The Experimental Murders (Elysium #2)

Chapter Seven

 Tapping his pen against the desk, Booker stared down at the notes he had taken. "So the victim likely came from Kineworth."

Kineworth. That's where Elysium was. The thought sent a chill through Trinket's veins. "And there was no blood in the alley where the body was found," she added.

"Right. So the victim must have been killed prior to the body being placed in the alley."

She crossed her legs and glanced up at the ceiling of the laboratory. "Why would he go all the way to Kineworth just to kill someone?"

"We don't know that he killed her." Booker met her eyes but looked away quickly. "Perhaps she was here visiting."

"Emma said she was poor, though."

"There are plenty of cheap ways to get from one place to another."

Trinket fidgeted in her seat. "All right, so where do we go from here?"

Sighing, Booker tossed his pen onto the desk and leaned back in his chair. "If we could get a glimpse of the body, perhaps we could learn more. But Jewkes is not the only one I need to get past this time. And they've pinned me as a suspect, making things all the more complicated. Maybe we should make a trip to Kineworth and look for information there."

Her chest tightened, and the flashbacks started.

A dark room.

Drug-induced sleep.

Ice-cold baths.

Electric shocks streaming through her body.

"I can't," she gasped, desperately trying to hold back a scream.

Booker's eyes flitted to her, and understanding seemed to dawn on his face. "Oh, right. No. No, I won't have that. If someone there recognized you and tried to drag you back to the asylum, I would have to set fire to the establishment."

The tension eased, replaced by a warm flutter. Had she proved herself so worthy an employee that he would resort to arson in order to keep her around?

"But maybe I can have my connections gather information. Or I could take a trip out there myself." His eyes wandered back to her, and he swallowed hard. "You're sure Scales only mentioned me? Nothing about you or anyone else?"

She knit her eyebrows together at the sudden change in subject. "Only Mr. Wotton. He said nothing about me. Why?"

"No reason, no reason at all." He rose to his feet and paced the length of the laboratory, examining each specimen on the shelf, his hands clasped behind his back. "I think I will set out to Kineworth to see what I can find. Tomorrow morning. I'll be back before dinner. We can sup at the Clocktower to go over what I learned."

Leaving her chair, Trinket joined him by the shelves. His focus was on the recently cleaned skull of the Wolf. Those disgusting insects had done their job well. There wasn't a speck of flesh or blood left on the gleaming white bone.

As it floated in the liquid-filled jar, its metal teeth caught the low light of the laboratory, illuminating its menacing grin. Memories of Booker's persistence and passion while hunting the creature played through her mind, and a smile tugged at her mouth. His enthusiasm was contagious. Though she still worried that his friend may not be the best influence on him, she couldn't help but want to see Booker succeed in his pursuits. And while she wasn't yet willing to risk exposure in Kineworth, she would do what she could for him here.

"That sounds like a splendid idea," she said.

He glanced over at her with a soft smile.

~