Nocturne | ONC 2024

Four: Westminster

Even at night, Westminster was busy. Nikolai drove through the city like they were the only vehicle on the road, one hand on the wheel, one with a cigarette always burning between two fingers. Aaron had no idea how the vampire managed to dodge all the traffic that usually plagued any city centre driver, but they drove over Westminster Bridge only a short time later, past the bright glow of the government buildings and milling crowds of tourists. Phone flash twinkled in the dark, the headlights roving across bag buckles and jewellery and polished leather, over smiles and wide eyes.

"Do you live in London?" Aaron asked. Nikolai was certainly driving like he did, but Aaron was suddenly aware he knew nothing about this man who was going to be watching his back tonight.

"Sometimes."

"Multiple houses?" he asked drily.

Nikolai spared him a glance sidelong. "You can end up with a great deal of property if your entire family line dies out, Evans."

Aaron met his gaze. "You stayed in contact with them? After you changed?"

"Not directly. Through lawyers."

They turned out of the main thoroughfare and onto an avenue of shops and cafes. The crowds straggled to nearly nothing, clustering under the lamps of pubs and bars in clouds of vape smoke. There was no sat-nav on, but Nikolai never hesitated on their route. Silence fell again in the car, leaving Aaron time to wonder what they were getting into.

"Is this someone we can handle alone?" he asked. It was almost certain they weren't dealing with a human, and it seemed suddenly foolish to show up with only the two of them. Aaron had been on arrests for supernaturals before, but he'd never done so with less than a van-load of heavily armed police, dogs, guns and all.

"You're going to do whatever it is your health and safety paperwork needs to say you did," Nikolai muttered, "And I am going to handle the rest."

Vampire. Right. But he still felt a familiar flutter of anxiety. They weren't dealing with any ordinary case here, either; he thought of the stain on that shop floor that had once been a senior member of the most feared vamp gang in the city, and wondered if Nikolai was being a bit too blasé about this, even for an old vamp.

"Bill said this body was a wreck," he persisted, "I think we should just scout it out and call in a unit if we find anything incriminating." He doubted Bill had meant anything more than that in the first place.

"We'll see," Nikolai said, unconvincingly.

They cruised to the end of the road, and in one smooth manoeuvre Nikolai pulled into a parking space. "We'll walk from here."

Aaron got out, readjusting his bulletproof vest and checking his boots. He was feeling the sudden start; normally he didn't even think about starting a night shift without two coffees in the tank. Despite Nikolai's disdain, he felt like he might as well have just rolled out of bed, for all the good that last cup of tea at home had done him. The brisk night air went some way towards waking him up, and he felt the first stirrings of adrenaline, but he still struggled to keep up with Nikolai's brisk and silent strides.

"How do you know where this suspect lives?" he asked in a low murmur. "We've only been on this case for twenty-four hours." He'd barely got his head around the enormity of what had happened, let alone had any ideas on where to start with solving it.

Nikolai rummaged in a pocket, and then held up the small bag of coarse fur collected from the site. "Caught this same scent on my way home last night. Followed it here. This is too volatile a case to give any suspects a chance to bolt. Next port of call is to get the Nocturnes to let us see the body."