"So, you're a friend of Luci's?” Liz asked doubtfully.

Cyn nodded. “From college."

"And you're working for my sister?"

"Not really working for, more like working with. I'm sure Luci told you...” She glanced at her friend for confirmation. Luci nodded, then sat, pulling over a scarred wooden chair for Cyn to do the same.

"Jabril actually hired me to find you,” Cyn continued, reluctantly taking the uncomfortable seat. “But then I met Mirabelle and, well, hell, I met Jabril. I broke Mirabelle out of there and came looking for you. Lucky for me, you decided on L.A."

"There's some other guy looking for me too,” Liz volunteered cautiously. A slight twang became more evident in her speech as she began to relax.

"Yeah. I met him. Beefy guy with short white hair?"

"I think so. I didn't see him myself, but some of my friends told me he was looking. That was before—” She looked away, uncomfortable, and Luci intervened, reaching out to take Liz's hand in both of hers.

"It's okay, sweetie. None of that matters now, and Cyn understands. Don't you, Cyn?"

"Sin?” Liz said. “They call you Sin?"

"Cyn with a C Y,” Cyn said. “I always hated the name Cyndi and Cynthia sounds so ... I don't know ... proper.” Luci snorted and rolled her eyes, surprising a little laugh out of Liz.

"My parents always called me Elsie,” Liz volunteered. “I thought I hated it too,” she added wistfully.

Cyn knew enough about the girl's parents and their untimely death to change the subject. “So tell me what happened, Liz. I've been looking for you all over the place."

"Yeah, I heard. You sounded okay, and you gave those food coupons to all the kids. But I didn't know who I could trust.” She stared down at her hands, held tightly by Luci. “And all those girls were dying.” She looked back up, meeting Cyn's eyes. “I was scared and Todd started coming around. He does a lot of stuff with the street kids, basketball games and shit like that. He started talking to me and he seemed really nice, although he's kind of old and out of shape for a guy who plays sports. He wears those big striped shirts all the time, you know, like those Australian guys do? But all the kids seemed to know him, so...” She shrugged.

"When he found out I was from Texas, he said he had family there too. Some cousins or something. And I told him about Mirabelle and Jabril and everything, and how if I could just hide out until my eighteenth birthday everything would be okay, because then I'd have my own money. So he said, why don't I come stay with him until then, you know, ‘cuz it was only like two weeks away.” She paused to give Cyn a forlorn look. “He seemed like a nice guy,” she repeated.

"So what happened? What made you change your mind?"

"He never touched me. Not like that. I would have been out of there if he had, because he's ... well, like forty or something. Anyway, he started getting really bossy. Like I had to tell him everywhere I went and what I was doing and everything. And then I got the message from Mirabelle saying she was here and we should meet. I'd lost my computer, but he was letting me use his to like check my message boards and stuff. He works at night somewhere, and I didn't want to go out after dark, plus it was a good time to try to reach Mirabelle and let her know I was safe. So anyway, I got this message saying she was here in California, and it seemed weird. I mean why would she be here? So I wrote back to her how I wasn't sure and how did I know it was safe? And she told me about that Raphael guy, that he's not like dickhead Jabril or anything, and she's living in a nice place and I can come stay with her."

Cyn nodded. She'd already heard most of this from Mirabelle.

"Anyway, so I'm online with Mirabelle, and he comes in and starts freaking out about vampires and especially Raphael, and he tells me Raphael's been arrested for killing those girls and he doesn't want me to have anything to do with him or with Mirabelle, because that fucking vampire—that's what he called him, that fucking vampire—he's using Mirabelle to get to me because I'm his type. And I said, what do you mean I'm his type? But then he says I don't have to worry because I'm not like all those other girls."

"Not like them how?” Cyn said quietly.

"He said all those girls hung out with vampires and that's why they died."

Cyn exchanged a look with Luci. “What'd you say his name was, Liz?"

"Todd. Todd Ryder. He lives down near the beach, but in that kind of scummy part where it's really crowded. Venice, I think they call it. Someone told me they have canals there like in Italy, but I never saw any."

"I'll show them to you sometime,” Cyn said absently. “So what happened then?"

"The fucker tried to lock me in his house, that's what happened! After we argued, I like stormed into my room and fell asleep. And when I got up, he'd locked the bedroom door! And all the windows have those like jail bars on them, you know? So I'm pounding on the door, but he's gone to work and left me there without even a bathroom or anything!"

