When I locate Doug, he has a chainsaw in his hands. I keep my distance, waving at him to get his attention. He’s apparently dicing a tree trunk that had fallen across a walking trail.
When he sees me waving my arms, he shuts off the chainsaw and looks at me expectantly.
“Do you have a sec?” I ask.
“Sure,” he says, eyeing me curiously. “Have we met?”
“Briefly. My name’s Kat. I was in the park office, asking you about the bear attack.”
“Right. The bear attack.” I watch him crinkle his nose.
“Actually, that’s what I wanted to ask you about now. I did some research of my own. And I agree with you.”
“Agree? About what?”
“I don’t think it was a bear either.”
Doug looks at me suspiciously. “What kind of research are you talking about?”
“Internet. Old newspapers. Nothing more.”
“Why are you so interested?”
“Stacey was my friend. I was there the night she was killed. I need to find out the truth.”
“The truth?” Doug laughs to himself, then stops when he catches my eye. I must look angry or pitiful, or both, because his face turns serious and he studies me for a minute. Then he looks around, eyeing a teenage couple, hand-in-hand, walking toward us on the path.
“Let’s get off this trail,” he says.
He’s a bit of an odd guy, and though I’m not sure it’s a good idea, I follow him for a few hundred yards as he leads me past dense brush until he stops at the creek. Then he turns to me. His face is clean-shaven and round, which makes him look young and somehow a little innocent. He’s solidly built and clearly fit, judging by the way he handled that chainsaw as if it were nothing more than a butter knife. The brush covers us from the sight of the trail, and I start talking, partly out of nervousness.
“Why all the secrecy?” I ask, motioning around me, showing him how isolated we are right now.
“Small town. Tourist-based town. They don’t like it when I disagree with the cops. Bear attacks are just fine with city hall and the business community, so long as they keep tourists out of the woods and in town, shopping and going to the theater.”
“If it’s not a bear,” I say, lowering my voice as much as I can given the rush of creek, “then what is it?”
“You mean who.”
“So you think it’s a person?”
He nods. “You probably read that article I was quoted in a while back. First and last time I was ever asked to comment, by the way.”
“The one about the serial killer?”
“Nearly got me fired,” he says. “And it did get me suspended for a month. And that was only for talking out of turn, as they called it. The truth is, I started that rumor.”
“You?” I stare at him. “Why would you do that?”
“Because something had to be done. Someone needed to start paying attention. After that article came out, the FBI showed up with their high-tech equipment. They asked all kinds of questions and brought in their own experts to study the body of the victim.”
“What did they find?”
“Apparently nothing. They said a human couldn’t have done that. That was it. They didn’t look one bit further, just packed up all their expensive gear and moved on to some other crime scene.” He shakes his head. “Our taxpayer dollars at work.”
“I’m confused,” I say. “If it’s not an animal and it’s not a human, then what is it?”
Doug begins to speak, then stops.
“What is it?”
“No. Nothing good ever comes from me opening my mouth. And I need my job.”
“It’s okay, Doug. You can trust me.”
“It’ll only sound like crazy talk to you. It won’t amount to anything, and you’ll get all freaked out.”
“I don’t freak out easily,” I tell him. “And I won’t tell anyone that I even spoke to you.”
“You promise?”
“Yes.”
“I’m serious about that. I’m about this close from getting eighty-sixed from this job as it is, not to mention chased out of town by pitchfork-wielding villagers.”
“I won’t tell a soul. I promise, really.”
He looks at me, still doubtful, then seems to relent. “Okay, here goes. Since you’re already into research, you might want to get off the Internet and start cracking open a few books. Old ones, from back in the days of the founding of Lithia. You’ll find stories about …” His voice trails off.
“About what?”
“About ghosts.”
“So?” I’m beginning to think maybe Doug is a little crazy. “Every town has ghost stories.”
“And vampires.”
I stare at him, feeling a sudden chill. I’m waiting for a smile or some sign that he’s joking. But he’s not, not at all.
“Some of the old-timers will tell you stories,” Doug continues. “Stories passed down from their parents and grandparents. Seems to have started up around the time the gold deposits were all played out and the miners abandoned Lithia, leaving behind empty homes and bankrupt businesses. They used to say the vampires lived up in the Lost Mine.”
“Near the trail.”
He nods. “So there you have it, my crackpot theory. There are vampires in Lithia.”
I hug my arms, still feeling that inexplicable chill. “Have you ever seen a vampire?”
Doug shakes his head.
“Has anyone you know seen one?”
“Nope.”
“Any photos?”
“Why do you think I’m talking to you here by the creek?” he says. “If I had proof, I’d be the first to share it. The only thing I know about vampires is what I see in the movies, which means nothing.”
“Then how can you be so sure?”
“Because there is no other explanation for these deaths. And you should know that, if you did your research. I know what you found. It’s the same stuff I found. So you can’t deny that I have a point.”
