Chapter Five

The lead American Auror approached the couch, tucking the two-way mirror he'd been using back into his robes. "Miss, are you alright?"

Marcus turned away from Angelina and squatted down beside Katie, his hand resting heavily upon her knee. "Princess?"

She turned her head and stared at him, her expression blank. Marcus glanced over her shoulder at the Auror standing beside her. "What happens now?" Angelina had come up to stand behind him, her worried gaze darting between the American Auror and Katie.

The American cleared his throat. "She needs to come down to the office and make a statement."

"Not without one of us going along," Marcus said firmly, his hand still on Katie's leg, squeezing gently.

"I'll go with her." Angelina interjected.

The American shook his head, gaze shifting to where Angelina stood. "No, you're not. I just checked with my supervisor. Whatever paperwork you filed didn't make it to our office and you have no jurisdiction here."

"She can't be alone, McLaggen killed that girl and now he'll want to kill her," Marcus said, rising from his crouch and glaring at the other man.

"Who is this McLaggen?"

Marcus glanced at Angelina. She nodded and turned to the American Auror. "Cormac McLaggen. He escaped England and apparently followed her here when we placed her in a witness protection program."

"Why here?" he asked, a skeptical expression on his face, "Surely you had other places to send her?"

"We thought she'd be safer here, and I called in a favor," Marcus said, rising from his crouch.

"Regardless of the circumstances, this is a murder investigation, and you are interfering. I can and will have you locked up if necessary. She is going to come to the station and make her statement and there's nothing you can say about it."

"Try it, mate, and you'll regret it," Marcus said softly, his voice laced with intent.

"Marcus, you still need to interview Sophie Capper," Angelina said, laying her hand on his arm.

Marcus glanced down and lifted his brow. Angelina quickly removed her hand, but she refused to step back, standing her ground against the menace in his eyes. "I'll be at the station, Silas can work on the paperwork from his end, and I can do my part here. I promise you, she won't be alone."

Marcus' gaze slid to Katie and then back to the American Auror. "Anything happens to her, and I do mean anything, and you'll be wishing it had been you that'd been killed."

"Threatening me is a criminal offense," the American said, his hand drifting towards his wand.

"Gentlemen," Angelina said forcefully, drawing both of their attention. "Remember we're on the same side here, please?"

Katie stood abruptly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I want him caught; Kelsey shouldn't have died for me."

Marcus's head swiveled towards her, a heavy scowl on his face. "Get this straight, Princess," he said harshly, his hands sliding up her arms and gripping tight. "You did nothing wrong, and you have nothing to feel guilty about. McLaggen is the criminal, not you."

A tear slipped down Katie's cheek as she shook her head. "She died because of me, Marcus."

"No," he said intently, one hand rising to cup her cheek. "She died because of Cormac McLaggen, and bad circumstances, baby. Don't make his sins yours."

"We need to go, the sooner we get you questioned, the sooner we can figure out who did this," the American Auror said, glancing over at his partner who had stood back, watching everything but saying nothing.

Marcus turned to glare at him. "We already told you sods who did this, his name is Cormac McLaggen, he's magical and he's wanted in England for murder as well."

The other man stared at him coolly, fingers curling around his wand. "I can't just take your word for it; we need proof to convict someone."

"As do we," Angelina interjected, stepping between the two men again. "Marcus," she said intently, "Silas has made arrangements for you to speak with Capper, I'll go with her."

The other Auror, who had remained silent up to now stepped closer, his beady gaze landing on each of them in turn. "Listen, this is how this is going to go. Miss Bell is coming with us, and you lot are going to shut it and deal. This isn't England, so you have no jurisdiction here." His gaze landed on his partner. "Let's go Mullins, I'm through wasting time."

Marcus turned back to the fireplace, meeting Silas's eyes. "Get Warrington over here immediately, I don't want her down there without counsel." Silas nodded and disappeared, the flames turning back to their usual cheery orange. Marcus turned back to the Aurors. "She is represented, and you are not allowed to speak to her without her barrister present, understood?"

