“You want us to leave you alone?”
He pursed his lips. “If you don’t mind staying…”
He wanted company. He’d been essentially on his own for five hundred years, and now he wanted company.
I drew a pitcher of beer, brought over two glasses, and Ben and I sat at the table across from him. None of us said anything. Rick’s face was lined with worry, revealing something of the older man he never would become.
Half an hour passed, then Rick stood. “Thank you,” he said. “I’ve imposed on you enough. I should be going.”
I said, “It’s no imposition. Rick, if there’s anything we can do—”
“I know, and I appreciate it. For now … I need to consider this all. Kitty, Ben, good night.”
I unlocked the front door for him, and he swept out into the night. Ben came to stand beside me, and we both looked after him, though Rick had vanished almost immediately, lost in shadows.
“Should I be worried?”
“Rick can take care of himself,” Ben said.
“You don’t sound convinced.”
“All right. I’m worried. This sounds like a scam. What are we supposed to do about it?”
I didn’t have an answer to that.
* * *
THE NEXT afternoon, I called Cormac. His cell phone rang, and rang, and rang, and I waited, because I knew he’d answer eventually. I pictured him driving in his worn, veteran Jeep, calmly hooking the hands-free in his ear, keeping his gaze on the road. Stuff happened, and him hurrying wouldn’t change it. I had to smile. Didn’t matter what happened or how much time passed, some things never changed.
The line clicked, and he finally
came on. “Yeah?” A background hum indicated that yes, he was driving.
“You busy?”
“Why do you ask?” he replied.
Nobody could ever give me a straight answer. “I have another job for you.”
“Tracking down or spying?”
I wrinkled my nose. “Is there a difference?”
“I suppose not.” He sounded like he was grinning, which meant he was making fun of me.
I let it go. He smiled seldom enough, let him have his fun. “There’s a new vampire in town. I want to find out if he really is who he says he is.”
“Is he one of your conspiracy friends?”
“I’m not even sure I know what that means. But no, he just showed up at New Moon last night without an invitation or anything. He said he’s a priest.”
“Vampire priest? Is that even possible?” he said.
“I’d love to find out. His name’s Columban, and he said he’s on a mission from the pope.”
“Huh,” he said, which was about as surprised-sounding as he ever got. “Why’s he here?”
“He’s trying to recruit Rick.”