Page 5 of Secrets in the Dark
The man stared at her for a split second. “I’ll go get something,” he said quickly, stepping around her and heading for the bar in the center of the courtyard.
By then, Edmund and Mason had come up and Edmund quickly did the speaking. “Hello, miss, we are so sorry, but forgive me—” he paused to flash his badge “—do you know the gentleman you were with, or did you just meet?”
“Uh,” she said, frowning, staring at the badge. “I—uh—did I do something wrong? If so, I’m deeply sorry, I’m loving being here, this trip has been a dream—”
“You haven’t done anything wrong,” Mason quickly assured her. “We’re just—”
He broke off. He had twisted around to watch for her companion. “He’s not getting a bar rag—he’s gone,” he said. “I’m going after him.”
“Oh, my God, what did he do?” the young woman whispered.
“Maybe nothing, maybe nothing at all!” Della said quickly. “But we’re advising young women against being alone with men they’ve just met. There have been unusual murders in the last year and—”
“They caught the guy! It’s all over the news everywhere. They caught the Vampire King!” the girl said.
“He had followers,” Edmund said quietly. “And if we’ve ruined your trip in any way, we’re heartily sorry, and yet—”
“You really are a detective. I’m not being pranked or anything?” she asked. “Did my friends put you up to this? I mean...you,” she said, looking at Della. “You’re American. This is England. You can’t have any authority here—”
“I am an American. FBI, on special assignment because we don’t know that theVampire Kingwas the only one doing the killing,” Della explained quickly. “And if you’re disturbed, we are sorry, but in my mind, disturbing you—”
“I’m not just disturbed. I’m wearing beer,” the girl said.
“And again, I am sorry. I’ll be happy to pay for your dry cleaning—”
The girl suddenly shuddered. “No, no, I’m sorry, I’m being ugly and I don’t mean to be, it’s just that he seemed like such a nice guy and...”
“I think if he was just a nice guy, he’d have gotten the rag and come back,” Edmund said. He reached into his pocket and gave her one of his cards. “I swear, I am with Scotland Yard. And please, I’d greatly appreciate a call if anyone does anything suspicious near you—”
“He didn’t come back!” the girl whispered. “He—he didn’t get a rag and come back!”
“You have friends here in London with you,” Della said. “Do you know where they are? May we walk you to wherever they are?”
The girl looked at them and swallowed nervously. Then she nodded. “I’m Shelly McNamara. My first trip with college friends. That man... I...”
“You’re young, beautiful, on your first European trip, and it seemed you met a great British guy and there’s usually no reason for that to be anything but fine,” Della assured her quickly. “Again, I’m sorry that the world has come to this, but...please, don’t go with strangers alone. Make sure that if you’re going to be with anyone, that someone knows exactly who you are with and where you’re going to be. Please. For your own safety.”
“Walk me across the street?” the girl asked.
“Of course,” Edmund said.
Edmund lifted an arm, indicating that he would follow her. Della paused briefly, looking for Mason. But he hadn’t returned.
She felt a chill, wondering if her intuition had been right in any way.
The young man had seen her, and surely Mason and Edmund, and he had disappeared. He’d been charming the girl—until they might have attracted the attention of others...
Mason was good. He could move quickly. But the man had apparently found a back way out. Brixton was brimming with its night crowd. There were people, restaurants and pubs everywhere.
She should have gone with him. But she had been the one who had splashed the girl with ale. And Edmund had the proper credentials for this country and...
Maybe the man had just been a student with a warrant out on a petty drug charge or the like and had simply needed to escape any brush with the authorities.
Mason would find them.
She hurried after Shelly McNamara and Edmund. Shelly’s friends were inside the pub, sitting at the bar, listening to a tale from the young woman who was serving drinks there. They smiled, curious when Shelly arrived with her friends.
“You’re wearing beer!” one of the girls said.
