by Max Turner
“An alarm,” Ophelia explained. “I’ll be right back.”
She disappeared downstairs. The room was as quiet as a church while she was gone. A few seconds later she returned. Her eyes were on me. “Detective Baddon just pulled into the laneway.”
“What’s he doing here?” I asked.
She moved past me on her way to the door. “He’s here because I invited him.”
“He thinks I killed Inspector Johansson.”
Ophelia raised her hand to her forehead and started massaging her temples. “He doesn’t think that anymore. And we need his help.”
“Do you trust him?”
“Absolutely. He was Everett’s best friend. They worked together in Toronto for over twenty years. The man’s a saint. And he’s had a very difficult year.”
I wasn’t sure if I should mention his son. Maybe Ophelia knew already. But I got cut off by the doorbell. She was already moving to answer it. After a brief exchange of pleasantries in the hall, she and Detective Baddon came in for a round of introductions. He obviously wasn’t expecting a crowd. Ophelia noticed, too.
“You can speak plainly, Adam.”
“I don’t have much to tell you.” He adjusted the waist of his pants. With legs the thickness of a phone pole, I was amazed they didn’t stay up on their own. He looked even more exhausted than the last time I’d seen him. His eyes glanced over at me, but he didn’t say anything. Then he rubbed his hand over his head, as if he needed to wake up his brain. “Do you mind if I sit?”
“No,” said Ophelia. “I’ll put some coffee on.”
“Could you make it a decaf? I’m hoping to go to bed shortly.”
Ophelia walked into the kitchen. She answered over her shoulder, “I’ll see what I have. Go on. I can hear you perfectly from in here.”
Officer Baddon didn’t know whom to talk to. He looked around the room and settled on Mr. Entwistle. The old vampire was still standing beside the window, peeking occasionally past the blind as if he expected trouble to arrive at any moment.
“I don’t have much time,” the detective said. “We found some hair at the zoo, and some clothing fibers. The lab results came back. Nothing useful. The hair isn’t human, so they couldn’t match it to anything in the data banks. The clothing fibers are just regular jeans. Nothing special about them. But we got him on a security camera at the hospital. It picked him up on the way out.”
“Do you have a copy?” asked Mr. Entwistle, his eyes still focused outside.
“Not here. But I’ve seen it. A blur in two frames. Seven feet at least. I’m guessing between three and four hundred pounds. Tough to tell. He’s moving like a bullet.” He paused. Ophelia came in from the kitchen. The detective glanced around the room. “A phone call came in to the station yesterday just before sunrise. An elderly gentleman on Gilmour. He was reporting a trespasser in his yard. A car was sent. Usual procedure. They got a description. Big and fast. It only came across my desk tonight because of the timing. So I followed up. He didn’t have much more to say when I checked in, but he let me see his backyard. The tracks there speak volumes. Same as the zoo. We have a trail. I considered putting some dogs on it, but it was sixteen hours old. I figured it was too cold. At the speed that thing moves, I’m not sure if it even leaves a scent.”
Mr. Entwistle rubbed at his stubble. “We can start there. If it goes nowhere, we’re no worse off.”
He actually wanted to go after this thing. I didn’t want to run into Mr. Hyde again unless I was flying in an F-15.
Detective Baddon placed his hands on his knees and started to rise. “Well . . . I need to check in at the hospital and get home for some sleep. I’ll call in the morning if anything comes up with the night crew. Please let me know if you find anything tonight. And try to keep it quiet. People are asking questions, and I don’t have answers. At least none that any sane person would believe.”
“Are you sure you won’t have some coffee first?” Ophelia asked.
“One for the road, if you don’t mind.”
While Ophelia got his coffee ready, the room quieted again. I felt as if I were standing in a funeral parlor. No one spoke until she got back.
“Is there anything else you can tell us?” she asked.
Detective Baddon accepted a mug of coffee, then turned to me. “I’d like to have a word with you outside, if you don’t mind.” He took a sip, nodded his thanks, then turned for the door.
