Corin & Angelique (After the Fall of Night) (10 page)

“Corin,” s
he was surprised to see him step through the open doorway.

“I’m glad you’re not out roaming the woods
in the dark.” He strode toward her.

“Not tonight. Tomes and I have both been neglecting our
duties. Understandable, though, under the circumstances.”

“
Tomes, is he’s around?”

“No. He went into
Black River Falls.”

“When I saw the light out here, I thought it might be him.”

“Sorry to disappoint.” Angelique continued brushing the horse. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“You could never disappoint, Angelique.
I just have a little business proposition I thought I’d run by him.” Corin couldn’t tell her the truth, that he and Tomes were working together, hunting a nightwalker. She had no idea such creatures even existed. But he was prepared with what he thought to be a convincing cover.

“What business could you possibly have with Tomes?”

“I hear he’s quite the skilled contractor. I was hoping he’d consider doing some work for me at the estate.”

“
I’ll let him know, but he’s going to need some time to get past his loss.”

“O
f course. There’s no rush. And, you know, it might be good therapy…help get his mind off things.”

Pretending to hire
Tomes would hopefully douse any suspicion that might arise over he and her brother’s sudden, and sure to be unexpected, association.

“Are you sure about hiring Tomes? From what I’ve
seen so far, he doesn’t take too kindly to you,” she pointed out while putting her grooming supplies away.

“
Yes. He does seem to have some negative issues with me. He’s made that perfectly clear. But we’re going to be neighbors for a long time to come, and someone has to take the first step…be the bigger man. Might as well be me.”

“You’re a good person, Corin.” Angelique brushed off her jeans and moved toward him. “I think I’m done here. Would you like to
join me for a walk to the creek? It’s turning out to be a beautiful night.”

“I’d love to, but I can’t tonight.” Corin hated declining her invitation, but it
couldn’t be helped. He groaned under his breath, cursing himself for causing such a look of disappointment on her face, knowing she felt rejected. “How about tomorrow…a twilight walk?” he quickly proposed, hoping to rectify the situation. “If I didn’t have some pressing matters to take care of, believe me, I’d be all yours.”

“I understand
,” Angelique’s face lit up again. “Tomorrow, after sunset, then. I’ll look forward to it.”

“And no going out alone tonight.”

Until the newcomer was found and confronted, he didn’t want her going anywhere alone, especially after nightfall.

“I could find my way through these
woods blindfolded.”

“I have no doubt about that. I just worry about the wolves, not to mention
what happened to your sister-in-law. You shouldn’t even be out here, alone in the barn. Not until the killer’s caught.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to me, Corin.”

“I’m sure your sister-in-law thought the same thing. I’m sorry if that sounds harsh, but I just want you to be safe.”

The look on her face showed surprise at his genuine concern.

“No. It’s okay. You’re right.”

“Just promise me that you’ll be extra cautious until whoever killed Louisa is
no longer a threat.”

“You’d better be careful yourself, Mr. von Vadim. I’m beginning to think you
really do care,” she teased.

Corin flashed a devilish smile. If she only knew how deep-rooted his feelings
for her truly were.

He helped her close up the barn and escorted
her to the front door of the house before leaving. Climbing in the driver’s seat, he pushed in a CD of mixed rock tunes and set a course for Black River Falls to track down Tomes, hoping his cohort had made some progress in obtaining the information they needed from the real estate office.

“He’s the only man in the civilized world who doesn’t carry a cell phone,” he
griped, aggravated that he had to physically track Tomes down.

S
tarting along I-94, Corin caught sight of a dusty-blue Camaro for the third time since leaving the farm. Changing direction, he exited the interstate onto a side road. And just as he suspected, the Camaro followed. He was being tailed.

Reaching a
perfect standoff point, a dead zone just past a large curve, he hit the brakes, stopping crossways in the middle of the road. Blocking both lanes, he opened his door and got out of his car, ready to confront the spy who’d just rounded the curve and squealed to a stop about fifty feet in front of him. Corin stood dauntless, staring into the window of the Camaro, trying to make out the driver hidden behind dark tint. Enraged, the look on Corin’s face told whomever was sitting behind the wheel of the car that he would not be intimidated.

The d
river responded by revving his engine, further vexing Corin.

Who is this clown?

Something critical then dawned on Corin. He couldn’t sense the driver’s presence. The cad was sitting right in front of him, but just like the situation in the woods, he couldn’t detect him.

There’s something different about you.

Since becoming immortal, Corin had never met another creature—mortal or immortal—whom he couldn’t sense.

The driver revved his engine three more times, pausing several seconds
between each roar, sending out a clear challenge. But Corin kept his cool, not letting the stranger provoke him, determined to maintain control.

The
Camaro’s loud V8 engine rumbled and roared, threatening to charge forward, but Corin held his gaze on the black windshield. A small flicker of light became visible through the glass and he furrowed his brow in an attempt to make it out, realizing it was the flame of a lighter. He believe what he was seeing. They were in the middle of a standoff and the SOB was lighting a cigarette. The brazenness of this guy irked Corin to no end, but the arrogant act had afforded him one benefit—a silhouetted view of the lower portion of the man’s face.

“What are you up to?” Corin wondered why the stranger
lingered with the light next to his mouth.

What the
devil! What kind of a game are you playing?

The
maggot dared to toss him a menacing grin, flashing a wretched rack of teeth.

