Page 39 of Loved to Death

“And Thomas Jr.?”

Scowling, Thomas answered, “I have no children that I know of, but I bedded enough whores in my last year of living at home that it’s not out of the question.”

Captain Martinez handed the paper back to Thomas and leaned against the edge of his sturdy wooden desk. “And you want to go home to pay your respects? Or you want to go home and see this child that may or may not be yours?”

“Both.”

The captain leaned forward and put a hand on Thomas’ shoulder. “I strongly encourage you to take a day and think this over before making any rash decisions. You told me how your family reacted when they found out what you’d become. I doubt you’ll be welcomed back with open arms.”

“I don’t intend to stay there. I just need to see the boy.”

“To what end? You can’t care for a child. Living in the darkness and drinking blood is no life for a youngster.”

Thomas shook his head. “I know I can’t take care of a child. But I have toknowif he’s mine.”

The captain gave him a look Thomas couldn’t discern. Pity, perhaps. Whatever it was, Thomas didn’t like it. He shrugged the hand off his shoulder. “I didn’t come to ask your permission. I came to let you know I was leaving.”

“Don’t get your hackles up, lad,” the captain said with a frown. “I’m talking to you as a friend, not your captain. But you’d best watch yourself if you want to come back aboard after your visit home.”

Thomas’ cheeks heated with his recently consumed blood. “Sorry.”

Captain Martinez sighed. “I have children in three ports that I know of. Seeing them is…conflicting.”

Thomas hadn’t made that connection. He knew the captain had offspring, but Thomas had never thought about how hard it must be for the captain to be absent for so much of his children’s lives. Looking into the older man’s eyes, Thomas said, “But wouldn’t it be worse to never see them at all?”

Captain Martinez pursed his lips before slowly nodding. “It would.” He stood up, went to his desk, and opened a locked drawer with one of the keys on a chain around his neck. He pulled out several coins and held them out to Thomas. “Go visit your family. We’ll be docked back in Portland in exactly two months’ time. You’ll always be welcome back aboard. Send word if you won’t be coming back.”

“I don’t have the words to thank you for everything you’ve done for me,” Thomas said, shaking his head and refusing the offered money.

The captain pulled Thomas up out of the chair and pressed the money into his palm. “Take it. Your skills have made me a rich man.” He gave Thomas a quick hug before pushing him toward the door. “Get going. You’ve got a long way to go.”

***

1882, Boise, Idaho

Shen walked down the main street of Chinatown. It was all very familiar, though this was his first time in Idaho. Having been to every little Chinese community in every city they’d stayed in during the last two years, he was at home here. And since Polly stopped accompanying him when he visited after the first year, he was free to truly be himself for a few brief moments.

He wandered through the town until he caught the whiff of an opium den and followed his nose to the door.

The young man who answered greeted Shen in Cantonese. Shen pulled out a silver dollar and asked to speak to the owner.

Shen waited in the dimly lit room. There were four beds against the wall, three of which had people draped across them in a blissful stupor.

Within seconds, a Chinese man in his mid-thirties came out and bowed to Shen. Also speaking in Cantonese, he said, “I heard you wanted to speak with me.”

Shen dipped his head and held out the coin. “I have a letter waiting for me at the post office, but I don’t have time to pick it up during the day.” Shen pulled a letter out of his pocket and held that out as well. “If you would mail this for me and pick up my letter tomorrow morning, I’ll be here again tomorrow night with another silver dollar.”

“Why me? You could ask anyone to run an errand for you.”

“By the time I’m able to get away from my master, the only things still open are bars, brothels, and opium dens. Of the three, you’re my best option.”

The man seemed satisfied with that answer and took the letter and money out of Shen’s hand. “Until tomorrow night.”

Shen bowed once and left, pleased by how easily the exchange took place.

When Polly insisted on coming with him, it took much longer to convince someone to help, and some of them flat out refused. Mostly due to the shock of seeing a white woman in Chinatown in the middle of the night but also because Shen was up front about deceiving her when he spoke in his native language to others. Polly thought he was buying Cantonese books to read, when really, he’d been conversing with the old doctor from San Francisco for the past year and a half while reading up on anatomy, chemistry, and vampire lore. But due to his constant traveling, their correspondence was difficult to coordinate. There were long stretches of time between letters, and he hadn’t yet found any satisfying answers to the questions he’d been asking.

Chapter Fifteen

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