Katie leaned away from her, stunned by her last words. “Why would you think Riker respects me?”
“You’re going to be a great leader. He knows it. He sees it. And that’s why he’s protecting you.”
“Riker doesn’t even know me.”
“He knows plenty about you. You spent the last eight years of your life learning to fight a vampire from a vampire. You take their blood even though it causes horrible side effects. That takes big balls, my friend.”
“Please do not call me Rambo again.”
“He sees your determination and will to live against odds no ordinary human could face, or would willingly. You don’t have fear, Katie.”
“Yes, I do.”
“No, you don’t. You act on a whim, like you did last night. You have emotions, but fear is not one of them.”
Katie’s jaw hung open. Where did the person sitting across from her come from? This wasn’t her disco queen friend. Did a vampire fuck with her mind? Maybe she was in the Twilight Zone.
Jules placed her hand on Katie’s arm. “Katie, I love you. I’m just being honest and trying to prove a point. Sometimes, you have to have trust others will understand. You did with me. Like yesterday, you showed me how to shoot the rifle. Today you let me follow you in the house even though you knew I wouldn’t respond well. All I’m saying is to take that leap of faith every once in a while, or you may miss something, or someone.”
Kate sat silently with her thoughts working overtime. The medicine Jules gave her was tough to swallow, but she was right. Trusting and sharing with her had been a slow process over the years, but thankfully, Katie had. Now Jules could shoot well. She could face the bad and the unthinkable, such as the loss of her boyfriend. She could even face the gross intestines of a dog hanging in her shower. Jules had come a long way from roller-skating two nights a week. A stirring within Katie led her to believe the detective could face more. If Jules could handle the truth and deal with all the shit from the last couple of days, why couldn’t Ben? Maybe it was time for Katie to take a leap of faith. If she hadn’t with Jules, she would’ve missed a wonderful friendship. Was she missing the same kind of camaraderie with Ben?
The door leading to the back swung open. Ben stepped out dressed in jeans and button down shirt tucked inside his pants. His clean-cut appearance made him a handsome man. Why he never married remained a mystery to Katie. He’d had girlfriends, plenty of them. Maybe he’d never met the right one to call Ms. Hildebrand.
He leaned on the knob. “Are you waiting for me?”
Katie and Jules rose at the same time. “Do you have a few minutes?” Katie asked.
“Yeah, sure.” He jerked his thumb toward the inside of the door. “Let’s go to my office.”
Katie stepped past the door, then paused off to the side. Jules stood next to her, smiling.
Ben led them down a long hall. Halfway down, he glanced over his shoulder at Katie, then Jules.
“Is everything all right?” he asked, meeting Katie’s gaze.
The way he asked resembled the female’s officer question. She assumed he wondered how she ended up with a bruised face.
“I’m fine. Fell and hit chair. That’s all.”
One of his brows rose. “A chair?”
Okay, maybe the line wasn’t good for a detective. “If I told you I got in a cat fight, would it ease your curiosity?”
“A little. I’d want to know who the cat fight was with.”
Katie shook her head. “It’s not important. I won and that’s all that matters.” And not one bit of her statement was a fabrication.
“If you need to press charges, I would be glad to assist you.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“What if this cat wants to hurt you again? I’d hate to see further injuries on any part of your body.”
“Thanks, but I’m not filing a report.” While she appreciated how he always wanted to help her, she didn’t need it in matters concerning her protection. Besides, the cat no longer posed a threat to anyone.
He paused and put his hand on her shoulder. “You can trust me, Katie. I’ll help you any way I can.”
As he stared deep into her eyes, she sensed how strong his compassion was. “I appreciate your concern. Really, I do. But I can handle this myself.”
He pursed his lips, lowered his hand and continued walking. “How are you, Julie?” he asked with half of his body twisted to face her.
“I’m fine.”
“You look a bit tired. Working at the bar too much?”
“Not lately.”
Katie elbowed her friend to silence her. Every word and move gave Ben something to scrutinize. As he’d shared with her the day before, his job entailed looking for details. Without a doubt, he’d noticed the redness in Jules’s eyes and that’s what prompted him to ask about her wellbeing.
He rounded a corner and led them into a small office. “Please have a seat.” He gestured with his arm toward the two ugly, sixties-looking chairs facing the metal desk.
Jules claimed the first seat on the left, leaving the brown one with a stain for Katie. Hearing a soft click, Katie glanced back and found Ben shutting the door. A garment bag hung from a hook on the back.
“Are you working tonight?” Katie asked as she sat.
“Yes. I’m a little late, but everyone is flexible here. We have to be.” He stepped around the desk and rolled out the chair.
“So this is this your office.” Jules scanned the area behind him and the walls. One framed photo displayed his college degree. Another revealed his credentials from the police academy. His clean office held no other personal artifacts. A dark computer, legal pad and cup full of pens were the only objects on his desk.
“Yeah, I don’t have many photos like the other officers do. I guess I work too much.” He paused and gave a grin to each of them. “Can I get either of you a drink?”
