Read Online Sin's Dark Caress by Tracey O'Hara - Free Book Online

Hilden shook her head with astonished denial, and then her mouth thinned with determination. “This is some kind of cruel joke. She’s here somewhere. I told you, I saw her.”
    â€œIt was a doppelganger, Gayla,” Artemisia said. “I saw it too. But it expired when we looked too closely.”
    A female uniformed officer came over carrying a tiny, shivering Chihuahua puppy, the tail tucked firmly between its legs, its ears laid flat with terror.
    â€œNo.” All the blood drained from the Domina’s face. “Not Tiffany.”
    McManus waved the officer away. A man approached with a woman who looked like a younger version of the Domina.
    â€œMother, what’s going on?” she asked.
    â€œMarcus, take Astrid up to the room,” the Domina commanded.
    â€œNo,” the younger woman said. “Tell me what’s happened.”
    The Domina’s face fell. “There’s been an accident.”
    Bianca tried to school her features into a neutral expression but failed. It was definitely not an accident that had killed Tiffany Hilden.
    Astrid Hilden’s eyes widened as she saw the puppy the policewoman carried away and her expression crumpled. “That’s Tiffany’s Chi-Chi? Where’s my baby?”
    The Domina took her daughter’s hand. “Go upstairs with Marcus, Astrid. I’ll be along shortly.”
    â€œNo, Mother, I need to know.” Astrid’s voice rose an octave, hysteria creeping in. “Where is my baby?”
    The blood had drained from Marcus’s face. Something passed between him and his mother-in-law as he placed his arms around his wife’s shoulders. “Come on, sweetheart, let’s go upstairs.”
    She wrenched herself out of his embrace and stood shaking. “Tell me now.” She screamed. The whole room stopped and looked their way.
    â€œI’m sorry,” Gayla said. “She’s gone.”
    â€œNo.” It was hardly more than a hushed breath. “No, not my baby. Not my little girl.”
    Marcus wrapped his arms around his panic-stricken wife again, but she fought him, beating him with both fists until she collapsed, burying her face against his chest as heart-wrenching sobs wracked her body.
    Cody appeared out of nowhere at that minute. “Oberon said you might need some help.”
    â€œPerfect timing,” Bianca said with relief.
    He approached the Domina but she waved him off. “Don’t worry about me, Incubus, just take care of my daughter.” She turned to McManus with a stony expression. “So what are you doing to find my granddaughter’s murderer?”
    â€œFirst, we’re going to get statements from your guests,” McManus said, and turned to signal one of several police officers arriving at the entrance. “And if you don’t mind, I’d like to start by asking you a few questions. When was your granddaughter due?”
    The Domina’s brow creased. “Due?”
    â€œAh, McManus . . .” Bianca said, shaking her head. He didn’t know.
    He just ignored her, bumbling on. “The baby,” he said. “When was the baby due?”
    The Domina’s brow creased deeper in confusion. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”
    â€œNo, I’m sorry, Your Eminence, I should’ve explained,” Bianca said. “Tiffany was killed for the fetus she carried inside. They took the baby.”
    â€œImpossible,” the Domina said. “There was no baby. I told you, she passed her entrance exams to the Isis Institute.”
    â€œI know,” Bianca said.
    â€œThen, can someone please fill me in?” McManus asked.
    Bianca sighed and turned to him. “It means this morning—on the dawn of her sixteenth birthday—Tiffany Hilden was certified as a virgin.”

9
    Time to Put Away Toys
    â€œH ow can that be?” McManus asked. “Do we have the wrong girl?”
    Bianca