Dead of Night

by Lynn Viehl

Page 7

 

  Only a few narrow slots served as makeshift windows, and someone had blocked them with chunks of the same board that had been nailed over the warped latch-string door.

  “I want to look inside,” I told Jesse, who went to the door and tugged off one of the boards, as easily as if it were made of Styrofoam. “Why aren’t I as strong as you?”

  He thought about it as he removed the other boards. “You are a girl. ”

  A laugh burst out of me. “That has nothing to do with it and you know it, you chauvinist. ”

  “It was the only answer I could think of. You ask hard questions. ” He set the boards out of our way and tried the door, which made a splintering sound and fell inside. A small cloud of dust billowed out around our feet, but nothing came running out.

  “I should have brought a flashlight,” I said as I peered inside. Because we both had excellent night vision, we never needed them. “Who do you think built this place?”

  He breathed in and frowned. “Someone who killed animals. Perhaps a trapper or a hunter. ”

  Jesse’s sense of smell, which was as keen as a vampire’s, could detect a drop of blood from across a room. Too much blood, especially human, made him shift into his predatory state. I saw his eyes darken, but they didn’t turn solid black as they would have if the blood were fresh.

  “You don’t have to go inside,” I told him. “I just want to see if it might work. ”

  “As what?”

  “A safe place. ” I stepped over the threshold and gingerly moved inside.

  Except for what the wind had blown in through the narrow gap at the bottom of the door, the interior of the cabin was surprisingly clean. Split logs of wood with their flat sides up formed the floor; time had left a lot of cracks in them, but the wood still felt sturdy under my boots.

  “Why do you need a safe place?”

  “It’s not for me. ” I turned around to find Jesse right behind me. “It’s for you. ”

  His teeth flashed. “All right, why would I need it?”

  “I was thinking we could make it into a vault. ”

  Although Jesse had most of the same powers as a full vampire, he also shared some of their weaknesses. Iron and garlic were poisonous to him, and any exposure to the sun’s rays burned him like fire. If he stayed out too long in the daylight, he would die. As he nearly had once when we’d been together, and Prince had suddenly bolted, leaving me and Jesse on foot in the woods near dawn.

  I’d gotten him to safety in time, but I’d had to take my brother’s truck without permission and speed through town to get to Jesse’s boat to take him back to Raven Island, where I wasn’t welcome. Trick, who at that time still hadn’t known about me and Jesse, or why, had grounded me for weeks after that.

  Jesse stopped smiling and took my hand in his, threading his fingers through mine. Instead of ridiculing my fairly ridiculous idea, he took a more serious look around. “The roof would have to be replaced and sealed from within, and any gaps in the walls filled. Such renovations would require many materials and supplies. Purchasing them and transporting them here without drawing anyone’s attention would be difficult. ”

  “I was thinking that we could put something inside the cabin,” I said. “It would just have to be light-proof, and big enough for you to get inside. That way we could leave the outside of the cabin like it is, as camouflage. ”

  He nodded. “We could use a coffin. ”

  I felt annoyed. “Don’t make bad jokes. ”

  “I am quite serious, Catlyn,” he assured me. “Vampires prefer caves and vaults, as they can be barricaded and safeguarded more easily. However, they have been known to use coffins and crypts as places of concealment and protection when they are caught away from their strongholds during the daylight hours. Humans have great respect for the dead, and never think of looking among them for those who prey on the living. ”

  “You’re not a vampire. ” I couldn’t stand the thought of seeing him climb into a coffin. “We’ll think of something else. ”

  A block table and chair sat empty by a brick-and-mud fireplace, and against the other wall I saw bunches of long branches that had been lashed together to form a short rectangular bed frame. Some pieces of rotted rope hanging from the branches at regular intervals must have once webbed the frame to support the bedding.

  Something drew me to the hearth and the long wooden mantle set into the stone above it. On one corner someone had carefully carved a small heart into the edge of the mantle. On top of that an old, battered tin cup, coated brown with rust, sat next to an equally ancient lantern. The kerosene it had once held had long ago evaporated, but I could see something through the dusty glass that had been wedged behind it. I moved the lamp aside, creating another dust cloud, to expose a flat piece of metal.

