Always the Vampire

“There is also,” Officer Blair added, “a woman here who says she’s Ms. Marinelli’s landlady. Says she got a call from the security office.”


I must’ve groaned, because both officers gave me a sharp look.

“That’s Maggie. Maggie O’Halloran. She does own this property.”

“Ask her to wait,” Huntington said, and looked back at me. “All right, I need the names of your friends.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but another deep voice from the door interrupted.

“Her friends are Deke Saber and Trey Delphinus.”

My mouth dropped open far enough to catch dragonflies. “Detective Balch? You’re on this case?”

Jim Balch worked for the City of St. Augustine PD. I’d met him during the French Bride murder when I’d been shot outside the condo where I’d first lived with Maggie. He’d been leery of me at first, but he’d attended the housewarming party Maggie and I had hosted in August.

Officer Huntington stood as Jim entered. “You want the rundown?”

Jim nodded, and Huntington read from his notes, condensing here and there while giving a perfectly accurate recap.

“Ms. Marinelli says the victims approached her after her ghost tour last night. They offered to let her bite them for money.”

Jim raised one brow at me. “What did you do?”

“I bought them a pizza and cold drinks instead.” Jim raised both brows, and I shrugged. “Hey, they were homeless and hungry.”

“You’re a soft touch.”

“That’s what Saber said.”

Officer Blair knocked yet again, this time stepping inside to stand by Officer Huntington.

“The ME’s people are ready to move the bodies,” he reported. “You want to talk to the investigator before he leaves?”

“I’ve got what I need for now. Blair, Huntington, good job. I’ll take over the interview from here, but please instruct Ms. O’Halloran to stay put about another thirty minutes. If she needs to speak with Ms. Marinelli right away, tell her to phone.”

The officers gave me a last, suspicious glance, but I smiled and thanked them for their help.

Jim took the chair Huntington had vacated. “I give it thirty seconds tops before Miss Maggie calls.”

“May I go get the house phone? It’s in the kitchen.”

He inclined his head, and I snagged the cordless unit from the kitchen.

“How worried is Maggie?” I asked as I tapped the phone in my palm.

“On a scale of one to ten, about fifty.”

I cringed. “I’m hosting a bridal shower here tomorrow. Will I have to change the location?”

“Depends on what the techs find and the answers you give me.”

The phone rang, and I punched the Talk and Speaker buttons, the latter so Jim could hear the conversation.

“Maggie, I’m fine,” I said before she uttered a word.

“What the hell is going on?”

“I wish I knew. Listen, everything is still a go for the bridal shower, so don’t worry. Detective Balch needs to talk with me right now, but I’ll fill you in as soon as you’re cleared to come over.”

“Can you stay awake that long? How much sleep did you get?”

“About three hours, but I’ll stay up as long as I need to.”

I disconnected the call and set it on the coffee table. “Okay, what do you want to know, Detective?”

“Have you talked to Saber this morning? Has he called you?”

“I haven’t talked with him since he left for Trey’s apartment to help move display tables. Wait a minute. How did you know I was with Saber and Trey last night?”

“Because I just finished taking their preliminary statements.”

My heart stuttered and so did my mouth. “S-statements? Is Saber okay?”

“Fine, but he and Trey discovered two other dumped bodies.”

My knees wobbled, and I sank slowly onto the sofa.

“Where? When?”

“The Alligator Farm’s secondary parking lot. Saber called in the bodies at nine forty. He and Trey aren’t under arrest, but they voluntarily went to the station to file complete reports and wait on me.”

I swallowed back my fear that the guys would be convenient suspects, but damn. Though the Alligator Farm was situated a little more than a block from Triton’s place, neither of the parking lots were within casual view of his shop or apartment. How did the guys end up over there?

“Who are the victims?” I forced myself to ask.

“A couple of local thugs with a long arrest history.”

Thugs? The men who’d beaten Triton were dead, too? But why?

“Trey wouldn’t confirm it, but my gut says he recognized them. Your face says you know them, too.”

“It’s more that I may know of them.”

“How? Tell me what the hell is going on.”

I met his cop gaze and gave him the best answer I could.

“The supernatural shit is hitting the fan.”





SEVENTEEN




“You want to be more specific?”