Page 19 of How to Stake a Vampire

It seemed Ellie was going to be popular in both the human and supernatural world.

“We’d like to speak with Virgil, if that’s okay,” I told Ellie.

“Sure.” Ellie turned toward the espresso machine and promptly knocked over a pitcher of what looked like red-tinted milk. “Oops.” She grimaced. “Sorry, that’s our special strawberry blend.”

I watched my best friend clean up the spill and saw several vampire customers shudder out of the corner of my eye. A terrible suspicion began to form in my mind.

“Ellie,” I said carefully, “how long have you been making the drinks on your own?”

“Oh, about a week now.” She straightened and gave me a proud smile. “Virgil said he wanted to focus on the business side of things for a while, so he’s been letting me handle most of the customer service. I’m getting really good at it. Well, mostly.” She wrinkled her nose at the coffee machine. “That thing is a bit temperamental.”

She disappeared into the back room before I could ask more questions. My wolf picked up muffled conversation. Ellie returned with Virgil.

The vampire was sporting bohemian clothes and a preoccupied expression. He looked as far removed from being the firstborn scion of the most powerful vampire clan in Amberford as a poodle was from a wolf.

“Hi,” Virgil said with an affable service smile. “How can I help?” His gaze landed on Gavin. His eyes widened a little. “Gavin?!”

“Hey, Virgil,” the dragon newt said awkwardly.

“What are you doing here?”

“I work for Hawthorne & Associates,” Gavin confessed.

Confusion clouded Virgil’s face.

“I’m afraid we’re here on an official capacity,” Didi said briskly, flashing her badge. “We’d like to ask you some questions about the blood bank robbery.”

7

THE PLOT THICKENS

Virgil blinked,nonplussed. “What blood bank robbery?”

Ellie was pretending to make coffee behind him and failing badly.

My wolf and I could tell Virgil wasn’t acting.

“We understand you were at Eternal Reserves on Saturday,” I said quietly. “Someone broke into the place and pretty much cleaned it out that night.”

Ellie almost dropped a cup.

Virgil stiffened. The vampire’s friendly smile faded. “And I’m a suspect? Just because I visited the place that day?”

A burst of crimson power rolled off the barista.

I startled, my wolf stirring under my skin. It was gone as quickly as it had appeared, leaving a fading haze in the air I suspected only supernatural creatures could see.

Judging from the way Barney narrowed his eyes, it wasn’t a figment of my imagination.

“We’re not saying you’re a suspect,” the older vampire told Virgil in a hard voice, his gaze holding a crimson glint of warning. “But you might have seen or smelled something that could help us identify the culprit.”

Didi made a face at Barney. “Are you sure you want to write him off the suspect list?”

Barney indicated Virgil irritably. “Does he look like he goes around humming Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony?”

Didi studied the vampire barista with pursed lips. “You have a point.”

“He had two in his—” Bo started helpfully before I hastily muzzled him with my hand.