Jeanne Stein - Crossroads

“Kayani.”

“Good. How did you get away?”

“He and John-John went riding.”

“He lent you his car?”

“No. I didn’t tel him what I was doing. I tried to steal it, but it has pretty good security.”

He lets a grin touch the corners of his mouth even as he’s shaking his head. “You tried to steal a cop’s car?”

“But I didn’t. No harm, no foul.”

“You hoofed it across the desert?”

“Felt good, actual y. To let vampire have her head.”

“I understand. Wel, what now? No sign of Chael, but if Judith Wiliams was there, he must be, too. Do you think he’l give up and leave? He hasn’t succeeded in getting rid of you and I don’t know what else he can try.”

I let my gaze stretch out over the landscape. “I don’t know.

He’s crafty. But he’s not good at working without someone to throw under the bus when things get rough. How did you find Judith anyway?”

He taps a forefinger against his head. “She was leading a host out of the hotel. Tel ing the girl she was taking her somewhere more private. She was taking her behind the mesa to kil her. It was there in her thoughts. I got there in time.”

“Why didn’t you fol ow her? You took a chance taking her down in the lobby.”

“She picked up on me too soon. As it was, she threatened to kil the girl as soon as she read my intentions. I managed to scare the girl into bolting. But Judith wasn’t about to go outside quietly. I remembered what you said.”

“Kil her on sight. Good decision.”

“So what do we do now?”

I consider for a minute. “Let’s watch the road leading from the hotel. I do think Chael wil try to leave. As soon as he can.

Unless he has some contact here on the reservation, with Judith gone, he’s by himself.”

Frey puts the Jeep in reverse and swings back toward the road. Luckily, there is only one way in and out of the hotel parking lot. We find a place to park the Jeep behind some desert scrub and crouch down to watch the road.

One car enters the lot, a big Lincoln Navigator with tinted windows and a set of oversized tires designed to leave as big a carbon imprint as possible. It’s closely fol owed by a parade of police vehicles, both civilian and Navajo, screaming in with flashing lights and sirens shrieking. The driver of the Navigator pul s over and jumps out, hand on chest. He’s a blue hair, probably a year or two closer to the big one after thinking he was the object of pursuit.

Frey and I know better. We watch the cops head for the entrance of the hotel, some rush inside, others set up a perimeter with crime scene tape.

They’re going to have a tough time analyzing that crime scene. If they even think it a crime scene. What’s left? A pile of fine ash and little else. I remember Detective Harris and his visit to me a few days ago about Wiliams. But in that case, there was tangible physical evidence. Just enough to confuse things. Here there is no body. Only witness accounts that they saw a standoff between a woman and a masked man with a bow. Both are now gone. If for some reason, they run DNA on this ash, it might come back human, but at least the age of the deceased wil be in acceptable human range.

Not long after the police arrive, the lot is blocked off by a Navajo Police vehicle. An officer steps out and begins flagging down approaching tourists and tel ing them they have to turn around, that the hotel is temporarily closed. He’s greeted with a lot of unhappy grumbling, but al comply and make lazy U-turns, wondering out loud what has happened.

Frey looks over at me. “What now?”

“You should go home,” I say after a moment’s consideration. “The police probably think Judith Wiliams was kidnapped. Somebody may describe what you’re wearing even if they couldn’t see your face. I’l stay here and watch for Chael to make his move. He’s old and powerful, but I doubt he’s had to fend for himself against humans very often. His minions take care of the dirty work. He may be looking for a way out. I think I’l give him one.”

Frey narrows his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“He’l need help to escape.” I spread my arms. “Here it is.”

Frey nods his understanding. “Where wil you take him?”

I tel Frey about the cave I explored yesterday. I leave Sani out of it — one problem at a time — but behind those rocks seems a perfect place to take care of a vil ain like Chael.

Frey frowns. “Those caves are sacred. What you propose would desecrate what they represent. No. I think I have a better idea.”

Frey describes a mesa, here, in back of the hotel. There’s an opening in the rock, hard to see from the desert floor, but an easy climb to reach. “Get him there and you’l have al the privacy you need.”

I realize Frey is offering to let me take care of Chael and my spidey sense starts to tingle. “You’l go home? Let me handle Chael?”

He lowers his eyes. “You were right last night. I can’t risk John-John losing both his parents. Kil ing Judith Wiliams was too easy. I know Chael won’t go down witho fight and you are the stronger between us. I trust you to take revenge for Sarah’s death just as I trust you with the life of my son.”

His words raise gooseflesh on my arms. Partly because they’re said with so much sincerity, partly because the lowered eyes are a tel. He’s spouting crap. One thing I know about Frey, he’s a fighter. His pretty speech would have been pitch-perfect had he not added the part about trusting me with the life of his son. It sounded like a codicil to his wil.

He’s up to something.

But I haven’t the time to chal enge him. I wave him off.

“Okay, get going. I’l get back to Sarah’s as soon as I can.”

He gets back into the Jeep, cranks it over, and heads in the direction of Sarah’s house, al without another word or backward glance.

Oh yeah. He’s definitely up to something.

THE POLICE HAVE HERDED EVERYONE INTO THE lobby. They’re taking the witnesses at their word that a crime has been committed. They begin going down the list of guests, checking each name as it is read off and the guest is identified and separated from the rest.

I know this because I’ve scurried like a lizard up the back wal and can see down through windows too high to cause anyone to look up. Chael is not among the mingling masses.

Nor is he emitting any telepathic trail for me to fol ow.

Which means, I have to find him the hard way.

I slip onto a third-floor balcony and start peering into windows. I figure Chael would be staying in one of the best rooms and since the rooms on this floor have big windows with magnificent views, this is where he’s likely to be.

I find him on the fifth try. He’s on his cel phone, talking softly, a slightly hysterical tone to his voice. He’s desperate to get out of the hotel before his name is cal ed and the police come looking for him. He’s dressed, as always, like a dandy — pleated slacks, tailored shirt, leather loafers. He has a cream-colored sweater thrown over his shoulders, sleeves knotted over his chest.

I watch for a moment — deciding. Should I kil him now? It’s what I told Frey to do.

And yet.

There is someone helping him here on the reservation.

Has to be. Is it George? Whoever it is could be another threat to Frey and his son even with Chael gone. Better to find out.

Vampire growls in frustration. She looks forward to the kil.

Patience.

The slider is unlocked and I slip inside. Seems appropriate somehow since it’s the way he intruded on me.

He’s not aware of my presence until I pick up a lamp from a table and let it fal with a clatter to the carpet. He drops the cel phone and whirls around with a flash of teeth and fist. The human Anna is obviously the last person he expected to see.