Licence To Howl by Helen Harper

Chapter Nine

Solentino livedon the third floor. The apartment didn’t look as large as the place Scarlett was staying in but it was certainly well appointed. The floors were lined from wall to wall with dusky marble, the furniture appeared antique but also functional, and there was an arresting mural of a pretty coastal scene on one of the lounge walls. A silk dressing gown was draped casually over the back of a velvet covered chaise longue and Alina’s scent clung to the air. She wasn’t in visible evidence, however. The only person who seemed to be in the apartment at the moment at all was Solentino himself – and right now, he looked none too impressed with his unexpected visitors.

‘My name is Devereau Webb. I was at the auction last night and –’

‘I know who you are, Mr Webb,’ Solentino interrupted. ‘And I saw you at the auction. What I don’t know is why you are here now.’ He looked over at Scarlett and his expression took on a different slant. Devereau felt his insides tighten in irritation. ‘Or who you are, darling.’

Scarlett offered Solentino a tiny smile, which promised everything and nothing all at the same time. Devereau’s annoyance increased. He sat down on a nearby chair, crossed his legs and leaned back in a bid to appear as relaxed as possible.

‘My name is Scarlett,’ she purred. ‘Mr Webb and I are old acquaintances.’

‘I didn’t realise that werewolves and vampires could be friends,’ Solentino said.

Scarlett laughed. ‘Oh, I didn’t say we were friends.’

Devereau gritted his teeth.

Christopher Solentino raised an eyebrow. Then he took Scarlett’s hand and pressed his lips to it. Slimy idiot. ‘I see,’ he murmured. ‘Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you.’ He sat down on the chaise longue and his face hardened. ‘Now, tell me how you found my address and why you are here.’

Clearing his throat, Devereau began to explain. ‘The auction was a ticketed event. It really wasn’t hard for someone of my skills to find who exactly had tickets and to track them down. I considered approaching several of the other bidders before deciding to come to you.’ He gestured towards Scarlett. ‘The two of us work together when it’s mutually beneficial to do so. We have a shared interest in the accumulation of wealth.’

‘You want money?’ There was an edge of a sneer to Solentino’s voice.

He smiled easily. ‘It makes the world go round. Or so they say anyway. Scarlett and I offer certain … services in return for generous payment. We seek out opportunities to help people in need. Think of us as less a small business and more as a charity.’

Solentino didn’t miss a beat. ‘That still doesn’t explain why you’re here.’

‘Then I will get to the point.’ Devereau linked his fingers together and placed them behind his head. ‘I couldn’t help notice that you were upset that you missed out on the Ring Of All Seasons at the auction.’

‘Upset? I’m not a child, Mr Webb. I don’t get upset. I wanted the ring and I didn’t get it. That’s all there is to it.’

Liar. ‘Is it?’ Devereau asked. ‘Because it just so happens that I managed to track down the actual buyer of the ring after the auction.’

The muscles around Solentino’s mouth tightened almost imperceptibly. ‘Who?’

‘The who is not important. Not any longer.’ Devereau grinned. ‘I divested them of their purchase. They paid five million euros for an ugly ring that they didn’t even get to keep for twelve whole hours.’

‘You stole it?’

‘I did.’ Devereau permitted himself an edge of suitably smug satisfaction. He knew it would add to his credibility.

‘Hmm.’ Solentino folded his arms. ‘The thing is, Mr Webb, that your reputation precedes you. I was given to understand that when you turned furry, you gave up your former career in crime.’

Devereau didn’t miss a beat. ‘Good. That’s what I wanted everyone to think.’

‘Because the London werewolf clans would rip you apart if they knew you were engaging in illegal activity? What’s to stop me from telling them that you’re still just a common thief?’

Devereau’s grin grew wider. ‘I can assure you that there’s nothing common about me.’

He watched the other man carefully. Solentino was deliberately avoiding asking any direct questions about the ring. He was desperate to downplay his desire to acquire it, which was exactly why he was making idle threats about blabbing to the clans. Neither Solentino’s body language nor his expression were betraying him either. But it was his very avoidance of the subject that gave away his desperate interest. This was hardly Devereau’s first rodeo, and he knew more than a thing or two about studied indifference.

