Clouds had once again rolled into the sky, bathing the whole city in darkness. It was only noon, but there was no sign of the sun. The air felt wet and heavy with rain, despite the lack of actual drops. It was never like this in Ivinghoe. The weather there seemed more honest, somehow. When it looked like it would rain, it rained. Here, nothing was as it seemed.
I sniffed the air. Even though I couldn’t see them, I knew animals were everywhere, hiding under the brush or scampering in tunnels just beneath the grass. I headed toward a dense collection of trees, hoping I could capture a bird or a squirrel without anyone noticing.
A disturbance in the bushes caused me to stiffen. Without thinking, I used my vampire reflexes to reach into them, trapping a fat gray squirrel in my hands. Relying only on instinct, I sunk my teeth into the tiny creature’s neck and sucked out its blood, trying not to gag. City squirrels tasted different than country squirrels, and this one had watery, bitter-tasting blood. Still, it would have to do.
I threw the carcass into the bushes and wiped my mouth. Suddenly, I heard a rustle coming from the far end of the forest. I whirled around, half-expecting to see Klaus, ready for a fight. Nothing.
I sighed, my stomach finally quieting now that it was satiated.
And now that I was prepared, I headed to the Ten Bells Tavern, ready to compel Alfred into giving Violet her job back. As expected, the air smelled musty and sharp, like the scent of ale mixed with unwashed human bodies.
“Alfred?” I called, my eyes once again adjusting to the near nighttime blackness of the bar. I wasn’t looking forward to speaking to him. He was loathsome, and even though my compelling would ensure Violet would be treated kindly, I hated the thought of her returning here. But I knew it was the best thing for her. Because the more she became involved with me, the more danger she’d be in. That was something I knew as clearly as the message written in blood on the wall.
“Alfred?” I called again, just as he emerged from the kitchen, wiping his hands on his pants. His cheeks were red and his eyes were bloodshot.
“Stefan. Violet’s bloke. I s’pose now you decided you’re done with her? We don’t do refunds,” he said flatly, leaning his meaty arms against the bar.
“She’s a friend,” I said. I stepped toward him, making sure to keep eye contact, and keeping my fingers and palms flexed to avoid lashing out. I hated him. “And I have something I need to discuss.”
“What?” he asked suspiciously.
“Take Violet back,” I said levelly. “She’s a hard worker, and she needs her job and room.”
Alfred nodded, but didn’t open his mouth to speak.
“Just like her sister. Takes off with the first man who looks at her nicely. Bloody fools if you ask me. Mary Ann, now she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but Violet . . .”
“Will you do that?” I prompted. I wanted to follow his conversational thread, but I couldn’t stop in the middle of compelling. In the past twenty-four hours, I’d compelled more than I had in the past twenty years, and I wasn’t as confident in my Power as I used to be. “And when you do, you won’t lay a hand on her. You’ll protect her. Just bring Violet back.”
“Bring Violet back,” he said slowly, as if in a trance.
“Yes,” I said, relieved by the confirmation.
Just then, the bell of the tavern tinkled and a large man lurched in, clearly still drunk from the night before. Alfred looked up at the commotion, breaking the spell and ruining my chance to ask questions: What man had Cora gone off with? And what else did Alfred know?
“You’ll see Violet tomorrow night,” I said to Alfred’s retreating back, as though we were just having a chat. I pulled up a stool to the bar, waiting for when he’d be free. The door opened again and a woman sauntered in, wearing an indigo dress that clearly showed the expansive whiteness of her bosom. I recognized her as the woman who’d come up to me last night. This time, I was glad to speak with her. She had a large beauty mark above her red-painted lips, and her hair hung in bright blond ringlets under a black-feather-adorned hat. She was short and squat, but carried herself with the confidence of a woman far more beautiful.
Immediately, her beady eyes locked on mine. “Hello, there,” she said, walking unsteadily up to me. “Me name’s Eliza.” She held out her hand for me to kiss.
I recoiled. Even though I’d just fed, the thin squirrel blood was not enough to satisfy my deeper thirst, and her exposed flesh was almost more than I could bear. I could smell her blood and could almost imagine its rich, sugar-sweet flavor coating my tongue. I pressed my lips together and stared at the dusty cracks between the floorboards.
“I tried to talk to you last night,” she continued, allowing her hand to flutter to my shoulder as though dusting off an
imaginary speck of lint. “But you only had eyes for that girl. I thought she was so lucky, speaking with a handsome young lad like you. I hope you enjoyed her,” she leered.
“I didn’t.” I stepped away, hating her insinuation. “Violet is just a friend,” I said coldly.
“Well, do you need someone who’s more than a friend?” she asked, batting her dark eyelashes.
“No! I need to know . . .” I glanced toward Alfred, but he was far down at the other end of the bar, busy playing a game of dice with the drunk man. Still, I lowered my voice. “I need to know more about the murderer.”
“You one of them coppers?” she asked suspiciously. “Because I told ’em before, I don’t do discounts and I don’t give out information on me friends neither. Not for all the gin in China.”
I shook my head at her mangled expression. “I’m just concerned. Especially now. Apparently another woman is missing. Do you know Cora? She works here.” For Violet’s sake, I only hoped that Cora was alive.
“Cora?” The woman’s face transformed into a grimace. “Why, she was the barmaid, right? Always thought she was so uppity and better than us, but Lord knows she was doing the same thing we was. Seems like she was just waiting for the right price,” the woman said indignantly.
“Do you mean she left with a man?” I asked urgently. It was clear that this woman had been keeping a very close eye on Cora, and I hoped that would translate into a clue as to her whereabouts.