Page 75 of Fire Dancer

A minute later, it all clicked in my mind. “The vials…”

Jananovich hadn’t been using them for couples. He’d figured out a way to combine his business interests with escorts who provided blood. Fresh from the vein, I gathered, plus a “to-go” version. Hence the vials.

I cursed the agency for the hundredth time. If it weren’t for the restraining order, I might have had enough evidence, if not to convict Jananovich, then for a search warrant, at least.

“I gave Kyle the billing address you showed me. The one for the vials,” I said. “TTC Limited is True Tastes Consortia, Limited.”

“Owned by Jananovich?”

“I think so, but if so, it’s hidden under a dozen shell corporations.”

Pippa went over to her desk — a board laid across two sawhorses — and returned with a flyer.

“Stacy gave me this.”

It was for the glass contest, giving a PO Box in Sedona as the address. I left that as a message on Kyle Williams’s phone.

As I hung up, Pippa cursed.

I leaned in to read the contest guidelines.

“I thought that was a strange way of phrasing things,” she murmured, then read aloud. “‘The winning contestant will submit four beautifully crafted glasses and a decanter. All must allow for proper aeration and visibility of the liquid inside.’” She tapped the last part. “Liquid, not wine.” She shook her head bitterly. “God, they make me sick.”

I could relate.

Then she looked at me expectantly.

I raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Tell me what I have to do to bring down that slimeball,” she grunted, all angel of revenge.

“I’m working on it, believe me. But it’s not that simple.”

“Sure it is. We sneak into La Puebla and kill his sorry ass.”

She started stalking around, thinking. Candles stood all over the place, and any one she passed flared to life of its own volition. Some fizzled and died again, while others remained flickering.

I watched her move. Was she even aware of what she was doing?

No, I decided. The woman was a walking fire hazard.

Then again, I’d bet she also had the power to snuff out any ensuing blaze.

Hopefully.

“Sneaking into La Puebla won’t be easy,” I warned. “Jananovich will have security. Plus, he’s a vampire. They’re hard to kill. And even if we could, what’s to stop the agency from prosecuting us as murderers of an ‘innocent’ businessman?”

She thought it over for exactly five seconds before launching into a new plan. “Okay, so we sneak into La Puebla, grab incriminating evidence, andthenkill his sorry ass.”

I let her contemplate that for a minute or two.

Suddenly, Pippa sat straighter, and every candle in the place burned higher. “Oh! I know how to get in without sneaking at all.”

“How?”

“Catering.”

I shook my head. “There’s no way I’m letting you get close to Jananovich. If anyone goes in, it will be me.”