Read Online Magic Lantern (Rogue Angel) by Alex Archer - Free Book Online

but the chief inspector is threatening to deport me if I don’t stay out of his investigation.”
“He can’t do that, can he?”
Annja loved putting Doug on the spot. “Not if I have a lawyer. A good one.”
“We do have a good one.”
Curiosity got the best of Annja. “Why are you whispering, Doug?”
“We’re having a council meeting.”
“Who?” Then it clicked. Doug Morrell belonged to a group of would-be vampires. That was one of his hobbies and one of the interests that endeared him to the production company that underwrote Chasing History’s Monsters. “Right. You’re with the Bat Boy Legion.”
Doug refused to take the bait and stayed focused. “Did you find out anything more about Mr. Hyde?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because there’s nothing to tell.”
“Mr. Hyde just took his fourth victim.”
“I know. I was there.” Annja looked up and down the street for a cab. If the men who had kidnapped her hadn’t doubled back around and found her by now, she felt fairly sure they wouldn’t.
“Oh, yeah, the Twitter feed. And there are a couple YouTube videos up now.”
Annja groaned.
“In fact, I think maybe Chasing History’s Monsters —” Doug’s voice grew louder “—is the only program not getting video of your meeting with Scotland Yard.”
“Shhh, you’ll wake the baby vampires.”
“I’m just saying…”
“Westcox isn’t with Scotland Yard. He’s with Metro. And he called me over when he saw me at the crime scene to warn me away. Actually, warning is too soft. It was definitely a threat.”
“Well, we’re not going to put up with that crap. He’s not going to threaten us and get away with it. We’re going to follow the Mr. Hyde story no matter where it goes.”
“You do realize that I’m the only person in danger of going to jail, don’t you?”
“There’s Igor.”
“He’s missing in action tonight.”
“What? He should be there with you.”
Annja silently disagreed. The last thing she needed was Igor going all macho. “I need the favor.”
“What favor?”
“I filled out paperwork on Edmund Beswick.”
“Professor Beeswax.”
“I need his home address.”
Doug chuckled. “Don’t tell me you couldn’t get that from Professor Beeswax. I mean, c’mon, Annja. A professor of reading? That should have been a slam dunk.”
“He’s a professor of literature. Are you sure you went to college?”
“Business degree with a minor in video productions. Got the diploma on my office wall.”
“I haven’t seen it for all the action figures and comic books.”
“Hey! Graphic novels.”
“I need Beswick’s address from the file.”
“Do I look like a walking computer?”
“You don’t go far without your computer. Just look up the information for me so you can go back and play with the other vampires.”
“We don’t play.” Sullenly, Doug put her on hold.
After a couple minutes, during which the light changed and Annja crossed the street, Doug was back on the line with the requested information.
“And keep me up to date. We’re paying for your little trip over there and we don’t want to have to put this program together from YouTube videos. Make sure Detective Scarecrow keeps you in the loop.”
“I’ll get right on that.” Annja broke the connection, tried Edmund’s number one more time, got no answer and flagged a passing taxi.

7
     
A few tense minutes later, Annja got out of the cab in front of Edmund’s apartment building in Chelsea. She paid the driver and walked up to the security door. Frustrated, she rang Edmund again, but he still didn’t answer.
She knew it was possible the professor was asleep and had turned his phone off. However, she couldn’t get the Triad members—if that’s who they were—out of her mind. She didn’t doubt they’d go after Edmund.
She retreated to the back of the building. Studying the old metal fire escape, she leaped up, caught hold of the bottom rung on the ladder leading up to it and was pleasantly surprised