosity got the best of Annja. “Why are you whispering, Doug?”

“We’re having a council meeting.”

“Who?” Then it clicked. Doug Morrell belonged to a group of would-be vampires. That was one of his hobbies and one of the interests that endeared him to the production company that underwrote Chasing History’s Monsters. “Right. You’re with the Bat Boy Legion.”

Doug refused to take the bait and stayed focused. “Did you find out anything more about Mr. Hyde?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because there’s nothing to tell.”

“Mr. Hyde just took his fourth victim.”

“I know. I was there.” Annja looked up and down the street for a cab. If the men who had kidnapped her hadn’t doubled back around and found her by now, she felt fairly sure they wouldn’t.

“Oh, yeah, the Twitter feed. And there are a couple YouTube videos up now.”

Annja groaned.

“In fact, I think maybe Chasing History’s Monsters—” Doug’s voice grew louder “—is the only program not getting video of your meeting with Scotland Yard.”

“Shhh, you’ll wake the baby vampires.”

“I’m just saying…”

“Westcox isn’t with Scotland Yard. He’s with Metro. And he called me over when he saw me at the crime scene to warn me away. Actually, warning is too soft. It was definitely a threat.”

“Well, we’re not going to put up with that crap. He’s not going to threaten us and get away with it. We’re going to follow the Mr. Hyde story no matter where it goes.”

“You do realize that I’m the only person in danger of going to jail, don’t you?”

“There’s Igor.”

“He’s missing in action tonight.”

“What? He should be there with you.”

Annja silently disagreed. The last thing she needed was Igor going all macho. “I need the favor.”

“What favor?”

“I filled out paperwork on Edmund Beswick.”

“Professor Beeswax.”

“I need his home address.”

Doug chuckled. “Don’t tell me you couldn’t get that from Professor Beeswax. I mean, c’mon, Annja. A professor of reading? That should have been a slam dunk.”

“He’s a professor of literature. Are you sure you went to college?”

“Business degree with a minor in video productions. Got the diploma on my office wall.”

“I haven’t seen it for all the action figures and comic books.”

“Hey! Graphic novels.”

“I need Beswick’s address from the file.”

“Do I look like a walking computer?”

“You don’t go far without your computer. Just look up the information for me so you can go back and play with the other vampires.”

“We don’t play.” Sullenly, Doug put her on hold.

After a couple minutes, during which the light changed and Annja crossed the street, Doug was back on the line with the requested information.

“And keep me up to date. We’re paying for your little trip over there and we don’t want to have to put this program together from YouTube videos. Make sure Detective Scarecrow keeps you in the loop.”

“I’ll get right on that.” Annja broke the connection, tried Edmund’s number one more time, got no answer and flagged a passing taxi.