Vampire - Kiss Of Darkness Part 12

"I stopped by the station," he explained.

"Why?"

"Because I'm afraid you may have a dangerous cult at work here in New Orleans," MacAllistair explained.

She almost laughed out loud. "This is New Orleans. We have tons of voodoo pract.i.tioners, would-be vampires...you name it." "I don't mean to cut this conversation short," MacAllistair said, "but I'm due at the university soon. If there's paperwork..."

"Yes, let's move," Sean said. He indicated his car.

"I have my own car," Jessica said quickly.

"I don't, but I'm sure my hostess will be happy to drive me," MacAllistair said.

Sean arched a brow; Jessica shrugged. She opened her car door. MacAllistair walked around to take the pa.s.senger seat.

As she followed Sean's car to the station, Jessica glanced in the askew rearview mirror at the man beside her. "I'm still confused.

What do you have to do with Mary? Why were you visiting Sean?"

He stared straight at her, frowning. "What were you doing at the hospital?"

"Visiting Mary."

"Are you a relative?"

"No. I met her in Transylvania."

"You what?"

She exhaled impatiently. "I was at an international meeting. I happened to meet Mary and some of her friends. So what were you really doing visiting Sean?"

He was still staring at her. Suspiciously. She returned the glare. "Well?"

He lifted his hands. "It's what I do."

"What do you mean?"

"I know a great deal about pagan beliefs, cults and so on. The problem with anything like that is when people become fanatics.

I'm sure you surely know that yourself. Mix up a few voodoo love spells and it's fun. Become convinced you're the servant of some devil or demon, and G.o.d knows what you'll get. Since my field is ancient beliefs, I've been involved in a few investigations where fanatics have taken something to the extreme and someone has gotten hurt. Since I'm afraid something similar may be happening here, I went and visited Sean."

She felt as if a frown had become permanently furrowed into her forehead.

"The road," he warned.

She realized she had been staring at him for too long and turned her attention back to her driving.

She felt her pulse pounding at her temples, felt the magnetism, and the sheer strength and size, of the man at her side.

She felt as if she would be happy if there were a ten-foot wall of concrete between them. And at the same time, there was a hint of...

She winced. He was frighteningly attractive. Entirely sensually, s.e.xually attractive. He could walk into a room and make her forget all sense of respectability and just wonder what it would be like if...

There was a whisper of something about him. Something in the way he moved, in the way he looked at her. Something that compelled and seduced like... She gave herself a shake. He was dangerous, she decided, if only to her peace of mind. The concrete wall was exactly what she needed.

At the station, they had to wait an uncomfortable amount of time. The two a.s.sailants had to be booked before she and Bryan could give their statements.

As soon as he was finished, Bryan MacAllistair hurried out.

Sean Canady stood with Jessica at the door as he left. MacAllistair didn't look back, but Jessica was certain he knew they were watching him.

"He was in Romania," she said.

"And all over Europe when parties like that one took place," Sean said.

"And he was there tonight, when I was attacked," Jessica went on.

"Right."

"It's awfully coincidental," she pressed.

Sean turned and studied her. Then he said softly, "The same could be said about you, Jessica."

She frowned, staring at him, but before she could speak, she was startled by someone hurrying up behind her. She whirled, instantly alarmed, then let out a breath of relief.

It was just Bobby Munro.

"Jessica, word got around. You were attacked? Are you all right?" he asked anxiously, taking her into his arms for a quick hug.

"I'm fine." she a.s.sured him.

He backed away, looking a little abashed. "Sorry, Lieutenant Canady. I just heard what happened."

"It's all right, Bobby," Sean a.s.sured him.

Bobby looked at Jessica worriedly again. "You're sure?"

"Bobby, I'm fine."

"Professor MacAllistair made an appearance, and I think the toughs are pretty d.a.m.ned sorry," Sean explained. "Not, mind you,"

he said, grinning as he caught Jessica's glance, "that our Ms. Fraser is not a most capable woman."

"Yeah, but those two...they were detained just a few days ago," Bobby said.

"Oh?" Jessica said, startled.

