Page 41 of The Silver Fox Vampire

Don’t think about that.

Vlad huffed. “Ah yes, I do remember now. A rather mousy little human with an annoying laugh. Wanted to play at being a femme fatale for a night.”

“Did she say what event she was wearing it to?”

“If she did, I wouldn’t remember. I get a dozen a day just like her in here.”

“I’ll jog your memory then. Natalie Spriggs is her name. She bought this dress from you somewhere between September and now. Wore it, judging by the smell of cheap perfume on it. And a mere week ago, she disappeared. Into thin air. I thought you might have some idea where she might have got to.”

“As if I’d be interested in her.” Vald sniffed disparagingly “And that perfume is offending my olfactory sense.”

Oliver laughed. “I’m not implying you had anything to do with her disappearance, I’m just following leads. Talking of leads, there’s been a couple of sighting of your nephew, Matteus, reported. Thought you might be interested to know he’s been seen around town.”

The vampire’s lip curled. “Your sources are fibbing to you. He’s way off on the other side of the mountains. You folks will never find him. Just admit you’ve failed and suck it up, Hale.”

Oliver smiled slowly. “You see, the thing with failure,” he said softly, moving over to a silk and linen suit and smoothing the material under his fingertips, “is that the label only applies if youactuallydofail. And I don’t intend to. I’ll find that little piece of detritus. Even if it takes from here to eternity.”

With that, he went back to the table, picked up the dress and sauntered toward the exit, feeling Vlad’s dark gaze biting into his back all the while.

At the door he turned, cocked an eyebrow. “Send my commiserations to Dorothea.”

Vlad’s face twitched.

Oliver’s dislike of Vlad’s sister-in-law was almost as strong as his antipathy toward Vlad. But unlike Vlad, Dorothea was a talker. Alcohol had addled her brain over the years, and her tongue was loose. She was also besotted with her only child, Matteus. If she knew something, she’d likely blurt it out.

He turned briefly. “She must be devastated that her beloved son has disappeared.”

Vald glared at him, knowing full well that Dorothea was a leaky bucket. No doubt he would scurry off to warn her and the rest of the Kominsky clan that fucking Hale was on the case.

He turned and left with a small smirk playing around his mouth. That was exactly what he wanted. Their hatred of the Hale name would rattle them. And a rattled vampire was often a foolish one.

He’d need to steel himself and visit Dorothea Kominsky before the week was out.

Clare put the phone down with a sigh.

After all her attempts, only two of the five families in Tween were prepared to talk to her. And one of those was Jo and her husband, Hank Spriggs.

Still, secretly she was relieved. Because that meant she would be back in Motham by nightfall…

She muttered an expletive under her breath. Damn that vampire. She was still hopelessly addicted to Oliver Hale.

She tried to reason that it was just closure that she needed. An explanation. An apology.

Oh yeah, fat chance of that.

Her gut flipped as she remembered trying to get an explanation from him the next day, her courage fueled by rage and lack of sleep. And all he’d done was gaslight her, then he’d left Motham to get away from her.

It was still so clear in her mind’s eye, as if it had happened yesterday. It had truly traumatized her. Far more than any case she’d worked on, even the more gruesome ones.

Yeah. Fuck that vampire.

Maybe she would have it out with him after the case was done. Tell him how much he’d hurt her, then maybe she could move on. Finally contemplate dating again, a human this time. Maybe she’d marry, have kids, see out her days in Tween.

Her whole psyche rebelled at the thought.

Okay, she’d date a monster. Just not a vampire. Maybe… a nice orc like Saul, or a griffin or even a bear shifter. Except she didn’t like big, muscled species. She liked… whip smart, razor thin vampires who were old enough to be her great, great fucking grandfather.

Goddess save her. She glanced at her watch. If she didn’t hurry up, said vampire would return to the office, and she couldn’t risk seeing him right now, not with the way she was feeling.