Page 58 of Vampire so Virtuous
Then the answer came to him.
I fed from Minh.
The shock of that revelation almost unraveled him; drinking Minh’s blood had boosted his power to levels far beyond what three centuries of life should’ve allowed. He fought to keep his face neutral as Gerry, bemused by the long silence, waited for him to speak.
Antoine forced a smile. “I’m trying to see justice done, Gerry. What happens now?”
“Well, I see no reason to detain the woman any longer. She had every right to defend herself and committed no crime. Wouldn’t you agree, Superintendent?”
“Indeed, Commissioner. Thanks to Mr. Du Pont’s most enlightening assistance, I don’t believe we need to hold her any longer.” He pushed back his chair and stood. “If you gentlemen will excuse me, I’ll take care of it now.”
“Carry on, Superintendent,” Gerry replied, his tone slightly dismissive.
“Yes, sir. Mr. Du Pont, sir.” Cox left the room.
“Well, Gerry, it’s been good to see you, but I must be going. I have things to do.”
“Of course, of course. Let me show you out, and thank you again for coming. We’re once more in your debt. If there’s ever anything you need…”
Sixteen – Cally
Good Cop opened the door to Cally’s cell and leaned against the jamb. “You’re free to go.”
“What?” She sat up on the thin bed in surprise.
He jerked his head toward the exit.
“I’m free to go?”
“Yep.”
Just like that. No explanation, no apology. Just ‘run along.’
So why was she still sitting there?
Cally swung her legs over the edge of the bed, hesitating, half-expecting him to say it was a joke. But he only watched her, expression unreadable. The corridor outside was empty. Bad Cop was nowhere to be seen.
“One question,” he said as she neared the door.
She paused. “What now?”Of course it was never going to be so easy.
“Do you know Anthony Du Pont?”
Cally was too tired for games. “Never heard of him.”
“Yeah, I figured you’d say that.” He scrutinized her reaction. “That fifth man you told us about, the one who attacked Minh? Black jeans, black T-shirt, 80s leather coat, right?”
“Yes.”
He nodded. “If you follow me, I’ll help you retrieve your belongings.”
*
Cally walked away from police headquarters, trying not to obviously hurry while hurrying the hell away, still in disbelief they’d actually let her go.
The day was fading, the cloudy sky tinged with the golden glow of evening. It was beautiful. She breathed in deeply, tasting the air, made sweet with the relief of freedom.
She pulled out her phone to order an Uber, but her mind wasn’t on the task. It was on the mysterious name she’d been given: Anthony Du Pont. If the implication was to be believed, he wasn’t just her rescuer from the night before, but somehow known to the police.
