THE WOMAN I KILL OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND YET PUT INSIDE THAT TINY BODY THE OTHER HALF OF MY SOUL? ARE MOST OF THE VAMPIRES YOU KILL MEN? DO YOU HAVE YOUR VICTIM PREFERENCE, ANITA?
I WOULD LOVE TO HUNT WITH YOU AT MY SIDE. I WOULD HUNT YOUR VICTIMS BECAUSE I KNOW YOU WILL NOT HUNT MINE. BUT WE WOULD STILL KILL TOGETHER AND CUT THE BODIES UP, AND THAT WOULD BE MORE THAN I EVER DREAMED OF SHARING WITH A WOMAN.
The note wasn't signed. Big surprise there, since I might have given it to the police.
"You look pale," Dallas said.
"What does the note say?" Bernardo asked.
I handed it to him. "I don't think he's out there to kill us or even her."
"Who are you talking about?" she asked.
I told her, and she laughed at me. "You know I'm a vampire executioner."
"Yes."
"I killed another vamp last night. One I think that Itzpapalotl wanted me to kill. She helped me do it. That's the heart that I took."
Bernardo read faster than I would have thought, "Jesus, Anita, Olaf has a crush on you."
"A crush," I said, "a crush. God, there's got to be another word for it."
Dallas asked, "Can I read it?"
"I think you should because he didn't wait just to catch a glimpse of me. He waited because if I hadn't shown up, he'd have come in here and butchered you."
She tried to laugh it off, but there must have been something in my face that choked the laughter and made her reach a shaking hand out for the letter. She read it and said, "Who is this?"
"Olaf," I said.
"But he was so nice."
Bernardo made a harsh sound.
"Trust me on this, Dallas. Olaf is not nice."
She looked from one to the other of us. "You're not kidding, are you?"
"He's a serial killer. I just don't think he's ever killed in this country."
"You should turn him in to the police," she said.
"I don't have any proof of what he's done."
"Besides," Bernardo said, "what if he was one of the vamps?"
"What do you mean?" Dallas asked.
"He means wouldn't you protect one of the vamps from the police because you'd know that the vamps would take care of it," I said.
"Well, yes, I guess."
"And we'll take care of this," Bernardo said.
She looked from one to the other of us, and for the first time she looked afraid.
"Will he be back?"
"For you, I don't think so," Bernardo said. He looked at me. "But I bet he'll find a reason to come to St. Louis."
I'd have liked to say he was wrong, but the cold tight feeling in my stomach agreed with Bernardo. I'd be seeing Olaf again. I just had to decide what I'd do when I met him. He hadn't done anything wrong on this trip. Not only couldn't I prove he was a serial killer, he hadn't done anything worse than I'd done this time round. Who was I to throw stones? Yet, yet, I hoped he stayed away from me. For more reasons than I wanted to admit, maybe. Maybe for the same reasons that I'd kill him if he came. Because maybe there was some truth to what he wrote. I had over fifty kills. What really separated me from people like Olaf? Motive, method? If those were the only differences, then Olaf was right, and I couldn't let him be right. I just could not accept that. Growing up to be Edward was a problem. Growing up to be Olaf was a nightmare.
EPILOGUE
EPILOGUE
MARKS TRIED TO PRESS assault charges, but Bernardo and I said we didn't know what he was talking about. Doctor Evans said that his injuries were inconsistent with being hit by a person. It wouldn't have worked except that Marks was in the doghouse about how he'd handled the case. He was in on the press conference where the public was assured that the danger was over, but Ramirez was standing up there beside him, along with Agent Bradford. And me. They put Ted and Bernardo up there, too. We didn't get to answer questions, but we got our picture in the papers. I'd have rather not, but I knew it would please Bert, my boss, and they did print it in several national papers that I was Anita Blake of Animators, Inc. Bert loved it.
Edward caught a secondary infection from something that had been smeared on the stake. He took a relapse, and I stayed. Donna and I took turns sitting by his bed. Sitting