Lady Sullivan’s face spasmed into something very ugly. ‘As if hindsight hasn’t suggested other avenues to you in the past, Lord Horvath! I should have acted faster, but I do not require further censure. Believe me, as Becca’s alpha I feel the weight of guilt. And yet, however unfortunate her death was, she killed herself. She had nothing to do with DC Brown. I doubt she’d ever spoken to the man!’
Seeking to calm matters, I took another tack. ‘You said shechoseto become a wolf? When did that happen?’
‘Six years ago. She recommended her sister for conversion three years after that.’
‘Why would she recommend her sister if she was having trouble adapting to the change herself?’
Lady Sullivan looked away. ‘We didn’t know she was having trouble. You have to understand, Ms Bellamy, that there are strict limits placed on how many werewolves can exist at any one time. We do not turn humans without first being confident that they can adapt to an entirely new way of life. We receive thousands of applications. We can afford to be picky.’
Not picky enough if Becca really did commit suicide. ‘How?’ I asked quietly. ‘How did Becca die?’
Lady Sullivan sighed. ‘She didn’t hang herself, if that’s what you’re asking. She slit her wrists in the bath and bled to death.’
My fingers went involuntarily to my throat, touching the spot where the knife had first slid in. ‘What did she use to cut herself with?’ My voice suddenly sounded weak.
She gave me a strange look. ‘A knife. One of her own kitchen knives, in fact.’
Lukas glanced at me, concern in his gaze. ‘You’re sure?’
Lady Sullivan rose to her feet. ‘What exactly are you trying to tell me? Are you suggesting that Becca didn’t do this to herself?’
‘I don’t know.’ I licked my lips. ‘I need to see her body.’
‘Is that completely necessary?’ she enquired.
‘Yes,’ Lukas said.
Her lips tightened. ‘No matter what dormant power this one might have within her, she is still part of the human police force. Are you prepared to pass on the reins of this investigation to her? I’m certain, Lord Horvath, that you are more than aware of the repercussions that might have.’
‘I’m certain, Lady Sullivan, that you’re also aware of the repercussions of a werewolf in your clan killing a member of the human police force. This is about damage limitation.’
‘Their deaths are not related.’
‘You don’t know that,’ I said, more loudly than I’d intended. ‘Nobody does. To find out for sure, I need to see Becca’s body.’
Lady Sullivan sighed, then she looked at Robert and gave him a tiny nod. I breathed out. I didn’t thank her, however; she was only doing what she should have done in the first place.
‘I will take you to her now,’ Robert said, stepping forward. I had no idea whether he agreed with the order or not; his expression was inscrutable.
I didn’t move. ‘I’m not finished yet.’
Lady Sullivan clicked her tongue. ‘What else do you want?’
I ignored her exasperated tone. ‘Anna. Becca’s sister. What information do you have on her disappearance?’
‘She spent the night with Gregory. She left his house to return home and somewhere along the way she vanished.’ She shrugged in a bored fashion. ‘What else is there to know?’
‘You don’t seem very concerned about her disappearance.’
‘I’m the girl’s alpha, not her mother.’ Lady Sullivan folded her arms; she was making a very obvious production of her apparent boredom. Far too obvious.
‘What has been done so far to locate her?’ I asked.
For a moment, I wasn’t sure she would answer then she cleared her throat. ‘Trackers have been out searching for her scent,’ she said finally. ‘They think they picked her up on the fringes of St James’s Park. Becca was a rising star and progressed rapidly through the ranks. We had been hoping for the same from Anna, despite the fact that she lived in her sister’s shadow. However, she only made zeta three full moons ago. Sometimes young wolves find the process of being ranked too much to handle and they snap. I suspect that is what happened to Anna.’
‘Zeta is the lowest rank?’ I asked, confirming what Lukas had told me.
‘It is. But many wolves don’t even achieve that.’
