Vampire Shift - By Tim O'Rourke Page 0,28

the steering wheel with my fist, I screamed in anger as I watched him disappear into the distance. Looking to my right, I tried to see what it was he had placed in the bushes. Climbing from my car, I went over to find that the male had skewered a folded piece of paper onto a branch. With the edges of the paper flapping in the breeze, I pulled it free. Unfolding the note, I read what was written upon it.

Sorry, didn’t mean to hurt you yesterday. There is more danger to come – be careful.

I looked at the piece of paper and I knew that the cyclist had been aware of my presence in the graveyard the whole time. The piece of paper had been torn from a bigger piece. In the far corner, I could just make out the word ‘Mary’s’, which suggested that he had taken it from a piece of headed note paper from St. Mary’s church. The only opportunity he would’ve had to write the message was while he’d gone to the church to collect his bike after leaving the graveyard. And if he’d written the note then, he must have been aware of my presence in the graveyard. He then hid somewhere along the road and waited for me to pass him in my car.

Whoever he was – I was certain that he meant me no real harm. He’d had a couple of opportunities to do so. But who was he? And why did he have to behave as if he were some kind of guardian angel?

Tucking the note into my jeans pocket, I got back into my car and headed back towards the Inn. As I pulled-up out front, the first specks of snow flurried past on the wind. Hurrying to my room, I pulled the bedcovers over my head and tried to get some rest before my next vampire shift began later that evening.

Chapter Ten

I arrived at the police station just before seven. While I’d slept the rest of the day away, it had continued to snow and was now coming down in thick flurries. The narrow streets of The Ragged Cove were covered with it, as were the fields that stretched out on either side of the country roads I’d taken to get to work. Several times, the back wheels of my car had slipped and skidded and I’d had to be careful not to drive head first into some ditch. So it was with some relief that I arrived at the station without wrecking my second car in less than twenty-four hours.

Hurrying into the station and out of the snow, I found Sergeant Murphy, Potter, and Luke all sitting at their desks behind the front counter. It was as if they were waiting for me. Coming around the front counter, I glanced at Luke and he held my gaze with his brilliant green eyes. The last time I’d seen him, we had been curled up together on my bed in my poky room. I wondered how he felt about that. Luke half-smiled and I looked away. Sometimes I found it hard to look at him, I could sense something between us, but I didn’t quite know what. If I were to be honest with myself, I knew that I found his rugged looks attractive, but there was something else – I didn’t know what – that told me I should try and keep my distance.

“How are you feeling tonight, constable?” Sergeant Murphy asked, and I noticed straight away that he hadn’t called me by my first name like he had before.

“A bit bruised and battered,” I said, placing my uniform and utility belt on the desk in front of me.

“Not as battered as the police car you wrecked last night,” Potter chipped in, lighting a cigarette.

I looked across at Luke and he was still staring at me. Ignoring Potter’s remark, I turned to face Sergeant Murphy and said, “I don’t know if Luke has already briefed you, but there was an incident last night up at the graveyard.”

Popping his pipe into his mouth, Murphy looked straight at me and said, “I’d like to hear your account of what took place last night.”

“It’s difficult to explain without sounding -” I started.

“Without sounding like what?” Potter cut in.

“Like I’d lost my mind,” I said.

“Tell them what happened,” Luke told me. “You’re amongst friends here.”

Hearing this, I glanced at Potter and wasn’t so sure. Turning away from him, I looked at my sergeant