said, wiping tears from her eyes. “It’s just that we’ve all said that very thing at one time or another.”
Rosemary nodded. “Welcome to Morgan Creek, Kadie. You’re truly one of us now.”
One of them. It was a sobering thought and yet, to Kadie’s amazement, it gave her a surprisingly unexpected sense of camaraderie.
“How long have you been here, Rosemary?” she asked.
“About twenty years, as near as I can figure.”
“Twenty years,” Kadie exclaimed softly. A lifetime of memories lost, she thought, thinking of all the birthdays, holidays, and graduations Rosemary had missed. Never knowing if her sons had married, if she had grandchildren, great-grandchildren. It was so unfair.
Kadie frowned thoughtfully. Rosemary was certain the vampires were killers, but if the vampires intended to kill the inhabitants of Morgan Creek, they certainly didn’t seem to be in any hurry.
“It seems much longer,” Rosemary said. “There’s nothing to look forward to here, no reason to live.”
Kadie murmured, “I’m sorry,” because she couldn’t think of anything else to say. The utter hopelessness in Rosemary’s voice, the stark defeat in her eyes, tugged at Kadie’s heart. “How did you get here?”
“Just stumbled into the place, the same as everyone else,” Rosemary said. “We were on vacation. My husband and my four teenage sons had gone fishing. If only I’d gone with them! Instead, I decided to do a little sightseeing. I ended up here.” She blinked rapidly, but not before Kadie saw her tears. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Of course you don’t,” Kadie said sympathetically. She sipped her coffee. It was hot and strong. She tried to think of a topic of conversation that was safe, but in the end, she asked the question that was uppermost in her mind. “Do either of you know anything about Saintcrow that you can tell me?”
Marti shook her head. “He’s a mystery to all of us.”
“In all the time I’ve been here, I’ve never seen him,” Rosemary said. “The other vampires don’t talk about him.”
“The only thing I know is that he rode with King Richard in the Crusades,” Kadie said.
“Did he tell you that?” Rosemary asked.
“No, Vaughan told me.”
“That’s so hard to believe.” Marti looked bewildered. “Are you sure he didn’t make that up?”
“I guess he could have,” Kadie replied with a shrug. “But why would he?”
“Who knows why they do anything they do?” Rosemary’s voice was tinged with bitterness. “They’re vampires.”
It explained everything.
And nothing.
“Tell us about yourself, Kadie,” Marti said.
“There’s not much to tell,” she said wistfully. “I’m a freelance photographer and writer. I live in California with my folks and my younger sister, Kathy. She’s very ill, but none of the specialists she’s seen can diagnose the disease.” Kadie bit down on her lower lip, blinking rapidly to keep her tears at bay. “I’ve got to get home before it’s too late.”
It was midafternoon when Kadie took her leave. Reluctant to return to Saintcrow’s house, she walked the few blocks to Main Street, her mind replaying the conversation she’d had with the women. She had a lot to learn about vampires and life in Morgan Creek. It seemed Marti and Rosemary had given up any hope of escape, Kadie mused, but she never would. There had to be a way out of here. There just had to be!
And what if there isn’t? queried a little voice in the back of her mind. What then?
At loose ends, Kadie decided to check out the movie theater. She was surprised to discover there were four auditoriums, all playing different movies. She was a little disappointed that she had already seen them all, but she frequently saw movies she liked more than once.
There was no charge, of course, no one to take tickets, but Leslie and Chelsea were behind the concession counter, handing out popcorn, candy, and soft drinks.
“Hi, Kadie,” Leslie said cheerfully. “What’ll you have?”
“Popcorn and a root beer, please.”
“Coming right up,” Chelsea said.
Leslie leaned her elbows on the counter. “So, have you settled in yet?”
“I guess so.”
“I hear you belong to Saintcrow now.”
“I don’t belong to anybody!” Kadie exclaimed indignantly, then quickly apologized for her outburst.
“It’s all right,” Leslie said. “We all get frustrated now and then.”
“Do you two work here every day?” Kadie asked.
“We all take turns,” Chelsea replied, handing Kadie a bag of popcorn and a large soda. “It helps to pass the time.”
Nodding, Kadie thanked the women for their help, then went into the first auditorium. No one else was there.
The movie had been playing about twenty minutes when a man entered