by Judith Post
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“How do you put your eye make up on?”
Her eyes turned to slits. "I can see my reflection, but you can't."
She shifted in her seat again, finally huddling against the car door. Danny shook his head. “What’s your problem? Have you got a thing against Buicks?”
“I’ve never been in a car. I don’t like them.”
"Never been in a car? What have you been doing all these years?"
"Hiding. Moving. Staying in the shadows." She hugged her arms across her chest. “Cars are the wrong size—too big to feel safe…”
“Not cozy like a coffin?”
“And too small to feel free.”
“Sorry. Next time Enoch can drive his Land Rover with tinted glass.”
“There won’t be a next time." Like they'd be that lucky. Danny and Enoch had both tried to talk her out of coming with them, but once she got into her head that she might be able to help them, she wouldn't listen. "If the killer comes, I can get to him before either of you. It might make a difference."
There was no arguing with her. She'd been the one who saved Marie. She didn't intend to let them forget that.
"But it will be harder for me to protect you when you're out in the open," Enoch argued.
"Not really. If a rogue comes for me, you can zap him. I hope Vlad sends one after another and you kill them all."
It had gone on like that until Danny lost all patience. "You two have been arguing for an hour. I need to get to Maggie's house. Either shut up and come with me, or stay home."
And guess what? Here they all were.
When Danny turned left on Spring Street, Enoch pointed. “That’s where Gail Lahmeyer was killed,” he told Voronika, “in the parking lot behind the food store.”
She nodded. “The killer's marked his territory, hasn’t he?”
“So far. That should work to our advantage.”
Danny turned onto a street that bordered a park. A play area was on one end with tennis courts past that and baseball diamonds on the far side.
“Nice,” she said.
Danny nodded agreement. “This is a decent neighborhood, lots of families and kids.”
“And you said that Maggie’s a nurse?”
“Yeah, she works on the kids’ floor.”
“Wasn't Liza studying to be a grade school teacher?” When she said Liza's name, her voice grew tight.
"We don't think there's a connection. Luci Jurgenson was a waitress, like Katy Torrence. We don't know why he picks them."
Voronika was distracted by a couple who were pushing a toddler in a stroller. “It’s sort of late for that, isn’t it?”
"Nah, my brother’s girl fought sleep when she was a baby. They did plenty of late night rides and walks to settle her down at bedtime.”
“You’re an uncle?”
“You don't have to sound so surprised. Is that a shock to your system?”
"You're a cop." She said that as if it answered everything. “Why didn’t they just toss the kid in her crib?”
“You haven’t been around many kids, have you?”
“Not safe. They smell too good, like tasty snacks.”
“Quit with the vampire jokes, will you? They freak me out.”
“Just telling it like it is.”
“Well, I can do without it. You and Enoch are both plenty creepy in your own ways. You shouldn't even be real.” Danny pulled into a short driveway and glanced at the address of the house. "This is it."
Maggie lived in a small Cape Cod with an attached garage. It had white siding and dark green shutters. A white picket fence bordered the backyard. White lace curtains hung at the windows. Cute and cozy. Light spilled onto the small, cement, front stoop. As soon as the car slowed, even before it came to a stop, Voronika was out the back door.
"Hey, watch it. That's not safe," Danny complained.
"Aren't you coming with us to meet her?" Enoch asked.
“Like this? With no contacts? I'll watch from the shadows."
Enoch started to walk toward the garage with her, but she motioned him away. "Help Danny. I'll be right by that tree back there. If I need you, I'll call."
"We'll be inside," Danny said. "What if we don't hear you?"
"Telepathy” she told him. "He can get to me in less than a minute."
Enoch frowned, and Danny didn't like it either, but she wasn't budging. "Go. Now."
"You should stay close," Danny warned.
"I am close. Don't worry. If Vlad comes for me, you'll know it."
If he had a choice, Danny would keep her in sight. But Voronika had a mind of her own, so he and Enoch went to ring the bell.
Maggie opened the green wooden door almost immediately and held it wide to greet them. Danny flashed his badge. “What you just did isn’t safe,” he grumbled. “You don’t know us.”
Maggie tilted her head to look up at him and gave a crooked grin. She was a little thing with soft brown hair that curled around her face. “I thought you were my neighbor, Rusty. He’s coming over to shoo a bird out of my house.”
“A bird?” The answer surprised him.
“This is the second one that’s flown down my fireplace chimney. I don’t want Felix and Cleo to get it, so I’ve locked them in the basement, but I haven’t been able to chase it out by myself.”
Danny was confused. “You locked your kids in the basement?”
“My cats—Felix and Cleo.”
Enoch peeked inside the house. "No bird in sight."
“Great, come in. It flew down the hallway.” She motioned for them to follow her. Didn't the girl have any sense at all? She hadn't really looked at his badge. They could be rapists, murderers. Danny shook his head. "Come on," she repeated. The living room was as neat as the exterior of the house with polished wooden floors, white walls, and a flowered sofa and chairs.
Enoch took pity on her. “What if we help you before we settle down to business?”
"That would be great." Maggie pointed to a closed door. “I’ve closed my bedroom off, but I couldn’t get to the bathroom in time. I think it’s in the shower.”