"Cal Hodges and Niles Goolighan. We couldn't hold them, couldn't prove anything. But we brought them in for questioning. One of the nurses at the hospital thought they might have been prowling around."

"That was these two?" Sean said frowning.

"Yes. They were in a lineup, but the nurse couldn't make a positive identification, so we had to let them go. They had a lawyer in here screaming about their rights." "They won't be getting out this time," Sean said firmly.

"Anyway, my shift's over and I gotta get going. I have a side job tonight." He flushed. "I've been taking a bunch of them lately.

Trying to save up some money. It's all right, isn't it?" he asked Sean.

"Yeah. Sure."

"Well, Jessica, I just wanted to make sure you were really all right," Bobby said. "So...night."

"Night," Sean and Jessica chorused.

When he was gone, Sean murmured. "Great. Those two were prowling around the hospital before."

"Could they have been...after Mary?" Jessica wondered aloud. "That can't be. They're just a pair of idiots."

"You need to be careful," he said simply.

"Sean, I am careful."

"I mean really careful."

She gasped suddenly.

"What?" Sean asked.

"I think...how stupid of me," she murmured, irritated with herself.

"What?" Sean asked again in exasperation.

"I've seen one of them before. In fact, I've more than seen him."

"Which one? Where? And what do you mean?"

"At the college...about a year ago. There was a symposium going on. I didn't recognize him at first because he's grown his hair...

but I wound up talking to him at one point."

"What was the symposium about?"

"Occultism in New Orleans. Cal was there. I'm sure of it. I can't believe it's took me so long to realize why he looked familiar."

"You meet tons of people."

She shook her head. "No, you don't understand. I did more than just talk to him. He made it clear he didn't want to talk to a woman about what was bothering him, so I set him up with a male colleague, Dr. Darnell. But in our conversation, he told me that his folks were dead, and he was saddled with a little sister. Sean, I called social services about the situation. They took the sister away."

"You think he attacked you because of that?"

"No, that's the weird thing. He was grateful she was taken away. She went to live in the Midwest with an aunt, and I guess she's much happier, too. Sean, this is disturbing."

"You were attacked. Of course it's disturbing."

"Look, in Transylvania, I knew the kids involved. Now I've been attacked and I know one of my attackers. I would have sworn he was a basically good kid, so this...doesn't make any sense."

"Jessica, you can't save the entire world. Cal and Niles are punks. Sometimes people are bad and there's nothing you can do. I don't think you should be worried that every bad thing that happens centers around you."

"I don't think that."

"The fact that you knew one of the kids who attacked you is probably just a coincidence."

"Probably. But...what if there is a connection? Sean, do you have some men you can a.s.sign to the hospital? Men to watch over Mary?"

"You mean you really think those two might have been after Mary? That's a little far-fetched, don't you think?"

"Nothing is too far-fetched."

"These two will go to jail and stay there," Sean a.s.sured her.

"What if they get out on bail?"

"I'll get the D.A.'s office to see that they don't," he promised.

"Sean, even having been there in Romania, I didn't imagine that anything this bad would happen here. It never occurred to me that something like that would follow us back here to New Orleans. But now, as bizarre as it seems, I do think that New Orleans is slated for...."

"For what? Jessica, what's going on here? What are you thinking?"

"I'm really frightened for Mary. I should have been from the start. But I thought she'd be okay, that it was over, that we'd come home, that...evil had moved on. I didn't realize it might have moved on to my own home. I should have been concerned from the second I returned."

"You sound as if you're blaming yourself."

"Well...."

"Okay, we need to see to it that Mary is guarded. Help me out here. What, precisely, do you suggest I tell my men they're watching out for?" He shook his head. "I'll definitely have to hire off-duty guys. I won't be able to explain this one to the city. I take it you want someone there right away?"

"Yes."

"Too bad Bobby already has a gig tonight," Sean muttered.

"There are other good cops."

"Yeah, I know. Give me a few minutes."

Sean went back inside. Jessica waited.

When he returned he said, "I'll have a guy over there within the half hour."

"That long?"