I stood there, a silent observer in this scene that was playing out like a movie in front of me. Another customer beside me, unamused by the spectacle, shot me a glance as if to say,“What’s the big deal?”
The barista continued her animated reunion. “How long are you back for?”
“It depends on a couple of things,” Amber responded with a cryptic smile.
The cashier giggled knowingly. “Oh, I know what that means,” and she did a little dance, giggling and jumping from foot to foot.
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “Can I get some coffee?” I interjected.
The barista, momentarily torn from her Amber-induced euphoria, took my order. Amber turned around and looked atme. A flicker of irritation burned in her green eyes, a captivating contrast to the fiery red of her hair. No wonder Connor liked her. Who wouldn’t find her attractive?
Amber ordered a tea and made plans with her friend for the upcoming weekend. I stood there, watching this mundane exchange happen in front of me.
Note to self: Don’t kill Amber. She has friends in town who would actually miss her, which definitely means a police report.
I took my coffee and tossed it into a nearby garbage can on my way out.
I froze. My senses heightened as the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Out of the corner of my eyes, I noticed a blur of motion that drew my gaze down the alley. A man in a hoodie moved quickly, meeting two college students in the shadows. As he reached them, he produced a baggie from his pocket, accepting cash from the students before they quickly dispersed. An instinctive urge to follow him stirred within me. Without a second thought, I set off in pursuit.
“I’m back!” I called out to Vail as I opened the front door. Amber’s voice echoed in my mind, an image of her in the coffee shop surfacing as I said it. Vail came out of her bedroom in her pyjamas, rubbing her eyes.
Did you get my book?” She asked.
“No, I have something better,” I replied, dragging the hooded man into the house. His hands were tied behind his back with his shoelaces, and I had gagged him with his own sock.
“Um, who the fuck is this?” Vail asked, her expression a mix of confusion and concern.
“He was dealing drugs, so I caught him and brought him back here,” I said proudly, pushing him down onto a kitchen chair.
Vail came around toward us, grumbling, “Am I ever going to get a day of peace?”
She placed her hands on the man’s temples and muttered under her breath. “There. I’ve put a spell on him, so he won’t be able to leave this chair for an hour, at least.”
The man started wiggling in the chair, knocking himself to the ground. His scream was muffled by the sock in his mouth.
“This will be much easier if you cooperate,” I told him, lifting the chair back up.
Vail turned to me. “Why did you bring him here?”
I couldn’t contain my excitement as I explained, “For questioning! Like what they do in the movies. Good cop, bad cop.”
Vail’s response was more skeptical, “Well, let’s hope he talks. He looks terrified. I don’t think he’ll say anything.”
Sweat dripped down the man’s forehead, his face contorted with fear as drool escaped from the makeshift gag.
“I’m going to take the sock out,” I warned, leaning closer. “But you need to understand, if you scream, it’s going back in.” I locked eyes with him, gauging his fear before pulling it out.
“HELP ME! HELP ME!” he screamed at the top of his lungs. I reacted without thinking, delivering a swift blow to the side of his head with a pot that was sitting on the table. He slumped over the chair, unconscious.
“Why did you do that?” Vail asked, her gaze fixed on his limp form.
“He was screaming! The last thing we need is neighbours calling the cops on us.”
“How do we question him now?” Vail looked at me expectantly.
“We drink his blood and let his memories do the talking,” I declared, feeling a sense of empowerment.Wow, maybe I should consider becoming a private detective,I thought.
“Rosie … we can’t do that. You saw him dealing. What if he has the Vampire drug in his system?” Vail said, backing away from him and sitting down on a chair.
