Page 42 of Whispers at Dusk
The bar grew crowded. And leaning close against him, Della whispered, “I think that’s him. To our left, alone right now, watching the brunette and her friend at the other end of the bar. Tonight, his hair looks almost platinum. But his face...”
Mason took a long sip of beer, carefully studying the man Della had seen.
Yes. It was him. The man described by both Scott Harrington and Marlene Rogers.
Della set her glass down a little too hard, creating a noise. She didn’t turn; she stared at Mason as if he’d just said the worst thing in the world.
She shook her head and stood up. He set a hand on her arm, but she shook her head again, took her drink, and moved down to the other end of the bar.
He turned away, shaking his own head. There was a mirror above the bar. In it, he could see their suspect.
And he was studying Della.
He didn’t walk over to her immediately.
He watched. He waited.
Mason pretended to ignore Della. But he was watching when she set her beer down, waved to Sven, thanked him, and walked out.
Their suspect waited barely a minute.
Then he, too, left the bar.
He was going after Della.
Mason let him get out of the bar. Then carefully, he followed, holding in the doorway to watch for a minute.
Yes. She had set herself up as bait.
And she had been great bait.
Because their vampire suspect was talking to her already, smiling, the tone of his voice as charming as his smile as he offered to walk with her, show her another establishment or anything else she’d like to see in Lillehammer.
They started to walk together.
And Mason knew he had to find a way to follow them, to have her back...
She’d been right about something else.
He was tall.
Blending into the night to be her shadow wasn’t going to be easy. But if he had to disappear, he could ping her phone and get her location.
And yet...she was walking with a killer and he had to be close! No, he would not lose another partner!
He would not lose her.
Six
Mason had seen someone outside the house the other night.
Did that mean someone knew who they were and why they were in Norway?
Or did someone know the house was on the vacation rental sites and were they just checking to see if the newest arrivals happened to be attractive young women filled with beautiful life-giving blood to make them immortal?
Or was it all a sham for another agenda?
Well, whether this man knew who and what she was or not, Della was determined to play the game. She did not have a death wish. She did not feel she was being reckless. She had learned her new partner, no matter what demons haunted his mind, was spot-on. He would have her back. And he also had access to her phone. If she kept that on her, he could track her. Of course, this man could take her phone before attempting anything...
