Replica (The Blood Borne Series Book 2) Read Online Free Page B

possibility, it would be easier to ditch the tail in a crowd.
    Of course, there was the possibility he was a vampire himself.
    “They call it the witching hour. The perfect time to discuss Aglaea.”
    Way to ease my concerns, ass wipe. Witching hour was three in the morning, not midnight like everyone assumed, but for all I cared, he could repeat that mistake on his next cryptic phone call.
    “I’m not sure I want to meet Hades at the witching hour.”
    “Don’t make me sorry I called you, Rachel. I’ve already told you more than I should.”
    I read his implied threat loud and clear.
    “As a sign of my good faith,” he continued, “I will give you information that will prove I have knowledge of the inner workings of Aglaea.”
    “I’m listening.”
    “I know you found a suicide pill, and I know you had it analyzed.” He paused. “I’m sure the technician looked for toxins. He found VX, but you need to ask him if he looked for specific inert elements.”
    “And what should he have looked for?”
    “Blood cells. Ask him the unusual aspect he found and then tell me tonight at midnight. I’ll explain the significance.”
    “How do I know you’re not working for the military?”
    “No, my precious ewe. I’m the one trying to save you from your slaughter.”
    A chill ran down my spine. “ Am I about to be slaughtered?”
    “One could say you’ve already been slaughtered metaphorically. But perhaps you’re being offered up as a sacrifice by someone else.”
    “Who?”
    “I’ll tell you when I see you at the address I’ll text to you.” Then he hung up.
    Shit. I needed to get back to the hotel to see if I could dig up any information on anything he’d told me. And I needed to call Tom, my contact in the coroner’s department, on the way. He’d arranged for the pill to be tested.
    I pulled up Tom’s number in a hurry, and to my relief, he answered right away. “Rachel? I’m surprised you’re calling me. Now .”
    “You saw my report.”
    “I can’t believe you did it.”
    “You don’t believe me, either?”
    “I didn’t say that. I just can’t believe you put yourself out there like that. It was a brave thing to do.” He laughed. “Stupid, but brave.”
    I shook my head. “Thanks. I think. But there’s a reason for my call.”
    “I figured as much.”
    Ouch . But Tom had a point. I only called him when I needed something. Every time I swore to myself that the next time I called him it would be just to chat. But it still hadn’t happened. I knew I needed to treat Tom with more care, if only because I did need him.
    As a forensic scientist in New York City, he had access to the kinds of information that could help me with my own investigations. I couldn’t officially use it in my reports, but it often either pointed me in the right direction or confirmed facts I’d already uncovered. I’d been in New York for a year and I’d known Tom for ten months. Truth be told, he was probably my best friend in town.
    Other than Lea. But who knew when I’d ever see her again.
    I definitely needed to treat him better. “I’m sorry. I’m a shitty friend. I’ll make it up to you.”
    “You already owe me, remember? The wedding?”
    “Of course.” I’d agreed to go to his co-worker’s wedding with him in exchange for his help with the pill.
    “Are you gonna have time to go with everything else going on?”
    “Of course.” I hoped.
    “So what do you need?”
    Now I really felt like shit. “I guess it pertains to the favor that got me the wedding invitation in the first place.”
    “The fingerprint?”
    “No, the pill.”
    “Crap. That’s what I was afraid of. What about it?”
    “I need to know about the inert compounds in the pill, specifically whether your friend found any blood cells. And anything specific regarding them.”
    “Rachel, they test for specific things they’re interested in finding. But he found organic compounds, so he checked further.”
    “Wait, you’re