old man, and he’s not the easiest of patients, I imagine.”
Seemed rude to agree, and Laura wasn’t too comfortable being painted as Florence Nightingale when she was planning domestic espionage. “He’s old and weak—must be frustrating for him.”
The woman laughed. “My dear, he’s only three years older than I! But he’s taken less care of himself.” She crossed the hall and opened Piet’s door.
He was lying as Laura had left him: on his back, heavy hands resting on the tightly folded sheet, his head on several pillows and his eyes shut. Only his breathing showed he was not yet asleep. Adela Whyte moved over to the high hospital bed and perched on the edge, wrinkling the blankets. Laura told herself to chill. The woman couldn’t stay up all night.
Adela sat in silence for a few seconds. “Piet?” she said at last.
From her vantage point across the bed, Laura saw his eyes open. It took a moment or two for him to focus. “Adela?” he said. “You again?”
“Yes, me again,” she replied. “Thought I’d drop by and see how you were.”
He didn’t reply right off, just stared with only half-comprehending eyes. He didn’t seem distressed, just frowned as if searching for recognition or memory in his damaged brain. Then his hand reached out for Adela’s. “He hurt Lizzie, didn’t he?”
That caught Laura’s attention. Perhaps she’d hear something that would keep Dad happy awhile and save her from rummaging though private papers.
Adela sighed. “Lizzie’s fine, Piet. Don’t worry yourself. She’s well and happy and has found herself a good man.”
“Toby says she’s coming to see me. I want to see her. Tell her I’m sorry.” He paused and frowned as if pulling thoughts from the shadows in his mind. “You were right, you know. I should have listened.”
Adela patted his hand. “It’s okay, Piet. Don’t worry yourself. Go to sleep. You want to be as well as you can when she gets here.”
He nodded as his lids dropped over his tired eyes. Adela waited a few minutes, then gently withdrew her hand from his grasp. She turned to Laura as she stood up and, with a brief smile and a gesture of her head, indicated she wanted to speak to her outside.
As Laura closed the door behind them, Adela asked, “He’s not getting any better, is he?”
Torn between her seemingly genuine concern and uncertainty about the woman’s position in the family, Laura hesitated. “Hard to tell, but on the whole, no.”
Adela shrugged. In the half light of the dim hall, she looked worn and tired. “It’s to be expected, I suppose, but one hopes all the same.”
“Can I get you anything?”
“I’ll make myself a cup of tea and get to bed. I doubt Toby will be back much before morning.”
Good news! Now all she had to do was get Adela off to bed. “I’ll make it and bring it up to you if you’d like.”
“Thank you, my dear, but I think I need to sit awhile. I’ll make my own.” Laura followed her into the kitchen. By the way Adela plugged in the electric kettle and found the tea bags and cups, she obviously knew her way around. “Want a cup?” Adela asked Laura.
Why not? “Thanks. I oughtn’t stay, but I’ll take it back with me.”
“Is he showing any improvement at all?” Adela took a second cup from the cabinet and dropped in a tea bag.
Torn between professional discretion and the feeling this woman might know something of previous events, Laura replied, “Not a lot. He talks a great deal about Lizzie. She’s your daughter, right?”
“Stepdaughter, but she’s a lovely young woman. You’ve met her?”
“No, she visited a few days before I was hired. I’ve only worked here a few weeks. Mr. Connor talks about her all the time.” She paused. Just how far should she dig for hints? “He seems to be worried about something, often says he’s sorry. Could just be confusion but it really seems to bother him….” Heavens, she was being far too obvious.
Adela shrugged. “He and Lizzie had a couple of differences. Fathers and daughters do, you know.” Didn’t she!
“I suppose so, it just seems to prey on his mind.” Sheesh, the woman should tell her to MYOB.
Instead she got up and poured water into both cups and handed one to Laura. “Here you are. I’m going to take mine upstairs. I know where the room is; don’t bother yourself. I hope Piet has an easy night.”
So did Laura. She still had major misgivings about poking around, but Dad had been so insistent, almost desperate. Seems his new partner was convinced there were underhanded goings-on at Connor Inc. and that details had to be here in the house.
Damn! Still, she’d have a look and hopefully be able to tell him in the morning that there was absolutely nothing and that Axel Radcliffe was barking up the wrong tree.
Chapter 3
The trail was unmistakable. It led, as expected, to the neighbor’s land. Toby even found the exact position where the unfortunate dog had been savaged. The scent was stronger here and mingled with the dog’s dying terror. He understood the owner’s anger at finding his dog mauled to death, but blaming Adela was a bit over the top. And as for sending the Neanderthal deputy over to haul her down for “questioning”—Abel give him patience! Narrow-minded small towns still dotted the map just as they had in his mortal days.
He was not lingering here. The last thing he needed was for said neighbor to accuse him of trespassing. Taking the still-strong scent as his guide, Toby followed it for a couple of miles through the growing dark to the riverbank and what appeared to be the creature’s lair among a heap of rocks. The opening was small. Toby sensed a heartbeat—at least of sorts—within. Unwilling to transmogrify small and face the chupacabra in its own territory, Toby decided to wait. Sooner or later the creature would emerge. It would be interesting to encounter another living myth, and Toby had no doubt of his ability to influence it to leave the neighborhood. Once it was gone, Adela could return and hopefully the town would soon settle down.
He picked a convenient perch in a nearby tree and waited, while the summer night fell around him.
It was almost full dark when he caught the first movement among the rocks. A mortal might well have missed it but not even a mortal could ignore the rank odor. If the locals believed witches dealt in fire and brimstone, small wonder they blamed Adela for this creature.
Vampire senses alert, Toby waited, watching two glittering eyes that peered from the dark recess. In a swift movement that took him by surprise, the creature emerged. Not much surprised Toby after a century and a half, but the chupacabra had him staring.
Abel preserve him! The creature was something out of a nightmare. The face was a prototype for a gargoyle and the body appeared to have been constructed out of spare parts.
It stood up on its hind legs, its short forepaws had massive claws that obviously made up for the lack of arm length, and it was covered all over with wrinkled gray skin that looked scaly and tough. It turned its head from side
