it, but it seemed as though Cora Oglesby's warning was well-founded. Again.
He looked up at his deputy. "You a praying man, Jack Evans?"
The question took Jack by surprise. "Why, I don't attend church regular, but I was raised in the faith."
"Well, that's something, at least," Duggan said. "Don't suppose it matters much which one, neither. My ma raised me Catholic, and I expect Sanchez out there will say the same."
"What difference does it make?" Jack asked. "How will that help us bag this feller?"
"You wasn't here when Mrs Oglesby stopped by," Duggan said, "so I'll give it to you quick."
The marshal summed up Cora's brief visit, explaining what she had said about crosses and garlic. When he finished, Jack's face was pale. "You mean to tell me my Annabelle Rose got killed by a vampire?"
"Ain't nothing sure about it," Duggan said, "but if what you said about him jumping out the window is true, I expect it's at least a possibility."
"Shit, marshal, we got to get moving," Jack said, heading out of the marshal's office. He paused at the front door and looked back. "Well, come on! We got to save her."
"Save who?" Sanchez asked, looking alarmed.
"Annabelle," Jack said, but Sanchez just gave him a blank look.
Duggan's boots thumped on the floor as he walked toward his deputies. "Jack," he said, "I don't reckon there's much we can do for her."
"What do you mean?" Jack asked. "We can't just leave her out there to get killed."
"I expect she's already dead," Duggan said.
"But you ain't sure of that," Jack said. "I didn't see no dead body, just some sack over his shoulder. Until we know for sure, it's our duty as lawmen to find and protect her."
"There's more folk in this town besides your whore," Duggan said. "I ain't about to run all three of us after some spook just because you was dumb enough to fall for a whore. My duty is to all the people of Leadville, and so is yours. Don't you forget it."
"Hunting down that vampire would make the whole town safer," Jack said. "The sooner we do it, the sooner we do our duty."
"Madre de Dios," Sanchez whispered from the desk. "There is a vampire here?"
"At least one," Duggan said, not taking his eyes off of Jack. "Mrs Oglesby said there might be more. Jack here seems to think one just jumped out a window with his sweetheart over one shoulder."
"What do we do, señor?" Sanchez asked.
"We stay right where we are," the marshal said. He raised a hand to halt Jack's outburst. "Won't do no good to charge off after a vampire at night, son. Even if you did find him, you'd only end up killed yourself."
"But I can't just–"
"What you can't do is save that woman." Duggan looked at his deputy, a mixture of pity and irritation on his face. Jack Evans was a good man, if a little slow in the head. Duggan didn't want to lose him, but the fool had gone and fallen for a whore. The marshal had been a lawman long enough to have seen many a fight over a whore's love. Sometimes, it was two men that broke out in fisticuffs for a girl's affections. Other times, a man turned violent on a girl who didn't return his feeling. Either way, such affairs always ended with a fight and time spent in a jail cell. Duggan had never seen a happy ending to a man's love for a whore, and he didn't think Jack's would be the first.
Jack set his jaw. "Well, I ain't just going to leave her, sir. If you ain't going to do your duty, then I'll do it my own self."
"That's your business, then," Duggan said. "But if you do plan on saving that woman, go prepared. This ain't like cracking some drunk over the head and hauling him off to jail."
"Don't you worry, marshal," Jack said, drawing his pistol and giving it a spin. "I ain't stupid."
Duggan opened his mouth to reply, but his deputy had already slammed the door. The marshal stared after him for a moment, then sighed and looked at Sanchez, who met his gaze with fearful eyes.
"Well, deputy," Duggan said, clapping him on the shoulder, "looks like it's just you and me tonight."
When Washington Jones came to himself, his mouth was full of blood. The taste filled him with a strange new excitement. Opening his eyes, he saw a figure standing before him. The man's wrist was in Wash's