He’s right; I really can’t. As ridiculous as it sounds, there doesn’t seem to be any other explanation.
“I just don’t know what to believe,” I say. “It’s just too—absurd.”
He holds out his hand and begins a checklist with his pinky. “Well, there’s always Big Foot—plenty of people in these parts have claimed to see him around here. There’s aliens, though we haven’t had any sightings recently; apparently they prefer the desert. After that, what else is there? Especially if this region has a history.”
“But those were only rumors, too.”
“You don’t know that. Lithia is different, Kat. Don’t tell me you haven’t realized that yet.”
I nod. He’s right; I have. Maybe there are two sides to everything in life; maybe behind the magic of Lithia lurks something more sinister. I don’t want to think about that, but it seems that this is the way of the world.
Doug and I walk back to the trail, where he starts up his chainsaw again as I start down the trail, back to town. I need to find Alex. I need to find a way to talk to him without breaking my promise to Doug.
Fourteen
Around noon, I leave the store and head for the Food Co-Op on the pretense of buying David and me some lunch. I find Alex in the produce section, wearing a bib, unloading onions and garlic. I let a couple of shoppers pass, then I sidle up to him. Before he notices that it’s me standing next to him, I lean over and say, “Were you serious when you told me Roman is a vampire?”
He whips his head around and stares at me, confused, as if for a moment he’s trying to remember who I am. Then he glances around, takes hold of my arm, and ushers me outside to the parking lot.
“What’s the matter?” I ask.
“I can’t talk in there. Too many people.”
“But you heard my question?”
“Yes. Look, I said a lot of crazy things that night. Forget about it.”
“You’re the one who made such a big deal about it. What did
you mean, exactly, when you said he’s a vampire?”
“Nothing. I just didn’t want you to get in the car with him. That’s all. Forget I ever said anything.”
“Are there vampires in Lithia?”
“Kat…” Alex glances around the parking lot, eyeing faces.
“Answer the question, Alex.”
But he gives me that stare again, and this time I know what it’s all about. Whatever he tells me, I realize, is going to change my life here in Lithia forever. And he knows it. That’s why he isn’t sure whether to answer me.
“I want to know the truth,” I tell him, though I’m not at all sure I do.
“Yes,” he says with a lowered voice. “There are vampires in Lithia.”
“And Roman is one of them?”
“Yes.”
“You’re sure about this?”
“Yes.”
“But how do you know?” I say. “I mean, if he really is a vampire, how come he goes outside during the day?”
“Vampires are a lot more adaptable than you think. Most of what you think you know about them—well, let’s just say that most people really don’t know anything about them at all.”
I shake my head, and I look at Alex, hoping that he’ll burst out laughing any second. But his face remains serious, anxious even. I remind myself that it isn’t just Alex who believes this but Doug, too. Can both of them be completely crazy?
But then there are the bodies. And Stacey. And my mom. So maybe the idea is not so crazy after all.
Suddenly I have a million questions. “How many are there? Does anyone else know about them? And how do you know for sure about Roman?”
“Take it easy,” he says. “Even if I could answer all your questions, I’m not certain I should.”
“You have to, Alex. I need to know.”
“Then go out with me,” Alex says. “I won’t drag you to some steakhouse. I’ll cook you the type of meal you like, and we’ll talk.”
“How did you know about the steakhouse?”
“It’s a small town.”
“Is that all you have to say for yourself?” If I never hear It’s a small town again, it won’t be soon enough. “Were you following me?”
“What can I say?” He shrugs. “I like you, Kat. A lot.”
“I knew it. That’s why you’re trying to talk me into thinking that Roman’s some kind of demon.”
“No,” he says. “I’m serious about that. I always have been.”
“If I’m in such horrible danger, then why don’t you tell me everything you know? How else am I supposed to protect myself?”
“You don’t understand.” He starts to reach for my arm, but I move away, out of his reach. “Come on, Kat,” he says. “How about we just start over? You and me?”
“I’m leaving,” I say. “I have to get back to the store.”
“Kat!”
He calls after me, but I don’t look back. I know he’s got to get back to work, too, so he won’t follow me this time.
I hurry away from the Food Co-Op, but as soon as I turn the corner, I slow down. I need to think. I can’t believe I’ve just had a serious conversation about vampires. That I’ve talked to two guys who not only believe they exist but that they’ve hurt people. Right here in Lithia.
I understand now why people are so quick to accept the bear-attack story. Now I want to go back to believing it, like everyone else. It’s the only explanation that doesn’t leave you feeling like you’ve lost your mind. The way I feel I’m losing mine right now.
When I walk through the door of Lithia Runners, David looks up at me, as if waiting for something. I look back at him for a few seconds, then slap my forehead. “The sandwiches!”
David gives me a curious look. “You forgot them?”
“Totally. I’m so sorry.”
“That’s okay. So what did you get?”
“Um. Nothing.”
He tilts his head to one side. “Nothing at all? You did go to the co-op, though?”
“I did.”
