Page 30 of Dark Obsession

She eyed him in silence a moment, then, with a sigh, turned away. “Come on around.”

Demetrius went behind the checkout desk, doing a sudden side-step to avoid running into Donald, an older man who was also a librarian. Donald started slightly at finding Demetrius behind the desk, but once he’d recognized him, he waved him down the short hallway. Following Tracey, Demetrius passed the small office assigned to her and the other library administrator, and the even tinier employee break room until they reached the secured door at the end of the hall. This door led into the archive room, a climate-controlled space holding a wide variety of older, sometimes ancient, books about an equally diverse range of subjects, including monsters and the legends they inspired. Tracey keyed a code into the number pad and the door opened. Demetrius followed her inside and she closed the door behind them.

After running his gaze around the familiar rows of bookshelves, the small card catalog, and the rectangular table with four chairs, Demetrius faced her.

“So, tell me how you’ve been.”

“Pretty shitty, if you want to know the truth. And you?”

He made a face. “I’m sorry it’s been so hard. You lost two important people just a few months ago. And even through all of that, you were the driving force behind us stopping that witch-demon and saving the city.”

“Again,” she added.

Demetrius flashed a grin. “Right. Again.”

He pulled out a chair and sat at the table. After a beat of sullen silence, Tracey sat kitty corner opposite him.

“Tell me what’s going on,” he said. “I really do want to know.”

“It’s classic grief. I’m not sleeping. I have no appetite.” She held her arms out and smiled, but her eyes were flat and hard behind her glasses. “Great for getting the weight off, but, you know, that’s about it.”

“It must be really difficult to come into work.”

She turned her shining eyes away from him. “You could say that.”

“You and Heath met here, didn’t you?”

“We…” She choked up and had to clear her throat before she could continue. “We did. Every stack I pull a book from, every time I walk into the break room, all of it makes me think of him. And even when I’m not here, I see the places we went, the chair he liked in my house, his side of the bed.” She wiped her eyes and shook her head. “Everything reminds me of him. I’ll have a few good days in a row, you know? The loss is there, but not front and center. But then something will trigger a memory, even something as simple as a commercial for the brand of beer he liked, and all of a sudden I’m bawling.” She pressed her fingers into the corners of her eyes. After a moment, she let out a shuddering breath. “And that’s not even touching on what I’m going through over losing Rita.”

“I’m so sorry, Tracey. Grief is so pervasive and different for everyone. Have you been able to talk to anyone about this? Maybe a support group?”

“I’ve gone to a grief support group at Good Shepherd, but that can be hard to take. Sometimes being there stirs up more hurt than it heals. I’ve had to stop for a while.”

“What about other friends?”

“This might shock you, but I really don’t have that many.”

He hesitated, his cheeks burning as he shifted his weight in the chair. “What about Zenona?”

Tracey was staring at her hands clasped tight on the tabletop. “I text with her now and then, but we haven’t had a girl’s night out if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Right. But, well, maybe you should? She lost Michael in October, so the two of you might be able to support each other in ways the rest of us can’t.”

Her eyes were hard and icy when she lifted them to his. “So you won’t have to hear about it?”

“No! That’s not…I didn’t mean it that way.”

“It’s fine.” Tracey straightened her spine and wiped her cheeks dry, her expression cool. “What information do you need?”

“Tracey, I⁠—”

“I really don’t have a lot of time, Demetrius. What do you need help with?”

Stomach shrinking to a cold, hard stone, Demetrius cleared his throat. “We’re not really sure. We dealt with a zombie out in Stone Hill a few nights ago. But there may be an increase in people receiving blood at Memorial. Have you heard anything?”

“Doesn’t Clarabell handle the monster chatter for you two?”

“She’s watching Discord and Reddit and other chat groups, but I wanted to see if you might have heard anything or had some ideas about it.”