‘Anyway,’ he said aloud, ‘let’s say that I have the Ring Of All Seasons in my possession and I am looking to sell it.’ He paused. ‘For the right price.’

‘How do I know you’re telling the truth? Let me see the ring first.’

Devereau glanced at Scarlett. She nodded and drew out her phone. ‘Before I show you this, Signore Solentino,’ she said, ‘I feel I must inform you that this was not my idea. I would have put the ring in a safe.’ She opened up first the photo of Devereau holding the ring up outside Solentino’s front door. Then she showed him the video.

‘You swallowed it? You ate the Ring of All Seasons?’

Devereau waved an unconcerned hand. ‘It will pass through in a day or two. I had to ensure that it was safe. I’m sure you can understand that.’

Solentino gave him an incredulous look. ‘What’s to stop me from shooting you dead and cutting open your guts to retrieve it?’ The way he posed his words made it clear that it wasn’t a rhetorical question. Even if it weren’t for his cold eyes, it was obvious he had no problem with casual murder followed by amateur butchery if the occasion suited him.

‘That’s what I said,’ Scarlett murmured.

‘I’m a werewolf,’ Devereau said, with blithe unconcern. ‘A very powerful werewolf. And she’s a vampire. You could try to acquire the ring that way but it wouldn’t help you in the long run.’ He allowed the shadow of fur to emerge across his skin for the briefest moment. ‘Quite the opposite, in fact.’

Solentino looked from Devereau to Scarlett and back again. ‘You’re fucking nuts, you know that?’

With that one statement, Devereau knew he had the other man exactly where he wanted him. It was time to turn the charm onto full blast. ‘People do say that about me,’ he said cheerfully. ‘But I also like to think myself as resourceful. Besides, as I suggested earlier, I like helping people. And I like a challenge. You want the ring. I have the ring. Let me help you with that.’

‘Don’t you want to know why I bid on the ring in the first place?’

‘Honestly, I don’t care. I imagine it’s because you think that if you put the ring on your finger on the night of the Winter Solstice, you’ll see into your future. If you want to believe in that sort of guff, then I’m not going to argue with you.’

Solentino frowned. ‘Guff? What is that word?’

‘Nonsense,’ Devereau said.

‘You don’t believe in the ring’s powers? You turn into a beast and you are a slave to the moon but you don’t believe in magic?’

‘Signore Solentino, I don’t care what the ring can or can’t do. I’m in this for the money.’ Devereau splayed out his hands to emphasise his point. I’m not a threat, he sent out silently. I’m only in this for the cold hard cash. Pay me and then you can use me. Not to mention trust me. I’m at your disposal.

‘How much?’ Solentino asked. ‘How much money do you want?’

‘I’m not greedy,’ Devereau told him. ‘Not much anyway. You were prepared to pay one point five million last night. That’s how much I want.’

‘The ring went for five million. If you approached someone else, you could get more.’

‘It’s possible,’ Devereau conceded. ‘But I was charmed by your girlfriend and I’m an eggs in one basket kind of guy. One point five is enough for me.’

Scarlett coughed.

‘For us,’ Devereau amended.

Solentino stood up and put his hands in his pockets. Then he walked over to the window. ‘I don’t know you, Mr Webb. That means I don’t trust you.’

Devereau pretended to consider that. ‘Well,’ he said finally, ‘you know where the ring is.’ He pointed to his stomach. ‘If you’re willing to pay what I ask, I’m willing to remain here until the ring is in your hands. That way, sooner or later, we will all get what we want.’

‘The vamp stays too,’ Solentino said.

Scarlett rolled her eyes although when Solentino turned away from the window and towards her, she smoothed her expression into a delighted smile. ‘I’d be thrilled to.’

‘For your information, Signorina Scarlett,’ he said, ‘Alina is not my girlfriend. We have sex but we are not … how do you say? Exclusive? We are not exclusive.’

Oh for fuck’s sake. Devereau opened his mouth to speak but Scarlett got there before him. ‘How interesting,’ she said. ‘How very interesting indeed.’

* * *

Solentino ledthem to a windowless room deeper inside his apartment and told them to stay there. He didn’t bother locking the door – they all knew that such an effort would be wasted – but he made it clear that they were to remain inside. Devereau shrugged amiably, casting a glance over the sparse furniture. He didn’t need to look at Scarlett to know that the scent of old blood clung to the air. Other people had been in this room before and it hadn’t ended well for them. Christopher Solentino might be able to present himself as restrained but there was no denying that he also had the potential to be very dangerous indeed and that he’d happily murder the pair of them without a second thought if he decided the situation merited it.

