Kyle fumbled out a congratulation, and I called over our waiter and ordered a bottle of champagne to celebrate. For the next few minutes, Kate told us all about her Thomas, who owned and ran a small, nicely snooty bookstore in North Carolina. He was also a landscape painter, and Kate said he was exceptional at both his jobs.
'Of course, I'm hugely biased, but I'm also a picky little bitch, and he really is good. He's a fine person too. How are Nana and the kids? How's Louise, Kyle?' she asked. 'C'mon, tell me everything. I've missed you two.'
By the end of dinner, we were all in good spirits. The champagne and the company did the trick. I had noticed before how Kate could raise up everyone around her — even Kyle, who usually isn't the most social person. All through dinner he rarely took his eyes off of her.
The three of us hugged outside the restaurant at around eleven.
'You two are coming to my wedding,' Kate said, and stamped her foot. 'Kyle will bring Louise, and Alex, you'll bring the new love of your life. Promise?'
We promised Kate. She left us no choice. We then watched her walk away toward her car, an old blue Volvo that she made house calls in.
'I like her a lot.' I couldn't help stating the obvious.
'Yes, I like her too,' said Kyle, who didn't stop watching until Kate's car was gone from sight. 'She's a very special girl.'
Chapter 44
We were connecting some of the dots now.
The breadth of the list was a problem. Scarier and more mystifying was the fact that the murders might have been going on for over a decade.
Next I made an even longer list of cities where nonlethal attacks by supposed vampires had been reported and investigated. I stared at the list and got a little depressed. This was starting to look like an impossible conspiracy.
