Vampire - Dead By Dusk Part 34

The police and the coroner had come and gone. They had been as puzzled and shocked as Grant himself.

Arturo, too, had come, wringing his hands, tremendously distressed. He was now gone as well.

Grant had patiently answered questions posed to him by the police on his own, and through Arturo.

He also a.s.sured the local officers that he wasn't planning on leaving the area. He had gotten a little information from them, and he called the hospital to talk to Drew, anxious that he know about the discovery before they all returned-perhaps heedlessly, believing that there wasn't any danger in the area other than forest "animals." He told Drew both the a.s.sumptions being made-that the arm, yes, could have easily belonged to Gema-and the fact that they couldn't be certain, not yet.

Hours had pa.s.sed since he had first returned. With all the commotion that the arrival of the police had brought, he still hadn't seen Clay Barton, though Drew had informed him that Liz had gone back to the hospital.

Stephanie was still there as well. They were all sticking together, taking turns stretching and walking around the lobby, and sitting quietly in Doug's room.

Hanging up from Drew, Grant paused.

With the arm bagged and taken away, the police finished with their questioning for the evening, and, his call made to insure that the others knew about the discovery and were still together, he was free to return to his own cottage.

He did so.

Hurrying to the bedroom, he connected to the Internet. And he began to look up names, actors, actresses, and resumes.

When Stephanie went in for her last stint with Doug, she was glad to see that he was breathing normally.

Lena was excited. They had almost lost him. He had flat-lined for a few seconds while she and Suzette had been gone, and there had been all kinds of feverish activity in the hospital. They had brought Doug back.

And minutes later, he had opened his eyes. He had talked to them all.

It had been like a miracle-he had even asked for dinner.

Stephanie glanced at the peacefully sleeping Doug. She smiled, then looked anxiously back at Drew.

"Did he remember what happened? Anything at all?" she asked.

"Nope, nothing," Drew said.

According to Doug, he'd just come in from the beach, showered, and lain down on his bed for a nap.

That was it. All that he could recall. He'd had dreams... seemed he was always having dreams, but nothing he could remember.

Apparently, they had decided not to tell him about the arm left on Drew's doorstep. Stephanie decided that they'd been right.

He had just managed to squeak by... he had nearly died. There was no reason to tell him things that would be deeply upsetting.

He remained in a restful sleep while Stephanie sat vigil, sitting by his side on the bed while Suzette curled into the chair again. He was wearing a standard white hospital gown. Looking down at him, Stephanie frowned.

He was wearing a medallion around his neck as well. She frowned, certain that she hadn't seen it on him earlier.

She reached out to touch it.

It was a silver cross. Bigger, heavier, but similar to the one she was now wearing.

As she fingered the cross, she realized there was a peculiar odor in the air as well.

It was a hospital. Hospitals always smelled a little funky.No... it wasn't that kind of odor.

"Garlic," Suzette said suddenly, causing her to jump.

She looked at Suzette, who shrugged.

"I think it's me," she said apologetically. "I ate more than you did. A lot, I guess."

Stephanie smiled. "I don't remember Doug having this cross."

Suzette rose, walking across the room to her and reaching down to touch and study the piece as well. "Looks a lot like yours."

"But, did he have it before?"

"I don't think so."

"Well, I haven't seen the crazy old man in the hospital, so he didn't bring it."

"Maybe we just never noticed Doug wearing it before," Suzette suggested. "Who knows? Maybe he shopped at the old man's place one day."

"Maybe. Odd, though. I think someone just put it on him."

"Who?"

"I don't know."

"Well, I guess something like that should be a choice," Suzette said. "Should we... take it off of him?"

"I don't think so," Stephanie murmured. She shrugged. "I'm wearing mine. And... I think Doug is Christian."

"He could be an atheist, for all I know. The discussion never came up between us. But I don't think that he's Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, or Moslem, so... I guess it's all right to leave it. No, we should definitely leave it. It may actually be his, and we just don't know it."

"I think you're right... besides, he might have gotten it from someone who just wants to be nice and probably thinks it's a very good thing," Stephanie murmured.

Suzette nodded. "They're gorgeous. I'd like one. Maybe I'll find the old guy's place and buy one tomorrow myself." She shivered fiercely. "May not help, but can't hurt. Stephanie, do you think that the arm Grant found... that it did belong to Gema?"

"I have no idea," Stephanie said honestly.

"So scary!" Suzette said.

Stephanie reached back and unhooked her cross, offering it to Suzette. "Here, take this."

"I can't!"

"Why not?"

"The old fellow gave it to you."

"I know, but you take this one. I'll go and buy one from him tomorrow. I'll take someone with me-someone who really speaks Italian. I want to know what he was trying to say to me."

"I think he was just talking crazy."

"He was talking crazy!" Stephanie exclaimed. "Right. A girl is found buried-but they decide she was killed by animals. Then her mother lops her head off when she's lying in her coffin. We all dream-weird things. Then Grant finds a human arm on his porch.

