Death Takes a Holiday (16 page)

“I’m not keeping her prisoner. According to vampiric law, I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“That’s why I’m not taking you in. I’m just here for Mariah. I don’t want any trouble.”

The girl of the hour walks out of the bedroom now in jeans and flip flops carrying a duffel bag. When she spots Moon, she stops dead. A burst of fear radiates from her as her eyes widen. She glances from him to me and back again. What little menace the undead hippie had melts away when he sees her. “Mariah,” he says breathlessly.

She gazes down at her toes like a scolded child. Not taking my eyes off the lovelorn vamp, I edge toward the girl. “Are you ready to go?”

“Do you really want to leave me, Sunshine?” Moon says. “Cause you know I love you.”

“You threw me against a wall,” she says, still not looking at him. “You swore you’d never hit me.”

He takes a step toward us, but I push her behind me. “Don’t take another step.”

He seethes but doesn’t move. “Sorry. I’m so sorry. It was just a surprise, tasting that dead meat in you.”

“She made me! Said I needed vitamins or something. And it tasted so good.”

“We’ll get you more vitamins! And I’ll just feed from you once or twice a week. I promise.”

“I don’t know,” she whines.

“Sunshine,” he says, taking another step.

“Not another step!” I shout.

He bares his fangs. “Shut up, you fucking pig!”

And he takes another step. Adrenaline and fear take the wheel. Moon flies back into the far wall, shattering the framed poster. Both he and it crumple to the floor. Sorry, Jerry. The dazed vamp remains there, trying to figure out what just occurred. I can practically see the stars and Tweety birds dancing around his head.

“Oh no!” Mariah cries behind me. “Moon!” She drops her bags and rushes over to him. She cups his jaw in her hands examining him. “What the fuck did you do to him?” she shouts at me.

Before I can answer, there’s a pounding on the front door which startles us all. A familiar voice shouts, “Chula Vista PD! Please open the door!”

Oh fudge.

The idiot must have followed me from the bowling alley. White hot panic grips me, even more than the kind I felt a few seconds ago. He pounds again. “Police! Open this door or I’ll be forced to break it down!”

“You called the police?” Mariah asks near hysterics. Wish I had that luxury.

“No,” I say as I find myself walking to the door. “Get him up, follow my lead, and act normal!”

Mariah helps the near cognizant Moon to his feet as I open the door. Sure enough a fuming Steven stands on the porch, his hand resting beside the gun on his belt. “Steven, what are you doing here?”

He pushes past me into the house but stops when he sees the happy couple and shattered glass. “What’s going on here?” he asks me.

“Nothing,” Moon says, putting his arm over Mariah’s shoulder. “Absolutely nothing.”

“He bumped up against the poster,” I say, “and it fell. Right?”

“Right,” Moon and Mariah mumble.

Of course, not being a total idiot, Steven doesn’t buy this. “Has this man been hitting you, ma’am?”

“What? No,” she says with an awkward smile. “I was in a car accident today.”

My turn in the hot seat. “Is this true?” Steven asks me.

I don’t answer. I gaze down at my feet to escape his intense gaze. Now, almost panting in anger, he turns back to Mariah. “Ma’am, do you want to press charges against this man for battery?”

“No!”

“I didn’t hit her. There’s been no crime. And I want both of you out of my house,” Moon says. “Otherwise I’ll call my lawyer,” he looks right into my eyes, “
Connor Lord
to settle this.”

I get the message. “We’ll leave,” I say. “Do you want to come with us, Mariah? I think it would be a good idea.”

The poor girl hangs her head. “I want to stay here.”

“Ma’am if he—” Steven says.

“He didn’t do anything. I swear.”

“Leave,” Moon orders.

Steven glares at the vamp but turns around and throws open the front door. “Bea? We’re leaving.”

I take one last look at Mariah. “Are you sure about this?”

Moon pulls her in close. “Yeah.”

I meet his angry eyes with mine. “If anything happens … ”

“Get the fuck out of our house.”

Crap. I sigh. “You have my number,” I say as I reluctantly walk out of the house, slamming the door shut. A seething Steven and I walk side by side down the concrete path and through the chain gate. When it clinks shut, he grabs my arm hard enough to bruise, dragging me down the sidewalk to the corner. I yank my arm away. “Let go!”

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” he shouts.

“Don’t yell at me!” I yell at him.

“You could have been killed! What the fuck were you thinking?”

“I had everything under control until you showed up! What, are you stalking me or something now?”

He wags his finger right in my face. “Don’t turn this around on me! What the hell just happened?”

I bat his hand away. “Get your finger out of my face!”

He grabs my wrists instead, squeezing tight. “What the hell were you thinking?” he screams in my face. “Do you have any idea how many of those situations end in a homicide? Do you?”

“Let me go, and I’ll explain.”

He tosses my arms down. “Talk.”

“I used to baby-sit her, okay?” No idea where that lie came from but they keep spewing out. “And we had lunch today, and I told her to call me if she ever needed anything. He was supposed to be out all night.”

“Did he hurt you?”

“We didn’t even touch each other. I almost had her out of there when you showed up!”

“I heard a crash! I thought you—”

“He bumped against the poster to let us pass.”

“I’m a fucking cop, Bea! I was right there when she called you! Why the hell did you go in there alone?”

“
Because
you are a cop. You’d want to arrest him, and my only priority was getting her out of there, okay? Is the interrogation over? Can I go now?” I try to walk away but he blocks me. “Move, Steven.”

“You think I’m buying a word of this?”

