“It sounds great but I’m gonna just head home. My fridge and pantry are fully stocked and to be honest, all I want to do is stuff something in my face, take a shower, and crash until morning. I’m pretty sure the ME will have something for us by then, right?”
“Yeah, she’s thorough. Tammy shouldn’t even be working for our small department here in Prosper Woods. She used to work out in Santa Barbara in a much larger coroner’s office but she and her husband decided they wanted to retire early to a small town. Quiet and solitude are the reasons they moved here.”
“She came here to retire? I guess she rethought that right quick.” I reached up and rubbed a hand over my face. I really was exhausted.
“Yes, she did. The fact is, Tammy is twenty years younger than her husband. He was a college professor and wanted to leave education and just write novels so she left her job in Santa Barbara to be with him. I guess after six months of puttering around the house and watching him write, she couldn’t take it anymore which is why she applied for the open ME position when our old coroner died. The town council hired her immediately. She has a fantastic resume so the choice really was a very simple one.”
“Well, I hope she can tell me what kind of animal or animals attacked Buck Walters,” I said.
“That and whether there’s any human DNA other than Buck’s anywhere on the body,” Sally added. “There’s just something not right about that crime scene. I’m sure it was staged, Sheriff.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I think so too.” I was quiet as Sally drove down the road to town. After a few minutes, I rolled my head on the headrest to glance over at my deputy. “Can I ask you a weird question, Sally?”
She glanced over at me, taking her eyes away from the road for only a few seconds as she nodded. “Sure, anything.”
“Do you believe in supernatural creatures?” I watched her fingers tighten on the steering wheel and I was certain Sally’s entire body seemed to stiffen. She looked over at me.
“Um… well, yes, but why do you ask, Sheriff?”
“Because I’m certain they do exist. I just wanted to get your thoughts on the matter.”
She glanced back at the road as we drove into town. Her jaw was clenched in a way that I just knew had been caused by the shock of my question. She said nothing further, so I relaxed back in my seat as she pulled up to the sheriff’s station where my truck was parked. Without another word, she was out of the car and up on the porch. She stopped and waited until I’d exited the Blazer before holding out the key fob and setting the alarm. I smiled at her as I joined her on the porch.
“Well, I’m off to my house. Have a good night, Sally. You should go home and get some rest.” I looked up as the door to the sheriff’s station swung open and a tall, thin man stepped out with a big smile. He wore a deputy’s uniform and I took the hand he held out.
“You must be Sheriff Harmon,” the man said, still smiling as we shook hands.
“That’s me. You must be Dave.”
“Yessir, that’s me, Dave Chesney. It’s so nice to meet you.” He turned to look at Sally. “You look a little beat, girl.”
Sally rubbed her face with both hands before looking at Dave. “I forgot you were on tonight. That’s good. We just came from the murder scene out near Frederick and the sheriff and I have been up all day and most of last night working the scene.”
“Oh, sure, of course. It’s all around town. Is it true? Was it that old drunk, Buck Walters?” Dave looked between me and Sally.
“Yes, it was,” Sally clipped. “Now, I gotta be going.” She turned to look at me, offering the first smile she’d sent my way since I’d asked the question about supernaturals. “Go home and sleep, Sheriff Harmon.”
“Yep, headed there now,” I said. “Nice meeting you, Dave. See you both tomorrow unless the ME calls sooner.” I jingled my keys and walked to the truck, feeling both sets of eyes on my back as I walked away. Once I was on the road, I picked up my phone and dialed Vincent. He picked up on the first ring.
“Hello there,” he said. I loved his voice.
“I’m headed home,” I replied.
“Come here and let me feed you,” Vincent said. “I just put a nice stew on.”
I was stunned for a second and I knew if I looked in the rearview mirror, I would most likely look shocked. “You cooked for me?”
“Well, I cooked for both of us.”
“I thought…”
“I can eat small portions of human food,” he replied, cutting me off. “Come here and let me feed you. I’ll bet you didn’t eat all day, did you?”
I smiled. “No, I haven’t eaten and stew sounds amazing. I’ll head over now.”
“Good. I’m waiting with bated breath,” Vincent said.
When he hung up, I smiled to myself. Maybe having a vampire lover wasn’t going to be bad at all.
Vincent
I was excited to see Romeo. He arrived about ten minutes after his call to me. I’d wondered how he was doing. He’d been exposed to a whole new world of truths last night as well as being fed on by a vampire, something he didn’t know existed until I’d accidentally shown him my fangs. It felt good to be able to interact with another person on an intimate level. It wasn’t so much the sex—though that part was amazing—it was more the opportunity to talk with someone about anything and everything. I’d not had
