when I couldn’t find a man to my liking.” He chuckled, confirming for Christian that Peter was indeed gay. Michel believed Peter was always after him.
“I asked Willy, one of the locals who I’ve gotten to know, and he told me that this guy approached them all sweet and nice, offering them money for sex, and then …” Peter ran two fingers across his throat in the sign of execution.
“What did he look like?”
“Willy said he was average height like me, not tall and handsome like you and Michel.” He eyed Christian up and down. “His hair was brown and longish, but his eyes were black and empty-looking, even in the sunlight. I heard he had an accent like yours—”
“So he’s French?”
“Oui, oui,” Peter chuckled again, taking a drag from his cigarette.
“I believe so. They said he was boyishly cute, actually.”
“I never heard a vampire described as cute, Peter—”
“Well, apparently he has dimples and quite the smile.”
“Maybe I can speak to this Willy character myself?” Christian thought he could push into his mind and get more information, though the picture was starting to become clear.
“He’s dead, Christian. In fact, a lot of them are dead now. Thomas killed them all.” He stamped out his second cigarette.
“Thomas?”
Peter shrugged and pulled another cigarette out of his pack, then shoved the pack back into his coat pocket.
“That’s what he called himself.”
Christian made Peter promise that if the stranger showed up again he would contact either Christian or Michel at the Grey Wolf.
He also gave him their cell phone numbers just in case. Christian had just stepped off the rugged bridge, replaying their conversation in his head when something Peter had said suddenly hit him.
He caught up with the other vampire just on the other side of the loch.
“This Thomas character, did you ever run across him here in the park?”
“Well actually, I’ve never met him myself.”
Peter had a deer in the headlights look on his youthful face.
“Peter, you said something back there. Something about his eyes looking black and empty, even in the sunlight?”
“That’s just it, Christian. It was broad daylight when Willy met up with Thomas.”
The look on Christian’s face confirmed the fear in Peter’s eyes.
“That’s right, my friend. This one’s both a night and a day walker.”
PART THREE
Chapter Twelve
A MANDA TRIED NOT to appear annoyed when Thomas’s cell phone vibrated again. He tried to ignore it and concentrate on their conversation but Amanda knew he was distracted. Zero Hour was a far cry from the Grey Wolf. A huge Maplewood bar took up the center of the room and three of the four walls were mirrored, giving the impression the club was much larger than it appeared. Low lighting and jazz music gave it a romantic feel and Amanda felt more comfortable in a black turtleneck, black trousers, and little jewelry.
After the disaster at the Grey Wolf, she thought she might have better luck with Thomas, and besides, she could not spend another Saturday night at home. She had put up a strong front for Bethany, but as she lay in bed she cried at the thought that Christian had rejected her, promising never to talk to her again. At least that’s how it felt to her. So, at the last minute she had decided to take a chance on Thomas.
“Amanda, you have to excuse me a moment.” He leaned in close. “I have to take this call.”
She sensed the caller was a woman; someone far away with dark hair and eyes, wearing a beautiful long black dress with unusual high heels. She had just assumed he was single, but maybe he had a wife or a steady girlfriend back in Paris. She realized that she knew very little about him. Their relationship was framed by their work at the museum and their love of eighteenth-century France. Outside of that, they were strangers. Amanda glanced around the room and sipped her wine. She wondered if coming here had been a good idea.
Being here
“I asked Willy, one of the locals who I’ve gotten to know, and he told me that this guy approached them all sweet and nice, offering them money for sex, and then …” Peter ran two fingers across his throat in the sign of execution.
“What did he look like?”
“Willy said he was average height like me, not tall and handsome like you and Michel.” He eyed Christian up and down. “His hair was brown and longish, but his eyes were black and empty-looking, even in the sunlight. I heard he had an accent like yours—”
“So he’s French?”
“Oui, oui,” Peter chuckled again, taking a drag from his cigarette.
“I believe so. They said he was boyishly cute, actually.”
“I never heard a vampire described as cute, Peter—”
“Well, apparently he has dimples and quite the smile.”
“Maybe I can speak to this Willy character myself?” Christian thought he could push into his mind and get more information, though the picture was starting to become clear.
“He’s dead, Christian. In fact, a lot of them are dead now. Thomas killed them all.” He stamped out his second cigarette.
“Thomas?”
Peter shrugged and pulled another cigarette out of his pack, then shoved the pack back into his coat pocket.
“That’s what he called himself.”
Christian made Peter promise that if the stranger showed up again he would contact either Christian or Michel at the Grey Wolf.
He also gave him their cell phone numbers just in case. Christian had just stepped off the rugged bridge, replaying their conversation in his head when something Peter had said suddenly hit him.
He caught up with the other vampire just on the other side of the loch.
“This Thomas character, did you ever run across him here in the park?”
“Well actually, I’ve never met him myself.”
Peter had a deer in the headlights look on his youthful face.
“Peter, you said something back there. Something about his eyes looking black and empty, even in the sunlight?”
“That’s just it, Christian. It was broad daylight when Willy met up with Thomas.”
The look on Christian’s face confirmed the fear in Peter’s eyes.
“That’s right, my friend. This one’s both a night and a day walker.”
PART THREE
Chapter Twelve
A MANDA TRIED NOT to appear annoyed when Thomas’s cell phone vibrated again. He tried to ignore it and concentrate on their conversation but Amanda knew he was distracted. Zero Hour was a far cry from the Grey Wolf. A huge Maplewood bar took up the center of the room and three of the four walls were mirrored, giving the impression the club was much larger than it appeared. Low lighting and jazz music gave it a romantic feel and Amanda felt more comfortable in a black turtleneck, black trousers, and little jewelry.
After the disaster at the Grey Wolf, she thought she might have better luck with Thomas, and besides, she could not spend another Saturday night at home. She had put up a strong front for Bethany, but as she lay in bed she cried at the thought that Christian had rejected her, promising never to talk to her again. At least that’s how it felt to her. So, at the last minute she had decided to take a chance on Thomas.
“Amanda, you have to excuse me a moment.” He leaned in close. “I have to take this call.”
She sensed the caller was a woman; someone far away with dark hair and eyes, wearing a beautiful long black dress with unusual high heels. She had just assumed he was single, but maybe he had a wife or a steady girlfriend back in Paris. She realized that she knew very little about him. Their relationship was framed by their work at the museum and their love of eighteenth-century France. Outside of that, they were strangers. Amanda glanced around the room and sipped her wine. She wondered if coming here had been a good idea.
Being here
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