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Most of the parking spaces are filled, leaving me to assume teachers, administrators andstaff are already
assembled at the meeting Mom had called for eight o clock.
As I make my way on campus, I m approached by a uniformed security guard. He asks for
identification, which I produce. He ticks my name off a list on a clipboard and asks if I know my way to
the administration building.
I assure him that I do. He doesn t acknowledge that my last name is the same as the principal s, which
leads me to believe he s been hired for temporary duty.
Valley Vista High is a typicalSouthern California school. Open, sprawling; the buildings buff colored,
one-story stucco rectangles with red tile roofs. Like most schools in the district, it s a closed campus,
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meaning students are not allowed to leave at lunch. Because of this, there are lots of  green belts
outfitted with benches and tables.Made of concrete, not wood. Prevents hormonally charged teenagers
from carving their lascivious desires into the benches and tables. It is not impervious to tagging, however,
and no matter how tight the security, a determined kid can sneak spray paint onto campus and mark his
territory like a mongrel pup.
A maintenance man is busy scrubbing last night s artistic endeavors off one of the benches as I pass. He
looks up and gives me a nod, then returns to his labors. Here in the back of the school, at least, it s
business as usual.
Not so in the front office. I spy Mom through the door of her office. She s talking with a couple of
uniformed policemen. They are standing behind someone who is seated with his back to me. When she
spies me, she crooks a finger, inviting me in.
I m barely through the door when the person in the chair turns to face me. My heart gives a little jolt. It s
the Chief of Police, Warren Williams, and the last time I saw him, I nearly killed him.
Chapter Six
WarrenWilliams is a vampire. A really old vampire who has integrated himself so well into human
society, he can hold an office like Chief of Police and no one, except othersupernaturals , knows the
truth. The confrontation he and I had two months ago resulted in his retreating into a coma-like trance
called  stasis. When the object of our conflict, Avery, was eliminated, Williams regained full health. He
has tried to contact me, to mend fences, but I wasn t ready to see him.
I m still not.
Williams rises from the chair and holds out his hand. He seems to bear no scars from the fight we had. In
fact, his gray-green eyes meet mine and I detect no malice simmering in their depths. All the same, I take
his hand warily.
He smiles and says,  Miss Strong.Nice to meet you. Your mother tells me you ve volunteered to help on
campus today.
His thoughts project a differentmessage.Anna. We need to talk. Avery s affairs must be settled. People
are beginning to question his disappearance. The hospital wants to start an inquiry.
I drop his hand, smile and ignore the undercurrent. Nice to meet you, too. I glance at my mother,then
back to him.  I don t know the particulars of Barbara Franco s death. I assume you re here to fill us in.
His eyes narrow,darken.Youcan t ignore this. I want you to meet me tonight.At Avery s.
No. If that is the reason you are here today, you have made a mistake. You should have sent someone
else. I will contact the hospital. I will send them Avery s final message-his letter of resignation. That
should buy us more time.
I move away from him and around the desk to stand beside my mother.  What happened to the girl?
Williams watches me for an instant. Then the storm passes and his eyes settle once again into pools of
calm.Perhapsthatwill work.For now. But we must talk.About you.
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He catches the imperceptible nod with which I acknowledge his remark. I know he s right. I need to end
the nagging once and for all.
He catches that, too.
He gives me a cold smile and motions for Mom and me to sit. There s another visitor s chair in the
corner and I pull it over so that my mother and I are facing Williams, the desk between us.
 Barbara Franco s body was discovered early yesterday morning by a jogger inCuyamacaState Park ,
he begins.  She was beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled. At this point, we have no suspects and no
motive. She had no male or female lovers. There are no known sexual predators in her family or in their
close circle of friends.At least none that we know of. We are, of course, looking into that.
He pauses a moment and looks at me.
Instantly, Iunderstand.Asupernaturaldeath?
There are indications. I have my people working on it. We ll know after the post mortem.
You will let me know?
I will be in contact. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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