Hunter s Moon - By Lori Handeland Page 0,27

"Could have been, I guess. I was thinking the werewolf came here for this reason, but maybe he or she is just here. The time is what's important, not the location."

"There's a blood moon every year," I pointed out.

Will flicked a glance first at me, then at Jessie. "Find out if anything similar has ever happened anywhere else at this time."

She nodded and dialed her cell phone. "Mandenauer?"

I leaned forward, trying to hear his voice. Foolish, but I missed him.

Once I'd refused to let Edward get close to me, fearing superstitiously for his life. But years had passed, he'd faced dangers I didn't even know about, and he was still kicking. So I'd allowed myself to care.

Jessie explained what Will had discovered. "Are there any other recorded instances of werewolf cannibals?" She listened. "OK, thanks."

"Well?" I asked.

"None. Werewolves have been killed, though rarely, but never eaten. Mandenauer's concerned. Strange behavior is always a bad thing."

"I'll question a few elders," Will said. "See what they know about Weendigos. Maybe I'll get an idea of where to start looking for... something."

"We'll check around," Jessie said.

"We?" I asked.

"Yes, we. Talk to customers in the bar. Make nice. Be friendly." She frowned. "Maybe I should do that."

Will laughed. "Right, Jess. You're not a people person."

Another thing we had in common.

"I can be a regular Miss Manners if I have to be," she protested.

Will and I snorted at the same time.

Jessie scowled. "Never mind. Find out who's new, who's not. Ask if there's been anything strange going on."

"Like?"

"Unexplained disappearances?"

"Haven't you checked the missing persons reports?" I asked.

"There aren't any."

I gaped. "But... that's impossible."

She shrugged. "Town's full of transients. No one's going to report them missing."

True. But still...

"I'll drive you back to the bar," Jessie said. "You can ask around there. I'll take the shops in town."

"How come I have to take the bar? I barely drink."

"Even better. Alcohol kills brain cells, and you don't have a lot left to lose."

My eyes narrowed. "Oh, yeah, you're going to win them over with your sparkling wit and genial nature. I can see that already."

She almost laughed but caught herself. "Let's get this over with."

A half an hour later I stood outside the bar as the tail-lights of Jessie's squad car disappeared down Good Road. There were a few vehicles in the lot, but not many.

I checked my watch. Nearing four o'clock. Not exactly a hopping time in any tavern. I decided to go upstairs, take the shower I'd missed that morning, check my E-mail, do some paperwork.

My best bet for hearing anything interesting would be when the bar patrons were inebriated. Besides, I wanted to work a crowded room, not a table full of customers. The more people I could talk to at one time, the better.

I stepped inside, and I knew someone had been there. Damien? Or another?

Nothing was out of place. Not really - though I could have sworn I'd left my computer on the kitchen table at an angle and not anally lined up with the corner. However, since I was anal, I might have done that and not even noticed. Nevertheless, I pulled my gun and checked the apartment thoroughly, but whoever had been inside without me was gone.

I stared at my laptop. Even if someone had opened it, turned the thing on, played around, he wouldn't have found anything. I knew how to protect my files. I'd know that even before I'd taken J-S computer training.

Regardless, I powered up the machine, did a quick run-through of my data. Everything was there, and I could find no evidence that someone had been tiptoeing through classified information.

I left the computer on. I had work to do. But right now I was starving. When was the last time I'd eaten?

Yesterday. Maybe.

The coffee sloshed around in my stomach like acid. I opened the tiny refrigerator more out of habit than hope. I'd looked in there this morning, and it had been as empty as my social calendar.

So how had it gotten full?

I blinked at the food - fruits, vegetables, milk, lunch meat, juice. I straightened and opened the cabinet above the sink.

"Praise God, coffee," I murmured.

As well as cereal, bread, and cookies. Someone had been in here. The grocery fairy.

"I love the grocery fairy." I ripped open the bag of cookies.

Damien had brought me food. Who else knew I was here? Who else cared?

The nature of my life had never bothered me. I had no home; I existed alone. No one would miss me