“We’re fine. We won’t take up much of your time,” Katie said.
He clasped his hands together and leaned forward. “What can I do for you?”
Katie crossed her legs as she inhaled a deep breath. “I was wondering if you had any visitors last night.”
“We have many visitors that come here. Some are still downstairs in the basement.”
“I’m not referring to those kind of visitors.” She rested her arm on his desk as she drew closer to him. “Did the dark haired stranger return and ask questions?”
Ben raised his arms as he leaned back in his chair. He threaded his fingers behind his head. “Why are you concerned? Do you know who he is, or what he wants?”
“I’ll tell you what I know, if you tell me first.”
She glanced at Jules and smiled. Taking a leap of faith sounded good, but Katie couldn’t do it yet, especially not in a police station. She’d fill Jules in on her plan later.
His gaze veered to Jules and she smiled. “It’s okay. Katie has filled me in on everything. We’re like sisters, you know?”
Ben looked at Katie.
“It’s okay. Really.”
He blew out a hesitant breath. “He didn’t stop by.”
Katie scrunched her brows. “Really?”
“Someone else did.”
She froze in silence. “What?”
“I clocked out late and was leaving when I saw him. He was a bit shorter and thinner than me. Short hair. Wore jeans and button down, untucked and with the sleeves rolled mid arm. He had a tattoo on the left arm. I passed too quickly to get a good view of it.”
Katie’s heart worked double and triple time. Was it possible there was another vampire?
“Did he see you?”
“No, he was standing in Charles’s office, facing him.”
“Did he say anything to Charles?”
“I heard him asking about the Brown property. Charles told him several troopers checked on it and reported the area clean and undisturbed.”
“Anything else?”
“That was all I heard. I
left before anyone could question why I was still there, standing in the hall.”
Nervous energy stirred with her. Who was this person? What did they want with Kyle’s property? Katie lowered her gaze and thrummed her fingers on the desk as she pondered. The answer had to be another vampire was involved.
“I sat in my car and waited for the person to leave,” Ben continued.
She jerked her head up. “You did what?”
“He walked out very casually and got into a black van. I was tempted to follow–”
“Please tell me you didn’t.”
He grinned. “You asked me to stay away, and I did.”
Katie inhaled a relieving breath. If the stranger were a vampire, he would’ve easily noticed someone following him. Without a doubt, Ben wouldn’t be sitting across from her if he had tracked the van. His cold body would be at the morgue.
Ben lowered his arms. “I find this stranger very disturbing.”
“How so?” Katie asked as she eased back into her chair, causing it to creak.
Jules sat with her arms crossed and focused attention on Ben. Was the detective scrutinizing the detective?
“People dressed like him don’t typically walk in or out of here without an escort.”
“You’re judging him based on appearance?” Jules asked.
“Partially. I called this morning and asked Charles about his visitor. Charles said he was instructed to have someone watch the property twenty-four-seven and we are to detain anyone that shows up.”
“That is unusual,” Jules said.
“Why do you say that?” Katie asked.
“Think about it. A thug-looking guy gives a Chief Officer direction. That’s not right.”
“Very good, Julie.” Ben complimented.
Jules beamed with her wide smile.
Katie admired her friend’s quick assessment, but it left her perturbed. She now had two vampires instead of one to destroy. The addition of a vamp put a slight wrinkle in her plans to meet with Brandon.
“Did Charles mention the name of the stranger?” Katie asked.
“Brandon. No last name.”
“Brandon?” Jules and Katie said in unison, then exchanged glances.
The Asian vamp Katie destroyed said her boyfriend’s name was Brandon. Since she’d been at the bar with another vampire, the dark-haired one, Katie assumed he was Brandon. How wrong she’d been. There were indeed two vampires. One had a tattoo and his name was Brandon. The other had dark hair and no name.
“Have you heard the name before?” Ben asked.
“We have.” Katie admitted, yet held back saying anything more.
“Do you know who he is?”
“No.”
“Then how do you know the name?”
Ben’s questions were skirting a fine line. Katie had to be very careful of her answers. She’d fabricated a story after he’d caught her at Kyle’s property and he believed it, but she couldn’t continue to lie to him. The smart cop would pick apart her answers, find the fabrication and call her on it. She wasn’t prepared for confessing the truth. Not yet.
“You should tell him,” Jules said.
“Not here. This isn’t the time.”
“Why?” Her eyes tightened, hinting at frustration.
“I’m not ready.”
“Take a leap. What have you got to lose?”
Freedom and trust came to mind as Katie stared at Jules. If Ben couldn’t handle the truth, he’d see Katie as some loony and detain her downstairs. Even worse, he could escort her to the state insane asylum. The leap of faith would have to wait.
Smiling, Jules faced Ben. “Do you believe in UFOs?”
“Excuse me?” His face took on an impassive look.
“Jules, don’t go there.”
“Do you believe in little green men? Or silver ones? You know, aliens?”
Katie slapped her hand on the desk so hard a zing shot up her arm. “Enough, Jules.”
