Free Wicked Nights by Diana Bocco Page A

to face him and felt her mouth go dry at the sight.
     
    He was wearing a tight white t-shirt that revealed every single muscle and cut in his body. And boy, was he all muscle. His hair was wet, and Laurie had flashes of him stepping out of the shower wearing nothing but the wicked smile he was sporting right now.
     
    She took a deep breath and extended a hand. Her fingers got lost in his, and she realized just how big he was.
     
    And just how unprofessional she was acting.
     
    “Thanks for seeing me, Mr. Volman. And it’s actually just Ms. Cole. I’m sort of a … private consultant.”
     
    His eyes lingered on her lips a little too long before he motioned towards the chairs on her right.
     
    “Please sit down, Ms. Cole. How can I help?”
     
    She sank into a chair, and he did the same right across from her. She wasn’t sure how to start the conversation. How exactly do you tell a guy you think he might be a serial killer when he’s sitting right across from you? And when he looks like that . She almost had to laugh at herself, acting like a schoolgirl with a crush. Just get it out , she told herself. It’s not like it’s the first time you’ve done this!
     
    “Have you been following the news?” she finally asked. “The disappearance of the three girls?”
     
    Volman’s eyes narrowed, but the rest of his body remained relaxed. If he was somehow uncomfortable with the line of questioning, he didn’t show it.
     
    “I think I saw something about it.”
     
    “Did you know any of them?”
     
    The silence she got in response was deafening. He didn’t move a muscle, didn’t blink, and she wondered if he was trying to come up with the right answer.
     
    “Are you accusing me of something?”
     
    “Not exactly. We found something in the home of each girl after she disappeared. A stang , which I’m told is a magical tool.”
     
    He was either too smart or too innocent, because his immediate response was to smile. “And you think I’m the only one in town with the gift of magic?”
     
    “Mr. Volman, you don’t look like the psycho kidnapper type to me, but that doesn’t mean you’re not somehow involved. I’ve been told you use stangs in your shows. Or you did in the past. The ones left behind had some writing on them. Romanian, I think.”
     
    His face grew dark, but Laurie barely noticed because something else caught her attention. A humming sound. No, not humming. Some sort of vibration in the air, like the sound of a taut metal cable being snapped. The sound reverberated in the room, finding its way into her ears and down her chest and back. It was so intense she couldn’t help but shiver.
     
    Time seemed to screech to a halt, and the air around her became heavy with the smell of ozone, almost as if a storm were brewing inside the room. Behind the vibration, she could hear chatter, voices that seemed to dance and flow around her without making sense, like fragments of a movie reel playing out of order. What the hell? Was she going crazy? Maybe all the talk about magic and illusions had finally gone to her head, and now she was imagining things.
     
    Just then, a flash of light went off in her brain and the word “Corneliu” became clear. If she’d had any idea what it meant, it might have helped her, but she was only more confused by whatever was going on. It took her a second to get her focus back, and she realized Volman was looking at her intensely. She suddenly felt the need to apologize.
     
    “I’m sorry. It’s been a long day.”
     
    He readjusted his position in the chair. His movements were slow, like a cat stalking its prey. Every movement soft, fluid, elegant.
     
    “Romanian folklore is rich in superstition and magic, Miss Cole,” he said after a few seconds. “Not the disappearing-coin kind of magic. Real magic, with potions and spells. It’s a world you know nothing about.”
     
    “Are you telling me you believe magic is real?”
     
    Her phone went off, making