“Then let’s take up positions,” Enoch said. “You head it this way, I’ll block the kitchen, and Danny can hold the front door open.”
Maggie’s grin appeared again. “Good plan.” She hurried down the hallway and soon, a bird flew through the archway and into the living room. Enoch spread his arms, and Danny went outside to hold the door. The bird made a couple of swoops around the room and zipped out of the house. Danny came inside and closed the door behind him.
Maggie bit her bottom lip. “You don’t think it will hurt itself in the dark, do you? Can birds see when it’s night time?”
A quick knock sounded on the door. Maggie opened it without looking. “The bird just left, Rusty. Do you think it will be all right?”
“It’s probably in its nest right now. Looks like your company came in the nick of time.” The older man patted her shoulder. “Since everything’s all right and you’re doing okay, I’ll head back home. Olive and I were watching the Discovery channel. We just made popcorn.”
“Thanks, I appreciate your coming over.”
He raised a gray eyebrow. “It’s not for me to say, but you need to get a screen put over that chimney, missy. It could be a raccoon or squirrel falling into your living room next.”
“I will. I promise. I’ll call someone about it tomorrow.”
“Okay then.” Rusty left and Maggie turned her attention to Danny and Enoch.
Danny gave the same spiel he’d used with Katy. “We’ve had two women murdered, and we found your name and address at the last murder site. That’s how the killer lets us know who he’s chosen next.”
She shook her head in bewilderment, making her short brown curls bounce. Geez, what an appealing girl, with moss green eyes and a heart-shaped face. “Why would anyone want to hurt me?” She glanced up and down her small frame. “I’m no threat
to anyone.”
“We don’t know how the killer chooses his victims,” Enoch said. “We just know whom he picks.”
Her eyes widened. “And he picked me?”
“He hasn’t changed his m.o. once,” Danny said. “You’re not safe.”
She shook her head again, in denial. "You have to be wrong."
"We're not. You're next." He was being too blunt, but Danny wanted to make his point.
She crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive pose. Her chin shot up. "He won't get me."
"That's why we're here. We wanted to warn you and protect you."
She looked around the house, her eyes narrowed. Her gaze stopped at each door and window. "He kills them in their sleep, doesn't he? That's what the papers say. I'll get a big dog, a mean one. I'll keep it in the house."
"He's already chosen you," Enoch said. "If he can't attack you at home, he'll try somewhere else. He tried for Marie at the Senior Center."
Her shoulders sagged, her bravado fading. She went to the couch to sit down. "I can't hide out at home. I have a job—a life. What should I do?”
Danny liked this girl's approach. No wringing of her hands, no hysterics. She had a can-do attitude. Practical. Was that part of being a nurse? “So far, he’s attacked at night," he said. "I’ll put someone on guard outside your house. We don’t think the killer will wait long. The less you come and go, the better. And keep your doors and windows locked. And don’t open your door until you know who’s on the other side.”
“My friends are stopping over on Friday night. Is that okay?”
Danny thought a minute. “Yeah, that might be good. He won’t bother you with a group of people hanging around.”
“Will I know when you’re watching, when you come and go?”
“Not a good idea. If we signal you and he’s waiting and hiding somewhere, he might see us.”
She shivered. “You could call my cell phone, just so I know, so I feel safer.”
“We can do that.”
“When will you start?”
“Now,” Danny said.
“When you leave here?”
“Before we came in. Someone’s already in position.”
She looked comforted. She sat straighter and squared her shoulders, as some of her moxy returned. “How will it work when I go to the hospital?”
Smart girl. Asking smart questions. “We’ll watch your house till you leave and then come back before it gets dark.”
“Thank you,” she said in a small voice.
She was afraid. Why wouldn't she be? “It’s our job,” Danny said, touched.
“Thanks for being good at it then.”
Danny handed her a card. “Call me any time.” He scribbled Enoch’s number on the back. “Or my partner. Either of us will do.”
“I should give you my number.”
Danny waved it off. “Already have your home phone, but do you have a cell?”
She wrote it down for him.
When they left the house, Voronika motioned that she’d stay.
Danny was having none of it. He stomped back to the shadows and fussed, "That's just plain dumb. Are you trying to let Vlad find you?"
"I can't help it. I saw her. She looked so nice, so young." Voronika put a hand on Enoch's shoulder. "We have to keep her safe."
"She's a mortal. Danny will protect her."
She shook her head. "Humans are slow and dim-witted."
"Hey!" Danny was going to complain, but Enoch interrupted. "I understand how she feels. When you've lived as long as we have, you lose too many people. I'm staying too.” He pulled his coat collar up and jammed his hands in his pockets.
"I happen to be good at my job." He was tired of being bullied by a vampire girl.
"I trust you," she told him. "But…"
Just then his cell phone rang, and Danny grimaced. He flipped it open and snapped a quick, "Yeah?" He listened a minute and then said, "I'll be there as soon as I can."
Voronika looked smug when he flipped the phone shut.
"I can call for back-up, you know. A uniform can be here in a few minutes."
