I need completed.”
“If she wants to come down, she can stay here, if you like.” What was one more?
Toby, you are such a nice man!” She gave him a quick hug. “But better not. If she comes, which I don’t think she wants to, I’ll find us a B and B or a motel. Gertrude is pretty sensitive to aura and if she noticed you didn’t have one, she might just put two and two together. Aside from your need for privacy, I think she has enough stress already without adding a vampire to the mix.”
Good point. “You’re right.” No point in mentioning there would be two vamps in the house. Better keep her in ignorance. “You’ll need a car. Want to use the Mercedes?”
“Don’t wish to sound ungrateful, but is there anything slightly less conspicuous?”
“Ah! You fancy slipping in and out with as little attention as possible.”
“Might be judicious, in the circumstances.”
Sensible woman. “We need the van for Piet, but there is a Hummer.”
She tilted her head to one side. “Nothing as plebeian as a Bug or a Toyota for a vampire!”
“They’d hardly fit our image, would they?”
“And Hummers do?”
“Hummers are different.” And besides, it was Piet’s, but at least that got a smile out of her. She was strung out—understandably enough—but strung-out mortals took risks and made mistakes, and right now he wasn’t sure he had energy or time to iron out another crimp around him. “When do you want it? It might need petrol.”
“I can check that. I can fill it up this evening.”
One complication dealt with; now he had to decide what to do with Laura—besides wanting her in his bed.
It didn’t bode well to set off for work with a raging headache. Come to that, it didn’t bode well to set off for work knowing her employer thought her a thief. Toby Wise had listened to her convoluted tale about her father, but that didn’t stifle the sneaking suspicion he was going to do a lot more than “help” her. Why in the name of sanity would he fabricate “evidence”? Was he trying to trap her? And why hadn’t she flatly refused Dad from the get-go? Because she was a sucker for a sob story, that was why, and when the sob storyteller was her father…Damn! The least she should do was offer to quit the job before she dug herself in any deeper. Dad would rant and wail, but he was asking too much, far, far too much. She was darn lucky Toby hadn’t fired her on the spot.
Thinking and driving at the same time made her head ache. Roadwork on 101 delayed her when she’d hoped to actually arrive early and to crown it, after turning off the road and up the curving drive to the house. Just a few yards ahead was a vast, black Town Car. Toby had visitors, unless the local police had raided the budget and gone ostentatious.
Visitors meant Toby would be occupied all evening. Would he forget his promise to help her out?
Zeke Randolph surveyed the sweeping, wooded drive with its strategic glimpses of beach and ocean. Very nice if you liked that sort of thing. He preferred cities. Felt safer in them. But Devil’s Elbow seemed okay. Heck, after checking out this tale of another rogue vampire—sheer moonshine, in Zeke’s opinion, two in the same decade, let alone the same year, was pushing it a bit—he might even snatch a day or two on the beach.
He eased the sleek nose of the gleaming Town Car round another bend, brushing tree branches. Better take care. Vlad wouldn’t gripe about renting an expensive car—he was a believer in impressing the populace—but charges for dents and scratches were another matter.
Wowee! Zeke’s first sight of the house impressed, despite his determination to be cool about everything, although he admitted curiosity about meeting a British vampire brother. Turning the car sharply, he sprayed gravel—damn, better watch that—and parked. He reached for his overnight case and headed for the wide open front door.
And all but froze.
The woman from the El—the witch he’d met a few months earlier—was standing in the doorway.
Wasn’t often Zeke Randolph was stopped in his tracks, but this woman had just managed it for the second time.
Adela couldn’t believe her eyes. She’d stepped out to check on the Hummer Toby had lent her and came face to face with the vampire from Chicago. The one who turned out to be an aide or secretary or whatever he was to Dracula.
She gaped. He stared.
“You!” They practically spoke in unison. Hers was more of a strangled gasp. His, an accusation.
“Yes,” she managed with slightly less horror than her earlier monosyllable. “You want to see Toby?” She had no idea what this vamp was doing so far from the Windy City, and preferred not to know.
“He’s expecting me.”
News to her, but she had quite enough to worry about without adding an extra vamp to the mix. “He’s inside, in his study, I think.”
“Okay. Where will I find that?”
She was about to show him when the night nurse pulled up. The front drive was looking like a parking lot. And Zeke—she now remembered his name—was looking at the nurse as if she were good enough to eat, a circumstance that was far too probable to be comfortable.
Adela grabbed his arm. “Let me take you into the study.” Over her shoulder, she called, “Piet’s out on the terrace, Laura.”
Laura paused just inside the double front doors. “I need to talk to Mr. Wise.”
“So do I,” Zeke said.
“I’m here!” A calm, oh-so-Brit voice announced.
Adela decided Toby could cope with all this while she ran away to get gas and find a spot for quiet meditation and prayer.
He came forward, hand outstretched. “Hello, Zeke. I was expecting you but not quite this early. Brilliant, and thank you for coming.”
Zeke grabbed the hand. The subsequent handshake would have crippled a mortal. Zeke grinned. Toby offered a polite smile.
“Glad to come, man! Not often I get a weekend by the ocean, but when Vlad the man says, ‘Zeke, get yourself to Oregon!’ I get my tail into action.” He looked around the wide, slate-floor hall. “Nice place you’ve got here.”
“It is, and it’s borrowed. I’m a guest here too.” There was just the teeniest bit of aspersion in his words. Adela sympathized. They surely did not need this on top of everything else today.
“Excuse me, Mr. Wise?” Laura, the nurse, hovered on the fringes of Zeke’s unmistakable presence.
“Ah! Laura!”
Curious. Very curious. Toby’s wide smile and the light in his eyes suggested more than professional interest. Goddess help the girl! Or maybe she already had! After all, Lizzie seemed more than content with her vampire. Meanwhile…“Toby, I’m off. Thanks for the keys. I’ll gas it up.”
“Don’t go back there alone.”
Came out as an order, but she’d take it as friendly concern. He’d been incredibly supportive through it all so far. “Don’t worry. I won’t! See you later!”
She didn’t exactly run but needed vampire-free space and clear, tension-free air. Adela hoped Laura would be okay but sensed Toby could be depended on.
Toby didn’t blame Adela scarpering off fast as the Hummer could carry her. He rather envied her the opportunity, but he had responsibilities, and two were standing at arm’s length. “Laura, I have news for you. Not quite what I had in mind but should serve, for a few days at least. Please see to Piet and let Amy Redding leave, and I’ll talk to you soon. I’ve matters to discuss with Mr. Randolph.” Who was giving Laura far too much of his attention.