“I don’t care. Believe what you want.” This time he lets me pass but follows me to my car. “You gonna stalk me some more?” I open the car door, but he slaps it shut.

“You’re different,” he says. “Something about you is different.”

I look up into his eyes, my face as hard as his. “And you’re not.
That’s
the problem.” I open my car door, climb in, and drive away with my ex in the rearview.

Where he belongs.

SEVEN

TATTLE TALES

I
SIT AT THE
computer in the living room with
The Day of the Jackal
playing on the TV behind me. I bet the Jackal would know how to write a report that didn’t make him sound like a jackass. Of course how can one sugarcoat the fact that I didn’t save the victim, violated a trillion procedures, and almost outed the vamp world to a civilian? That’s what I’ve been attempting to figure out for the past half hour.

For the third time in half an hour I take out my ponytail and put it back. There’s this one strand of hair that just won’t stay put, and it’s driving me nuts. How can I type when this one strand keeps brushing against my cheek? Ugh, I can’t stand this a moment longer. I’m just going to have to send the report as is. With a sigh, I hit send. No more. I’m done jumping into the fray until I leave San Diego. If I see someone being murdered, I’ll just walk on by. The hero business is hereby closed for repairs.

I fall onto the couch next to Nana, stealing one of her chips. “Was this based on a true story? Did someone try to kill de Gaulle?” I ask.

“I don’t think so.” We each take another chip. “Finish your work?”

“Yep.” We watch in silence as the Jackal assembles his sniper rifle.

“And did you call your boss and April back yet?” Nana asks.

Double ugh. After I phoned Kansas and left another message telling them I was alive and well, I shut off my phone, wanting nothing more than to fall off the grid for the rest of my life. I forgot they have Nana’s number too, so that plan went down the crapper. George called only once, but April has tried three times, which either means she’s pregnant again and can’t wait to tell me, or Steven called and blabbed about last night. Notice that I’m not rushing to the telephone.

“I’ll call later,” I say, taking another chip.

“Is everything okay?”

The phone starts ringing again, and I groan. “Super-de-duper.”

With an annoyed sigh, Nana hands me the bowl and gets the phone. “Hello? Oh, hello April.” I wave my hands like a football coach while shaking my head no. “No, she’s still shopping and hasn’t come back to pick up her cell phone. I promise I’ll tell her the moment she gets home. Bye, dear.” Nana hangs up. “That makes four.”

“I just want to spend one day away from people. Is that so hard to understand?”

“Did you two have a fight?”

“No! I’m just feeling antisocial today. We’ve hung out every day since I got back. She can survive one day without me.”

“And nothing happened last night?”

I put the bowl on the couch and stand up. “For the millionth time, no! I went bowling, end of story.” I storm off toward my room. “Stop with the friggin’ inquisition! God!” I slam the door shut and fall onto my bed face first. Okay, so last night seems to have knocked ten years off my maturity level. Makes sense considering I made out in a car like a horny teenager with a guy I’m not even sure I like followed by reckless behavior. Next I’ll be crawling out my back window and sneaking alcohol. God, I just want a big hole in the middle of nowhere to swallow me up so I can get some peace.

I flip on my back and stare at the ceiling. I can’t remember the last time I felt like such an idiot. I mean, what the hell was I thinking making out with Steven? Yes, I was turned on, and he is sort of cute, but that’s no excuse. I totally led him on and then yelled at him when he tried to help me. I know better. And then going into a vampire’s house without support? I so left my brain back in Kansas.

Speaking of. I can get one humiliation over with so I can attempt to enjoy the rest of the day. I turn on my cell phone and check my messages. All eight of them. Kill me now.

“
Hi, it’s April. Who was that girl you had lunch with? Call me
.” I delete it.

“
Hey, it’s Steven. It’s about 6:15. Are you still coming? If not, that’s okay. Later.”
Delete.

“
Listen Bea
,” an enraged Steven starts, “
I don’t know what the fuck tonight was about or what the hell is going on with you, but …
” He groans in frustration. “
You’re out of your fucking mind, you know that? I should have listened to them
.” Okay, I’d delete that one twice if I could.

“
Bea, it’s George. I just received both your messages. I’m so sorry I wasn’t available when you called. You’re alright, I gather. Please call me as soon as you receive this. Bye
.” Delete.

“
Bea, it’s April. What the hell happened last night? Steven called me this morning asking all sorts of weird questions, and he was pissed! Call me
.” Delete.

“
Bea, where the hell are you?”
April asks. “
Call me
.” Delete.

“
I swear if you’re avoiding me, I’ll kill you
,” April says. “
I’ll try the house
.” Delete.

Last one, thank God. At first there’s just heavy breathing for a second or two, but then: “
Um, hi, Bea
.” My heart thumps double time. “
It’s Will. I was just calling to … see how your Op went last night. Sorry we weren’t there to get your message. The team’s been in West Virginia taking care of a Green Man. He kidnapped some campers. We could have used you there
.” He pauses. “
Um, anyway, please call m—the mansion so we can go over specifics. Have a great rest of your vacation. Bye
.” I didn’t think it was possible, but I’m smiling. I save that last one. For, like, ever.

I call the mansion and this time someone picks up. “Hello?” It’s George.

“It’s Bea.”

He draws a deep breath and releases it. “How are you?”

“Fine. Tired. I just, um, sent my report a few minutes ago. Check your inbox.”

“Give me the broad strokes of what happened.” I do. “And you’re sure your police friend doesn’t suspect anything?”

“That I lied, yes. That vamps were involved, no.”