I looked at Ophelia.
“It will be fine,” she whispered.
The words were for me only, although I don’t doubt Charlie, Luna, and Mr. Entwistle heard them, too. I gulped. Then I felt Ophelia’s hand on the small of my back directing me to the front entrance. She opened the door quietly, then closed it behind the detective and me.
We stood in the narrow hall. I’d never been in this apartment, but I’d seen ones like it. It was basically three separate units, all stacked on top of one another. Beside me were a set of stairs leading up to floors two and three. On the other side was the main door that led out to a front walk.
Detective Baddon sipped his coffee, then said, “I owe you an apology. I shouldn’t have behaved that way back at the station. I can’t believe this thing. What it did to that elevator.”
I understood. It was hard for me to believe it, and I’d been right there.
“I shouldn’t have brought you into the system. I think I was just angry. Everett was a close friend. When your prints were on that gun, and in his car, I . . . Well, I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right.”
“Technically, you’re still a fugitive. I’m supposed to arrest you on sight.”
“You know I didn’t kill the inspector.”
“Yes, I do. But there is a small matter of a ruined jail, and some injured police officers, and a number of flattened cars.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. None of that was really my doing.
“I think what I’m saying is that I can’t make this mess go away just because you didn’t kill Everett. I need help. Off the record. And you know why.”
I did know why. He couldn’t afford to expose his son. Or any of us. If he was part of the Underground, silence was the rule.
“That was you at the hospital in your uncle’s room, wasn’t it?”
I nodded.
“Well, you need to keep a lower profile. Any police officer who sees you or John is going to try to arrest you. If you resist, they’ll shoot. So be careful. No more public spectacles.”
He reached into his coat pocket. I could see his automatic hanging in the holster. He pulled out a card.
“I need to talk to your uncle. My understanding is, he’s the only man in this part of the world who’s ever caught and killed a werewolf. Is that right?”
I accepted the card and read over Detective Baddon’s contact information.
“A werewolf—is that what you think it is?”
He yawned and shook his head. “No idea. But it doesn’t matter to me. Whatever it is, we have to catch it. I’m hoping your uncle can help.”
“He can. He and my father caught a lycanthrope in England. They used bear traps.”
The detective nodded. “That probably won’t work in the city. But I’ve a few things to discuss with him. Sooner is better.”
“Is there anything else?”
“Just help me get this thing.” It might have been fatigue, but his eyes were starting to water. “We’re running out of time.”
He backed out the door, then turned and started down the steps. “Have your uncle call my cell,” he said over his shoulder.
I wondered if I should have told him that my uncle was patrolling the grounds, and that we were calling him Agent X, but the detective seemed to be in a hurry to leave. And it didn’t seem fair to Maximilian. He liked to do things on his own terms. And as selfish as this will sound, I wanted to get back to Luna. I turned and walked back to the door. Ophelia opened it for me.
“Did you hear any of that?” I asked.
Her eyebrows lifted a bit and she nodded. She was chewing the inside of her lip. “He wants to meet with your uncle?”
“You know they were both at the hospital?”
She nodded.
“He told me about the sensors he set up.”
“We’re trying to keep his involvement under wraps,” she said. “If Charlie finds out, he might overreact.”
“I thought you didn’t trust my uncle.”
“I didn’t. But while you were in the ambulance, he was convincing. And John feels he has your best interests at heart. I think we were meant to work together. It’s the only way we’ll survive. War does make strange bedfellows.”
This seemed a bit out of character for her. She wasn’t a trusting person. “What did he say?”
She paused. Her eyes drifted up while she considered what to tell me. “We talked about the night he betrayed you to Vlad. We talked about mistakes and misconceptions. He was badly used, your uncle. And deceived.” She took a deep breath. “The situation is complicated, but it’s hard to say no to a dying man.” She reached out and pinched my cheek. “Now if we could just get Gerald on board.”
