Midnight Lover. Rosemary Laurey

for a mortal palate. “I haven’t seen it to know if it exists, but people ’round here claim to have. And yes, they believe it responsible for the recent killings of animals.” She paused, looking at the steaming liquid—mint, by the smell wafting up. “They also”—she looked up, a frown between her eyes—“are convinced it’s my familiar.”

      “What?”

      She nodded. “My familiar. No black cats or toads in these parts. I supposedly have a creature I’d never heard of until I came here. They think I brought it with me, or summoned it, and that I send it out to savage livestock!”

      If animals were being found in the same condition as that poor hound, he understood the locals’ anxiety, but…“Why blame you?”

      She shrugged. “Why not? I’m a newcomer and I made the grave mistake of being open about my calling.” She picked up the mug and sipped. “I promised Gertrude I’d take care of her house. So far, I’ve had flower pots smashed, windows broken, shrubs vandalized and now her car is ruined. It’s just too…” She jumped as the front door bell rang. “Who the hell is that?”

      One way to find out. “I’ll see. You stay here. If they try any funny tricks with me…”

      She gave a wry smile. “Thanks.”

      It was a sheriff’s deputy, all official and self-important with his star and gun belt and sweat circles under his arms. Toby rather enjoyed the man’s shock at seeing a tall black man instead of a slender white woman.

      “What are you doing here? I came to see Mrs. Whyte.”

      “I’m visiting Mrs. Whyte. She asked me to come after the unsettling incident today.”

      “Yes, well.” He glanced across at the damaged vehicle. “It’s about that that I came.”

      At least the local law were on top of things. “Come in. She’s in the kitchen.” Toby stood aside as the man ambled over the threshold, hands on his belt. A big mistake, to judge by the look on Adela’s face as he walked into the kitchen. She stood, lips tight and eyes hard.

      “Officer Johnson,” she said, obviously not relieved the law had arrived.

      “You had more trouble up here, Mrs. Whyte, I notice. How come you didn’t call me?”

      Her chin lifted. “I decided not to bother you.”

      “Major damage, by the look of things. Should have been reported.”

      “Oh, I don’t know about that.” Her voice took on a deceptively casual note, vastly different from a few minutes earlier.

      “How come, Mrs. Whyte?” He stood, legs apart, one hand on the butt of his gun.

      “Well, Officer, as your colleague said after the broken windows and the shed catching fire, out here it’s impossible to keep track of things. I decided you were right and left the insurance to handle it.”

      Toby’s senses went on alert. The local law had brushed off earlier troubles, had it? What now?

      “Well, I heard about it. Saul Grady told me about his bird dog being savaged. Valuable dog, it was too.”

      “Did he tell you where he dumped it, Officer?” Toby asked.

      The interruption was patently unwelcome. “That’s not what I’m here about. A valuable dog was killed and I was asked to investigate. We all know that Mrs. Whyte brought that creature with her and we’ve had enough of it.” He shifted his hips and drew his shoulders back. “I need you to come downtown with me and answer a few questions, Mrs. Whyte.”

      Enough was enough! One glance at Adela’s rigid shoulders and Toby spoke. “Officer?” The man turned to scowl at him. It was enough. Toby caught and held eye contact. “Officer, there is no need for Mrs. Whyte to accompany you. She is the victim here. Go back and leave her in peace.” He nearly added “unless you can do your job and protect her,” but no point in overloading a possibly small mind with too much detail.

      The man blinked. “Right. I don’t need her to accompany me. She’s the victim.” He blinked again. “I’ll see you later,” he said and turned toward the front door.

      Toby made sure it was wide open for him and watched as he drove away down the dusty road. The antagonistic law disposed of, he returned to the kitchen, where Adela sat, wide-eyed with shock.

      “I’ve heard about vampire hypnotism,” she said, her voice definitely wobbling, “but never imagined…”

      “I did not hypnotize him!” Drat her and her superstition and half-knowledge. “I merely suggested an alternative course of action.” Shocked she might be, but still…“You didn’t want to go with him, did you?”

      “Hell, no!” She caught a breath. “Please don’t get me wrong. I am utterly appreciative of your intervention, just astounded and amazed.” She shuddered. “I didn’t fancy a night in the local jail with just Deputy Johnson for company.”

      “There’s something not right here.” Even a mortal could have worked that out. “You need to get away fast, in case my suggestion fades and that sweaty oaf of an apology for law enforcement returns.” He reached into his pocket for his keys. “Take my car and go to Devil’s Elbow. The sooner you’re out of here the better.”

      She actually looked ready to argue but closed her mouth and nodded. “What about you?”

      “I don’t need a car to get back and I want to look around and see if I can find this mythical creature of yours. If he—it—is what’s causing this, he’d best be taken care of.”

      “I’m not even sure he exists. I haven’t seen it.”

      “I smelled it. There’s something there. I’ll try to find its trail.”

      “It’s going to be dark in less than an hour.”

      “I can see in the dark, Adela.”

      Had to be a mark of her exhaustion and stress that she merely nodded. “I need to pack something.”

      “Skip it! I think time is of the essence here. Whatever you need we can find or send someone out to buy.”

      “At least I’m packing a toothbrush.” And, he noticed, the bowls and candles from the mantelpiece. Her sacred vessels, no doubt. Oh well, if Tom Kyd could take a witch as his partner, he, Toby, could at least give one shelter. He’d concede she was fast. Fifteen minutes later, she had a zip bag packed and his car keys in her hand.

      “Sure you’ll be okay?” she asked.

      He had to smile. “I imagine I will be. Just be certain that you leave Piet’s old study window wide open. I’ll fly back through there.”

      “I see.” He hoped she didn’t. He much preferred transmogrifying in private. “I’ll call the night nurse and tell her you’re coming. You know your way around the house. If I have news, I’ll tell you in the morning.” He followed her to the door. “Just one more thing, a favor if you would.” He reached into his pocket for his wallet. “Mind taking this with you? Just leave it on my desk.”

      She stared. “Okay, but why?”

      Some things just had to be spelled out to mortals. “I don’t mind leaving clothes behind when I shift, but I don’t want to leave my credit cards and license, and if you’d also take my watch”—he pulled the metal band over his hand—“I’d be most obliged.”

      She shoved both into her handbag and nodded. “Sure you’ll be okay?”

      “Of course. You need to get away safely. You don’t want to be here if that officer decides to come back.”

      She didn’t hang around to disagree.

      Once she was gone, he called Laura Fox, the night nurse. He asked her, as a favor, to make sure the largest guest room was ready, adding that he was unlikely