“And you didn’t buy anything?”
“I—I sort of bumped into a friend.”
“But not in the checkout line, clearly.”
“Um, no.”
He smiles at me, the first smile I’ve seen in a long time. “I’ve been forgetting things left and right, too,” he says. “It’s natural, I suppose. Don’t worry about it.”
“I’ll go back,” I offer.
“No, that’s okay. I could use a walk, a little fresh air.” He puts on his jacket. “Tofu sandwich?”
“Thank you,” I say, smiling back at him.
The bell jingles as he leaves, and I begin unpacking some new stock from the back room. The next time I return to the front, Roman is standing at the counter. The sight of him nearly makes me jump.
“Roman,” I say. “I didn’t hear the bell.”
“Hello, Katherine.”
I stand where I am, about fifteen feet away, and study him, thinking about what Alex had told me. I hadn’t believed him before, so I’ve never thought about it—but now, I see Roman with new eyes. And even still, to me, he looks human, gorgeously human. Of course, don’t vampires have the ability to attract? I think I saw that in a movie.
“Are you all right?” Roman asks.
I want to come right out and ask him, just put it all out there, no matter how crazy it makes me sound. I mean, why not? What’s the worst he can do, kill me right here?
Actually, I realize, he can. The store is empty, the streets fairly quiet. Maybe I’d better take Doug’s advice and keep my big mouth shut.
“What is it, Katherine?” Roman asks. “Is something on your mind?”
“Alex says you’re a vampire,” I blurt out.
So much for keeping my mouth shut. But Roman doesn’t appear threatened, or even startled. He looks amused. And then he laughs.
“Alex says many things about me.”
“Are you?”
“You’re asking if I am a vampire?”
“I suppose I am.”
He looks at me for a long moment before answering. “Yes.”
I take a step back and knock over a display of sunglasses. They clatter to the floor in a pile, and I try not to step on them as I recover. “You’re a vampire?”
“Of course.” He smiles. “For Halloween, this Friday. I always dress as a vampire. It’s my favorite role.”
“Oh.” I feel like a complete idiot. I’d forgotten all about Halloween. David says that it’s usually a big deal in Lithia, though the excitement has been a little subdued this year because of Stacey’s death and everyone’s worries about bears wandering the streets.
“That is what you’re asking me, right?” Roman says.
“Um, yeah, of course,” I say. To avoid eye contact, I turn my attention to picking up sunglasses from the floor.
“What will you be?”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“I don’t know.” When I think of where I’ve spent my last few Halloweens—serving drunk people whose costumes seem to give them permission to act like jerks—it’s easy to remember why it’s not exactly my favorite holiday. “I’m nothing. Halloween’s just for kids.”
“Not in Lithia. We take Halloween very seriously here.”
“So I’ve heard.” And I do have vague memories of Halloween. Being swept up in the parade in the thin October afternoon light. Trick-or-treating with my mom, walking hand-in-hand down dark and shadowy streets, never feeling scared.
“Everybody dresses up, you know,” he says. “Everybody. For the parade.”
“Not me,” I say. “And I’m not much of a parade person, anyway.”
“Katherine, you can’t live in Lithia and not go to the parade. It simply isn’t done.”
“Well, I don’t have a costume, so there’s really no point, is there?”
He smiles at me. “If it’s a costume you need,” he says, “I know just the place.”
~
“After you,” I say.
He takes my hand and leads me into a dimly lit, narrow hallway with concrete floors. As my eyes adjust to the light I can make out framed posters of plays gone by and old black-and-white cast photos. We pass doors that lead into rooms marked PROPS, TECHNICAL, SOUND, CARPENTRY.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I ask him.
“The only person taking a risk here is me, and I say it’s worth it.”
He turns into a room on the right and lets go of my hand. The room is pitch black. I stop and stand where I am, afraid to take another step.
“Roman?” I can’t hear any movement. “Roman, where are you?”
Everything is quiet, as if Roman, too, is standing still. Or as if he’s disappeared.
I raise my arms, reaching out to find Roman, or a wall, a railing, anything to give me some sense of stability in this total darkness. But there’s nothing to grasp or to lean on, and I feel the room sway around me. I feel as though I’m about to fall over, when suddenly the room fills with dim light, which brightens gradually. I blink as my eyes adjust.
The room has high ceilings, and all around me are rows of clothing racks with costumes hanging from them. Along one wall is a long mirror and three doors that must lead to dressing rooms. But there is no sign of Roman.
I’m about to call his name again when I realize he’s standing right next to me.
“Will you stop sneaking up on me like that?”
“I was not sneaking. I had to flip on the master switch, which required finding the master switch. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“Never mind,” I say. Then I look around. “So this is the theater’s big closet.”
“Yes, this is our costume department. This is the storage room for plays that aren’t currently running. Everything from disco dresses to Elizabethan gowns can be found here. Now, as you’ll see, you have no excuse not to dress up for Halloween.”
Out of Breath Page 9