Annoyance raised her temper. Did Jules want to take a trip to the nut farm? Asking Ben about UFOs and aliens wouldn’t lend any support to their cause.
“Just tell–”
“No!” Katie snapped.
“Fine!” Jules stood and thrust her hand to Katie. “Give me your keys. I’ll wait in the car.”
Shaking her head, Katie dug inside her purse and handed the keys to her.
“I think you’re making a mistake,” Jules said.
“It’s mine to make.”
Jules opened the door and left. The door clicked as it shut behind her.
“What was that all about?” Ben asked.
Katie stared deep into his kind eyes. If she denied anything was wrong, he’d see right through her and smell the lie. Then, he wouldn’t trust her. But if she told the truth, he wouldn’t believe her either. How could she convince him vampires existed, were in town looking for her and his mind had been tampered with by one? How could she convince him now that Jules brought up UFOs and aliens?
“Ben, there are some things that are difficult to believe. You’re just going to have to trust me for now.”
He stiffened and leaned back. “Will you promise to tell me the truth sometime?”
A promise? She swallowed. “Yes.”
His chest expanded as he inhaled deeply. “I don’t like this. Everything feels…”
“Out of place?”
He tilted his head as if he were examining her. “Do you know Brandon?”
“No, and that’s the truth.”
“Do you know what he’s doing here, or why he is concerned with the Brown property?”
She bit her tongue from saying too much. Under the present conditions, he truly would not believe vampires walked among them if she informed him. Her gut warned her so.
If only she could ease him into believing.
“Do you know where I live?” Katie asked.
He shrugged. “Somewhere in town.”
“You don’t know?”
He scratched his head. “I guess I never paid attention.”
“And how many times have you or one of the others pulled me over for speeding?”
A grin formed, but quickly halted. He veered his gaze to the computer monitor. The light bulb must have illuminated in the detective’s mind.
“I’m not sure what this has to do with anything,” he said as he typed on the keyboard.
Katie had a hunch the vampires hadn’t erased her speeding tickets on file. At least, she hoped such were the case. They weren’t exactly good cleaners. Just as they had left Kyle’s ring at the morgue, she thought the vamps might have forgot to erase everything about her on record.
The computer beeped and he moved closer to the monitor. As he read aloud the address displayed on the screen, Katie’s heart jumped. The stupid vampires had only erased the fire investigation and nothing more.
“This is odd. It’s the same address as the Brown property.”
“I lived there for eight years with my boyfriend. Do you remember when we were in college and took psychology together?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you recall our professor, Kyle Brown?”
Ben rubbed his chin. “The name doesn’t sound familiar. We had a male professor, I remember that much.”
“He was my boyfriend and he owned the property. A few nights ago, someone torched the home. And him.”
“But that’s not possible. The Browns were elderly. They died years ago.”
“You said it yourself yesterday. You thought someone would’ve cleaned up the mess by now, or a family member would’ve come forward to deal with the property.”
He extended his arm across the desk. “Let me see your license.”
Katie dug for her wallet. Finding it, she opened it and handed it to him. “It has the same address. As do my checks.”
He lifted her wallet and examined her license and checkbook. “Huh.”
“I can’t explain everything right now, but I will later. I promise. For now, you hav
e to believe what I tell you.”
“Is this Brandon fellow looking for you?” He handed her wallet back.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To kill me.”
“Then let me help you. We have guards–”
“No, no. They won’t help.”
“We can arrest him and detain him.”
She chuckled. “No, you can’t. He’ll walk right out of here and you won’t even remember him. Just like the man with the dark hair did.”
Ben paled. “What’s going on here?”
“Do you believe I’m not lying? How could I fake the address on my license, the checkbook, or from tickets listed years ago?”
“Unless you’re some hacker, I don’t see how you could’ve broken into our system.”
“Look, I’ve told you enough to put you in grave danger. If this Brandon or his friend returns here and discovers you are hiding information, they will not hesitate to kill you. Take some time off and leave town for a few days. Just a few. That’s all I’m asking.”
“I can hide our conversation, claim I haven’t seen you.”
“You can’t hide anything from them. Trust me.”
“I know how to defend myself.”
“Bullets don’t frighten them, neither does human law.”
He crossed his arms. “You’re asking me to leave my job for a couple of days, knowing your life is in danger. What about other people’s lives?”
Katie sensed the tide turning. He believed the information she’d shared and suspected foul play amidst, but his duty to protect and serve stood firm.
“They’re here for me only.” It wasn’t a total lie. Initially, they vampires had come for Kyle, then Katie because she filed the police report. Only when Joe poked around did they start looking for Jules to get to Katie. If she’d stated Joe or Jules were in danger, Ben would want to know more about their involvement. At this point, it would only add to his confusion and since she could protect Jules better than he could, she decided to keep hush about them.
“Why you?”
“Because I filed the report on the fire. The one that no longer exists in your system.”
Ben leaned closer to the desk and tapped his fingers on the keyboard. Katie lifted her purse and stood slowly. He hit the enter button, then paused.
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