control than I've ever seen. I've never met a vampire, even a master vampire, that could hold three humans in thrall while he killed them. Until I saw this, I'd have said it couldn't be done."
"What else could it be?" Larry asked.
I shrugged. "I think it's a vamp, but if I said I was a hundred percent sure, I'd be lying. I try not to lie to the police. There may be no tracks up the hill even if the ground was soft, because the vampire could have flown in."
"Like a bat?" Freemont asked.
"No, they don't change shape into a bat, but they can..." I searched for a word and there wasn't one. "They can levitate, sort of fly. I've seen it. I can't explain it, but I've seen it."
"A serial killer vampire." She shook her head, the lines near her mouth deepening. "The Feds are going to be all over this."
"No joke," I said. "Did you find the missing body parts?"
"No, I thought maybe it had eaten them."
"If it ate that much, why not more? If it ate, why no teeth marks? If it ate, why not some scattered body parts, like crumbs?"
She clenched her hands into fists. "You've made your point. It was a vampire. Even a dumb cop knows they don't eat flesh." She turned her brown eyes to me, and there was a lot of anger in them. Not at me, exactly, but I might make a good target. I stared back at her, not flinching. She looked away first. Maybe I wouldn't make a good target.
"I don't like having a civilian contractor in on a homicide investigation, but you spotted things down there that I missed. You're either very good, or you know something that you aren't telling me."
I could have just said I'm good at my job, but I didn't. Didn't want the police thinking I was holding out information when I wasn't. "I've got one advantage over a normal homicide detective, I expect it to be a monster. No one ever calls me in if it's just a stabbing, or a hit-and-run. I don't spend a lot of time trying to come up with nice, normal explanations. It means I get to ignore a lot of theories."
She nodded. "Alright, if you help me catch this thing, I don't care what you do for a living."
"Glad to hear it," I said.
"But no reporters, no media. I am in charge here. This is my investigation. I decide when we go public. Is that clear?"
"Sure."
She stared at me like she didn't believe me. "I mean it about the media, Ms. Blake."
"I don't have a problem with no media, Sergeant Freemont. I prefer it that way."
"For a person who doesn't want the media around, you get a lot of attention."
I shrugged. "I'm involved in only sensational cases, detective. Cases that make good press, good sound bites. I slay vampires, for God's sake; it makes great headlines."
"As long as we understand each other, Ms. Blake."
"No media; it's not a hard concept," I said.
She nodded. "I'll have someone walk you over to the first crime scene. I'll see you get the file at your hotel." She started to turn away.
"Sergeant Freemont?"
She turned back, but it was not a friendly look. "What is it now, Ms. Blake? You've done your job."
"You can't treat this like a human serial killer."
"I'm in charge of this investigation, Ms. Blake. I can do what I damn well please."
I stared up at her, met her hostile eyes. I wasn't feeling too friendly myself. "I am not trying to steal your thunder here. But vampires aren't just people with fangs. If the vamp could catch their minds and hold them while he slaughtered each of them in turn, he could capture your mind, anyone's mind. A vampire that talented could make you think black was white. Do you understand me?"
"It's daylight, Ms. Blake; if it's a vampire then we find it and stake it."
"You'll need a court order of execution."
"We'll get one."
"When you get it, I'll come back and finish the job."
"I think we can handle it."
"You ever stake a vampire?" I asked.
She just looked at me. "No, but I've shot a man. It can't be that much harder."
"It's not harder in the way you mean," I said. "But it's a hell of a lot more dangerous."
She shook her head. "Until the Feds get here, I'm in charge, and not you or anyone else is taking over. Is that clear, Ms. Blake?"