Luci looked over her shoulder at Cyn with a pleased grin. “My girl Liz here broke the door down,” she said.

Liz blushed, embarrassed and proud at the same time. “Yeah, well, it was one of those cheap hollow doors. It didn't take much. He had this like old metal lamp on the table. Really ugly, but heavy. So, I pounded and pounded. Trashed my arm, but once I broke through it was pretty fast. I stuck my hand out and unlocked the door, and then I got the hell out of there. I didn't have anything but my purse anyway, so I grabbed it and ran.” She looked up at Cyn and shrugged again. “And here I am."

"So here you are, and I'm very happy to see you,” Cyn agreed. “What do you want to do now?"

"I don't know. I didn't really think past getting here."

Cyn nodded. “And you're probably okay here for now, but you need to be careful. Jabril's man won't think twice about breaking the law to grab you. I'd feel better if you stayed with me until we get everything cleared up."

"I don't want to live with vampires."

Cyn opened her mouth to point out that she didn't live with vampires, but Luci spoke up. “Maybe Liz could stay here for awhile,” she suggested. “Everything will look different after you've had a couple days to think about it,” she said to Liz.

"What about Mirabelle?” Liz asked, looking at Cyn. “Is she living with you?"

Cyn shook her head. “Mirabelle has nutritional needs I can't meet. She's staying on Raphael's estate, at his sister Alexandra's house, which is separate from everyone else. The two of them have discovered Internet shopping, God help us.” She shivered dramatically. “If you don't want to stay with me right now, maybe you can at least go by for a visit with Mirabelle. I'd be happy to give you a ride, and I know she'd like to see you, to know you're really okay."

Liz twisted her mouth, biting the inside of her lower lip in thought. She glanced at Cyn, then back at Luci. “I think I'd like to stay here tonight at least. I trust Luci.” Cyn ignored the implication that she, on the other hand, was not to be trusted. “And maybe tomorrow night,” Liz continued, “I can see Mirabelle. Would that be okay?” She directed the question at Luci, not Cyn.

Luci leaned forward and hugged the girl, then stood. “Of course, whatever you want. Come on, we'll get you set up. You need a shower, and I think I've got some clothes that will fit you.” The two of them pretty much ignored Cyn as they started out of the room, but Cyn touched Liz's arm, drawing her startled attention.

"Can you tell me where this Todd guy lives? If not the address, then how to get there?"

Liz gave her a worried look. She glanced at Luci for reassurance, and Luci patted her on the shoulder. “Why don't you go on up,” she said to the girl. “It's the room at the top of the stairs, with the blue door. I'll be there in a minute.” She gave Cyn a somber look as Liz took the stairs two at a time.

"I have Todd's address,” Luci said quietly, going back into her office. “We've never had any problem with him. He does a lot of after-hours stuff with the kids, organizing games and so on, to keep them off the streets. He used to do some outreach, too, when he had a girlfriend, but they broke up and he sticks pretty much to the organized activities now."

Cyn played a hunch. “The girlfriend have a name?"

"Um, Patty something, I think,” Luci replied, keying the search into her computer database. “She was younger than Todd, not beautiful, but pretty enough. Kind of a pointy face and small mouth. What?” she asked in alarm, seeing the distressed look on Cyn's face.

Chapter Thirty-nine

On her way to Venice and Todd Ryder's house, Cyn gave Mirabelle a quick call, explained the situation and told her to count on a visit from Liz the next night.

"Why not tonight? She could stay here; Alexandra wouldn't mind."

"First of all, she's pretty wiped out, Mirabelle. It's been a rough couple of weeks for her in a strange city, all alone on the street. I mean, give her a break. And secondly, she's not exactly thrilled at the idea of living with more vampires, you know?"

"I guess. But doesn't she want to see me, at least?” The last bit was more of a plaintive wail.

"Sure she does. And she will. Tomorrow night. Besides, it's almost dawn already. By the time we got there, you'd be ready to go to sleep."

"I suppose you're right. But she's definitely okay, isn't she? You're not like protecting me from the truth or anything?"

"I wouldn't do that, Mirabelle. Liz is fine. Really tired, but that's it. You'll see for yourself tomorrow."

"Okay. Thanks, Cyn. You want to talk to anyone here?"

"No, thanks. I'm heading home too. Listen, I'll call you before we come over. Sleep tight."