How long since he’d talked to Sierra? His sister sent letters, breezy bits of news that, he realized now, didn’t actually tell him much.
Monty looked around his apartment. Lizzy was spending the night with Sarah Denby, Eve and Pete’s daughter. He’d intended to crash at the efficiency apartment in the Courtyard, but Captain Burke made a comment about possession being nine-tenths of the law—a pointed reminder that his landlady had a key and could decide he’d abandoned the place, which she could rent for twice as much as what he was currently paying. He wanted to keep this one-bedroom apartment until his lease ran out at the end of the year—or until the Courtyard took possession of the two buildings on Crowfield Avenue and he and Lizzy could move into one of the two-bedroom apartments.
“You often say that opportunities come out of bad moments as often as they come out of good.”
“Where’s the good in me being fired?” Twyla demanded.
“I need help taking care of Lizzy. Some friends are looking after her while I’m at work, but Eve has a job and her own two kids. I’ve been thinking about this ever since Lizzy arrived in Lakeside. She needs you, Mama. So do I.”
A thoughtful silence. “Any chance of me finding work where you are now?”
Monty hesitated. “Maybe.”
“I’m not living off my children, Crispin. Not you, not Sierra.”
He noticed she didn’t mention Jimmy, Monty’s younger brother. Then again, Jimmy still came around looking for a handout, despite being a married man with two children of his own. And he always left feeling resentful when he didn’t get that handout.
“There might be work available, but I’m not sure how you’d feel about the employers.”
“Are they more of those HFL fools?”
“No, Mama. They are definitely not members of the HFL.”
“Well, I’ll think on it.”
“You have enough money for a train ticket?”
“I’ve got enough put by. Might take the bus instead.”
He bit back a protest. Plenty of people traveled by bus. “You let me know when you’re coming and where to meet you. I’ll be there.”
A soft sigh. “Thank you, Crispin. Talking to you has eased my heart. I’ll say good night now.”
“Good night, Mama.”
She hung up first. She always did since he just couldn’t hang up on her.
Monty stood up and stretched. He was already entangled with the Others at the Lakeside Courtyard. He wasn’t sure he wanted to ask Simon to give his mother a job.
CHAPTER 13
Watersday, Juin 9
“We don’t usually come up to Bennett more than once a week to pick up supplies,” Tobias Walker said as he pulled into a parking space at the train station.
Joe Wolfgard tried to identify the tone in the man’s voice. “Are you complaining about this second trip because Bennett is a long way from Prairie Gold?”
“Nope. Just providing information that you might find useful.” Tobias crossed his wrists over the top of the steering wheel. “We try to conserve fuel in the general way of things. It’s especially important right now because the fuel truck that fills up the underground tanks at the gas station didn’t show up yesterday when it was supposed to. We’ve got one emergency vehicle that’s equipped to bring someone here to Bennett if the person is too sick or injured for the doctor to handle at our little clinic. That vehicle gets its tank filled before any others. The dairy farm’s refrigerated truck also gets priority. Folks tend to fill up near the time when the next delivery is due so that we receive our full allotment of gasoline.”
“Can we buy fuel for the pickup truck here?” Joe asked. Was finding out what happened to a fuel truck part of his responsibility now, or was it considered a problem between humans? Simon might know, although Blair might be the one he should ask because the Lakeside Courtyard’s dominant enforcer spent more time driving vehicles and probably had more experience buying gasoline.
“We can—providing the gas station here received its scheduled supply of gasoline.” Tobias hesitated. “The guests you’re expecting. Do they know all we’ve got to offer is simple rooms at a motel?”
“Jesse Walker told Vlad what was available, so he knows.”
“Is there a reason your guests don’t want to stay at your settlement? Just asking.”
“Vlad was specific about the living arrangements.” But not specific about who was arriving with the books. That made him uneasy, but there was no point howling about it until there was a reason to howl.
They reached the platform just as the train pulled in. Half the station was a waiting area for humans. The other half was an area for merchandise and packages that came in by train. It made Joe think of Meg Corbyn’s office with a person at the counter and a separate room to hold packages until someone came to collect them.
Humans hurried down the steps of the two passenger cars. Some looked pale, smelled weak. If he were hunting with a pack of Wolves, he would focus on the weak-smelling prey as the easiest to bring down.
“Must have some la-di-da folks on the train this time,” Tobias said.
“La-di-da?” Joe had never heard of such a human.
Tobias lifted his chin to indicate the third passenger car. “Rich. Important. Don’t always see a private car.”
Rich. Important. Or lethal, Joe thought as he watched a male with a carryall descend, then turn and offer a hand to the female. The male was dressed in a black suit with a pale gray shirt. The female wore a long, old-fashioned black velvet gown with draping sleeves. They both had olive skin, black hair, and dark eyes. The male, by himself, could have passed for human and blended into a crowd—at least for a little while. The female made no effort to hide what she was.
“Gods above and below,” Tobias breathed. “Are they . . . ?”
“Sanguinati,” Joe finished. “Come on.” He moved quickly, more to keep the humans from panicking if they realized who was now among them than because he was in a hurry to meet his guests.
The male saw them and smiled, while the female glided down the platform to watch the men who were unloading the baggage cars.
Joe smelled fear in Tobias’s sweat. Not a good way to begin with predators like the Sanguinati.
“Joe Wolfgard?” the male said. “I am Tolya Sanguinati. We met a few months ago in Lakeside.” He moved his hand in a slight gesture that indicated the other Sanguinati. “Vlad told you to expect us?”
“He did.” Joe glanced toward the men who were carefully unloading boxes near the female, stacking them as if to build a wall between the humans and her.
The Sanguinati had been among the terra indigene who had destroyed the Controller and the compound where he had kept cassandra sangue like Meg Corbyn. Joe could appreciate them as predators, but he wasn’t sure he could be friends with one the way Simon was friends with Vlad.
Now I know why Vlad wanted them staying near humans, although, when they’re smoke, they could hunt anything at night.
“This is Tobias Walker, the foreman of Prairie Gold’s ranch,” Joe said.
“We brought many books for Jesse Walker and Shelley Bookman,” Tolya said as the female joined them. “This is Nyx.”
“Ma’am.” Tobias brushed the brim of his hat with a finger before turning to Joe. “Mr. Wolfgard, we should get the boxes loaded and be on our way.”
Hearing wariness, Joe looked around. There were too many humans paying attention to them. “Yes, we should.”
Tobias wrangled a cart from the baggage handlers. Joe helped him stack the boxes on the cart and roll it out to the parking area while Tolya and Nyx trailed after them.
After they loaded the boxes into the pickup’s bed, Joe remembered Tobias’s comment about making trips up to Bennett. “Do we need to buy anything while we’re in town?”
“Just gas for the truck.” Tobias shifted his eyes in Nyx’s direction but didn’t look at her. He simply opened the passenger door. “Ma’am.”
She shifted to smoke from the waist down and flowed into the pickup.
“There’s room on the seat for you, too, Tolya,” Joe said. “I can ride in the back.”