The Dead Girl's Dance

Great, Eve said. Vampire hearing, too. Im never going to be able to keep a secret around here. Bad enough when you were a ghost She was doing a good job of looking like she wasnt freaked-out, but Claire thought she was. So did Michael, apparently, because he reached out and touched her cheekjust one small gesture, but it said a lot.

Stay here, he said.

He should have known they wouldntnot completely, anyway. Claire and Eve followed him partway down the hall, enough to watch him unlock the front door and swing it open.

Richard Morrell stood on the doorstep in his police uniform. Next to him were Detectives Hess and Lowe, both looking even more exhausted than normal.

Michael, Richard said, and nodded to him.

He tried to move across the threshold, and was stopped cold. Hess and Lowe exchanged a curious look and tried to come across, as well. Nothing.

Come in, Michael said, and stepped back. This time, all three men could enter.

Richard was looking at Michael closely. Youre kidding, he said. Youve got to be kidding. All this time, and she picks you?

Hess and Lowe exchanged looks, a second behind the curve, and both appeared startled.

Yeah, Michael said. What about it?

Richard smiled, all teeth. Nothing, man. Congratulations, and all that. Youre going to be the talk of the town. Get used to it.

Michael shut the door behind them. Whatever. How much time do we have to get to Shane?

Not much, Hess said. And the thing is, we dont have anyplace to start. No leads.

Well, weve got one. We know the van went through the Underground, Richard said. Weve got an eyewitness. Right? He looked straight at Claire, who nodded. We pulled all the surveillance tapes, and we tracked the van in and out of the Underground half a dozen times, but it finally disappeared. Problem is, one white van looks a lot like other white vans, especially on Night Sight surveillance cameras.

We know that Shanes dad had maps of Morganville. Shane provided them. Youre sure he didnt say anything about where his father might be making his base of operations? Hess asked. Any of you?

He never said anything, Claire said. Not to me. Michael? Michael shook his head. God, I cant believe nobody knows where these guys are! They have to be somewhere!

Actually, two people probably know exactly where they are, Richard said. Shane, and the biker, Des. One of them, maybe both, has to know the places Frank was using.

And nobodys asked them? Eve questioned, and then her expression turned blank with horror. Oh God. Somebody has.

Its not so bad as that, Lowe offered. I was there observing. Theyre all right.

That doesnt mean theyll stay that way, Michael said. Especially now. Or was that the plan, Richard? Get the two neutral cops here with you so your guys could beat the information out of Shane?

Richard smiled slowly. You know, thats not a bad idea, but no. I honestly thought you guys would have a place for us to start looking. We can go with that plan B if you come up empty, though. I never liked that kid anyway.

Michaels eyes were narrowing, and Claire felt the whole barely reasonable alliance starting to come apart. Wait! she said. Um, I think I have something. Maybe.

Maybe? Richard turned to her. Better be good. Its your boyfriend on the line, and if anything happens to my sister, I swear Ill torch him myself.

Claire looked at Michael, then Eve. I saw him, she said. Shanes dad. He was in Common Grounds.

He was what?

In Common Grounds. It was the same day I met Sam for the first time. I wondered what he was doing there, but

Richard interrupted her, grabbing the neck of her T-shirt and hauling her forward. Who was he talking to? Who? He shook her.

Hey! She smacked at his hand, and to her surprise, he let go. He was talking to Oliver.

Silence. They all stared at her, and then Hess put a hand to his forehead. Lowe said, Whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on a second. Why would the Fearless Vampire Killer be talking to Oliver? He knows, right? Who Oliver is? What Oliver is?

Claire nodded. Shane must have told him. He knows.

And Oliver knows who Frank Collins is, Hess said. Hed know him on sight. So weve got two mortal enemies sitting down together,and we dont know why. When was it, Claire?

Right before Brandon was killed.

Another silence, and this one was deep. Lowe and Hess were staring at each other. Richard was frowning. After a long moment, Lowe said slowly, Anybody want to take a bet?

Spit it out, Detective, Richard said. If you know something, say so.

Im not saying I know. Im saying Ive got a hundred dollars that says Oliver knew all about Frank Collins rolling back into town, and he used Frank to get rid of a troublemaking child-molesting bastard whod outlived his usefulness.

Claire asked, Why didnt he just kill him, if he wanted him dead?

Vampires do not kill each other. They just dont. So this way, he and Frank both get what they want. Oliver gets Morganville in chaos, Amelie losing controland I heard about the attack on her downtown. Maybe Oliver was hoping theyd take her out, leave him in charge. Brandon was probably a small price to pay. He paused for thought. Im guessing here, but Ill bet Oliver made Frank a whole lot of promises he never intended to keep. Brandon was a sign of good faith, to get Frank to commit. And holding on to Shane was insurance. No way would Oliver have let Frank keep on killing, though. Chaos is one thing. A bloodbath is another.

How does this help? Michael asked. We still dont know where they are.

Hess reached in his pocket and pulled out a folding pocket mapa Morganville map. It was marked in grids, color-coded: yellow for the university, pale red for the human enclaves, blue for the vampires. The center of town, Founders Square, was black. Here, he said, and walked to the dining room table. Michael moved his guitar case out of the way, and Hess spread the map out. Travis, you know who owns what near the square, right?

Yeah. Lowe leaned forward, fished some reading glasses out of his coat pocket, and looked closer. Okay, these are warehouses here. Vallery Kosomov owns some of them. Most of these belong to Josefina Lowell.

Anything owned by Oliver down there?

Why down there? Lowe asked.

You want to answer that one, Officer Morrell? Hess asked. Richard edged in to consider the map, and marked out something with his finger.

Underground runs right through here, he said. This is the only area of the Underground where we didnt see the van come and go.

Which tells you what? Hess asked.

Crap. They were faking the video. Showing us where they werent, sending us all over town. And hiding where they were. Richard looked up at Hess, then Lowe. Olivers warehouses are off of Bond Street. Its mostly storage.

Gentlemen, we have exactlyHess consulted his watchfifty-two minutes. Lets get moving.

They all moved to the door, and it was going fine until Richard Morrell glanced at Claire and Eve, put his arm up like a barricade, and said, Oh, I dont think so, kids.

Weve got a right to

Yeah, Im getting all choked up about your rights, Eve. You stay here.

Michaels going! Claire said, and winced, because she sounded like a disappointed little kid instead of the responsible, trustworthy adult shed intended.

Richard rolled his eyes nearly as well as Eve. You sound like my sister, he said. Thats really not attractive. And its not going to work. Michael can take care of himself on a whole bunch of levels you cant, kid, so you. Stay. Here.

And Hess and Lowe backed him up.

Michael just looked vaguely sorry to be in the middle of it, but relieved all the same that they werent going. It was Michael who took Eves car keys from the tray on the hall table, where she always left them. Just in case, he said, and dropped them in his pocket. Not that I dont trust you or anything, just that I know you never listen to me.

He slammed the door on Eves frustrated cry.

And that, Claire thought, was that.

I cant believe they left us, Claire said numbly, staring at the door. Eve kicked it hard enough to leave a black mark on the wood and stalked away, into the living room. She stood at the window until the police cruiser pulled away from the curb and glided off into the night. Then she turned and looked at Claire.

She was smiling.