"We just want a statement," the other Auror interjected as the first one shook his head.

"You'll get one, as soon as she speaks with her barrister," Marcus said coldly.

"Make sure he's licensed to practice in the states," the first Auror said, taking control of the situation once more. "I've had it up to here with your interference; you can meet us at the station. Read her rights, Patterson."

The second Auror deftly slid in between Katie and Marcus and pulled out a small card, reading from it as he stood before her. "You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Anything you do say may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish. If you decide to answer questions now without an attorney present you will still have the right to stop answering at any time until you talk to an attorney. Knowing and understanding your rights as I have explained them to you, are you willing to answer my questions without an attorney present?"

Katie's gaze darted to Marcus and he shook his head. Taking a deep breath, she looked back at the smaller man, her gaze sweeping from his thinning hair, over his pockmarked forehead down to his small, beady eyes. "I want an attorney."

The look he gave her was enough to make her stomach churn with nausea. With a muttered curse, he tucked the card back into his shirt pocket. "Fine, let's go then."

"Why Soph? That's what I can't figure out in all this," Marcus said, raking his hand through his hair as he stared across the table at the slight, dark haired woman.

"I wish I knew, Marcus. I can't remember shite from those three weeks, and the healers haven't had any success making me remember either."

"Were you under the Imperius?"

She shrugged thin shoulders. "I don't know."

"Did you know McLaggen at all?"

"I knew the name, but did we have contact? No."

"Then why you?"

Capper shrugged again, clutching the heavy blanket Marcus had given her when he'd arrived tighter around her shoulders. "I owned the Leaky; I guess he figured I could give him access to Diagon Alley whenever he wanted it."

Access. That was it! "Bloody buggering hell!" Marcus shoved his chair back and rose, reaching over to bang on the door of the cell. "I need to get out of here!"

"Marcus, what's wrong?"

He turned to stare at Sophie, his expression icy. "McLaggen, he's got Katie."

The room they'd put her in was small, cramped and grey. Bars were over the two small windows, and they shimmered with anti-apparition spells. A cup of stale coffee had been given to her by a sour faced woman after she'd been again read her rights and asked if she wanted an attorney present. Glancing at the clock, she sighed deeply. It'd been three hours since she'd told them again she wanted counsel and they'd shut the door and left her in here. The only good thing was that McLaggen would have no way to get in here, with all the spells on the windows; she was safer in here than outside. Laying her head down on her pillowed arms, she closed her eyes, her thoughts drifting to Kelsey.

"I'm so excited to be working here!"

Katie turned at the sound of the excited voice, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She remembered the excitement of getting her first job, the joy in knowing that she was going to finally be able to support herself.

"I'm Kelsey," the girl said, sticking out her hand.

"K-Karen," Katie said, stumbling over the unfamiliar name. "Karen Langerfield." Angelina had told her they'd given her another K name so that if she did forget, it was close enough that people would just assume she stuttered.

"Ms. Langerfield, you have the most awesome accent!"

Katie smiled again and sat down behind the big desk in the corner. "Thanks, I think?"

"Oh yeah, it was a compliment!" Kelsey enthused. "I adore England, I went there for two weeks after graduation and didn't want to come back, but then I got the call that I'd be working here and with you, so it's almost like I'm there again."

Katie nodded absently, her attention caught by the view out of the large window behind her. Seattle's skyline was visible clearly against the dull grey of the clouds that were so prevalent. It was almost like being in London, at least weather-wise. Clearing her throat, she gathered the files in front of her together. "I think we should get started, we've got a trial in a few weeks and I still need to learn the ins and outs of the American system."

"Of course, Ms. Langerfield, you're right," Kelsey said, whipping out her legal pad and sitting down, pen poised over the yellow paper. "Where did you want to start?"

