Page 29 of The Vampire and the Case of the Hellacious Hag

He held open the door and the warmth of the diner hit me like a blast. I looked over his shoulder at his followers. ‘Are they eating with us?’

‘They’re eating, but not with us.’

‘What’s going on?’ I asked, concerned. ‘Why two bodyguards?’ I looked around to see if there was a threat close by.

Connor laughed. ‘Nothing – no more than usual, anyway, John is shadowing Margrave for a week before he officially becomes my third. He knows the ropes but he needs to learn the wayIdo things.’

‘Sounds good.’

When we’d sat down, a harried-looking waitress dropped off the menus. ‘So are you doing the chicken fried steak or the halibut today?’ Connor grinned.

I laughed: I guessed I was a little predictable. ‘Hey, in my defence I’ve been in Sitka. I missed my favourite Garden of Eat’n meals!’

He chuckled and set aside the menu. ‘I’m having the chicken fried steak.’

‘That’s what youalwayshave! Let’s be brave and choose something new.’ I glanced at the menu, determined to eat something different. I could order a beef steak, but I wasn’t feeling it; the other options were a chicken sandwich or a half a fried chicken, but one seemed like too little and the other seemed like too much.

The waitress came by with water and asked if we were ready to order. Connor looked at me. ‘Are we trying something new?’

I laughed and shook my head. ‘Nope.’ I looked at the waitress, ‘I’ll have the chicken fried steak.’

‘Make it two,’ Connor added.

She left and we laughed together. ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ I reached out to take his hands. John and Margrave were sitting behind us. I leaned over the table and whispered to Connor, ‘How is he doing?’

Connor raised an eyebrow. ‘John?’ he whispered back.

‘Yeah. Spill the tea,’ I said, using one of Sidnee’s favourite phrases.

‘He’s doing fine. It took a while to get his papers done so he could work legally, but he learns fast and he did something similar in England, so it’s not a stretch for him. He’s a good man and he’s eager to prove himself.’

I beamed at my mate. ‘I don’t have to tell you how much I owe him.’

‘You don’t – I owe him too, for sending you to me. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him.’

‘Isn’t it his job to take care of you?’ I teased.

He gave me the single-shoulder shrug. ‘My position requires them but I can take care of myself.’

‘I know.’ A memory of him coldly cutting throats because I was in danger flashed through my mind. Yes, my mate could take care of himself all right, and me too if the need arose, though I was learning to be dangerous too. We were turning into a power couple. I tried to think of a name for us and burst out laughing as one came to mind.

Connor raised an eyebrow in question.

‘I thought of a couples’ name for us.’

‘Do tell.’

‘Connor and Bunny, together become … Cunny.’

He gave a proper belly laugh. ‘Let’s hope that doesn’t catchon.’

The waitress returned with our Cokes; I drank tea with my lunch at home, but I’d quickly learned not to order it in an American restaurant because you got a sad-sack, flavourless tea bag and often creamer instead of milk. I shuddered at the thought.

‘What did you discover at the mine?’ Connor asked casually, although his eyes were alight with interest.

Normally I wouldn’t have shared details of a case but, as a council member, Connor wastechnicallyone of my bosses so I filled him in. I told him that I doubted the killer was the hag, but that I couldn’t formally rule her out.

He grunted at that last bit, but didn’t have time to say anything before the waitress returned with the food. Once she’d gone again, he said, ‘It seems complicated. Be careful of the hag.’

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