to the east. Right in the middle of a city that he now knew another vampire called home.
He was as bothered as Ivy was. It didn’t make sense that both he and the church would be oblivious to the existence of a third vampire. Centuries’ worth of experience kept them informed and on the hunt to finally rid the planet of an ancient scourge. Their records were voluminous, detailed, and very accurate, which is why they were so close to making the impossible happen. At least that’s what they’d all believed. How could they be this far out of the loop with the good doc? It made him wonder how much more they either didn’t have at all or simply had wrong.
He’d have to deal with the hole in their exhaustive intel later. It was bound to take some time to figure out what they’d missed and where. Even more important was how they missed such a critical piece of information. It made him feel vulnerable. He didn’t like feeling vulnerable. Once back in his hotel room, he’d make some calls.
“I don’t think it’s Moses Lake in particular,” he told Ivy, at the same time weighing exactly how much he should tell her.
He could probably trust her. Then again, her very good friend was a vampire so what did that say about her? People simply didn’t make friends with vampires. It was dangerous and, quite frankly, stupid. Making a vampire buddy usually ended up making a person dead. It was the nature of the beast, so to speak.
“How can you say that? Three bodies in less than a month? To say that’s atypical for this part of the state is a huge understatement.
Sure, we have some gangbanger problems, and drive-bys have killed more than a couple, but gangbangers are more straightforward than this sneaky bastard. They don’t drink the blood of their enemies, if you catch my drift.”
She had her face turned away so all he could see was her profile. It was impossible to get a sense of her thoughts. So, he waited. Finally, Ivy glanced his way, and her dark eyes were stormy.
It took a millisecond to make his decision. Despite what he could only characterize as a lapse in judgment for befriending a vampire, he was certain she was trustworthy. He decided to go for it.
“The vampire isn’t targeting Moses Lake per se,” he told her.
“No?”
“No.”
“Okay, cowboy, I still don’t get it.” Ivy flicked a lever on the steering wheel to put on the blinker and then pulled the van onto the freeway off-ramp. The lights of the town glowed as they drove down the hill and toward the morgue. “If not Moses Lake, then why all the bodies?”
“It’s a bit complicated.” Actually, to say it was a bit complicated was a little like saying Lake Michigan had a couple gallons of water in it. Her voice was tight and her back ramrod straight. “I’m pretty sure I’m smart enough to follow.”
Colin laid a hand on her arm and the muscles tightened beneath his palm. “Of course you can and I’m sorry if I sounded condescending. I didn’t mean to. It’s simply easier to show than to tell. Let’s get Jorge in the cooler and then I can show you exactly what I have. I promise, once you see what I’ve discovered, it’ll make a lot more sense.”
Ivy pulled the van into the loading area at the back of the coroner’s office and navigated until she had the rear even with the double doors of the building. Unlike when they pulled up to the morgue in Spokane, she didn’t immediately get out. Instead, she studied his face in the orange glow of the loading-dock lights.
She seemed to be satisfied with whatever she searched for because she turned her intense gaze away, put a hand on the door, and popped it open. A rush of fresh air poured into the van, sweeping away the electric tension. “All right. Let’s get him inside and then you start talking.”
Chapter eight
Ivy was aware of Colin every second of the trip home from Spokane. It was outrageous, considering a few feet behind them lay the body of her ex-husband—”ex”
He was as bothered as Ivy was. It didn’t make sense that both he and the church would be oblivious to the existence of a third vampire. Centuries’ worth of experience kept them informed and on the hunt to finally rid the planet of an ancient scourge. Their records were voluminous, detailed, and very accurate, which is why they were so close to making the impossible happen. At least that’s what they’d all believed. How could they be this far out of the loop with the good doc? It made him wonder how much more they either didn’t have at all or simply had wrong.
He’d have to deal with the hole in their exhaustive intel later. It was bound to take some time to figure out what they’d missed and where. Even more important was how they missed such a critical piece of information. It made him feel vulnerable. He didn’t like feeling vulnerable. Once back in his hotel room, he’d make some calls.
“I don’t think it’s Moses Lake in particular,” he told Ivy, at the same time weighing exactly how much he should tell her.
He could probably trust her. Then again, her very good friend was a vampire so what did that say about her? People simply didn’t make friends with vampires. It was dangerous and, quite frankly, stupid. Making a vampire buddy usually ended up making a person dead. It was the nature of the beast, so to speak.
“How can you say that? Three bodies in less than a month? To say that’s atypical for this part of the state is a huge understatement.
Sure, we have some gangbanger problems, and drive-bys have killed more than a couple, but gangbangers are more straightforward than this sneaky bastard. They don’t drink the blood of their enemies, if you catch my drift.”
She had her face turned away so all he could see was her profile. It was impossible to get a sense of her thoughts. So, he waited. Finally, Ivy glanced his way, and her dark eyes were stormy.
It took a millisecond to make his decision. Despite what he could only characterize as a lapse in judgment for befriending a vampire, he was certain she was trustworthy. He decided to go for it.
“The vampire isn’t targeting Moses Lake per se,” he told her.
“No?”
“No.”
“Okay, cowboy, I still don’t get it.” Ivy flicked a lever on the steering wheel to put on the blinker and then pulled the van onto the freeway off-ramp. The lights of the town glowed as they drove down the hill and toward the morgue. “If not Moses Lake, then why all the bodies?”
“It’s a bit complicated.” Actually, to say it was a bit complicated was a little like saying Lake Michigan had a couple gallons of water in it. Her voice was tight and her back ramrod straight. “I’m pretty sure I’m smart enough to follow.”
Colin laid a hand on her arm and the muscles tightened beneath his palm. “Of course you can and I’m sorry if I sounded condescending. I didn’t mean to. It’s simply easier to show than to tell. Let’s get Jorge in the cooler and then I can show you exactly what I have. I promise, once you see what I’ve discovered, it’ll make a lot more sense.”
Ivy pulled the van into the loading area at the back of the coroner’s office and navigated until she had the rear even with the double doors of the building. Unlike when they pulled up to the morgue in Spokane, she didn’t immediately get out. Instead, she studied his face in the orange glow of the loading-dock lights.
She seemed to be satisfied with whatever she searched for because she turned her intense gaze away, put a hand on the door, and popped it open. A rush of fresh air poured into the van, sweeping away the electric tension. “All right. Let’s get him inside and then you start talking.”
Chapter eight
Ivy was aware of Colin every second of the trip home from Spokane. It was outrageous, considering a few feet behind them lay the body of her ex-husband—”ex”
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