Moon Sworn

just a touch of anticipation.

And it was that last one that struck me as odd, because while it wasn’t sexual in nature, it did seem to center on me.

“I can hardly obstruct an investigation when there’s not a lot of investigation happening.”

“That’s because we have to wait for the big-city cops to come down and do it. We apparently haven’t got the right expertise or knowledge for that sort of stuff.”

Though there was no edge in his voice or expression, his derision rode the air, bitter and sharp. Mike West wanted more than what his job was offering. But then, was that really surprising? Most folks who became cops did so because they wanted to help others, or they wanted to catch criminals and make a difference.

And if the emotions I was sensing in Mike West were anything to go by, being a cop in a small town in the middle of nowhere wasn’t achieving either of those two aims.

“So the autopsy results haven’t come back yet, either?”

He slanted me a glance. “Like I’m going to tell you that. Harris would have my head.”

“He doesn’t have to know.”

Mike snorted. “Harris knows everything. The man has an instinct for it. Makes me wonder why he decided to transfer to a dead-end place like this.”

“Well, he is from the West pack—”

“He had a stellar career as a detective in Sydney, but he suddenly ups and runs back here?” Mike shook his head. “The man is mad.”

“Or he just missed home turf.”

“Yeah, there’s a whole lot to miss in this hellhole.”

I squinted up at him. “If you hate it so much, why not transfer?”

“I’ve applied, trust me.”

“Then why aren’t you getting anywhere?”

“Because it’s hard to fill positions in shit holes, and they’re reluctant to transfer people out of them.”

“So what are you doing about it, besides bitching?”

He laughed. It was a sound as bitter as the emotions that were still swirling around me. “Putting out feelers. Pulling in favors.” He shrugged. “Stuff like that.”

The snarky part of me wondered just how many favors a cop in nowhereville could actually pull in. Not a lot, one would have thought.

We hit the main street and I turned right, heading back to the store to grab the coffee I’d told Evin I was coming out to get. Mike followed.

“You don’t have to baby-sit me,” I commented. “I won’t go back to your precious crime scene.”

Now, going back to the house—that was another matter entirely. And one he hadn’t actually warned me away from. Of course, if I got caught breaking into said house, it could land me in a whole lot more trouble.

So shadow and don’t get caught, that little voice inside whispered.

Which made about as much sense as pigs flying, but even so, my pulse raced at the thought. Vampires shadowed, and I wasn’t a vampire.

Was I?

No, I thought, squinting up at the sun. If I was a vamp, I’d be toast by now. Yet if there was vampire blood in me, it would explain the surprising sensitivity to the sun.

“When you start heading back to the villa, I’ll head back to the station,” Mike commented. “Until then, consider me a thorn in your side.”

“There’s obviously very little to do in this town if you can waste time baby-sitting me.”

“That’s what I’ve been bitching about, remember?” He snorted softly. “The most exciting things to have happened in this town are your appearance and the damn murder.”

I raised my eyebrows as I squinted up at him. “How is my appearance exciting?”

“Well, you got lost, didn’t you? Gave us something to do for a day. It’s a shame Evin had to find you so quickly.”

Had to? That was an odd way of putting it. I climbed the steps and walked into the supermarket. “Well, I’m sorry that we cut your fun short, but I’m damn glad he found me when he did.”

“I guess you would be.”

There wasn’t a whole lot of choice in the coffee department, so I grabbed some Kona and headed for the cash register. Mike followed—a thorn in my side, indeed. As I dragged out my wallet and paid the woman, I squinted up at him and said, “How come he was the only one in the plane?”

“His choice.” Mike shrugged. “The logical search area was fanning out from where your car was crashed, not hundreds of miles south.”

So how did he find me if he wasn’t my twin? Something in my stomach fluttered at that thought, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t catch the tail of it and make it something more. Make it a memory.

The woman gave me my change and a smile, and I headed out the door. “So why did he hire the plane?”

And where did he find the money if we were supposedly so broke we couldn’t afford to go home and therefore waste the money we’d paid for the villa?

“It’s the quickest and easiest way to cover a large amount of ground.” He glanced down at me. “Why does this even matter? You were rescued—that’s the main issue, isn’t it?”

No, it wasn’t, but I wasn’t about to say that. For some odd reason, I trusted Harris, but I didn’t trust his sidekick. There was something about him that tickled my instincts and said wrong.

“I guess it is.” I forced a smile. “Now, I’d better get this coffee home before my rescuer gets too grumpy.”

Mike stopped on the supermarket landing and leaned against one of the veranda supports. “Don’t detour past the crime scene,” he reminded me.

“Trust me, I won’t.”

And I didn’t. But he watched me walk down the long street, his gaze a weight I could feel between the shoulder blades. Mike West didn’t trust me, but that was all right, because I didn’t trust him, either.

Not one little bit.

D arkness was coming. The colorful flags of dusk took forever to fade, as did the last remnants of daylight. We took pizza out of the freezer rather than ordering in and drank the fresh coffee—which tasted a whole lot better than the muck Evin had been giving me beforehand, but it still wasn’t fantastic. But then, Kona was Liander’s favorite, not mine.

Liander.

I waited, but no image or information came to match the name. I flexed my fingers against the mug, knowing frustration wasn’t going to help, then took another sip. It didn’t improve with a second taste, but it was at least drinkable.

Maybe the almost constant, headachy pain in my head wasn’t so much caused by blows to my head but rather withdrawal from decent coffee.

After the dishes were washed, Evin glanced at his watch and said, “Well, I’m off to the pub for a beer. You want to come?”

I hesitated, glancing at the sky. “I think I’ll go for a walk along the beach instead. I need to stretch my legs.”

“Just don’t get lost again. I can’t afford to hire the plane a second time.”

“I wouldn’t have thought we could afford it the first time.”

He hesitated. “We couldn’t. Mom transferred some money to my account. I’ll pay her back once I’m working again.”

I nodded, and didn’t believe a word of it. “I’ll see you in an hour or so.”

“You will.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked out.

I waited five minutes, then jumped to my feet, grabbed my purse, and ran out. I didn’t bother locking up. There wasn’t anything in the villa that mattered to me—everything that mattered was locked behind the hazy pain that still resisted any attempt to ease it.