Page 65 of Starved Until Sunset

“Okay, let’s get you back to your room. Come on.”

Cody watched them go, then he went to the door and hesitated only slightly at the threshold before striding quickly across the parking lot to his truck. He got in, started the engine, and headed for Amelia and Otis’s condo. He would wait to call Demmy until he’d been able to check on them.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“How did you find this place?”

Demetrius detected a touch of caution in Oliver’s tone, and he couldn’t blame him. After Tracey had helped them find some good books with information about vampires, she’d joined them at Margie’s where she’d actually been a bit funny and engaging. Tracey had returned to the library after they’d all paid their checks, and now the three of them stood before the building where Clarabell resided.

It was a two story brick rectangle. A three-car covered parking area extended from one side, supporting a deck above it. The bricks were weathered, dark stains from the black walnut tree towering over the front half of the house marring the face. Demetrius couldn’t recall ever having noticed this building before, and he’d lived in Parson’s Hollow all his life. It was in an area on the other side of town from where he and Cody lived, a strange mix of farm supply, self-storage units, and duplexes. Clarabell’s building seemed to blend into the mix while also standing apart.

“Craigslist,” Clarabell said, smiling.

“Under what listing?” Oliver said. “Crime scenes?”

“It looks a little rough on the outside, but don’t we all?” She started for the front door, set at the opposite end of the building from the garage. “Come on. I’ve got some wine and crackers to go with that video I shot in the morgue last night.”

“A phrase I never in a million years thought I would hear someone say to me as I followed them into their murder home,” Oliver said so only Demetrius could hear him.

“You and me both. Does Dave know where you are?”

Oliver tapped at his phone. “He does now. I just shared my location with him. You going to tell Cody?”

“Maybe in a bit.”

Oliver looked at him as they approached the door. “Wow. You guys must have really had a blow out fight.”

“No, I wouldn’t say it like that.” Demetrius shrugged and fought back the icy sadness that threatened to well up inside him. “I think we both need some space right now. I just saw him this morning, it’s not like we’ve been apart for days.”

“How much do you miss him?” Clarabell asked, looking over her shoulder as she turned the key in the lock.

Demetrius could feel his smile was sad. “A lot.”

A small vestibule on the other side of the door offered two entrances. Clarabell used a key to unlock the first door on their left and led the way up a flight of stairs. They stepped into a small entry area, and then into an open concept living room, dining area, and kitchen. A short hallway led to what Demetrius assumed was a bedroom and bathroom. French doors opened onto the deck area above the parking stalls.

“Wow. This is really nice,” Oliver said. “I was not expecting this.”

“I told you,” Clarabell said. “I’m going to use the bathroom. There’s wine in the fridge and maybe some snacks.”

“I feel guilty we’re not out searching the streets for Zenona,” Demetrius said as he sat on a stool at the quartz-topped island separating the kitchen from the living room.

Oliver uncorked a bottle of white wine and searched for glasses in the cupboards. “We spent the whole day in the library learning about vampires.”

“Right, but what good’s that going to do us if we don’t know where they are? And where they’ve taken Zenona?”

“I didn’t know they hated silver.” He brought down three long-stemmed glasses and poured out wine.

“I knew that one.” He accepted his glass of wine and took a sip. It was very sweet, and he had to restrain himself from puckering up. Twirling the stem between his fingers, he watched the waves in the liquid. “Do you think I have a savior complex?”

Oliver paused with the wineglass at his lips. “Is this a trick question?”

Demetrius frowned. “No. It’s an honest question.”

“This feels like a trap.”

“It’s not a trap. Look, you know me pretty well. We even dated for a while. I respect your opinion, and you usually have an opinion about things.” Demetrius felt a prickle of agitation. He didn’t need flippant responses right now. He needed someone to be honest and explain him to himself. Someone other than Cody, because Demetrius got defensive when Cody started pointing out his flaws. When Cody did it, he felt like the words dragged a hefty dose of expectation behind them. As if he was required to make immediate changes in order to keep Cody. Demetrius knew it was something he was putting on himself, that Cody had never made a demand like that, but it was also hard sometimes to separate himself from Cody. They’d known each other almost all their lives. Echoes of Cody would forever live inside him.

“Well, let’s look at your history,” Oliver said.