And the old fellow is talking crazy? Hmm. I think I want to know what he was saying."

Suzette nodded miserably. She strode across the room, then glanced at her watch. "It's five. Think it will be okay if we go soon?"

"Yes," Stephanie said.

"It's okay if you go right now," Drew said from the doorway. "I'm going to hang out a while longer. Arturo just sent Giovanni with a car from the resort to pick you girls up. Go back and get some sleep. I'll stay until after he wakes up for real, has some breakfast, and talks me into believing it's okay if I leave."

"I should stay," Stephanie murmured.

"No. You look like h.e.l.l. If you all go, I'll sleep in the chair. I'll be fine. Then, when I'm totally crashed tomorrow, you guys can take over."

Doug tossed on the bed and flopped over, restlessly clawing at his neck.

"What's he doing now?" Drew wondered worriedly.

"Think he's... allergic to metal?" Suzette suggested.

Drew frowned, looking at the cross. "Is this his?"

"We don't know-I don't remember seeing it on him, either," Stephanie said.

"Maybe one of the nurses is praying for him... and thought he needed it," Suzette said. "You know how some people feel about actors-especially comedians. Maybe she-or he-thought he needed all the help he could get."

"Yeah, but look," Doug murmured. "It looks like it's irritating his skin! We'd better get it off."

"Maybe," Stephanie murmured.

And maybe Doug did indeed have an allergy. Once Drew had turned Doug over and Stephanie had gotten the clasp undone, he seemed to be fine, falling back into a restless sleep. The irritation on his throat seemed to disappear almost immediately.

"There, feel better?" Drew asked Stephanie. "Get going-Giovanni is here."

At last, Stephanie agreed. She felt guilty leaving, but the others convinced her.

Outside, Giovanni was waiting for them with the resort van. He was sympathetic and charming. Despite the way he spoke, with the right words and duly respectful of the gravity of Doug's condition and the events of the day, he looked at them all-with appreciation. He was an attractive and charming young man, trying to lift their spirits as they returned.

"Lena agreed, she's bunking in with me," Suzette, in the middle seat, told Stephanie, who was up front.

"That's good," Stephanie said."Stephanie, Liz will be... alone?" Suzette said.

Lena elbowed her in the ribs.

"Oh, yeah, right... Clay?" she said, looking at Liz.

"We're very close, of course, but don't worry about me. I'm fine-really. Especially right now. I think I'm going to hang in the lobby until they open the restaurant for breakfast."

"And you... well, I guess you're fine, too," Lena said, looking at Stephanie.

"I'm fine," she a.s.sured them, looking ahead.

Fine.

Yes, she'd be fine. Alone!

Grant was surely in his own place. And surely exhausted by now as well. In the hours that they d been at the hospital, he had probably spent most of his time with the police!

Giovanni pulled in front of the resort. Stephanie was the last out, thanking him for having come at such a late hour.

"My pleasure," he a.s.sured her. "But... Mr. Peterson... he went back to his place."

"Yes?" she said.

He flushed handsomely, dark lashes sweeping his cheeks as he looked down. She realized that Giovanni-like most of the resort-was surely aware of where Grant had been sleeping.

"I thought you might want to know where he was."

"Thank you, Giovanni. And good night."

She started toward the main entrance. Suzette was waiting for her; Liz and Lena were just ahead. "Was the sensuous-eyed young Italian trying to make you feel the need for male companionship through the night?" Suzette asked.

Stephanie had to laugh. "I get the impression he'd like to spread love around the world. But he's always respectful. Hey, you all still be careful, okay?" she said. Then she gave them a wave, hurrying out, anxious. She felt nothing but absolute exhaustion. And she wanted desperately to be alone.

She nearly ran out back, grateful that it was so close to morning-to dawn, to the bright light of the sun. And yet, when she hurried from the rear doors of the resort down the trail to her own place, she realized it was still very dark.

Fumbling in her purse, she found her room key.

As she neared her door, she found herself thinking about Grant.

What had he felt when he approached his own door-and saw a human arm there?

Or had he put it there?

Chills ripped into her, and she ran the last few steps to her door, opening it quickly. She loathed herself for having such vicious thoughts-surely, he was having his problems, but to suspect such things about a man she... Loved.

That was just it! Oh, Lord, women could be such fools, letting an all-consuming pa.s.sion, a hunger for the intimacy of such a s.e.x life, interfere with logic and sense. She couldn't do that. She couldn't tell herself that just because she needed him beside her, because he made the earth and the heavens rise and explode like fireworks, that there couldn't be something wrong with him.

Very wrong.

Shaking her head, she pushed open the door. As she did so, she had a sense of a shadow, huge, bat-like, sweeping the night behind her.

She stepped in and slammed her door, and turned on every light in the place.