Page 16 of The Vampire and the Case of the Malevolent Mermaid

She rose from the earth in front of me. Her arms were folded and her face was dialled to ‘not happy’. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at me. ‘Rabbit Girl not nice to Matilda.’

Oh boy. ‘I brought you doughnuts,’ I said weakly.

‘No visit many days.’

My guilt deepened. She was right to be mad. In my defence I blurted out, ‘I’ve been worrying about my friend. I’m sorry. But you can visit me, too.’

She cocked her head. ‘Let Matilda into home?’

I might regret the offer – I really didn’t need any holes in my floor – but my Portlock friends had welcomed me with open arms and I was determined to reciprocate. ‘Yes. You are welcome to come for tea any time.’

She nodded and the scowl slipped from her sharp features to be replaced by a beatific – if metallic – smile as she thrust out her hands for the bakery box. I passed it over. She sat on the ground near me and devoured the doughnuts one after another in rapid succession.

‘Matilda, a bad thing happened in town. Two teenage girls were kidnapped – taken away. A vampire girl and a shifter. Have you noticed anything odd? Seen two girls together where they shouldn’t be?’

She polished off the last doughnut and licked her long fingers, steel talons and all. She shrugged. ‘No girls. Matilda look if Rabbit Girl wants.’

‘I’d really appreciate it.’ Then, because I didn’t know if she was a sight hunter or a smell hunter, I showed her the girls’ pictures on my phone.

‘One vampire?’

‘Yes, one of the girls is a vampire.’

‘Matilda find. Matilda like vampire.’

I was so glad she’d married one and liked me; that might help everyone in the long run. ‘You’re a good friend, Matilda.’

‘Friend?’ she whispered, and I wondered if I’d just put my foot in it again.

‘Of course!’ I answered firmly.

She beamed and I shivered at the sight of her needle-sharp metal teeth. I was glad to call her a friend – I definitely didn’t want to be her enemy. She could crush me where I was sitting without using those teeth and claws; she was an earth elemental, strong as rock and as persistent as a mudslide. As far as I knew, she could command the earth to rise up and swallow me whole and that wasnotthe way I wanted to go.

I stood. ‘I have to go, but I’ll come back tomorrow. I’ll bring more doughnuts.’

Matilda shook her head. ‘No, not here. Meet at…’ She held out her hand and the earth rose to form a perfect replica of the Kamluck logging offices. Her powers were amazing.

‘Okay, I’ll see you there. About the same time?’

She nodded and sank back into the earth. She certainly knew how to make a cool exit.

Chapter 10

Happily, both pets were inside my car when I returned to it because with Shadow that was always a gamble. The windows had only just been replaced so I was glad to see that my feline had left them that way. I doubted the Nomo’s insurance would welcome another claim so soon after the last one.

Once inside the vehicle, I dialled Connor. He picked up almost instantly. ‘Any news?’

I quickly told him about the hacker and my meeting with Matilda.

‘I have every vampire in this town searching,’ he said. ‘I even called that lazy-ass bear to get his people looking.’

From his voice I could tell how stressed he was; he was worried about the girls but his anxiety over his dad was clear as well. Even so, his words made me smile. Connor and Stan had come a long way. Connor might call Stan lazy, but when the chips were down he trusted the bear-shifter to have his back.

‘I’m glad he’s helping out,’ I said. ‘I should get all the groups looking.’ I yawned; I was running on empty. ‘I’ll call Liv and Calliope when I get home.’

‘I’m sorry to put more on you, Bunny. The sun is up and I know you’ve worked a full shift. I hope Matilda or that hacker have something for us soon.’

‘Me too.’ I paused. ‘Connor? We will find Kate and Essie. It might take the whole town, but missing kids should be enough for people to set aside their differences and work together. Wearegoing to find them.’ I believed that with all of my heart. What I wasn’t so sure about was when, and in what state.

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