Ware opened the door to the garage, then reached through the doorway to press the button that opened the main door.
I fished in my purse for the key to the rental and handed it to Ware.
"Can you back my car in here? That way we don't give the neighbors a show." I pressed my head to the side indicating the body on my shoulder.
"Uh...yeah."
I chuckled as he trotted out of the garage. I did love disconcerting him. And with that thought the memory of his breath on my face, my lips, came back. Ware wasn't the only one disconcerted. For a moment I wondered what his lips, not just his breath, would feel like brushing against my own.
I shook my head, pushing the thought aside. This was not the time.
Ware backed the car into the garage.
Three steps led down from the doorway into the garage. Burdened as I was, my feet clomped on the steps. I waited at the back of the car for Ware to get out and join me.
Ware opened the trunk of the car and spread more trash bags in the bottom to protect it against bloodstains. I tipped the body in and closed the trunk.
I snorted. "You think they'd mind if I used the shower here?"
Ware chewed on his lower lip for a moment.
"I'd better see if I can find something you can wear. Anybody on the force seeing you driving around like that..." Ware shook his head.
"Are you sure?"
"Belinda always kept a donations box for stuff she didn't want any more. Every so often we'd drag it down to the Salvation Army. I'm sure I can find something although the fit will only be approximate."
"That will do," I said.
He hit the button causing the garage door to close then pointed with his hand. "Shower's this way."
It felt good to get the blood out of my hair. I was just toweling off when I heard a knock at the bathroom door.
"Yeah," I said.
The door opened. Ware stood in the doorway, all business, not a hint of lechery in his expression even though I stood with nothing more than a towel in front of me.
"Clothes." He held up the bundle.
"There." I shifted my grip on the towel to support it one handed and pointed at the vanity. I could not keep the towel from moving as I did this. I remained covered, but for a moment, it was close.
Only a slight tightening of Ware's jaw revealed any reaction to the display. He set the bundle on the vanity, then nodded to me. For just an instant, his eyes flicked downward, then he turned and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
I stared at the door for a moment, then shook my head.
I pointed at my reflection, just visible through the fog covering the mirror.
"Girl, what are you thinking?"
Hormones, I thought. It had to be hormones.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I pulled the rental out of the garage and stopped in the driveway. Inside, Ware closed the garage. While I waited for him to pass through the house and exit the front door, I unlocked my phone and dialed.
"McIntire Investigations."
"It's Herzeg," I said. "I need to speak to the boss."
The phone clicked then... "Dani, what progress have you made?"
"Gee, nice to hear from you too, Boss," I said.
"Do you wish to waste time on these trivialities? Very well. It's good to hear from you. Now, what progress have you made?"
I gave him a brief rundown of events, including my encounter with the vampire in the Warehouse District and the one at Ware's ex-wife's house.
Ware emerged from the house just as I was finishing. He stopped at my passenger side door and I waved him in.
I switched the phone to speaker.
"That's one," Matei said. "I need you to wrap that up quickly, Dani."
Ware opened the door and slid into the passenger's seat.
"Boss, I'm trying, okay?" I hit the button to lock the doors. "There's only so..."
"There have been three exsanguinated bodies, both with neck wounds, found in Detroit. I need you to finish where you are and move on to the next infestation."
"Damn, Boss, I'll do what I can."
"So far, the cult explanation is working, but if this continues the authorities will start to wonder why they are not finding any cult members. They will wonder how so large an organization can leave no tracks at all. And that will be beyond my ability to control."
"Okay, Matei, okay. I'll be as quick as I can. In the meantime, I've got a house where a lot of vampire blood was spilled."
"I have a discreet cleaning service that can deal with that. Give me the address."
I repeated the address.
"Discreet cleaning service?" Ware mouthed at me.
"Yes, Detective," Matei said. "They believe they are working for a criminal organization. It provides a convenient excuse for why they have to erase the signs of violent death."
I hid a smile. Although I had not heard him, Ware must have vocalized, something Matei could hear.
Matei was continuing. "Dani, will the mother and daughter be a problem?"
I sucked in a quick breath. "I don't think so."
"Not thinking so is not good enough." Matei's voice sent ice water through my veins. "You know how bad things can get."
"I'll make sure they don't," Ware said.
"You understand what will happen if word gets out?" Matei said.
"Yeah," Ware's voice was flat. "You were very persuasive on that matter. The existence of you vampires has to be kept secret."
I looked at Ware in puzzlement. He caught my expression and waved it away.
"I'll make sure they don't say anything," he said. "You have my word on it."
"Very good, detective. I'll hold you to that."
I looked from Ware to the phone.
"Hold on a moment, Boss." I hit mute.
"Do you mind? I need to..."
Ware nodded. "I'll go get my car."
He opened the door then paused. "Look, it's late. I haven't had dinner yet and you've got to deal with..." He sighed. "Anyway, would you like to meet about ten thirty or so, grab a bite to eat?"
I smiled. "I'll be happy to. My hotel?"
He nodded. "But not the hotel restaurant. I know a place."
