LITMIR.BIZ

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glared at her. “I counted on you, Laura, and you’ve let me down. Does my future mean nothing to you?”

      “Dad, please listen. I agreed to see what I could find and have not gone back on that. Last night it wasn’t possible. It was a disturbed night.” For her, if not for her patient. “An unexpected guest arrived in the middle of the night and Mr. Wise asked me to check everything was ready for her. He came in later and between one thing and another it wasn’t possible.”

      “You mean you didn’t bother!”

      “Did you want me to get caught with my hands in the filing cabinet?”

      He paled, shock making his swollen red eyes even larger. “Dear God, no! Don’t be utterly stupid, Laura! This has to be secret, you know that. No one must know what you are doing.”

      But Toby did and…She’d get a headache if she tried to work that one out. Between her father going irrational and her ill-used employer being understanding it seemed no one was acting the way she expected.

      “Then, Dad, please let me choose the right time for this.”

      “Axel is not going to be happy.”

      “Then maybe Axel Radcliffe should do his own dirty work!”

      That earned her another glare and he grabbed her wrist. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. I couldn’t manage without Axel. Don’t you realize he saved the paper? I need him, Laura, and you’re going to help me.” Her hand was going numb, and she was majorly irked.

      “Right now, Dad”—she stood, pulling her wrist back—“I’m having a cup of coffee, then going down to the Laundromat. I have errands to run, and I plan on sleeping some before going to work tonight.”

      “You always were selfish! Think of yourself first, don’t you?”

      Deep breath needed here. “Dad, to find something to keep you and your precious Mr. Radcliffe happy, I need to stay employed. So, take your pick. Do I go into work tonight or not?”

      “Now you’re being silly. Of course you’ll go to work.” He stood, still shaking.

      “Want a drink, Dad? I’ve got Coke and can fix tea or coffee.”

      He shook his head. “No, Laura. I won’t stay.” He squared his shoulders. “I need to return to the office and let Axel know you failed us.”

      When did he get so darn expert at making her feel guilty? “Come back in the morning, Dad. I’ll have something.”

      “You promise?”

      “I do.” Toby had, and she trusted him.

      Maybe right now he was concocting some spurious document for her. She couldn’t quite figure out why he was helping, but she’d caught his interest in Axel Radcliffe. That was a bit odd too. Perhaps this was a personal vendetta. After all, she wouldn’t be working there if Dad and Axel hadn’t pushed her to apply for the job. Perhaps she should ask a few questions and do a bit of investigating on her own.

      Chapter 5

      Yesterday Toby had driven this road, thinking perhaps Adela was overreacting. Now he wondered what exactly awaited them in Dark Falls. He was actually quite curious to hear what tale the deputy had to spin.

      “I don’t know what to tell Gertrude,” Adela said, shaking her head. “I should have called her and told her.”

      “Best wait until we know for sure. Might not be as bad as it looked last night. It was dark.”

      She gave a dry chuckle. “Toby, I appreciate your efforts to be tactful but are you really telling me you couldn’t see with your vampire sight?”

      “I could see, but couldn’t foresee how it would burn. Something may be left.”

      Not much.

      The house was a charred shell, the car a heap of black metal. The smell of burned rubber still lingered in the air and the remaining grass and shrubs were trampled underfoot.

      “Dear goddess!” Adela said, her voice tight and low with shock. “It’s destroyed.”

      He couldn’t argue. “I brought a camera. A few pictures for the insurance will help your friend.”

      “I bet her insurance papers were in the house.”

      He smiled. “We can take care of things.”

      That earned him a sideways look. “Oh! I forgot how you people manage everything.” Obviously realizing that sounded snippy, she shrugged. “Sorry, didn’t quite mean that the way it came out.”

      Maybe she hadn’t. One never knew with a witch. Not that he’d known that many others. Elizabeth Kyd and old Nora back on the plantation were about it. “Never mind. Do what you, or Gertrude, can. If there’s any trouble, the colony is at your service.”

      “Of two witches?”

      “Why not?”

      “Thank you,” she said, as they walked to the back of the ruin. Here it was even worse. The flames having swept this direction and engulfed two trees and a low hedge that bordered the now-ruined vegetable garden. Astounding what a bunch of clodhopping yahoos could do in a few hours.

      What if Adela had been in the house? True, the deputy made an attempt to remove her from the house, but even so…“Adela, someone’s coming.” At her raised eyebrow, he grinned. Couldn’t help it. “Up the road. They’ll be here in a minute. Want to stay out of sight?”

      “Why should I? I’ve a vampire to defend me.”

      “Better keep that under your hat. As unfriendly as the locals are, they’ll start sharpening stakes.”

      “Ouch.” She smiled back. “Works, does it?”

      Best to let mortals think it did. “Let’s meet the visitors, shall we?”

      They turned the side of the house just as the cruiser pulled up and two deputies got out, one reaching into the boot for a bundle of stakes. Interesting. A coincidence, of course. Toby hoped.

      “Toby?” Adela whispered, tension tightening her voice.

      He shook his head and grinned and walked up to the deputy, who was standing, back to the house, watching as the deputy reached into the boot again. “Get the lead out, Travers! We haven’t got all day.”

      “Ah! Good morning, Officer!”

      The man spun in surprise and welcomed them both with a deep scowl. “You here again?”

      “Indeed I am.”

      “What are you doing here?”

      Toby took several steps forward. Might as well invade the man’s personal space while he was at it. “I brought Mrs. Whyte back home and…”

      “What exactly happened?” Adela asked.

      “The house burned down last night.” He didn’t sound exactly concerned.

      “So I observed.”

      Toby held back a smile. Adela sounded positively waspish. And the deputy did not appreciate her attitude. “These things happen. Where were you?”

      Adela was not one to be browbeaten. “Fortunately, out of the house.”

      “Yeah, well, you can’t get in there now.” He nodded to the deputy. “Travers, get that crime scene tape.” The deputy bestowed another frown on them.

      “You suspect a crime here, Officer? Surely not arson?” Sarcastic, yes, but justified in the circumstances.

      “What are you suggesting?” The man had an impressive repertoire of belligerent facial expressions.

      “You mentioned a crime, Deputy, and I have to agree. It’s rather odd that the house burned

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