  I took it down and carefully blew away more dust to expose the image on the surface, which showed a man and a woman in very old-fashioned clothing. “Look at this. ” I handed it over to Jesse. “It’s almost like a photo. ”

  “It is a photograph. These were called tin types. They printed the images on the metal to better preserve them. ” He studied the couple. “This man is wearing a uniform. He was a soldier. Perhaps he and his lady came here to escape the war between the states. ” He turned it over. “There are some letters and numbers engraved on the back. ” He swiped his thumb over the metal to wipe away some dirt. “And three words: ‘From Jacob’s heart. ’”

  I touched the carved heart. “He was a romantic guy. ”

  Outside the cabin, Sali uttered a short, plaintive whinny, her way of telling me that she was bored. Prince followed it up with his deeper, rumbling whicker.

  I checked my watch, which read 3:20 a. m. “We’d better head back. It’ll be dawn in a few hours. ” I saw him pocket the tin type. “Why are you taking that?”

  “It intrigues me. Perhaps I can use it to find out who they were. ” He gave the cabin a final glance. “And why they made their home here, in such a remote place. ”

  Now he was making me curious. “Maybe they were like us, and this was the only way they could be together. ”

  “Someday we will have more than a secret cabin in the woods, Catlyn. ” He touched my cheek. “I promise. ”

  “Bugs love old books,” Trick said at breakfast the next morning. “You’d better find out how she deals with them, because I doubt she uses insect spray. ”

  I shrugged. “She probably shakes them out and swats them with the book. ”

  “Yeah, but you hate bugs,” Gray reminded me. “And you don’t want to run around the place shrieking. Someone will call your boyfriend. ”

  Trick looked up from his paper. “What boyfriend?”

  “He means Sheriff Yamah. ” I glared at Gray. “With whom I am not even friendly. ”

  “That’s another thing. ” Trick set aside his paper. “I don’t want you letting any of your friends from school in the store while you’re working. This is a job, not a hangout for winter break. ”

  “I promise, I will not let a single friend from school into the store. ” I hadn’t met Jesse at school, and he didn’t attend Tanglewood, so it wasn’t a lie. “All my hanging out will be done at other locations, like strip clubs, crack houses and biker bars. ”

  His jaw tightened. “Does the owner have a security alarm?”

  “I don’t know, Patrick. ” I folded my arms. “I didn’t exactly inspect the place from top to bottom yesterday. I was too busy, you know, trying to get the job?”

  “Ask her about it,” he told me, “and if she does have one, have her show you how to arm it while you’re working. ”

  “I don’t think old books are at the top of the list of stuff burglars want. ” I looked at his face. “All right, all right, I’ll ask. ”

  Finally my brothers went out to repair the damage Rika had caused to the training pen, which made me very happy. Being asked questions I didn’t want to
answer was almost as annoying as listening to advice I didn’t need.

  I spent the rest of the morning taking care of my daily chores before I went upstairs to tidy up my room and figure out what I was going to wear for work. That was when I realized I had a brand-new wardrobe problem.

  Mrs. Frost had said to dress comfortably, which to me meant jeans and a T-shirt. Most of mine were worn, though, and while they were okay for home and school I felt I needed a different look for my job.

  The good outfits in my Justin case would definitely be too dressy, and I couldn’t borrow anything from my brothers. Why hadn’t Trick or Gray been born a girl?

  Just as I reached for the newest pair of jeans I owned, I felt a funny twinge inside my head, and glanced at the four old suitcases sitting on the shelf above the hangers. I used them whenever we moved, and they were empty … at least, I was pretty sure they were.

  I reached up and took down one, which was light as a feather, but opened it to be sure. The only thing I’d left inside were some balled-up socks that I’d outgrown in middle school. Feeling stupid, I closed the case and put it back. As I did I bumped one corner into the others, which shifted—all except the largest one.

  I pulled down the largest suitcase, which was so heavy I nearly dropped it, and lugged it out to my bed, where I opened it. A faint trace of some sweet perfume rose from the inside of the case, which was filled with stacks of neatly folded clothes: blouses, slacks, skirts and a couple of scarves. They all looked brand-new, and were in soft, pretty colors and nice fabrics; most of the blouses had lace cuffs and collars.

  None of them, however, belonged to me. In fact, I’d never seen them before now.

  “What’s that?”

  I yelped and whirled around to see Gray standing right behind me. “God, you scared the wits out of me. Ever hear of knocking?”

  “The door was open. ” He stared past me at the suitcase. “Where did you find that?”