"All right. It's a date."
Ware stepped out of the car and closed the door. I canceled the mute.
"Matei, what did you do to James?"
"James? Detective Ware?"
"Yes," I said.
"I did nothing to him except impress upon him the need to keep the existence of my kind a secret."
"Did you..."
"I did not 'push'. I've expended that ability too much just to keep Detective Ware, and through him you, in charge of the investigation there in Indianapolis. I told him...stories."
I shuddered. I knew some of the stories.
"Detective Ware is an honorable man but he is also a practical one. He understands what failure would entail."
"All right," I said. "What do I do with the body?"
"Unfortunately, I do not have any contacts with a local incinerator company. Until I arrange something, you will have to deal with it on your own."
"Boss! I have a vampire body in my trunk. How do I explain that if I get stopped by the police?"
"I would suggest you not get stopped."
I let my head fall to the steering wheel.
A vampire in my trunk. And where could I go to build a fire big enough to burn the body? While, thanks to the beheading and the garlic it would be permanently dead with the rising of the sun, I would still have a vampire corpse to get rid of. Why couldn't it be like the movies where they just turned to dust?
"Okay, Matei, I'll figure something out." I disconnected.
The only thing I could think was how glad I was that vampire bodies did not decompose the way human ones did. At least there would be no smell to attract attention before I could deal with the body.
Thank heaven for small favors.
I reached the hotel without inci
dent. At my room, I stripped out of the borrowed clothes and took another shower. The first at Ware's ex's house had made me presentable. I wanted to get clean.
Ware had not told me what to expect but then I did not have a lot of choice of attire. I had not purchased any additional clothes since Matei's blood had healed my injuries.
I put a dark blue skirt and a lighter blue tank top over plain white bra and panties. Low cut length socks would not show under the flats and the jacket was a neutral gray so as not to clash with any other choices of clothing. Depending on Ware's chosen destination, I might have to remove the jacket, so I looped several rubber bands together to make strands long enough to strap my stakes securely to my thighs. It took some experimentation to find a position where I could sit, walk, run, or even dance without the points jabbing me. The final location would be awkward to reach, but far better than left in the hotel room.
The holster for the gun fit in front of my right hip, a position often called appendix carry. I inspected the arrangement in the mirror. The shirt hung over the grip of the revolver and the clip securing it to my skirt, rendering it nearly invisible.
I continued my self-inspection in the bathroom mirror. I was due for a haircut, but a quick run through with a brush and a little gel tamed it well enough. I stood straight and inhaled deeply. My breasts, modest though they were, stretched the fabric of the shirt.
I pointed at my reflection. "Girl, what are you thinking?"
I knew what I was thinking. I was thinking of Ware's breath on my lips, and wondering what his lips would feel, would taste, like.
I shook myself. Now was not the time. Any involvement would be a distraction from the task of taking down four, three now, vampires.
Once I was dressed, I sat in one of the room's padded chairs, turned on the television and scanned through the channels looking for local news. I spent the time waiting for Ware looking for any sign of the vampires' activity. Nothing drew my attention.
At ten twenty-five my phone beeped. I picked it up and noted Ware's number. I answered.
"Herzeg."
"Ms. Herzeg," Ware's voice sounded surprisingly rich through the phone's speaker. "I shall be arriving soon. Would you care to meet me in the lobby?"
"I'd love to, Detective. I'll be right down."
Ware walked through the entrance to the hotel no more than two minutes after I reached the lobby. He wore a light green polo shirt, khaki pants, and dark brown dress shoes. His gray-streaked brown hair was neatly combed. He had not bothered to try to hide the widow's peak. A slight glint at his belt—not something most people would notice—revealed the clip of a holster that hung inside his waistband. I looked up into his eyes, the color of milk chocolate, and smiled.
"Well, aren't you a pleasant sight, Detective?"
His gaze, as he looked me up and down, carried more heat than professional interest. Something had changed between us at his wife's, his ex-wife's, house. I could see that he felt it too.
I held my hands out to my sides. "I hope you don't need me to change. You were there when I bought my clothes. There's not a lot of choice."
"No, that's fine," Ware said. "That's...fine."
He held one open hand toward the door. "Shall we go?"
I cocked an eyebrow.
"It's a nice night," Ware said. "And it's not far. I thought we'd walk." He extended his hand a little farther. "Shall we?"
"I'd love to, Detective Ware."
"I'm off duty, so it's James."
I nodded. "Then it's Dani...James."
The night was warm enough that I did not need the jacket.
As we walked, I noticed a familiarity with the street. I pulled up short.
Ware took about two steps before stopping and looking back at me.
"Dani?"
"The attack on Smalls." I pointed. "Not too far that way, right?"
"Yes, but that's not why we're here."
"I ran into one of the vampires over there earlier." I shook my head. "With the situation with your ex, I forgot all about it."
Ware's hand moved toward his waist. "Is there likely to be an attack?"
"I don't think so," I said. "I don't know why the vampire was there but when we met, he tried to convince me to join them."
