White Witch, Black Curse

The sound of the paper tearing free was loud, and with a wry grimace, he extended the strip of white and blue to Ivy. She didn't look at it, handing it to me instead.

"Thank you," I said crisply, tucking it away.

A soft scrape of shoe on carpet brought my attention up, and I followed Ivy's gaze, over my shoulder. Ford was shuffling to us, his head bowed and my bag in his grip. I felt a moment of panic, and in response, he looked up, smiling. My eyes closed. Glenn was okay.

"Thank you, God," Edden whispered, standing up.

I had to hear it, though, and as Ford handed me my forgotten bag and took the cup of coffee Ivy gave him, I asked, "He's going to be okay?"

Ford nodded, eyeing us over the rim of the paper cup. "His mind is fine," he said, grimacing at the coffee's taste. "There's no damage. He's deep into his psyche, but as soon as his body repairs itself enough, he will regain consciousness. A day or two?"

Edden's breath shook as he exhaled, and Ford stiffened when the FIB captain shook his hand. "Thank you. Thank you, Ford. If there's anything I can do for you, let me know."

Ford smiled thinly. "I'm glad I could give you good news." Regaining his hand, he backed up a step. "Excuse me. I need to try to convince the nurses to back off on the meds. He's not in as much pain as they think, and it's slowing down his recovery."

"I'll do it." Ivy eased into motion. "I'll tell them I can smell it. They won't know the difference."

The beginnings of a smile curved my lips up as she almost sauntered down the hall, calling out to one nurse by name. Edden couldn't stop smiling, and I could see a hint of tears in his eyes as he shifted from foot to foot. "I need to make a couple of calls." He reached for his cell phone, then hesitated. "Ford, can Glenn hear me when I talk to him?"

Ford nodded, smiling tiredly. "He might not remember it, but he can."

Edden looked from me to Ford, clearly wanting to be with Glenn. "Go!" I said, giving him a happy little push. "Tell Glenn I want to talk to him when he wakes up."

His steps fast, Edden strode toward Glenn's room. I sighed, glad this story would have a happy ending. I was tired of the other kind. Ford looked pleased, and that was good, too. His life must be hell. No wonder he didn't tell anyone he could do this. They'd work him to death.

"What happened to Glenn's mom?" I asked now that we were alone.

Ford watched Edden wave to the nurses as he passed beyond the wide, smooth door and into Glenn's room. "She died fifteen years ago during a sixty-dollar stab-and-grab."

That's why he's a cop, I thought. "They've had only each other for a long time," I added, and Ford nodded, starting for the elevators. He looked whipped.

Ivy joined us after a last comment to the nurse. Falling into place on my other side, she looked across me to Ford. "What happened at the marina?" she asked as she shrugged into her long coat, and the afternoon's memories rushed back.

Her tone was slightly mocking, and I gave her a sidelong glance. I knew she was secure in her belief that her slow, steady investigations would find Kisten's killer faster than my reconstructing my memories. It was with no little pleasure that I glanced at Ford, then said to her, "Do you have time to go out tonight and smell the carpet?"

Ford chuckled, and Ivy stared, rocking to a halt at the elevators. "Excuse me?"

I punched the button for the lift. "Your nose is better than mine," I said simply.

Ivy blinked, her face blanker than usual. "You found something the FIB missed?"

I nodded as Ford pretended not to listen. "There's sticky silk stuck to the rim of the dresser's top. There might be a print, ah, other than the one I made today. And the floor under the window smells like vampire. It's not you or Kisten, so it might be his murderer."

Again, Ivy stared, looking uncomfortable. "You can tell the difference?"

The elevator doors slid open, and we all entered. "Can't you?" I said, backing up and pushing the button for the street level with a booted toe just because I could.

"I'm a vampire," she said, as if this made all the difference.

"I've lived with you for over a year," I said, wondering if I wasn't supposed to be able to tell the difference. "I know what you smell like," I muttered, embarrassed. "It's no big deal."

"Yes, it is," she whispered as the doors closed, and I hoped Ford hadn't heard.

I watched the numbers count down. "So you'll go out tonight?"

Ivy's eyes were black. "Yes."

I stifled a shiver, glad when the doors opened to show the busy lobby. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," she said, her gray-silk voice so thick with anticipation that I almost pitied the vampire who had killed Kisten.

Almost.

Three

I gripped the wheel of my car tighter in annoyance as Jenks continued to sing. Though the sun was going down and the roads had an arid frozenness, the interior of the car was hot. I had half a mind to turn off the heat. Anything to get Jenks to shut up.