“You don’t know who you’re dealing with,” Corin
was not going to let this stranger’s childish tactics unnerve him, and having had enough of the game, he advanced toward the Camaro, reaching only half the distance when the car accelerated in reverse with tires squealing. Corin scanned for a tag as smoke barreled from beneath the vehicle in its 180 spin, but he wasn’t able to make it out through the cloud of dust left in the wake.

Swearing, h
e rushed back to his car, but it was too late to pursue. The Camaro had already rounded the curve. Cursing again, he slammed his hands against the steering wheel and took in a deep breath, letting it out with a growl.

“So, Nightwalker, you have no intention of being cordial, I see.
Testing your grounds.”

It was now clear the newcomer was an
aggressor—more apt to wage war than make peace. There was also the matter of not being able to sense him. Alarming how the stranger possessed a unique power that Corin had never encountered before in any other nightwalker.

“How do you hide your presence?”

The newcomer’s advantage was unsettling, for what kind of odds could he expect to hold against an ancient whom he couldn’t sense? And something else giving rise to concern was the nightwalker’s knowledge of who and what he was, proving he’d been spying, and that thought made Corin angry. However, their brief encounter on that deserted roadway had afforded him at least one answer to his many questions. He no longer had to struggle with uncertainty over which course of action to take against the newcomer. He now knew, without a doubt, he’d be conquering.

* * * *

Corin found Tomes slumped over at a two-seat table in a dark, smoky bar with several glasses scattered in front of him. A large, neon sign cast a blue glow about the room, creating a gloomy atmosphere.

“I’ll have a brandy,” Corin called over to the bartender, before taking a seat at
the table with Tomes. “I thought I might find you here.”

“Yep,” Tomes raised his head just long enough to acknowledge him, then
dropped it back down with a thud.

“I think you’ve had more than your share of liquor tonight
.”

The bartender approached with Corin’s drink, and Tomes managed to raise
his head again, demanding another Scotch.

“I told you, sir. You’re cut off. You can’t chug whiskey like that. I’d be happy to
bring you something alcohol-free, but no more liquor.”

“Oh, forget it,” Tomes grumbled.

“We’re good here,” Corin told the bartender, holding their conversation until he left. “What’s this?” He observed a folder marked Brookside Realty, half-hidden beneath a newspaper on the table. “Is this the information?”

Tomes managed a nod. “
Be my guest.”

Corin reach
ed for the folder. “I guess this means you met with Sandy Darnell. She gave you the information?”

“N-not exactly.” Tomes’s voice was dry and raspy.

“What do you mean?” Corin was growing irritated with Tomes in his drunken state.

“She’s
—she’s dead. That’s what I mean!” Tomes blurted out his reply without any thought for others in earshot. Luckily, the room was nearly vacant, save the bartender, another worker who came and went from behind the bar, and an older man who’d just stumbled in, appearing to be in no better shape than Tomes. “Just like Louisa…killed by that blood—bloodsucking monster!”

“Keep it down,” Corin
quieted him. “Are you sure?”

“It’s in the paper. Take a look for yourself.” Tomes slid it his way
, the article front page. “He dr-drained her dry too.”

Corin knew that the new arrival would keep taking lives. He’d
now seen, first hand, the immortal’s antagonistic ways, labeling him a nightwalker who reveled in the hunt. So long as he lingered in the area, no one in or around Hixton was safe.

“I’ve had a run-in with the nightwalker.” Corin leaned
toward Tomes and spoke in a hushed voice. Glancing over his shoulder, he caught the drunk at the next table eavesdropping on their conversation.

Tomes raised his head and looked at Corin
, his eyes red and glazed. But from his expression, Corin knew he fully comprehended what he’d just been told.

“The nightwalker?”
Tomes blurted, drawing the bartender’s attention. “When?”

Corin shot the bartender a warning
glare to mind his own business, also tossing the drunken eavesdropper a cautionary growl, prompting the man to get up and move.

“On the way here,” Corin answered. “He was tailing me.”

“Following you?”

“That’s right.
So I made a little detour to confront him. We had ourselves a standoff. He was challenging me. He knows who I am…what I am.”

“Did you get a good look at him?” Tomes grilled, as if instantaneously
sobered.

“I wish I had, but he never got out of his car—a dusty-blue
Camaro with dark tinting. Even with my night vision, I couldn’t make out much of his facial features through the glass. But for a moment, when he lit a cigarette and the lower portion of his face became visible, he flashed me one insolent grin. Finally, having had enough of his game, I started for his car, but he took off.”

“Do you think he’s out to get you b-before you get him?”

“I’d say that’s a feasible assumption. He’s testing the waters, and unfortunately, he’s several steps ahead in the game. He knows all about us, but we know nothing about him.”

“We know he’s a killer.”

Corin flipped through the real estate folder. “What do these green stars mean?” he placed a finger on one of the marked addresses.

“Those are properties with acreage, l-large places, all sold over the last month.
There are five,” Tomes still slurred his words. “Another agent, um, Lauren N-Nanner, at Brook—Brookside Realty was kind enough to assist me. I led her to believe I was interested in selling and she was happy to oblige, giving me recent c-comparable sales.”

“I’m glad she didn’t recognize you from the news, she might not have been so
accommodating.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered. A sale is a s-sale.”

Corin pulled the sheet free from the folder. “I’d best get moving and check these out. Time’s wasting.”

“Oh no. No you don’t. I’m coming with you
,” Tomes insisted, attempting to push himself up from the table, his wobbly legs struggling to hold his weight. “I told you, this guy is mine!”