"Join them in what?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. He offered to turn me into one of them."
Ware chuckled. "There's no way. I've seen your expression when you talk about vampires. Like when Janice talks about wife beaters."
"He did raise some questions that need answers. I'm going to have to talk to Matei." I sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to spoil the mood."
Ware shrugged. "Hazard of being a cop or hanging around cops. Belinda could never...well, that's old news." He forced a smile and turned up a hand in the direction we were going. "Shall we continue?"
"Yes, let's."
I walked next to him, but our easy relaxation had been broken. I found my gaze darting from shadow to shadow, looking for threats. The hair on the back of my neck rose as I waited for the taste of vampire in the back of my head.
I stopped as I saw the place to which Ware led me, an upscale Irish pub.
"I can't go in there."
Ware tilted his head quizzically. "You're over twenty-one."
"No, it's..." My hand moved toward my waist. While Tennessee had voted to allow carry in establishments serving alcohol several years before, most states still did not.
"Ah," Ware said. "Indiana does not forbid carrying in bars. You're not planning on getting drunk, are you?"
"No, of course not."
"Neither am I." He looked me up and down. "And I think we're both big enough that one beer won't hurt. But even if you'd rather not, they've got good food in a pleasant atmosphere at a reasonable price."
"You're the native guide." I wave a hand. "I'm just the stranger."
He nodded then his face turned serious. "But I do have to ask. I know the prosecutor hasn't released your gun, so how..."
I held up my hands.
"Strictly on the up and up," I said. "Smith and Wesson Break Top, Third Model so made in 1894 or 1895. The BATFE doesn't consider anything made before 1899 a firearm so it was legal for me to buy. Not a powerful revolver but what I can get legally until either I can dash back home or we're able to pry my other gun out of evidence."
"All right," Ware said. "But I had to check."
We entered. The interior maintained a modest rumble of conversations, the clink of glasses, and servers moving about the tables. I followed Ware to the host's station.
"James Ware," he said to the host. "I've got a reservation."
"Yes, Mr. Ware." The host looked down at the board with a map of the interior, tables printed on it, and notes written in grease-pencil. "Your table will be ready in just a minute."
"Thank you," Ware said.
Ware led me to the side. A small crowd already filled the bench and most of the standing room. Most of the people carried the little beepers that tell people when their tables were ready. I took our not having one as a good sign, that we would not be long enough to need one.
My thought proved prophetic. We had scarcely found a spot where we could wait without being crowded too closely when the host called Ware's name.
The hostess led us through the dining room to a small booth near the back.
"Your server will be with you shortly. Can I get you something to drink?"
Ware did not even glance at the drink menu. "I'll have the Harp Lager."
I picked up the drinks menu and skimmed over it. "This looks interesting. I'll have the Irish Cider."
The hostess jotted down the order. "Very good. Your drinks will be brought out shortly."
Ware picked up the menus and handed one to me.
"You're a department expense tonight so no need to be shy about ordering."
I felt myself blushing. "I don't always eat like that."
"So, you're going to order a salad tonight?" Ware grinned.
"Well...no," I said. "But I don't always eat like that."
A server arrived. Her nametag said "Janice", carrying a tray on which two drinks sat.
She picked up one of the drinks from the tray "Harp Irish Lager?"
"That's me," Ware said.
"And the Magner's Irish Cider." She set the other drink in front of me. "Can I start you off with an appetizer?"
"Dani?" Ware opened a hand to me.
I glanced down at the menu. "The Loaded Pub Chips, I think."
"Very good." She looked at Ware.
"That will be fine," he said.
"And are you ready to order or do you need a few minutes?"
Ware looked at me.
"Can you give us a few minutes, please?"
"Of course."
As she scurried away, Ware leaned closer to me. "You are planning on sharing, right?"
I grinned, a chuckle escaping from my throat. "If you're a good boy."
"Oh, I'm a very good boy," he said. "I can be a very good boy indeed."
I felt heat rising within me and I ruthlessly tamped it down. I reached for the cider and took a sip.
"Oh, that's good."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ware was good company even if the subject was awkward.
"So, yeah, Belinda saw the lipstick on the collar and started screaming. I tried to explain that I'd been undercover, and Jan had been posing as...well, eventually Lieutenant MacKenzie convinced her that Jan and I weren't having an affair."
Ware sighed. "I figured it out years later, after our divorce, every time I was late coming home she was basically scared out of her mind that I'd been..."
"Yeah," I said.
"She couldn't accept it, not even to herself. So instead of dealing with her anxiety, she reacted with anger."
I took a drink. I had finished the cider and switched to Coke. "You ever think of going back? Working it out?"
Ware shook his head. "It would never work. She just isn't cut out to be a cop's wife. And she's a lot better with Liz than when we were together so..."
I didn't have the heart to tell him about the movies. Freddie and Jason? For a twelve-year-old? None of my business, I told myself firmly.
"I hear you. My last boyfriend couldn't deal with my...job either."
The Unmasking (Dhampyre the Hunter Book 1) Page 10
