Haunted by Jeanne C. Stein

omen then. Odds are, it’s not a good omen now.

CHAPTER 15
    M AX PICKS UP A BEER BOTTLE FROM ONE OF THE tables, swirls the contents. “Still cold.”
    “Let’s try the cave.”
    We get into the car and drive around to the mouth of the cave. I know before we get out, though, what we’ll find. When I call out for the doctor, I get an empty echo in reply. We make a cursory sweep, but just like the bar, the cave has been abandoned.
    A light is on in one of the living areas, a cup of coffee, still hot, sits on a table in another.
    “Can you pick up a trail?” Max asks me. “You know Culebra’s scent. Is there anything you can follow?”
    Only the obvious. I lead Max out to a space near the back door of the bar. Where the scent ends. I point to tire tracks. “They took his truck.”
    “That’s a start,” Max says. “You can track a truck, can’t you?”
    “I can’t. Vampire can. You’ll never be able to keep up.”
    He frowns in irritation. “So, what are you telling me? You’re going off on your own?”
    “I have to. Listen, stay here. I’ll call you when I figure out what direction they’re going. You can follow and we’ll connect up as soon as we can. They don’t have much of a head start. It shouldn’t take long.”
    Max has enough knowledge of vampires to know it’s the only logical course of action. Doesn’t mean he likes it. His frown intensifies. “You will call me.”
    “Yes. I will—”
    As if channeling the telephone, mine rings. When I see who is calling, and realize that I’ve been gone much longer than the couple of hours I intended to be, I grit my teeth and open the call.
    “Stephen. God, I am so sorry.”
    “Where are you?”
    He doesn’t sound angry, just puzzled. And he doesn’t wait for me to respond. “I got back early. I’ve been waiting at the cottage since two. It’s almost five. Are you on your way home? Susan wants us to come for dinner tonight.”
    Inwardly, I groan. “I can’t. Something came up. You go. Give Susan my love.”
    “Are you sure? Are you on a job?”
    “Yes.” Sort of. “I don’t know when I’ll be home. Why don’t I meet you at your place when I’m done?”
    “Will it be late?”
    Most likely. “It may be.”
    He makes a clucking noise in the receiver. “I’m only home one night and you run out on me. Good thing I’m an understanding kind of guy. Say hello to David and Tracey for me. And Anna?”
    “Yes?”
    “Be careful.”
    He ends the call.
    At least I didn’t have to explain that I’m not with David and Tracey. He doesn’t know Max or about Max. Wonder if he’d be so understanding if he knew I was with an old boyfriend? Or that I was on my way to track another old friend into Mexican drug territory?
    God. There was no aggravation in his voice, no sarcasm. He trusts me completely. I get the sinking feeling that maybe he shouldn’t.
    Max is watching me, having no doubt read between the lines of the conversation. “You’ve been with this guy, what? Five minutes? And you’re lying to him already?”
    I feel the hair stir on the back of my neck. “I didn’t lie to him.”
    He snorts. “Only by omission. You know fucking well there’s a good chance you’re not going to be meeting him tonight. Maybe not tomorrow night, either. Does he know about this place? About Culebra?”
    I turn away, snapping my phone shut and slipping it into my jacket. The truth is, Stephen doesn’t know about Beso de la Muerte or Culebra. Not yet. When he’s in town, he lets me feed from him. When he’s gone and I need to feed, I come here. We haven’t been together that long. There’s been no reason to tell him.
    When I don’t respond, Max throws up his hands. “Another stupid mortal under the thrall of a vampire. Yeah, I heard you tell Culebra he knows that you’re a vampire. At least that’s something.”
    There’s that flash of bitterness again. He thinks I cast a spell to get Stephen? Does he think I cast a spell over him when we were