His eyes widened and a gurgling sound emitted from his throat. I rammed Gladys deeper into his body and leaned in so I could whisper in his ear. ‘As if I would ever make a deal with a fiend.’
Vargas choked and dropped to his knees. His red eyes stared at me in horror for moment before the light in them went out for good and he collapsed. I nudged his body with my toe. He wouldn’t get up this time.
Chapter
Sixteen
Isnatched a few hours uncomfortable sleep in a cold doorway while Hester and Otis kept an eye out for any other vampires that might wander by. It wasn’t enough to fully refresh me but it was better than nothing.
The adrenaline rush from my night’s activities meant that I was grinning like a maniac despite my grubby appearance when I presented myself at the police station the following morning. The spider’s silk I’d swallowed had helped, and I pretended not to feel the ensuing palpitations and ignored the tremble in my hands. I was under a lot of stress so naturally I would experience side effects. That’s what I tried to tell myself anyway.
WPC Hurst was on duty at the front desk again. When she saw me, her eyes widened with delight. It gave me a warm, zippy feeling to know that the country’s police officers were glad I wasn’t dead – or at least one of them was.
‘You made it! When I heard the reports this morning about a huge fight close to Cowgate, I wasn’t sure that you were okay. It’s great to see you.’ She emerged from behind the desk and strode towards me to pump my hand.
‘It’s good to see you, too,’ I said.
Hester, who was perched on my shoulder, nodded. ‘Daisy wouldn’t let a few vampires, a nasty ogre or a silly fiend hurt her.’
WPC Hurst blinked. ‘Fiend? What’s a fiend?’
I wondered if I ought to tell her. Most of the general public – and a good number of people in authority, too – didn’t know that either blood magic or fiends existed. Before I could make my mind up, however, the grizzled policeman from the day before appeared through the doorway behind her. ‘So,’ he growled, ‘you’ve decided to show up.’
My smile didn’t falter. ‘Naturally.’ I splayed out my arms in a gesture of triumph. ‘I assume you’ve got my reward money ready.’
A spark of amusement lit his eyes – and gave me pause. ‘Oh, we’re ready,’ he said, sounding surprisingly pleased.
Hester and Otis sprang into action, each extracting a series of objects in a coordinated dance that they’d choreographed for maximum drama. It involved a considerable amount of flitting between my pockets and the desk in front of us, but it made them happy so I let them continue until all fourteen vampiric fangs were laid out.
‘Not just one dead vampire,’ I said with a flourish that almost matched the brownies’ antics, ‘but seven. I even wiped away the blood.’ I grinned. ‘You’re welcome.’
‘Uh-huh.’ The policeman barely glanced at the gleaming fangs, but at least WPC Hurst leaned over them with a fascinated expression on her face.
‘I’ll take my money now,’ I said. ‘You promised cash. Seven dead vampires equal three-and-a-half grand.’ That would be more than enough to serve my needs.
‘Uh-huh,’ he said again.
I was starting to get a sinking feeling. ‘Is there a problem?’ I asked.
‘Well,’ he drawled, in a tone that suggested he was enjoying himself immensely, ‘your arithmetic is accurate. Seven dead vampires do indeed equate to £3,500.’ He sucked air in through his teeth. ‘However, you’ve left out a few sums.’
Cumbubbling bollocks: here we go. I should have known it wouldn’t be that simple. While both Hester and Otis bristled by my side, I folded my arms and waited.
‘Several officers have attended the scene where you dispatched the vampires. We know it’s the right place because numerous calls were made to the emergency services at around two in the morning, and there were descriptions of a woman who looks just like you.’ He raised a questioning eyebrow. ‘Brighton Street, to be specific.’
I tapped my foot. ‘Yes, that’s where I killed the vampires. But I might add that I saw no sign of any police. It must have taken your lot a long time to show up.’
WPC Hurst flinched but the older policeman only shrugged. ‘When vampires are involved, only specialist officers and equipment can attend the scene. That takes time to organise.’
I regarded him flatly.
‘You are to be congratulated on your ability not only to kill so many bloodsuckers in one night, but also to appear relatively unscathed.’ He paused. ‘Alas, Brighton Street is somewhat less unscathed.’
He held up a sheet of paper. ‘Obviously at the moment this is only an estimate. There was considerable damage to the road and pavement. A large area of cobblestones will have to repaired, and the gas and electric lines nearby will need to be checked for safety. The repair costs will total around £20,000.’
I gaped at him.
‘At least one vehicle which was parked nearby will have to be written off, and several others will need extensive repairs before they are deemed to be roadworthy. It is possible that the insurance companies will come to you to recoup their losses. I don’t know how much that will be but it will be … a lot.’
