Andrei was tall, at least six foot six inches, and of medium build. His dark hair was slicked back into spikes like it was still the nineties, and even though he was in the middle of a construction zone, he still worked a full three-piece suit.
“Andrei Rostaleascu?” Andy asked, and the vampire turned towards us.
“Yes?”
“I’m Andrew Fischer, one of the Enforcers here in town.”
Andrei’s lip curled upwards. “A wizard as an Enforcer? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“Here’s my identification,” Andy said, pulling out his card and handing it to the vampire who sneered as he handed it back.
“What could a wizard know about Enforcement? But what can I do for you?”
“Have you heard that Rudoldir, the elf in charge of the permits and zoning in town, has been murdered?”
Andrei nodded. “I did hear about that, yes.”
“Can you tell me where you were last night between the hours of eight and ten?”
Andrei scowled at us both. “Wait, you think I might have killed him? Sheesh, they let wizards be Enforcers these days and all of a sudden all good sense goes down the toilet. Of course I didn’t kill him.”
“You were upset about him not giving you a liquor license on your own.”
“That’s right. It’s a stupid rule, created by stupid people. Plus, it’s racist. My being a vampire shouldn’t prevent me from being able to run a business aimed at other paranormals. But Rudoldir gave me the option to bring in another paranormal in the business to get around that rule.”
“Yes, and we heard that you were not pleased with that choice,” Andy said.
“Pleased? Of course I wasn’t pleased. This business is my business. I want to run it the way I want to, and I don’t want to have to answer to anyone. I should be able to get the liquor license without having to bring in a new partner in the business. But that’s not Rudoldir’s fault. He did what he could to help me within the laws he had to work with. I wouldn’t have killed him over it. What would that have done?”
“Made you feel better?” I offered with a shrug. “Or at least made you think you would feel better?”
“That’s ridiculous. Rudoldir and I might have had professional differences, but in no universe did I kill him.”
“In that case, you won’t mind giving us your alibi. Eight to ten last night, where were you?” Andy repeated.
“I was asleep,” Andrei replied. “At home, alone. The work here finishes around four in the afternoon, and I’m able to sleep until around midnight before the night really begins for vampires. I woke up around twelve-thirty this morning.”
“So no one can confirm your story?”
“If I knew I was to be accused of murder, I would have found something else to do in public. But alas, no, I cannot account for my whereabouts at the time of the murder as I was simply in bed, sleeping. It is difficult being a vampire who has to be awake on the same schedule as the shifters, but who also has to try and maintain a regular life among his own kind.”
“Alright, do you know who might have wanted him dead?” Andy asked, and Andrei shrugged.
“I do not make it a habit to hang out with elves. They are too pretentious, and I cannot imagine what sort of being would willingly spend time with them.”
“Yeah, you seem like a treat yourself,” I replied, barely resisting the urge to roll my eyes.
“Thanks for the help. We’ll be in touch,” Andy said, and the two of us walked off just in time to hear Andrei yelling at one of the shifters, “Just because you’re only good for lifting heavy things doesn’t mean you can’t use your one brain cell! That’s not going to fit through the door unless you turn it on its side!”
“Boy am I ever glad I don’t work for him,” I muttered. “I hope he did it. I’d enjoy getting to throw his butt in jail.”
Andy gave me a sideways look. “You realize you don’t actually get to arrest people, right? Just because you’re being allowed to conduct your own investigation because Rudoldir had hired you before he died doesn’t make you an Enforcer.”
“I know, I know,” I said.
“I’m just checking. Should we go speak with Vernon Montgomery? I got an address for him from Jack.”
“Sure,” I replied. “There was no need for that though; everyone who grew up here in town knows where Vernon lives.”
Chapter 10
Vernon Montgomery lived outside of town on what could only be described as an estate. Sitting on top of a small hill that overlooked the lake on one side and the mountain on the other was his large house, which looked like it belonged in some sort of historical English TV show and not in a small Washington town.
The main building was three stories tall and made of white brick with huge Corinthian columns lining the entire front of the building. A long, meandering driveway led up to the front door, complete with a giant fountain of a mermaid holding a wand above her head and spraying water from it. A perfectly manicured garden surrounded the whole space, and I was certain that come spring there would be witches and wizards magically planting all sorts of tulips and crocuses.
“Wow, you weren’t joking,” Andy said as we flew up to the house on our brooms. “This house is something else.”
“If by ‘something else’ you mean gaudy and completely out of place here in town,” I replied. “It’s ridiculous. He could have built some sort of cool-looking castle instead that would have totally fit in
