Page 20 of Saving Her Vampire

“Fine,” Bash agrees too easily. I may not know him that well, but I can’t imagine him giving up.

“Are we starting a new case?” I ask, changing the subject.

“We are,” he says, glaring at Bash. “Does he have to be here for this?”

“No,” I say.

“Yes,” Bash says.

I roll my eyes. “What is the case?”

“This one is a bit different. We have a wife that has been disappearing for days at a time. She’s beautiful, willful, and spoiled. She refuses to tell her husband where she goes and why she comes home with bruises on her skin. Her husband was desperate for answers, so he came to me. He’s sad. He doesn’t want to lose her. The good thing is that they don’t have kids. He won’t have to deal with the stress of her taking them away.”

“How long have they been married?” I ask. It’s sad to say, but the longer the marriage, the more likely the spouse is cheating. The excitement of a new relationship wears off and the reality of day-to-day life sets in, along with the inattention of one or both of the them.

“Four years,” Quinn says.

“Has he seen a pattern?”

“Yes, she leaves on Thursdays, usually comes back on Sundays.”

“He hasn’t demanded an explanation?” Bash scoffs.

“Here’s the file,” Quinn says, handing it to me. “Once you see him, you’ll understand. He is lucky he got a woman that looks like her.”

“He doesn’t want to lose her, so he puts up with it,” I say. I look at his sad face in the picture. The wife could be a model.

“He gave us her car description, their address, and the time she usually leaves. She packs one small bag. She doesn’t spend any money from their account. The only excuse she has used was she was going with her friends to a spa.” Quinn looks at me. “She is not at a spa.”

“Most likely not,” I mumble. “So, I have a day before she leaves. I’ll start watching her.”

“You do this by yourself?” Bash asks.

“Yes,” I say.

“Not this time,” he says.

“Don’t you have businesses to run or something?” I ask. I want to spend time with him, but his reasons are suspect.

“No,” he says. “I might be useful.”

“He’s right about that,” Quinn says. “Vampires are stealthy.”

“Fine,” I sigh. Secretly, I’m happy he wants to spend time with me, too.

“Great, now that that’s settled, get the fuck out of my office,” Quinn growls.

“Jesus, you are always so cheerful,” I say, but I’m smiling. It’s part of his charm.

“Don’t speak to her in that way,” Bash hisses. He doesn’t see the charm.

“Bash, let’s go. We have a cheating wife to catch,” I say, pulling on his arm. I’m well aware that if he didn’t want to move, I wouldn’t be able to move him.

***

I look over at Bash in annoyance. I’ve tried several times to start a conversation to no avail. I stopped to get snacks because who goes on a stakeout without snacks? Bash didn’t get anything. He insisted he pay (which I didn’t mind) and stomped out to the car. I insisted we take my car. We would stand out if we took his, and I would be afraid to get crumbs on his seat. He complained about my well-used car and how small it was. The poor guy did have his knees practically in the dash.

We were sitting across the street at the beauty salon. Tabitha, the wife, was getting a complete package. I slipped inside and chatted with the front desk lady, who shared at length about the gossip at the salon. I learned that Tabitha was a regular and constantly talked about her handsome boyfriend even though she had a ring on her finger. She also pointed out a pretty brunette that was getting her hair done who had grayed prematurely and came in once a month to cover it up. Sandy was not a natural blonde. Margaret, a stylist, hated her job, and the manicurist had a bottle of alcohol hidden under her desk at all times. Bash was not happy that I went in at all. His ears were steaming when I got back.