bedroom to see if Dan was still there, and I saw my reflection in the mirror.”
“ I don't understand.”
Zoe swallowed and pulled the neck of her shirt down to reveal bloodstains on her skin.
“ I think he bit me.” Fresh tears welled in her eyes. “I think he's a...”
“ A what?” Frankie played dumb.
“ A vampire.”
Frankie tried not to show her frustration. This was another headache she didn't need.
“ That blood could have come from anywhere, it could even be his blood,” she reasoned. “You said he wasn't well, maybe he had a bleeding ulcer or something.”
“ But there are holes!” Zoe cried, “Look!”
Thankfully the puncture wounds left by his Dante's teeth had completely healed over now.
“ Zoe, there are no holes. Come and look.” Frankie led a reluctant Zoe back to the mirror. “See.”
Zoe traced her fingers over the now dried blood smear.
“ But there were,” she said softly. “I saw them.”
“ Or you'd just been through a traumatic event, knocked down, maybe hit your head and when you woke up, your concussed mind tried to fill in the blanks.”
Zoe frowned, clearly doubting her own observations.
“ I guess.”
“ You came back here with Dan so you must have liked him and you two were having a good time. Does that sound like an evil vampire?”
“ No,” she sighed, letting go of her theory. “He was really sweet, actually. But where did he go?”
Will, who had been watching up until now, stepped forward.
“ I'm sorry if you were scared Ma'am. I'm D.C.I. Campbell.” He showed her his I.D. “One of my officers entered this apartment this evening to arrest your boyfriend.”
“ He's not my boyfriend.”
“ Excuse me, your friend. Security let my officer in. He said he ran into you and knocked you over by accident, but he checked on you and you seemed fine. He found the suspect seriously ill in the bedroom and had no choice but to rush him to hospital. He called me to come and check on you.”
“ What's he being arrested for?”
“ Possible fraud.”
Zoe nodded as if this made perfect sense.
“ Wow, what a crazy evening,” Zoe said.
“ Would you like us to give you a life home?” Will offered.
“ God, no. If my parents find out I was brought home by the police, I'll never live it down.”
“ You've had a bit of a shock, so why don't you go on home and try and get a good night's sleep,” Frankie suggested.
Zoe nodded. She collected her clutch bag and shoes and headed out. Once the door was closed Frankie turned to Will.
“ That was some quick thinking,” she said. “I'm impressed.”
“ I'm not. I just lied to that girl. And if she tries to make a complaint about getting knocked over, this is all going to unravel.”
“ She won't,” Frankie said with confidence. “She trusts the police and she won't want to be implicated in Dante's alleged fraudulent activities. She'll sleep it off and move on with her life.”
“ I hope you're right.” Will said. “What's our next move.”
“ There is no move,” Frankie answered. “This isn't your case and whatever the hell is going on here, I don't want you involved.”
“ Fine by me but you're my ride, remember?”
“ Oh, right. Do you want me to take you home?”
“ No, I was just wondering what you'll do next.”
“ Verify her story,” Frankie said, heading into the bedroom.
She hadn't had time to don her gloves before coming here, so she sat on the bed and put her hands on the sheets either side of her.
A lot of images assaulted her, various partners and positions. Just seeing him kiss another man had made her blush, but this was positively x-rated. Still, she tried to focus and sort the most recent psychic images from the others.
Finally she filtered out the impressions that Zoe had left and began to sort through them. Her story had been pretty accurate. Frankie saw Dante pull away from Zoe in pain. She saw him grab his phone to call Frankie. She saw Zoe scrambling off the bed
“ I don't understand.”
Zoe swallowed and pulled the neck of her shirt down to reveal bloodstains on her skin.
“ I think he bit me.” Fresh tears welled in her eyes. “I think he's a...”
“ A what?” Frankie played dumb.
“ A vampire.”
Frankie tried not to show her frustration. This was another headache she didn't need.
“ That blood could have come from anywhere, it could even be his blood,” she reasoned. “You said he wasn't well, maybe he had a bleeding ulcer or something.”
“ But there are holes!” Zoe cried, “Look!”
Thankfully the puncture wounds left by his Dante's teeth had completely healed over now.
“ Zoe, there are no holes. Come and look.” Frankie led a reluctant Zoe back to the mirror. “See.”
Zoe traced her fingers over the now dried blood smear.
“ But there were,” she said softly. “I saw them.”
“ Or you'd just been through a traumatic event, knocked down, maybe hit your head and when you woke up, your concussed mind tried to fill in the blanks.”
Zoe frowned, clearly doubting her own observations.
“ I guess.”
“ You came back here with Dan so you must have liked him and you two were having a good time. Does that sound like an evil vampire?”
“ No,” she sighed, letting go of her theory. “He was really sweet, actually. But where did he go?”
Will, who had been watching up until now, stepped forward.
“ I'm sorry if you were scared Ma'am. I'm D.C.I. Campbell.” He showed her his I.D. “One of my officers entered this apartment this evening to arrest your boyfriend.”
“ He's not my boyfriend.”
“ Excuse me, your friend. Security let my officer in. He said he ran into you and knocked you over by accident, but he checked on you and you seemed fine. He found the suspect seriously ill in the bedroom and had no choice but to rush him to hospital. He called me to come and check on you.”
“ What's he being arrested for?”
“ Possible fraud.”
Zoe nodded as if this made perfect sense.
“ Wow, what a crazy evening,” Zoe said.
“ Would you like us to give you a life home?” Will offered.
“ God, no. If my parents find out I was brought home by the police, I'll never live it down.”
“ You've had a bit of a shock, so why don't you go on home and try and get a good night's sleep,” Frankie suggested.
Zoe nodded. She collected her clutch bag and shoes and headed out. Once the door was closed Frankie turned to Will.
“ That was some quick thinking,” she said. “I'm impressed.”
“ I'm not. I just lied to that girl. And if she tries to make a complaint about getting knocked over, this is all going to unravel.”
“ She won't,” Frankie said with confidence. “She trusts the police and she won't want to be implicated in Dante's alleged fraudulent activities. She'll sleep it off and move on with her life.”
“ I hope you're right.” Will said. “What's our next move.”
“ There is no move,” Frankie answered. “This isn't your case and whatever the hell is going on here, I don't want you involved.”
“ Fine by me but you're my ride, remember?”
“ Oh, right. Do you want me to take you home?”
“ No, I was just wondering what you'll do next.”
“ Verify her story,” Frankie said, heading into the bedroom.
She hadn't had time to don her gloves before coming here, so she sat on the bed and put her hands on the sheets either side of her.
A lot of images assaulted her, various partners and positions. Just seeing him kiss another man had made her blush, but this was positively x-rated. Still, she tried to focus and sort the most recent psychic images from the others.
Finally she filtered out the impressions that Zoe had left and began to sort through them. Her story had been pretty accurate. Frankie saw Dante pull away from Zoe in pain. She saw him grab his phone to call Frankie. She saw Zoe scrambling off the bed
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