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We were halfway back to my apartment and I was still staring down at the address card.
“Part of me wants to just run in there and smash this bitch with a hammer. But, like I told Jeff, I’m not an idiot. I also know I’m not the baddest thing that goes bump in the night.”
“Not according to any vampire I’ve ever heard mention you.”
I smiled. “Flattery will get you everywhere,” I joked. “But in all seriousness, let’s find out who this woman is.”
When we got back to my place I went straight to the kitchen and sat down at the table with my laptop. There was a website listed on the card too and I intended to search it.
“I don’t believe this,” I said after a few minutes.
“What is it?” Hugh was standing beside the fridge browsing old takeout menus. He said he was desperate for Chinese food. I know what you’re thinking here. After seven years of a liquid diet, why did I still have takeout menus? On the off chance that I ever had a guest, and because it made me feel more normal.
“There’s not one single picture of her anywhere. Here’s a photo of the office building, but that’s it.”
Hugh leaned over me, propping one hand on the table. I leaned back slightly, enough to touch him, and breathed in his scent. Werewolves and vampires have a certain smell. I had heard this, but never understood exactly what it meant until I became a vampire. The first time I smelled a male werewolf on the full moon I almost came. I wondered if gargoyles have a particular scent, or if Hugh just has some great cologne.
“Have you looked at all the properties she has listed for sale? Maybe she’s in some of those pictures,” he suggested.
“I guess it’s worth a shot.”
Whoever this Kathy was, she did a lot of business. There were close to a hundred properties listed.
“Will it bother you if I eat while you start on the photos? I can take over later if you want?” Hugh asked. “Or do you not want me to stay at all?”
I stopped what I was doing and smiled up at him. “I don’t mind, and I do want you to stay.”
“How about instead of ordering in I go pick this up and get you some Life Blood?”
“I would appreciate that very much. It actually satisfied my hunger too. I suppose that’s because of the crystalized blood. For some reason it never occurred to me that I could be satisfied by anything other than actual fresh blood.”
“I’ll see what other flavors they have.”
“Anything but hazelnut,” I said. “And thanks again. It will be nice to have something normal on my shelves again.”
“To go beside the potions?” he teased. “I can see how normal would go with that.”
*****
Hugh was back within an hour and all I’d found in the pictures, other than the actual properties, was a cute Pomeranian.
“You might want to rethink that whole, giving me your undying love thing,” Hugh said as he sat a coffee bag in front of me.
I turned the label to face me and read out loud, “Glazed donut flavor. Seriously?” I jumped up and kissed him.
The stunned look on his face was priceless.
“Thank you,” I said, sitting back down. “I had no idea this stuff even existed. I’ve been so busy—“
“Focusing on revenge that you were obviously blocked from by magic?”
“Yes.”
I clicked through a few more pictures before something caught my eye. It wasn’t much. It was a far off view and her head was turned to the side. But that was a face I could never forget.
“It’s her,” I said with a trace of growl in my voice.
Hugh stopped with noodles halfway to his mouth. “Who? You know Kathy?”
“That’s not the name she used before, but I know her. She’s the one who hired my mother and I for the job that eventually led to the warehouse where we were ambushed.”
“Is she Kathy or someone buying a house that got caught in the picture?”
I zoomed in on the picture. She was wearing a nametag that said, “Kathy Sutton Realty.”
“If it isn’t her, then she works for her. Either way, this is the woman I’ve been looking for.”
“Oh,” Hugh said. “Well, this is definitely a step in the right direction.”
I could feel my pulse racing and knew my eyes were burning red. “My heart hasn’t beat like this in a long time. I’ll never forget her story, it was so convincing. She told us that a vampire had murdered her grandson, Trevor. She even had a photo of him, dead with bite marks on his neck. She was so intent on revenge. I never questioned it and I don’t think my mother did either. We even agreed to take her on at a reduced price because she was so distraught. That fucking bitch.” I wiped a hand across my face and realized I was crying when I saw the faint pink traces of tears. “I wonder if she had that poor child killed too. It’s unthinkable.” I wiped my face again and pulled myself together. “Her office is probably closed by now.”
“We could check it out and see,” he offered. “Because I get the impression you’re going to sit here and think murderous thoughts regardless.”
“It’s that obvious?”
“Your eyes are glowing and your fangs are out. Yeah, it’s obvious.”
“I hadn’t realized my fangs were out. I’ve got to get myself under control, even if all we do is scout it out for later. I can’t go in there like this. I’m not used to working a job that’s so personal.”
“I understand, trust me. But you’re right.”
“So, what’s the plan?” I said, half joking.
“Go in and bash her with a hammer.”
“I like this plan.”
“I’m joking.”
“I know. I’m bringing a hammer anyway.”