We all stood in silence, hearing Kale pop her gum on the other end of the intercom.
“Um, now?” I asked.
I heard Kale blow out a put-upon sigh and I would have been sympathetic if a) gathering files wasn’t her job and b) she hadn’t been a witch who had the power to extract files from wherever they were hidden with a simple tug of the ear. And the fact that she had been oozing her near nakedness on my couch, forty-eight hours ago, also took away from my sympathy for the teen witch.
“You can drop them off in my office when you get them together.”
“No problemo.”
“I’d like to see those files, too,” Vlad said before I had an opportunity to turn the intercom off.
“I will bring those files down to your office right now,” Kale said, suddenly full of spunk and haste.
She was standing at the threshold to my office in record time, a stack of file folders pressed against her chest. Her eyes, the size of two glazed donuts, zeroed in on Vlad.
“Thanks, Kale,” I said, trying to pry the files from her death grip. “Will and I are just going to look these over while we have lunch.”
Vlad stiffened. “As a representative of the Vampire Empowerment and Restoration Movement, and as the new head of operations”—he puffed out his chest and smoothed his stupid damask vest—“I think I should be a part of this investigation.”
Will and I shared a look.
“This could very well begin affecting vampires—if it hasn’t already.”
I blew out a sigh. “Fine. Kale, can I have those files?”
Kale snaked her arms around the files. “Actually, Sophie, I’m personally responsible for these files. If something were to happen to them while they were out of my care ...”
I felt my left eye start to twitch. “Fine, you can come too.”
Kale grinned and batted huge eyes at Vlad. Vlad ignored the waves of love pouring off Kale, crossed his arms, and narrowed his eyes at Will. Will just looked at me, grinning, pleased as punch and probably considering nothing more than a wad of free French fries in his future.
The whole load of us tumbled into the hallway and I bumped square into Nina, who had her shoulder bag crossed over her chest.
“Hey, what’s going on here?”
“We’re going to lunch,” Will said.
“Of course you are,” Nina replied. “Vlad?”
“Official Vampire Empowerment—”
Nina held up her hand and rolled her eyes. “Got it.” “There’s been some activity in the area.”
“What a surprise,” Nina said, fishing in her shoulder bag and retrieving an O-positive pouch.
“Will and I are going to work on it.”
Vlad cut his eyes to me. “Okay, Vlad, Kale, Will, and I are going to work on it.”
“I’m just in it for the chips,” Will said, shrugging.
“Want to come with us?”
“Can’t.” Nina tossed a lock of hair over her shoulder. “I’m working through lunch today. This book is practically writing itself.” She waggled a finger a quarter-inch from my nose. “Mark my words, Soph. My new vampire romance? It’s going to be huge. Don’t worry, I’ll totally give you a nod in the acknowledgments.”
Chapter Seven
We must have looked like a motley crew walking out of the police station and down the street toward the diner: me, flaming red hair, white puffy ski jacket, and my business-on-a-budget suit; Will, looking like a cross between an Abercrombie model and David Beckam’s long-lost brother; Kale, her mod teen-hates-world black-and-deep-purple ensemble thrown off by her puppy-in-love grin; and Vlad, stern-faced, slicked hair, and dressed like a Dracula reject—sans cape, though, thank God. But this being San Francisco, and veil or not, no one batted an eye as we angled our way through the secretaries in business suits and sneakers, through the kids in baggy jeans and backpacks loping around, and all the way to the Fog City Diner—aptly named as we all huddled against the frigid city summer.
I breathed deeply in the warm restaurant. My stomach rumbled as a plate of meat loaf and mashed potatoes whizzed by.
“Okay,” Will said, once we were seated, “where do we start? Do we know what we’re dealing with?”
I put my menu down. “Wow! You must really be into this case. Usually, Alex can’t open a file without a three-course meal.”
Something flashed in Will’s hazel eyes and he studied the menu hard until the waitress showed up. I could see the hint of amusement playing on her matte red lips. She welcomed us, refilled our water glasses, and told us her name was Shirley. “What can I get you all?”
I quickly scanned the menu and ordered a chef’s salad, with dressing on the side, and no bread; Will went for a double bacon cheeseburger, with whiskey barbecue sauce, and fries.
I smacked my menu shut. “Actually, I’ll have that, instead.”
Will eyed me with a wide grin. “I love a woman who can eat.”