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Authors: Barbara Hambly
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Sean’s impending visit.
S ERGEANT K RYDER HAD INDEED gotten a call from the police station. His front light was on when Sean parked in front of his modest house. Sean didn’t have a plan for interrogating the retired policeman. He would play it by ear. If Rue had written the man’s phone number in her book, then the man had befriended her.
Sean knocked at the door very gently, and a slim, clean-shaven man of medium height with thinning fairhair and a guarded smile opened the door. “Can I help you?” the man asked.
“Sergeant Kryder?”
“Yes, I’m Will Kryder.”
“I would like to speak with you about a mutual friend.”
“I have a mutual friend with a vampire?” Kryder seemed to catch himself. “Excuse me, I didn’t mean to offend. Please come in.” The older man didn’t seem sure about the wisdom of inviting Sean in, but he stood aside, and Sean stepped into the small living room. Cartons were stacked everywhere, and the house looked bare. The furniture was still there, but the walls were blank, and none of the normal odds and ends were on the tables.
A dark-haired woman was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, a dish towel in her hand. Two cats rubbed her ankles, and a little Pekingese leaped from the couch, barking ferociously. He stopped when he got close to Sean. He backed up, whining. The woman actually looked embarrassed.
“Don’t worry,” Sean said. “You can never tell with dogs. Cats generally like us.” He knelt and held out a hand, and the cats both sniffed it without fear. The Pekingese retreated into the kitchen.
Sean stood, and the woman extended her hand. She had an air of health and intelligence about her that was very appealing. She looked Sean in the eyes, apparently not knowing that he could do all kinds of things with such a direct look. “I’m Judith,” she said. “I apologize for the appearance of the house, but we’re leaving in two days. When Will retired, we decided to move down to our Florida house. It’s been in Will’s family for years.”
Will had been watching Sean intently. “Please have a seat,” he said.
Sean sank into the armchair, and Will Kryder sat on the couch. Judith said, “I’ll just go dry the dishes,” and vanished into the kitchen, but Sean was aware that she could hear them if she chose.
“Our mutual friend?” Will prompted.
“Layla.”
Will’s face hardened. “Who are you? Who sent you here?”
“I came here because I want to find out what happened to her.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s scared of something. Because I can’t make it go away unless I know what it is.”
“Seems to me if she wanted you to know, she would tell you herself.”
“She is too frightened.”
“Are you here to ask me where she is?”
Sean was surprised. “No. I know where she is. I see her every night.”
“I don’t believe you. I think you’re some kind of private detective. We knew someone would be coming sooner or later, someone like you. That’s why we’re leaving town. If you think you can get rid of us easy, let me tell you, you can’t.” Will’s pleasant face was set in firm lines. He suddenly had a gun in his lap, and it was pointed at Sean.
“It’s easy to see you haven’t met a vampire before,” Sean said.
“Why is that?”
Before Will could pull the trigger, Sean had the gun. He bent the barrel and tossed it behind him.
“Judith!” Will yelled. “Run!” He dove for Sean, apparently intending to grapple with Sean until Judith could get clear.
Sean held the man still by clamping Kryder’s hands to his sides. He said, “Calm yourself, Mr. Kryder.” Judith was in the room now, a butcher knife in her hands. She danced back and forth, reluctant to stab Sean but determined to help her husband.
Sean liked the Kryders.
“Please be calm, both of you,” he said, and the quiet of his voice, the stillness of his posture, seemed to strike both of the Kryders at the same time. Will stopped struggling and
S ERGEANT K RYDER HAD INDEED gotten a call from the police station. His front light was on when Sean parked in front of his modest house. Sean didn’t have a plan for interrogating the retired policeman. He would play it by ear. If Rue had written the man’s phone number in her book, then the man had befriended her.
Sean knocked at the door very gently, and a slim, clean-shaven man of medium height with thinning fairhair and a guarded smile opened the door. “Can I help you?” the man asked.
“Sergeant Kryder?”
“Yes, I’m Will Kryder.”
“I would like to speak with you about a mutual friend.”
“I have a mutual friend with a vampire?” Kryder seemed to catch himself. “Excuse me, I didn’t mean to offend. Please come in.” The older man didn’t seem sure about the wisdom of inviting Sean in, but he stood aside, and Sean stepped into the small living room. Cartons were stacked everywhere, and the house looked bare. The furniture was still there, but the walls were blank, and none of the normal odds and ends were on the tables.
A dark-haired woman was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, a dish towel in her hand. Two cats rubbed her ankles, and a little Pekingese leaped from the couch, barking ferociously. He stopped when he got close to Sean. He backed up, whining. The woman actually looked embarrassed.
“Don’t worry,” Sean said. “You can never tell with dogs. Cats generally like us.” He knelt and held out a hand, and the cats both sniffed it without fear. The Pekingese retreated into the kitchen.
Sean stood, and the woman extended her hand. She had an air of health and intelligence about her that was very appealing. She looked Sean in the eyes, apparently not knowing that he could do all kinds of things with such a direct look. “I’m Judith,” she said. “I apologize for the appearance of the house, but we’re leaving in two days. When Will retired, we decided to move down to our Florida house. It’s been in Will’s family for years.”
Will had been watching Sean intently. “Please have a seat,” he said.
Sean sank into the armchair, and Will Kryder sat on the couch. Judith said, “I’ll just go dry the dishes,” and vanished into the kitchen, but Sean was aware that she could hear them if she chose.
“Our mutual friend?” Will prompted.
“Layla.”
Will’s face hardened. “Who are you? Who sent you here?”
“I came here because I want to find out what happened to her.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s scared of something. Because I can’t make it go away unless I know what it is.”
“Seems to me if she wanted you to know, she would tell you herself.”
“She is too frightened.”
“Are you here to ask me where she is?”
Sean was surprised. “No. I know where she is. I see her every night.”
“I don’t believe you. I think you’re some kind of private detective. We knew someone would be coming sooner or later, someone like you. That’s why we’re leaving town. If you think you can get rid of us easy, let me tell you, you can’t.” Will’s pleasant face was set in firm lines. He suddenly had a gun in his lap, and it was pointed at Sean.
“It’s easy to see you haven’t met a vampire before,” Sean said.
“Why is that?”
Before Will could pull the trigger, Sean had the gun. He bent the barrel and tossed it behind him.
“Judith!” Will yelled. “Run!” He dove for Sean, apparently intending to grapple with Sean until Judith could get clear.
Sean held the man still by clamping Kryder’s hands to his sides. He said, “Calm yourself, Mr. Kryder.” Judith was in the room now, a butcher knife in her hands. She danced back and forth, reluctant to stab Sean but determined to help her husband.
Sean liked the Kryders.
“Please be calm, both of you,” he said, and the quiet of his voice, the stillness of his posture, seemed to strike both of the Kryders at the same time. Will stopped struggling and
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