women smiled, obviously remembering the day they had met.
Edna sighed wistfully. “Where does the time go?”
“And you’ve lived here, in Oak Hollow, the whole time?” I asked.
“Yes, indeed.” Edna leaned forward. “Things have certainly changed, I can tell you that,” she said, her voice little more than a whisper. “All these strange people lurking about. Why last night, I heard a wolf howl, right here in the city!”
Pearl nodded. “I don’t know which is worse, the Werewolves or the Vampires.”
“You’ve seen them?” I asked, surprised that they talked about it so openly.
“The Vampires tend to be very secretive, you know,” Edna remarked. “They never tell you where they take their rest. And they never meet in the same place twice. The Werewolves meet in an abandoned building out at the end of Foster Road.”
“How do you know that?” I asked, my curiosity about Edna and Pearl growing by the minute. For that matter, I wondered how they recognized the Werewolves and the Vampires. Unless the Werewolves were in their furry forms, or the Vampires were displaying their fangs, the Supernatural folk looked pretty much like everyone else most of the time. Of course, maybe Edna and Pearl were able to detect them the same way I did. For a moment, I was tempted to ask, but then I thought better of it. My gift, such as it was, might best be kept under wraps, at least until I knew Edna and Pearl better.
The two women exchanged glances, then looked at me with conspiratorial smiles.
“We have our ways, dear,” Pearl said. “You be careful now, hear?”
“And remember,” Edna added. “Handsome is as handsome does.”
I looked from one woman to the other. “Excuse me?”
“Raphael Cordova is a mighty handsome man, dear,” Pearl said.
“Nice butt,” Edna remarked candidly.
I nodded in agreement, though I was somewhat shocked to learn that a woman of Edna’s age would notice such a thing, and more surprised that they knew I was seeing Rafe.
“You do know he’s a Vampire, don’t you, dear?” Pearl asked.
“Yes.”
“His grandmother is a witch,” Edna remarked. “Did you know that?”
“No, he never mentioned that.”
“Well, just be careful,” Edna admonished. “I know he seems like a nice young man…”
I bit back a grin. Raphael was anything but young.
“But as my husband always said, a girl can’t be too careful,” Pearl added.
“Roger was absolutely right,” Edna agreed. “But then, he always was.”
“You know, dear,” Pearl said, “it probably isn’t wise for you to go to Raphael’s house alone.”
I think my mouth fell open. How could they possibly know I had been out to Raphael’s house? Or that the Werewolves met in an abandoned building on Foster Road? Or that Raphael’s grandmother was a witch? A witch! Good grief! Next they’d be telling me that Susie McGee was a fairy princess and the police chief was a troll!
After I had taken their credit cards, bagged their books, and bid Edna and Pearl good-bye, I poured myself a cup of coffee and replayed the entire conversation in my mind.
A short time later, another woman entered the store. She was young and pretty, with dark blond hair and violet eyes. I thought at first that she was a Werewolf, and it occurred to me once again that there were an awful lot of Werewolves and Vampires in town, although, after what had happened the last two nights, there were at least two less than there had been. But then I realized she wasn’t a Werewolf. She was like Cagin, a shape-shifter of some kind.
She looked at me sharply when she handed me her credit card, and I had the distinct impression that she knew that I knew what she was. Taking her receipt and the book, she left the store without ever saying a word.
The rest of the day passed quietly. I ate lunch at my computer and washed the ham and cheese sandwich down with a cup of coffee. I made another sale later in the afternoon, and I closed up early.
Driving
Edna sighed wistfully. “Where does the time go?”
“And you’ve lived here, in Oak Hollow, the whole time?” I asked.
“Yes, indeed.” Edna leaned forward. “Things have certainly changed, I can tell you that,” she said, her voice little more than a whisper. “All these strange people lurking about. Why last night, I heard a wolf howl, right here in the city!”
Pearl nodded. “I don’t know which is worse, the Werewolves or the Vampires.”
“You’ve seen them?” I asked, surprised that they talked about it so openly.
“The Vampires tend to be very secretive, you know,” Edna remarked. “They never tell you where they take their rest. And they never meet in the same place twice. The Werewolves meet in an abandoned building out at the end of Foster Road.”
“How do you know that?” I asked, my curiosity about Edna and Pearl growing by the minute. For that matter, I wondered how they recognized the Werewolves and the Vampires. Unless the Werewolves were in their furry forms, or the Vampires were displaying their fangs, the Supernatural folk looked pretty much like everyone else most of the time. Of course, maybe Edna and Pearl were able to detect them the same way I did. For a moment, I was tempted to ask, but then I thought better of it. My gift, such as it was, might best be kept under wraps, at least until I knew Edna and Pearl better.
The two women exchanged glances, then looked at me with conspiratorial smiles.
“We have our ways, dear,” Pearl said. “You be careful now, hear?”
“And remember,” Edna added. “Handsome is as handsome does.”
I looked from one woman to the other. “Excuse me?”
“Raphael Cordova is a mighty handsome man, dear,” Pearl said.
“Nice butt,” Edna remarked candidly.
I nodded in agreement, though I was somewhat shocked to learn that a woman of Edna’s age would notice such a thing, and more surprised that they knew I was seeing Rafe.
“You do know he’s a Vampire, don’t you, dear?” Pearl asked.
“Yes.”
“His grandmother is a witch,” Edna remarked. “Did you know that?”
“No, he never mentioned that.”
“Well, just be careful,” Edna admonished. “I know he seems like a nice young man…”
I bit back a grin. Raphael was anything but young.
“But as my husband always said, a girl can’t be too careful,” Pearl added.
“Roger was absolutely right,” Edna agreed. “But then, he always was.”
“You know, dear,” Pearl said, “it probably isn’t wise for you to go to Raphael’s house alone.”
I think my mouth fell open. How could they possibly know I had been out to Raphael’s house? Or that the Werewolves met in an abandoned building on Foster Road? Or that Raphael’s grandmother was a witch? A witch! Good grief! Next they’d be telling me that Susie McGee was a fairy princess and the police chief was a troll!
After I had taken their credit cards, bagged their books, and bid Edna and Pearl good-bye, I poured myself a cup of coffee and replayed the entire conversation in my mind.
A short time later, another woman entered the store. She was young and pretty, with dark blond hair and violet eyes. I thought at first that she was a Werewolf, and it occurred to me once again that there were an awful lot of Werewolves and Vampires in town, although, after what had happened the last two nights, there were at least two less than there had been. But then I realized she wasn’t a Werewolf. She was like Cagin, a shape-shifter of some kind.
She looked at me sharply when she handed me her credit card, and I had the distinct impression that she knew that I knew what she was. Taking her receipt and the book, she left the store without ever saying a word.
The rest of the day passed quietly. I ate lunch at my computer and washed the ham and cheese sandwich down with a cup of coffee. I made another sale later in the afternoon, and I closed up early.
Driving
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