Page 56 of The Vampire and the Case of the Malevolent Mermaid

‘I’ll meet you at the station,’ Gunnar promised. ‘Don’t question the girls, just let them settle.’

‘You got it.’

Copying Stan, I grabbed a couple of emergency blankets for the girls; they had to be in shock after all they’d gone though. I wrapped them up, then opened my rucksack and gave Kate several bags of blood.

‘Oh my God,’ she said as she snatched them. ‘Thank you!’ She took the straw I offered and pierced the first bag, draining like it was a carton of fruit juice. She did the same with the second bag, her shoulders slumping with relief as her hunger was sated. I passed both girls bottles of water and a bag of biscuits then closed the door again.

Gunnar called Sigrid from his truck to let her know he’d survived going beyond the barrier, and I used the moment to speak quietly to Parker. I waved him further from the trucks, putting enough distance between us so that even supernatural ears couldn’t hear us. ‘You were following me,’ I accused in a low voice.

‘Yes,’ he admitted simply. ‘I need to keep you safe.’

‘I can keep myself safe!’ I hissed.

‘I saw.’ His tone was pure admiration. ‘You can wield fire. It’s amazing.’

Oh crikey. ‘Don’t tell anyone,’ I ordered.

‘Not a soul,’ he agreed easily.

I didn’t need his agreement – my order was enough. That thought pricked my conscience. ‘Don’t tell Connor about this,’ I said firmly. ‘Not until I’ve had a chance to speak to him myself.’

‘You got it.’

‘You should go. You want a lift to town?’

‘No. I’ll run. That way, Kate will ask you fewer questions.’

The way he said her name sounded familiar. ‘You know her?’

‘A little. I know her father more.’

‘What sort of man is he?’ I asked.

‘He’snot a man,’ he replied softly. ‘He’s avampire, a deadly vampire, the type that enjoys drinking from the jugular, likes the spray of hot blood and the struggles of his prey.’ He paused. ‘We were … cut from the same cloth.’ He looked at me. ‘I’m sorry for that.’

When I’d saved Parker, something deep within him had shifted. He wasn’t the same person now and he no longer revelled in the hunt. Now remorse lived in his eyes, clear and unmistakeable. ‘It’s okay,’ I comforted him. ‘We all make mistakes. No one is beyond redemption.’

‘I think perhaps Cobalt Robertson is,’ he murmured.

I nodded. ‘Okay. I’m on my guard.’

‘I’m on your guard too.’ He winked before melting into the forest as quickly as he’d arrived.

Great, just great. That was all I needed: another witness as I bumbled my way through life. Still, it was hard to feel anything but grateful for his help. My fire would certainly have made the beast pause but I’d been bracing myself to do a last stand to make sure everyone else survived. Because of Parker my heart would pump its odd beat a while longer.

In the moment when I was sure I’d die, I’d regretted not having spoken to my mum. When she’d visited we’d started the process of building a bridge between us, but since she’d left I’d stopped all my efforts. Now I found I wanted to remedy that. Yes, she’d let me down in so many ways but nothing would stop her being the only mother I’d ever have.

I climbed into the Nomo’s SUV and peered into Gunnar’s truck. He was still on the phone so I waited for him to finish – I assumed he was still talking to Sigrid. When he hung up and fired up his engine, I let him go first. As I followed him back to the station, my mind slipped into autopilot as I jiggled all the pieces of the puzzle together. I tried to get them to fit but failed; I felt like I was still missing something essential.

The ride back was silent. The girls were huddled together, hands on warm fur, eyes on nothing. Words weren’t what they needed right now; comfort came with soft paws.

I hope it helped. They’d need every ounce of strength for what came next: reliving their horrific ordeal for the record.

Chapter 34

Back at the office, I led the girls into the heart of the station and sat Essie at my desk and Kate next to her. ‘More blood?’ I asked Kate.

‘Please,’ she replied gratefully, still clinging to the blanket I’d wrapped around her.

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