“Gerald?”
“Dr. Abbott.”
“Do you think he’ll let them stay?”
“I think the good doctor is seriously rattled. But we may have a chance to impress him. The alarms and security cameras will help. We almost seem like we know what we’re doing. Leaving Luna in our care is certainly the best thing for her. If he’s a reasonable man, he’ll come around. Luna is a child vampire, just like you are, and so the threat is constant. Going back to Newark won’t make it go away.”
“Does he know that?”
“I don’t think so. But that just means we’ll have to be more convincing.” She slipped her arm through mine and we walked back into the living room. Everyone stopped talking when we entered. Luna looked upset. Her eyes couldn’t settle comfortably on anything. Mr. Entwistle was still looking out past the curtain. He let it fall.
“I’d like to leave as soon as possible,” he said. “That trail isn’t getting any warmer.”
Ophelia nodded. “Can you let me get Luna and Suki settled on the top floor? I’d like to have a word with you before you go.”
The old vampire nodded. Charlie helped Suki to her feet. He pulled her into a hug, then reluctantly let her go.
“You did the right thing coming here,” I told her.
She smiled. Dimples formed at the sides of her mouth. For just a moment, she looked like the old Suki.
Then Luna bumped past me. She didn’t look over, but I saw her lips move. Just enough breath was behind them for me to hear her words: “Meet me on the roof.”
My ears started to burn. Then Ophelia led them upstairs. I listened as their footsteps faded to the second floor, then the third.
“What a ham,” Charlie said. He must have meant Dr. Abbott.
“Don’t underestimate Ophelia,” Mr. Entwistle said. “If the doctor has an ounce of sense, she’ll bring him around.”
He had a point. No one I’d ever met could say no to her.
“And it’s what both his daughters want,” the old vampire added. “Although you two might have to sleep in the ambulance.”
I didn’t think that was funny. Charlie didn’t, either. Mr. Entwistle was trying not to laugh. But the mention of the word ambulance reminded me of something I had to say. “I forgot to mention this to you before. When I was at the hospital visiting—”
“Agent X,” Mr. Entwistle interrupted.
“While I was visiting Agent X, he had a visitor.”
“Who’s Agent X?” asked Charlie.
He seemed to have forgotten. I wondered if it was the effect of being drugged in the hospital. I wasn’t sure what to say about this.
Fortunately Mr. Entwistle answered for me. “He’s an old friend who’s agreed to help us. He was the one that you and Zachary met at the Civic.”
Charlie shot me a questioning glance. I felt myself blush.
“He shot you with a tranquilizer,” I explained.
“That was my fault,” Mr. Entwistle said. “I forgot to say there would be two of you. He was only expecting Zack.”
“So you talked to this guy?” Charlie asked.
I nodded.
Mr. Entwistle cut in again. “He set up the alarms and cameras around this apartment. We’re keeping his identity a secret, for his protection.”
Charlie made a face. He’d want an explanation later. I told my brain it had better come up with something good, then I explained about Detective Baddon’s son—and what Charlie and I had seen in the hospital. Ophelia entered about halfway through and asked me to back up and start over. When I did, it was clear she’d had no idea the boy was sick.
“I can’t believe he never mentioned it! I wonder if Everett knew.”
Mr. Entwistle removed the top hat from inside his coat and started for the door. “If Baddon’s son is in danger, too, it’s all the more reason for me to get going. I couldn’t find a trail last night. I’m losing time. If I can follow Hyde’s footprints from that house on Gilmour or pick up his scent, we might be able to figure out where he goes each morning. If I need to, I’ll call in for some backup.”
“Do you think leaving is the right move?” Ophelia asked.
“I won’t be gone long. If anything comes near the place, you’ll know. Agent X is on call. And with these two young bloods handy, you’re well protected.”
“I was more worried about you,” Ophelia said.
Mr. Entwistle laughed. “I’ll be fine. You have my cell number?”
Ophelia nodded.