"The crime scene report," Katie said, taking a legal pad of her own and reaching for a pen. "That's usually the best place to begin."

Katie sat up, wiping away the tears that had gathered at the corners of her eyes. It wasn't fair, Kelsey had been so young; she hadn't gotten to experience much of anything yet. The door opening pulled her out of the memory and she sat up straighter in the chair, feeling naked and vulnerable without her wand, which the Auror's had taken into custody.

"For the last time, I am Clayton Warrington, and I am here to see Ms. Langerfield. Aurors from your office took her from her residence several hours ago and transported her here to make a statement about the death of Kelsey Bauer."

The woman standing behind the desk sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "And as I have told you for the last six times you've explained this to me, I have no record of a Ms. Langerfield being taken into custody by the Seattle Auror Department. There is no Auror Mullins on record with us and Auror Patterson is on medical leave at the moment. I don't know who took your client, but it wasn't us."

"Dammit!" Clayton cursed softly under his breath. He was holding onto his temper – barely. He turned to his American contact, pulling him off to the side. "Pritchard, do you have any ideas?"

Graham Pritchard, a former classmate now living in America sighed and nodded. "I have a few men who can do some poking around, but I have to tell you Clay, this is highly unusual."

"Anything having to do with Cormac McLaggen has been highly unusual," Clayton replied. "Let's go back to your office, I need to contact Marcus."

Marcus slapped open the door that was labeled Silas Montague, bouncing the wood off of the wall behind it. "I need a portkey, Silas, now!"

"What the- Marcus, what's wrong?"

"McLaggen," Marcus spat, pacing the spacious office. "He's got Katie."

"What?"

"When the Aurors came to the flat, they asked for Miss Bell. The only two people that should've known her name were me and Angelina."

"And no one caught it till now?" Silas said, steepling his fingers over his desk. "Bloody buggering hell, we're trained to notice things like that Marcus."

"I know Silas, trust me," Marcus snarled, raking his hands through his hair again. "It took me by surprise, them showing up there, I was thinking about Katie, not about the bloody Americans."

Silas pushed a button on his desk and leaned over the screened speakerbox that popped up beside him. A voice filled the room. "Yes, Under Minister Montague?"

"I need a Portkey up here immediately. I'll let you know the coordinates when you get in here."

"Right away sir," the disembodied voice replied.

"We'll find her Marcus," Silas said as the door behind Marcus opened and a slight woman stepped inside the office, an old fashioned key held in her hand.

"I've got the Portkey for you, Sir."

Marcus's eyes met Silas's. "I just hope we're in time."

The shorter Auror stepped into the room, his beady eyes drifting over her almost insolently. Katie folded her arms in front of her chest and lifted her chin, returning his stare with a stoic expression.

"Miss Bell, it's been a long, long time," he said as he pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down.

"My name isn't Bell, its Langerfield," Katie said softly. Alarm raced through her and her skin felt tight as her cheeks heated. Shifting in the chair, she felt for her wand as he stared at her, tutting under his breath.

"Surely you've figured it out by now, love, haven't you?" His oily grin made her want to gag and she shook her head, physically recoiling away from him as he leaned across the table. "The game is over," he said, a shark-like grin tugging at his lips.

"What do you mean, the game is over?"

He held up a hand and began to shake, his features melting as if they were made of wax. Dark hair was replaced by gilded brown, small beady eyes by wide blue ones. Katie slid her chair back as far as she could, trying to get away from him. Not two seconds later, the angelic features of Cormac McLaggen stared back at her.

"How?"

"It took work, I'll admit that, Katie love, but then again, you're the final piece to the puzzle, so I had to."

"The final piece?"

His smile was chilling. "Yes. You were the one that got away, so of course I had to remedy that."

"You won't get away with this," Katie said softly. "He will find me."

Cormac rose and lifted his wand. "I already have. Imperius!"