Past Due by Catherine Winchester

places you liked to hang out?”
    “ The park mainly.”
    “ What about in the winter? Perhaps another friend's or relative's house, or a warehouse, garage, shed, anything like that.”
    “ Mostly we’d go to my house. My parents were pretty cool about me having mates round. Brad’s parents weren’t… I think he was ashamed of them to be honest. Only other family he had was an aunt but I think she lived in London.”
    Will spoke up. “Do you remember anywhere that he might use as a hideout? He might not have taken you there; perhaps he just mentioned it.”
    “ There might have been something…” Billy leaned back against the sink, crossed his arms and frowned. It was clear from his expression he was trying to remember. It was a good minute until he spoke again. “Yeah, it was after the summer holiday, he said something about finding this cool place on the beach.”
    “ Place?”
    “ Yeah, he said it was a room, like a brick building but it was built into a hill or mound.”
    “ Do you know which beach?” Frankie asked.
    “ I didn’t ask and he didn’t tell, but I assumed it was by Silverknowles Golf Club - that was where we usually hung out when we went to the beach.”
    “ Thank you for your time, Mr Bennett,” Frankie shook his hand. He was telling the truth. “Did you happen to stay in touch with Sam?”
    “ Sammy? Sure, we’re in the same pool league.”
    “ Do you know where we can find him?”
    “ Right now?”
    They both nodded.
    “ He’d be at work. He works at the Royal Bank of Scotland branch on North West Circus Place.”
    They said their goodbyes and Will and Frankie headed to the bank branch.
    “ It’s kind of nice having company,” Frankie observed, although she could see herself soon getting tired of it. The first time they disagreed, for example.
    “ I have to say I’m used to it, but it’s nice being with someone prettier than Mike McKay for a change.”
    “ Aww, you’re such a charmer. How is your investigation coming?”
    Will shook his head. “Slow. Your leads are the only real ones I’ve had.”
    “ So that’s why you’ve attached yourself to me at the hip. You haven’t found anything?”
    “ Lots. The SOCO guys say there’s fibres and prints all over the place but we’ve got nothing to match them to.”
    “ So it’s either a chaotic killer or he knows he’s not in the system and doesn’t expect to be caught.”
    “ Yep. So far he’s right.” He sighed.
    “ Witnesses?”
    “ None. I don’t want there to be another one, Frankie. I want to catch his guy.”
    “ I know. But I really wish you wouldn’t.”
    “ And I really wish you’d tell me what’s going on.”
    “ I wish I could too.” Frankie parked up outside the bank and left a police sticker in the window.
    Sam was seeing a client when they got to the bank and while Will wanted to charge in to the meeting, Frankie said they were happy to wait. It was at least an hour until sunset when Alex could come out and play. Frankie had the feeling she was going to need his help to ditch Will.
     
    Alex had checked the email database for every variation of Bradley James he could think of but had come up empty. Of course he could be [email protected] or even King97@ yahoo.com but there was no way to tell.
    When he was finished searching the database he called Joshua. At well over two thousand years old Josh was the oldest vampire Alex knew and he was very well connected. If anyone could find out who had changed Brad, it would be Josh. He answered on the first ring.
    “ Alex, long time no see.”
    “ Josh, how are you?”
    “ I can’t complain. Life is good. That tip you gave me on Lycos by the way, I owe you one.”
    Whilst vampires have trouble remaining calm if they’re together for too long, Alex had learned long ago that a vampire needed friends if he was to survive. The newborns often tried to prove themselves by taking on an old one like Alex or Josh. While both were stronger than a