"Not good enough," she said.
"Fine then. Stand out here and freeze your asses off. See if I care." As he stomped to his car, he felt more secure about Maggie's safety than Voronika's. How could a killer get past vamp girl? If the stuff he'd read was true, she’d be able to hear the killer's heartbeat before he got close enough to know she was there.
But if Vlad came for Voronika, would Enoch be able to keep her safe? Enoch said vamps liked to hunt in packs. That worried Danny, but Enoch had been at his job for decades—no, make that centuries. He knew his stuff. And he had the Light. But if he used it, wouldn't it kill Voronika? Danny began to see that even with special powers, fighting vampires could get tricky.
Chapter 25
Enoch leaned against a tree in Maggie's back yard. It was going to be a long night. "Danny's going to pick us up when it's time for Maggie to go to work," he told Voronika. "It'll still be dark." They were drawing close to the shortest day of the year.
"He's going to follow her to work and make sure she gets inside all right. Then he'll drop us at my apartment."
"How will you know when she's safe?" Voronika leaned her back against him, and he wrapped his arms around her. It felt like a natural fit.
"She'll call us on her cell phone when she's inside the building with people around her." Enoch lowered his head to inhale the scent of her hair. The soft, silky strands teased his nose. "From now on, I'll drive my Land Rover if you want to help me stand watch."
"From her house to work," Voronika said. "And from her work to home. I don't want to take any chances. The killer attacked Marie at the Senior Center. And someone—maybe him—attacked Gail in a parking lot. Whenever Maggie's alone, she's not safe."
"At night," Enoch said. "He always attacks in the dark."
They stood cradled together until lights blossomed in Maggie's house. Soon, Danny pulled to the curb across the street and Enoch led Voronika to his car. They waited until forty minutes later, Maggie's garage door went up and her red Chevy Impala pulled to the end of the drive. Danny pushed on the gas, and they followed Maggie through the winding streets of her neighborhood. She turned right on State and mingled into the heavy traffic of workers rushing to their jobs.
Enoch didn’t really think Maggie was in danger now, but they'd know she was safe once she was inside the hospital—so why not take the extra precaution? They tailed her until she entered the parking garage that connected to the hospital. Danny didn’t want to pass through its gates, so he pulled to the curb on the opposite side of the street. Enoch dialed Maggie’s cell phone.
“Hello.” Her voice was cheerful, even this early in the morning.
“This is Enoch. We followed you to work, and I’d appreciate it if you talked to me until you’re safe inside the building.”
“I thought you were only going to keep watch until I left the house.”
“We changed our minds. This way we know no one tries to attack you in the parking garage.”
There was stunned silence. Then, "Thanks. I guess I was a little scared. I have my pepper spray ready. But you haven't slept all night. Can you go home and rest once I’m inside the hospital?”
“Once you’re with other people, you won’t need us. Talk to me until then.”
"About what?"
"Anything."
She hesitated, then said, "Did you see the stars this morning? When I looked out my kitchen window, the sky was clear enough to see Orion.”
He smiled, amused at her choice of topic. “The sky inspires me. I look at it every night.”
“Really? Me too.” She was silent a moment. “Do you keep your car running the whole time you watch my house? Are you warm enough?”
“I was comfortable all night.”
“Are you always the one who’ll watch me?”
“No, I trade off with Danny.” But if Voronika had her way, t
hey'd be there as back up. Enoch could hear a door swing open and close.
“I’m in the building now,” Maggie said. “Other people are coming to work their shifts. I’ll be okay from here on.”
“Then have a good day.”
“Thanks. It was nice talking to you.” She didn’t hang up.
“Is there something else?”
“You sound like a nice person. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. We’ll call you tonight when we get in place.”
“Okay. Bye.”
On their drive home, Enoch thought about her. She seemed like a genuinely nice person. No wonder Voronika wanted to keep her safe. He wondered how many people had come and gone in Voronika's lifetimes. How many people had she cared about and lost?
Danny pulled under the long, extended roof at the front of the apartment building. A sliver of sun was creeping above the horizon. "Here you go. You'd better hurry." As they scrambled out of his car, Danny called, "I have to check in at the station, and then I'd like to interview people who knew Gail Lahmeyer. Want to come?"
"Sure, when should I be ready?" Voronika would sleep through the day. She'd be safe, locked behind closed doors and windows.
"In a few hours. See you then."
Danny rolled down his window to yell at Voronika before she disappeared into the building. "You coming too?"
"In the daylight? Are you trying to get rid of me?"
"Sorry." Danny shook his head. "I still forget."
When they were alone in the elevator, Voronika turned to Enoch. “Anything I should do while you're away?”
“Besides sleep? Stay safe. I'll lock everything before I leave. Don't let anyone in."
"No vampires will be out now."
"No, but mortals are." While they kept watch last night, he'd had plenty of time to think of new things to worry about. He unlocked his apartment door and led her inside. "The only human who's been in here is Danny. No one else has any reason to come." He walked her to the guestroom and closed the door behind her. Then he searched through the junk drawer in the kitchen for the key that locked the balcony doors. Until now, he'd never used it. Until now, he didn't need to.