I looked at Charlie. Disappointment was etched clearly in the lines around his mouth. He was restless, and with his girlfriend asleep upstairs, he clearly didn’t want to spend the rest of the night indoors. My bet was, if he stayed housebound, he’d wear the carpet down to threads pacing the room.
“Why don’t you take Charlie, just to be safe,” I said.
Ophelia stiffened slightly, but the damage was done. With that one suggestion, I’d severed my friend’s shackles.
“Sounds good,” Mr. Entwistle said. “If we need you, we’ll be in touch.”
Charlie brightened up immediately. He gave me a shot in the shoulder on the way out. “Don’t die of boredom while I’m gone.”
I wasn’t planning to. The hunt for Hyde could begin without me. I had a date on the roof with Luna.
— CHAPTER 28
ON THE ROOFTOP
Ophelia wasn’t thrilled to see Charlie go and let me know the minute he was out the door. “He’s just as reckless as John. We’ll be lucky if those two don’t set the whole town on fire.”
I thought this was a slight exaggeration. They wouldn’t set it on fire so much as knock it down. “He’s got a lot of restless energy,” I said. “He can’t work it off in here. You know how he can get?”
“One night inside won’t kill him.”
“No. But it might kill us.”
Ophelia shot me a look, then headed for the basement. “I’ve some research to do. Watch your step on the roof.”
She must have heard what Luna had said. Fortunately she was already at the top of the stairs, or she would have seen my face turn flammable red. A second later, she poked her head around the corner again. So much for hiding my embarrassment.
“I almost forgot. I’m setting you and Charlie up on the second floor. It’s furnished, but there’s no bedding. Why don’t you come down and I’ll get you some sheets.”
I followed her downstairs to the basement. This simple living space had a laundry room near the back. A small office was on one corner, with the door open wide enough for me to see a long desk inside. It was covered in computer monitors. Every few seconds, the view through one would change. It didn’t take long to recognize the street outside. These must have been where the security cameras were hubbed.
Ophelia retreated to a storage closet, then came out with severa
l sets of linens. “They’re a bit dusty. The key’s hanging in the rack by the front door.” She handed me the bedsheets. “Please don’t do anything foolish. We’re going to have enough trouble with Dr. Abbott as it is. And a bit more rest wouldn’t kill you either.”
I said my thanks and headed for the stairs, then stopped. “Are you going to be talking to my uncle?”
“Only if it’s necessary. He has a cancer treatment tomorrow. Why?”
I handed her Detective Baddon’s business card. “He wants Maximilian to call him.”
Ophelia took the card and read it over. “I’ll take care of it.”
I scampered up the stairs. “He said to use the cell number,” I said over my shoulder.
“Got it.”
I made my way to the front door, grabbed the key to the second-floor apartment, and took the steps two at a time. I’d never had a place of my own. It was exciting just opening the door. I was making up one of the canopied beds when I heard a knock at the window. Luna was outside, hovering in midair. It was like a scene from Harry Potter. All she was missing was a broom.
“How are you doing that?” I asked.
She laughed and started flapping her arms like wings. Her body was bobbing gently from side to side. “Flying is my talent.”
I couldn’t believe it. And of course it wasn’t true. She was standing on a fire escape. Her knees were bent and she was shifting her weight gently from foot to foot to make it look as if she were floating.
“You coming out sometime tonight, or were you planning to scrub the floors and vacuum the carpets?”
“Would it impress your father if he knew I was house-trained? Maybe you could take a picture and show him when he arrives.”
“I think he’d just assume you were trying to steal the vacuum cleaner.”
I walked over to the window and wound it open. I popped out the screen and stepped onto the fire escape. Luna grabbed my hand and nearly pulled my arm out of the socket hauling me up the steps. They led to a flat roof that was covered in pea gravel. Our feet made crunching noises on the stones. A chimney along the side made a perfect backrest. We sat. She still hadn’t let go of my hand, not that I was complaining.