Part 22 (1/2)

Gabriel smelled blood, and saw a pile of white and red left by the base of the well stones. He reached down and picked up a handful of torn, damp T-s.h.i.+rt fabric. He pressed his face against it to be sure, but he knew from his dream the blood on it was Nicola's.

A dream that had not been a dream at all.

He found her leather jacket left draped on the edge of the well by the bucket pulley. He ran his hands over it, feeling again the bulges in the lining. Yesterday he had not disturbed them, but now he found the folded seams that opened them and slowly went through the contents of each.

Nicola carried several rolls of euros, rail pa.s.ses or tickets of some sort, and a folded book of traveler's checks, but no coins or wallet. One small, hard plastic case contained a dozen slim, bent metal instruments Gabriel guessed were lock picks. He also found a canister of spray lubricant, a pair of folding binoculars, and a long, flat piece of metal that he had seen on television as something car thieves employed. From the last pocket he pulled a bundle of identification cards, pa.s.sports, and work visas.

Nowhere did Gabriel find the film, lenses, or any other camera accessories he had expected.

It was not photography or random accident that had brought her to the chateau. Nicola carried too many specific tools for him to believe that anymore. It seemed that she was the human thief that his interrogators in Paris had spoken of-the thief whom the Brethren had been trying to trap by using him as bait.

Why did she deceive me?

Gabriel carefully returned the items he had examined precisely where he had found them, and put the jacket and the bloodied fabric back where Nicola had left them. He turned and silently followed his own path to the spider-silk tent.

What else has she stolen?

Now that he knew this about her, some things made more sense. Why she dyed her hair: to alter her appearance; she likely did it regularly. Why she traveled by motorcycle: to have the means to get away quickly; a motorcycle could weave in and out of traffic and go places off-road where cars could not.

But what did she steal? Did she take relics and antiques from these churches and chapels she had claimed to be photographing?

Why had she kept this from him?

I would not tell a stranger that I was a thief, he admitted to himself. But after yesterday and last night, are we still strangers?

The enormity of his discovery would have bothered him more if she had been lying to him for a long period of time, but in truth they had known each other for only three days. Enough time to become lovers, but not to establish trust. Perhaps she was ashamed of what she did, and sought to conceal it from him for that reason.

Or she is up at the house this minute, taking the money and the diamonds that Dalente left hidden for me.Gabriel found that he didn't care if she did take them for herself. Nicola had saved his life, but more important, she had salvaged his soul. She could have anything she wished for that.

In her own way, she had tried to warn him. You deal with the murderers, thieves, and liars... The world's full of them...

You have to think the way they do... For all you know, I could be one of them.

Something touched his neck. ”If I were a holy freak, you'd be a dead vampire.”

”Fortunately for me you are not.” He caught Nicola's hand and brought it to his lips. ”I missed you.”

”Well, I had to do some recon and get some supplies.” She placed a cold, thick plastic bag in his hands. ”Some breakfast.”

”Blood?” He could see that it was from the dark red smear of color, but decided to keep silent about his returning vision. If she could keep secrets, then so could he-at least until he had some better idea of what she stole, and why.

”Blood and more blood,” she said, placing a small, box-shaped object next to him. ”This is a cooler with six more units. It's fresh from the blood bank at the city hospital.”

”How did you get it?” Had she stolen this as well? ”A hospital would not sell bagged blood to you.”

”I sort of borrowed it,” she said. ”It's okay; it's type O, and I made sure they had plenty in stock. They won't miss it.”

Was that how she thought of what she did? As borrowing? How did so generous and kind a woman become a thief? None of it made sense to Gabriel.

”I picked up some extra bungee cords so I can strap the cooler to the bike.” She sorted through a bag. ”Got jeans, T-s.h.i.+rts, and some decent shoes. You're about a size nine, right?” She moved closer. ”Aren't you hungry?”

”I am.” Hungry, and puzzled, and not sure of what to do. ”Where did you get the clothes?”

”From a men's sportswear shop in town; where else? I picked out some long-sleeved tracksuits. They'll cover everything, but they're cotton, so you won't sweat to death.” She brought his hand to a s.h.i.+rt. ”See? Nice and soft. I got them in solid colors: dark green, blue, and black.” Her voice went uncertain. ”I didn't know what to do about underwear.”

The Brethren had denied him the dignity of clothing. That she would care about such a small detail touched him deeply. ”It doesn't matter. I am not accustomed to wearing it anymore.”

”Well, I got three pairs of cotton boxers in case, you know, you decide you want to. I couldn't picture you in briefs.” She tapped the bag in his lap. ”Go on; drink up. We have to catch a train.”

”A train.”

”First cla.s.s sleeper compartment,” she added. ”I picked up some rail pa.s.ses. They run the Occitan to the coast now.”

She couldn't have stolen train tickets-could she? ”I thought we would take your motorcycle.”

”Well, I'm not leaving it behind.” The blur of her face appeared in front of him, and he had to remember to keep his gaze fixed. ”I remove the front wheel and crate it at the station as cargo. The train's good for staying out of sight while we travel during the day, and I think we need to get out of France.”

That much he agreed with. ”Where are we going?”

”The train takes us all the way to Calais,” she said. ”I'll put the bike back together there, and then it's twenty minutes through the Eurotunnel to Dover. From Dover, it's a couple of hours to my place.”

She had done this before, obviously. ”You are taking me home with you?”

”Unless you'd rather go somewhere else, yeah.” She bent forward and kissed him. ”That okay?”

”Very much so.” Gabriel set aside the bag of blood and pulled her into his arms. ”There is someone I should see in London first, to find out what has happened since my imprisonment. Will you take me to him before we go to your home?”

”Sure.” She linked her hands around his neck. ”Is everything okay? You seem kind of out of it this morning.” Her voice softened.

”I guess you've had nothing but one rude shock after another.”

”I will, as you say, handle it.” Gabriel held her close. He would be lost without her now. ”Only stay with me, Nicola.”

Chapter 15.

The door to the lab opened and closed again. A certain tall, blond Kyn cleared his throat.

Alex didn't stop working, and sent a wish to the medical research fairy to open a bottomless pit inside the lab door.

”The high lord wishes to know what progress you have made,” Korvel said from behind Alex.

If the captain of Richard's guards interrupted her one more time, Alex decided, she was going to beat him to death with her coagulyzer. A girl just couldn't rely on the medical research fairy anymore.

”I'm four more blood tests and one partial extrapolated blood absorption simulation ahead of where I was yesterday,” she told him. ”Half of one comparative screen farther than I was an hour ago. No farther along than ten minutes ago.” She paused and stared at her watch. ”Why, look, I'm still not any farther along.”

”I meant, have you any reports prepared?”