authorities information we don't want them to have. Think about it a minute before you dismiss it. You said yourself that the government might still be searching for you. What are they going to think when they hear the story of a young man who was held captive by a beautiful blond woman who systematically drained his blood? They'll put two and two together, and they'll start a manhunt for you unlike anything that's been seen in this country. Remember, they still want that vampire blood."
I speak in a flat voice. "What is it you want me to think about?"
Ray hesitates. "Just getting rid of the problem."
"You mean kill Eric and bury him in the backyard?"
"I don't think we should bury him there. But, yes, I don't see how we can let him go and expect to remain free ourselves."
I smile as I stare at him. It is one of those smiles a salesperson gives to a customer. "You know, something just occurred to me."
"What?"
"I don't know who you are. Oh, you look like Ray. You talk like him and you even have his memories. But I honestly don't know who you are."
"Sita, be serious. You have to face reality."
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"That's exactly what I'm doing. The Ray I met and loved would never talk about killing an innocent young man. No matter what the consequences to himself. The idea would never even enter his mind. And one more thing, I've been watching our daughter the last few days and I swear she doesn't look a bit like you. You don't share a single feature. How can that be?"
Ray snorts. "You're the one who should be able to answer that question. You're the one who got pregnant."
"I wish I could answer it. I believe if I could, many other questions would be answered as well."
"Such as?"
I lose my smile. "I don't know how much I should tell you. I don't trust you, and I'm not going to kill Eric. We'll leave here before it comes to that. I don't care if he does set the government on my tail."
"You will not leave here until Paula has her baby."
"Paula's baby is not the topic of this conversation. Also, I notice you're not responding to my accusations. You're not even trying to defend yourself."
"They're so ridiculous. What can I say?" He glances down the hall. "Eric has to die, and the sooner the better."
"Have you shared this with Kalika?"
"Yes."
"Does she agree with you?"
Ray is evasive. "She didn't say one way or the other."
"She never says much." I straighten up and point a finger at Ray. "But let's make one thing perfectly clear. If you so much as harm a single hair on Eric's head, you'll regret it."
Ray is amused. "You're not a vampire anymore. You have nothing to back up your threats.
I'm not given a chance to respond. By chance, if anything is chance, a police car pulls into our driveway at that moment. The two officers are almost to the door when I remember that I have not replaced Eric's gag. I've been letting him be without it for the last few days.
He knows the penalty for crying out.
Yet if he hears the police in the house, what will he do?
Ray runs into the back room, not into Eric's. I answer the door. A blond-haired cop and a dark-haired one. The handsome black one holds a picture of Eric in his hand. Wonderful.
"Hello," he says. "I'm Officer Williams and this is my partner, Officer Kent. We're canvassing the neighborhood for information concerning the whereabouts of this young man. His name is Eric Hawkins. He vanished close to three weeks ago." He pauses. "May we come in?"
"Sure." I open the door wider. As they step inside, I ask, "Was this guy from around here?
Excuse me, please, have a seat."
Kent and Williams settle themselves on my couch. Williams does the talking. He is the leader of the two—his eyes are everywhere, searching for clues. Well-muscled Kent sits content like a comfortable jock after a hard game. I plop down across from them.
"Actually, Eric lives some distance from here," Williams says. "But we
I speak in a flat voice. "What is it you want me to think about?"
Ray hesitates. "Just getting rid of the problem."
"You mean kill Eric and bury him in the backyard?"
"I don't think we should bury him there. But, yes, I don't see how we can let him go and expect to remain free ourselves."
I smile as I stare at him. It is one of those smiles a salesperson gives to a customer. "You know, something just occurred to me."
"What?"
"I don't know who you are. Oh, you look like Ray. You talk like him and you even have his memories. But I honestly don't know who you are."
"Sita, be serious. You have to face reality."
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com)
"That's exactly what I'm doing. The Ray I met and loved would never talk about killing an innocent young man. No matter what the consequences to himself. The idea would never even enter his mind. And one more thing, I've been watching our daughter the last few days and I swear she doesn't look a bit like you. You don't share a single feature. How can that be?"
Ray snorts. "You're the one who should be able to answer that question. You're the one who got pregnant."
"I wish I could answer it. I believe if I could, many other questions would be answered as well."
"Such as?"
I lose my smile. "I don't know how much I should tell you. I don't trust you, and I'm not going to kill Eric. We'll leave here before it comes to that. I don't care if he does set the government on my tail."
"You will not leave here until Paula has her baby."
"Paula's baby is not the topic of this conversation. Also, I notice you're not responding to my accusations. You're not even trying to defend yourself."
"They're so ridiculous. What can I say?" He glances down the hall. "Eric has to die, and the sooner the better."
"Have you shared this with Kalika?"
"Yes."
"Does she agree with you?"
Ray is evasive. "She didn't say one way or the other."
"She never says much." I straighten up and point a finger at Ray. "But let's make one thing perfectly clear. If you so much as harm a single hair on Eric's head, you'll regret it."
Ray is amused. "You're not a vampire anymore. You have nothing to back up your threats.
I'm not given a chance to respond. By chance, if anything is chance, a police car pulls into our driveway at that moment. The two officers are almost to the door when I remember that I have not replaced Eric's gag. I've been letting him be without it for the last few days.
He knows the penalty for crying out.
Yet if he hears the police in the house, what will he do?
Ray runs into the back room, not into Eric's. I answer the door. A blond-haired cop and a dark-haired one. The handsome black one holds a picture of Eric in his hand. Wonderful.
"Hello," he says. "I'm Officer Williams and this is my partner, Officer Kent. We're canvassing the neighborhood for information concerning the whereabouts of this young man. His name is Eric Hawkins. He vanished close to three weeks ago." He pauses. "May we come in?"
"Sure." I open the door wider. As they step inside, I ask, "Was this guy from around here?
Excuse me, please, have a seat."
Kent and Williams settle themselves on my couch. Williams does the talking. He is the leader of the two—his eyes are everywhere, searching for clues. Well-muscled Kent sits content like a comfortable jock after a hard game. I plop down across from them.
"Actually, Eric lives some distance from here," Williams says. "But we
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