"Lucky for me," he said.
I looked at the girl's body. "Yeah."
Larry was hugging the windowsill, gripping it with his hands. "Larry, why don't you run down to the Jeep and get some gloves out of my bag?"
"Gloves?"
"I've got a box of surgical gloves in with my animating stuff. Bring the box."
He swallowed hard and nodded. Every freckle stood out on his face like ink spots. He moved very quickly to the door and shut it behind him. I had two sets of gloves in my jacket pocket, but Larry needed air.
"This his first murder?"
"Second," I said. "How old is the girl?"
"Seventeen," he said.
"Then it's murder even if she consented."
"Consented? What are you talking about?" There was the very first hint of anger in his voice.
"What do you think happened here, Sheriff?"
"A vampire climbed in her window while she was getting ready for bed and killed her."
"Where's all the blood?"
"There's more blood under her neck. You can't see the mark, but that's where he drained her."
"That's not enough blood to kill her."
"He drank the rest." He sounded a little outraged.
I shook my head. "No single vampire can consume the entire blood supply of an adult human in one sitting."
"Then there was more than one," he said.
"You mean the bites on her thighs?"
"Yeah, yeah." He paced the pink shag carpet in quick, nervous strides.
"Those marks are at least a couple of days old," I said.
"So he hypnotized her twice before, but this time he killed her."
"It's awfully early for a teenager to be going to bed."
"Her mother said she wasn't feeling well."
That I believed. Even if you want it to happen, that much blood loss can take the sparkle out of your step.
"She fixed her hair and makeup before she went to bed," I said.
"So?"
"Did you know this girl?"
"Yes, hell yes. This is a small town, Miss Blake. We all know each other. She was a good kid, never in any trouble. You never found her parked with a boy, or out drinking. She was a good girl."