“I told her when I was talking to her earlier.” I hesitated. “She deserved to know.”
“I agree, but the council overrode me. They didn’t want to risk untoward rumors.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You’ve got two vampires and now a zombie running around Castle Rock. That’s fact rather than a rumo
r.”
“Yes, but the last thing we need is a population in panic. We’ve enforced a news lockdown—nothing will be reported in either the papers or on television—”
“It doesn’t need to be. The gossip vine in this place knew all about that explosion and the fact I was caught in it within minutes.”
“Yes, but they don’t know why it happened.” He grimaced. “We’re keeping an eye on the vine’s main players, and hosing down spot fires before they become anything stronger. As I said, we don’t need people panicking. It’ll just make the task of finding this bastard that much harder.”
And we certainly didn’t need that. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called Marjorie.
“Banks residence,” she said. “How may I help you?”
“Marjorie?” I held the phone away from my ear so Aiden could hear the conversation. “It’s Lizzie—”
“Have you found Karen?” she cut in. “Is that why you’re ringing?”
“No,” I said. “But if I can borrow that necklace again—the one you gave me when I first tracked her down—I might be able to do so.”
“Oh.” She sounded deflated—depressed. Still hoping for a miracle despite everything I’d said to her. “But yes, of course you can borrow it, if it’ll help bring her back to me any quicker.”
“Bring her back?” Aiden murmured. “Did you not tell her what a newly turned vampire is like?”
I placed a hand over the phone and said, “I tried. She couldn’t see past the fact Karen was alive.”
“Christ, what a mess.”
“Tell me about it.”
I lifted my hand as Marjorie added, “Are you coming over tonight to get it?”
I glanced at Aiden. “Up to you,” he murmured. “You’re the witch, not me.”
There was no rancor in that statement for a change. “I’ll drop by in the morning to grab it, if that’s okay with you. It’s been a long day and I’m not sure—”
“Someone’s at the door,” she cut in. “Hang on a sec.”
There was a clunk as she put the phone down, then footsteps as she walked to the front door. A chain rattled as Marjorie said, “Who’s there?”
If there was a reply, it was too soft to hear. But my heart was beginning to beat a whole lot faster, and trepidation crawled across my skin.
“Hello?” Marjorie said again. “If that’s you out there, James Maldoon, I’m going grab you by the ear and drag you back to your mother. Don’t think that I won’t.”
Still no reply. Marjorie muttered something I couldn’t quite catch but didn’t open the door. Instead, she walked away.
Don’t walk, run, I wanted to scream at her. Run and hide, and don’t come out until we get there.
But even as I thrust upright, there was a heavy thump followed by the sound of wood splintering. Aiden was already on the move, barking orders into his phone as he stalked toward the café’s door.
It wouldn’t save Marjorie. Nothing would. Not now.
But we had to try.
I grabbed my coat and ran after Aiden, my phone held to my ear so I could hear what was going on.