Sarah looked outside, where Alan’s patrol car’s lights made the red mansion ripple with colours. Red brick mixed with red, then blue, then the bright white of headlights.
A fire crew had raced into the crypt. Fortunately, since the place was all stonework, they could act quickly; and now there was no danger of those sparks bringing the place down.
Now in the hallway of the mansion, Alan looked at them.
Val in the patrol car, cuffed and hunched over in the back seat.
Alan’s pad still open.
“He’s admitted it all, and with what you told me, I think I know everything.”
“Lot of sorting out to do. With Basil’s wife, daughter …” Jack said.
Alan looked away. “Part of my job.”
Sarah looked at Jack. That business in the crypt over, he looked like — well — someone in need of a good Halloween party.
“I guess,” Sarah said, “we can go then?”
“Yeah. Any more questions, I’ll check in tomorrow morning.”
The officer turned to Jack.
“I have to say, Jack. You do look rather, um, imposing with the cape and all that.”
“First time being a vampire, Alan.”
But then Alan’s eyes went back to Sarah and she was self-consciously aware again about her vampire costume.
Well, certainly attention-getting.
“Okay. You guys, you’d better head over to Lady Repton’s party. If I get some time later, paperwork done, I might pop over, in costume as a … policeman.”
And he laughed.
Sarah turned to Jack.
“Ready to brave the rain?”
He turned to her as she pulled up her cowl, and also yanked the cape tight.
“For a martini and maybe a dance with … a vampire?”
Big grin.
Like the sun coming out.
“You’d better believe it.”
And with a nod to Alan, they raced out to the storm and their cars. Plenty of party time left. This eventful evening was still young.
The End