“It’s a small town. I get paid for being nosy.”
“Good career choice, by the way. High school counselor talk you into it?”
“Nope. My dad. My high school counselor thought I should teach P.E.”
“I could see it. Whistle power. Brass knuckles. Bossing people around trying to make them play fair. Expecting the best of them, never giving up on them even when they disappoint you.”
I was surprised to hear that he thought of me in that way. Was I like that? Did I expect people to be, if not good then maybe diligent, no matter what was proved otherwise to me? Did I want a fair playing field for people, did I want to enforce rules that would level the disparities in the world?
Yes.
It warmed me to realize he knew me that well.
“Don’t make this about us.” The words came out too thick with emotion.
“How can it not be? This is us. We’re right here throwing these dice, dealing with our devils and taking huge risks on faith and trust.”
“Devils I have plenty of. Give me details.”
“Not sure that can happen.”
“Trust me that I will do my best to keep you safe,” I said.
“Trust me that I will do the same,” he said.
So we were both hiding secrets, and navigating dangers that the other person wasn’t aware of. Crow was right.
Cards, meet table.
“The vampires in town know you’re involved in Sven’s death.”
His body language went hard even though his facial expression didn’t change. He took it for what it was: confidential information given freely. I was trusting hard here. I just hoped he would return the favor.
“The men at the bar came to the notice of my boss. They are...known to the agency I work for.”
Pretty sure he didn’t mean housing agency.
“If I can’t prove your innocence in the next couple days, you’re not going to be alive long enough for it to matter.”
Another piece of truth, freely given.
“Ordinary is being targeted. We don’t know who is behind the sudden attention.”
“Who do you work for?”
“Who is the prime vampire?”
We sat there, stared at each other. My heart was beating too fast—fear. If I confirmed what he suspected, if I outed Old Rossi, I would be taking him into a confidence that could not be undone.
It would leave both my town vulnerable to whatever he was really mixed up in, and it would leave him vulnerable to the forces in my town.
“Ask me something else,” I said.
He didn’t hesitate. “What really killed Sven?”
“An ancient blood spell. What is your agency’s objective?”
“To contact the unknowns in this town.”
