Shesaw him and frowned. “Oh hell. It’s you.”
“DetectiveHardin,” he answered, amused at how unhappy she was to see him.
JessiHardin pointed at him. “Wait here.”
Hesat back down and watched her continue on to the kitchen.
Halfan hourlater, coroners brought in a gurney, and Hardin returnedto the living room. She pulled over a high-backed chair and set itacross from him.
“Iexpected to see bite marks on her neck.”
“Iwouldn’t have called it in if I’d done it,” he said.
“Butyoudiscovered the body?”
“Yes.”
“Andwhat were you doing here?” She pulled a small notebook and pen from hercoat pocket, just like on TV.
“Helenand I were old friends.”
Thepen paused over the page. “What’s that even mean?”
He’dbeen thinking it would be a nice change, not having to avoid the issue,not having to come up with a reasonable explanation for whyhe knew what he knew, dancing around the truth that he’d known Helenalmost her entire life, even though he looked only thirty years old.Hardin knew what he was. But those half-truths he’d always used toexplain himself were harder to abandon than he expected.
Withany other detective, he’d have said that Helen was a friend of hisgrandfather’s whom he checked in on from time to time and helped withrepairs around the house. But Detective Hardin wouldn’t believe that.
“Wemet in 1947 and stayed friends.”
Hardinnarrowed a thoughtful gaze. “Just so that I’m clear on this, in 1947she was what, twenty? Twenty-five? And you were—exactly as you are now?”
“Yes.”
“Andyou stayed friends with her all this time.”
“Yousay it like you thinkthat’s strange.”
“It’sjust not what I expect from the stories.”
Shewas no doubt building a picture in her mind: Rick and atwenty-five-year-old Helen would have made a striking couple. But Rickand the ninety-year-old Helen?
“Maybeyou should stick to the standard questions,” Rick said.
“Allright.Tell me what you found when you got here. About what timewas it?”
Hetold her, explaining how the lights were out and the place seemedabandoned. How he’d known right away that something was wrong, and sowasn’t surprised to find her in the kitchen.
“Shecalled me earlier today. I wasn’t available but she left a message.She sounded worried but wouldn’t say why. I came over as soon as Icould.”
“Sheknew something was wrong, then. She expected something to happen.”
“Ithink so.”
“Doyou have any idea why someone would want to kill an old woman likethis?”
“Yes,”he said. “I do.”
Onenight she came into the bar late during his shift. They hadn’t set up adate so he was surprised, and then he was worried. Gasping for breath,her eyes pink, she ran up to him, crashing into the bar, hanging on toit as if she might fall over without the support. She’d been crying.
Hetook up her hands and squeezed. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh,Rick! I’m in so much trouble. He’s going to kill me, I’m dead, I’m—”
“Helen!Calm down. Take a breath—what’s the matter?”
Shegulped down a couple of breaths, steadying herself. Straightening,squeezing Rick’s hands in return, she was able to speak. “I needsomeplace to hide. I need to get out of sight for a little while.”
Shecould have been in any kind of trouble. Some small-town relative cometo track her down and bring home the runaway. Or she could have beensomething far different from the fresh-faced city girl she presentedherself as. He’d known from the moment he met her that she was hidingsomething—she never talked about her past.
“What’shappened?” he asked.
“I’lltell you everything, just please help me hide.”
Hecame out from behind the bar, put his arm around her, and guided herinto the back room. There was a storage closet filled with woodencrates, some empty and waiting to be carried out, some filled withbottles of beer and liquor. Only Rick and Murray came back here whenthe place was open. He found a sturdy, empty crate, tipped it upsidedown, dusted it off, and guided her to sit on it.
“Ican close up in half an hour, then you can tell me what’s wrong. Allright?”
Nodding,she rubbed at her nose with a handkerchief.
“CanI get you anything?” he asked. “Bottle of soda? Shot of whiskey?”
“No,no. I’m fine, for now. Thank you.”
Backout front, he let his senses expand, touching on every little noise,every scent, every source of light and the way it played around everyshadow. Every heartbeat, a dozen of them, rattled in his awareness, acacophony, like rocks tumbling in a tin can. It woke a hunger in him—alurking knowledge that he could destroy everyone here, feed on them,sate himself on their blood before they knew what had happened.
He’dalready fed this evening—he always fed before coming to work, it wasthe only way he could get by. It made the heartbeats that composed thebackground static of the world irrelevant.
Noone here was anxious, worried, searching, behaving in any other mannerthan he would expect from people sitting in a bar half an hour beforeclosing. Most were smiling, some were drunk, all were calm.
Thatchanged ten minutes later when a heavyset man wearing a nondescriptsuit and weathered fedora came through the door and searched everyface. Rick ignored him and waited. Sure enough, the man came up to thebar. His heart beat fast, and sweat dampened his armpits and hairline.
“Whatcan I get for you?” Rick asked.
“Yousee a girl come in here, about this tall, brown hair, wearing a bluedress?” the man said. He was carrying a pistol in a holster under hissuit jacket.
Someof the patrons had turned to watch. Rick was sure they’d all seen Helenenter. They were waiting to see how he’d answer.
“No,”he said. “Haven’t seen her. She the kind of girl who’d come into aplace like this by herself?”
“Yeah.I think she is.”
“We’repast last call. I doubt she’ll come in this late. But you’re welcome towait.”
“I’lldo that.”
“CanI get you something?”
“Tonicwater.”
Rickpoured the drink and accepted his coins. The guy didn’t tip.
Patronsdrifted out as closing time approached, and the heavyset man continuedwatching the door. He kept his right hand free and his jacket open,giving ready access to the holster. And if he did see Helen walkthrough the door, would he shoot her then and there? Was he that crazy?
Rickwondered what Helen had done.
Whenthey were the only two left in the bar, Rick said, “I have to close upnow,