Once the door closed behind them and they were left alone, they exchanged meaningful glances. There was a strange quality to the room. Something about the way the air sounded. No doubt the walls were soundproofed. All the better for when you needed to noisily murder someone, Devereau supposed. He strained his ears. No soundproofing could ever be one hundred percent and he was certain he would still be able to hear the hum of voices from beyond the closed door. He’d certainly never manage to pick out specific words, however. Christopher Solentino was lucky that Devereau was prepared to play along with his request to stay put. For now.

Scarlett wandered over to the far left wall and began trailing her fingers along it. ‘I do hope that you’ve been getting your fibre lately,’ she commented. ‘I don’t want to be here for days and days.’ She knelt down by an electrical socket and gazed hard at it.

Devereau followed her lead and tilted his head up at the ceiling. There was nothing there other than a bare bulb. ‘You know as well as I do,’ he said, ‘that it takes time to transfer that amount of money without raising any suspicions or red flags. Banks these days don’t make life easy for us. A day or two here won’t do us any harm. It’ll be easier than obtaining the ring was.’ He walked over to the light switch and flicked it on. The bulb flickered into action. He abandoned his examination of it and picked up one of the narrow chairs instead, flipping it over and running his hands along the woodwork.

‘He’s quite a good looking chap, isn’t he?’

Devereau growled. ‘If you like that sort of thing.’

There was a smile in her voice. ‘I certainly wouldn’t say no.’

‘You can’t mix business with pleasure, Scarlett.’ His words came out harsher than he intended.

‘Of course I can. We both know that business like this is all about pleasure for you.’ She paused at a spot near the far corner and gave Devereau a quick look. He strolled over while Scarlett continued talking. ‘You only do this shit because you enjoy it.’

‘I don’t enjoy being stuck in a tiny room while everyone waits for me to take a dump.’

‘That’s on you. You didn’t have to swallow that stupid ring.’ She sniffed. ‘The part you enjoy is already over for you. You nicked the ring. The only reason we’re here trying to sell it on is so you can finance your next job. You’re a wolf now. You could retire from these sorts of activities if you wanted to. You simply don’t want to.’

Devereau touched the spot on the wall with his fingertips. It was barely noticeable but there was definitely a faint electronic buzz coming from underneath the plaster. Both their instincts were correct. There was no sign of any camera but their words were definitely being recorded. He would have expected nothing less, especially given what Greensmith had told him about MI5’s own failure to bug places like this. Solentino knew what he was doing where tech like this was concerned and was probably listening in at this very moment.

‘You don’t have to be here, Scarlett. You chose to come along. You want the pay-off as much as I do.’

‘If I hadn’t come along,’ she drawled, ‘then I wouldn’t have met Signore Solentino. Danger is a thrill for you. Men like him are a thrill for me.’

Devereau gave her a long, irritated look. In return, Scarlett shrugged and pulled a face to indicate she found her own words as distasteful as he did.

‘I’m really not all that different to you, Dev,’ she said aloud. ‘You like the thrill of the chase. So do I. It’s simply that we both chase different things.’

‘Don’t forget whose side you’re supposed to be on.’

‘Yeah, yeah.’ She made a show of dropping her voice to a whisper although any reasonable listening equipment would have no difficult still picking up her words. ‘I’m not sure he trusts you, you know.’

‘That’s a shame,’ Devereau said. ‘You might be trying to make me jealous of him but he seems like a decent guy to me. You can get a good sense of someone by the way they speak to you and the manner in which they approach things. Solentino might not like or trust me but I think we could work well together.’

‘Assuming he doesn’t put a bullet in your head in the next couple of hours.’

‘He’s too smart to try something like that.’

‘I hope you’re right. I like Signore Solentino. I know I had my doubts about him before but now I’ve met him I’d like to do more business with him in the future.’

Devereau gave her a pleased nod. ‘So would I.’ He winked at her and she smirked. They’d set their lure and used enough amateur dramatics to please any audience. Now they’d have to see if they could reel their prey in.