"Wait, how do you know—” But Jen was already long gone.
"Of course I knew he was a vampire!” Jen was looking at Sarah like she'd lost her mind. “Gorgeous guy, spooky eyes, talks in my head. What else would he be?"
Sarah glanced around the crowded dining room, but no one was paying attention, or at least no one who thought it was odd to talk about vampires. “I don't know,” she said. “I just thought—"
"You need to expand your horizons, Professor Stratton. That's what my lit teacher said last week. ‘Expand your horizons.’ Of course I don't think he meant vampire lit, but, hey, to each his own, right? Isn't that like Shakespeare or something?"
"Um, no, that was Cicero. So you don't think he, I don't know, took advantage of you last night?"
Jen gaped at her, seemed to realize what she was doing and shut her mouth, checking around quickly, before saying, “Raj was like the sweetest guy I've ever met. And come on, Professor Stratton, even you must have noticed he's a total babe. I wish my last boyfriend had been half as nice. All he wanted was—"
"Okay.” Sarah held up her hand. She wasn't really interested in hearing what Jen's last boyfriend had wanted. “That's great. I'm going to go now. I just wanted to make sure you were all right."
"Sure,” Jen said, seeming puzzled. “Why wouldn't I be?” Her face brightened. “Listen, if you see Raj tell him ‘hi’ for me, okay? And tell him—"
"I'll tell him,” Sarah said quickly, standing up. “Thanks, Jen. If we need anything else, I'll call."
"Or Raj could call,” Jen called after her as Sarah hurried from the dining room. “I'm up really late every night."
Sarah was not only exhausted, but depressed by the time she got home from meeting Jen. Her first reaction had been relief that the girl was all right, but as she drove home, all she could think about were the things she'd said to Raj the previous night before storming off. She remembered the look on his face, his disbelief that she would accuse him of rape, and then his look of betrayal as the meaning of her words sank in. What an idiot she'd been. What a total moron. And still he'd waited until the stupid cab arrived and she was on her way before leaving the parking lot himself. She closed her eyes against a wave of regret. What had she done?
She parked in front of her house and dragged herself up the front stairs, wondering if she should call Raj and apologize. It was still daylight, which meant she wouldn't have to risk having him hang up on her. She could just leave a message on his voice mail and slink back into her corner of guilt. But, maybe he wouldn't even listen to it, maybe he'd hear her voice and hit delete, which was no more than she deserved. Damnit.
She unlocked her front door, grateful that Mrs. M. was over at her son's house today and not waiting to pounce with another Tupperware container. Her cell rang as she was pushing the door open and she dropped her purse on the floor, fumbling her keys as she patted her pockets looking for the phone. She grabbed it on the fourth ring, just before it would have gone to voice mail.
"Hello,” she said, somewhat breathlessly.
"Sarah Stratton?"
She grew still, listening hard. The voice was familiar, but . . . “Yes,” she said cautiously.
"This is Edward Blackwood. I believe we met, in a manner of speaking, the other night. You were having dinner with the vampire, Raymond Gregor."
"Oh.” Her lungs strained to produce enough air for that one syllable, to keep breathing in and out. She sank down on the stairs, heedless of her purse sitting on the floor by the still open front door.
"Of course, we weren't properly introduced,” Blackwood was saying. “But I was speaking to that police detective, Mr. Scavetti, and he mentioned your name."
"I see."
"I thought perhaps we could have lunch, Ms. Stratton."
She could feel her heart laboring in her chest, but there didn't seem to be any blood going to her brain. Had there been something snide about the way he said her name? Or was she hearing things that weren't there because she was so terrified?
"That's very kind,” she managed to say, “but I'm afraid I'm rather busy right now, what with exams and my own research. I couldn't possibly—"
"I was under the impression you were working with the vampire on the Cowens case."
Sarah put her head between her legs, forcing the blood to rush back to her brain so she could think. It made breathing more difficult, but she would have fainted otherwise.
"Are you all right?” Blackwood's oily voice was full of concern.
"Yes,” she all but gasped. “Yes, I'm sorry. You caught me in the middle of my exercise routine; I'm a bit out of breath is all."
"Ah. I am sorry to interrupt. We at the Institute believe firmly in a healthful exercise regimen. I myself work out with a trainer regularly, although I do have a weakness for fine food.” He gave a self-deprecating laugh that was as phony as every other word he'd uttered since she had stupidly answered the phone without checking her caller ID. Not that it would have mattered. Blackwood was a persistent man. She remembered that much.
"Shall we have lunch tomorrow?” he said, proving the accuracy of her impression.
"Forgive my bluntness, but why, exactly, do you want to have lunch with me?” Sarah asked, reminding herself yet again that she was no longer a scared teenager. She was a grown woman and if she didn't want to have lunch with someone she didn't have to.