Part 17 (1/2)

He squirmed under her, but she rapidly cleared the table of cut gla.s.s with her jacketed arm, saving a fragment. As alcohol dripped to the tile, she held the shard to his face, knowing how to really threaten an actor.

With his disfigurement-real or imagined.

The picture of Frank, happy and healthy on the pier, swam in front of her eyes.

Rage muddled her judgment, drove her heartbeat until it pounded in her ears. ”What do you know about Frank Madison?”

The bartender didn't move.

Smart guy. He realized he couldn't overpower her without the risk of getting cut first.

”Take the gla.s.s away!”

”Tell me!”

”All right.” He was panting, his face smashed against the table. ”He was hanging around here near the time you said he disappeared. A big guy, asking a lot of questions about Robby, too. He...never came back.”

”Bulls.h.i.+t!”

”I swear, I swear! That's all I know. Please, let go!”

With her other arm, she increased the pressure on his neck, then let up when his face reddened. ”And what about Robby?”

”The kid hung out here. They say his dad used to party here, too, but Robby ran around like it was his playhouse while his father lurked in some corner. It was a long time ago, back before this was a Goth hang out, but the staff still talks about it. It's history though...Please, my face.” Something wasn't ringing right here.

Dawn inched the gla.s.s over him, the edge dancing on his smooth cheek. Rage squeezed at her, choking her conscience.

A voice yelled from behind her. ”Dawn, what're you doing?”

It was Kiko.

”Interviewing.” She didn't take her eyes from her subject. ”And just wait 'til you see me with Nathan Pennybaker.”

”Get off of him,” Breisi said.

”He's a servant,” Dawn announced.

She felt the bartender go stiff beneath her.

”Aren't you?” she added, tone jagged. ”You've got bite marks on your chest, and you're not careful about hiding them.”

”I like to be sucked every once in a while,” he said, words m.u.f.fled by the table. ”Go back into the bar and you'll find a hundred other people just like me.”

A fine tremble wavered in the pit of her stomach, where her memories of Frank had settled. The gla.s.s grew unsteady in her hand, so she pulled it away, but not by much. She told her a.s.sociates what the bartender had relayed so far.

”Dawn,” Breisi said again, ”we're going to have to teach you how to finesse an interview from now on.”

”I don't know.” Kiko walked to the other side of the table where Dawn could see him. ”Her way seems to be working just fine.”

He climbed onto the surface, put his hand on the servant's back. ”Are you a servant to vampires?”

The man closed his eyes, as if darkness would make them all go away. He sniffed again, probably digusted-but not broken-by their garlic.

Kiko sat up. ”Yes.”

”Good,” Dawn said. ”Time for some turkey carving.”

”Stop! I'll tell you anything! Just don't...oh, G.o.d.” The bartender looked like he might weep.

Breisi came to Kiko's side of the table, arms crossed over her chest in displeasure.

Concentrating on the servant instead of Breisi, Dawn moved the shard ever so slightly. It did the trick.

”Okay-Robby's been around,” the bartender moaned. ”That's really all I know!”

The vibration of the ba.s.s from the club's music buzzed the room, jittering around the outline of her heart. Slowly, Dawn glanced up at her cohorts. Kiko's and Breisi's eyes had gone wide.

”Don't you meanFrank'sbeen around?” Dawn asked the servant, needing to hear it again.

”No, Robby. Robby Penny-”

The jangle of something like spurs interrupted.

Tossing aside her shard, Dawn flew up from the table, her hand going for her revolver instead. Kiko and Breisi did the same, crouched for action, their weapons aimed.

Adam Antette was standing in the doorway, her hands up. A crowd of Goths stood behind the woman.

”This isn't the bathroom, I take it,” she said.

Hand to his face-probably to check for damage-the bartender scuttled away from Dawn. He crashed through the back entrance, a blast of outside air was.h.i.+ng into the room.

”Facilities are down the hall.” Breisi's gun was still poised.

”No worries, babe, I'm just a drunken lout who stumbled into this on her way to a leak.” The woman glanced at each of them in turn, as if committing their faces to mind.

Dawn felt ready to explode, loaded with frustration and the remnants of Frank's memory. Vamp paranoia reaching a peak, she reached her free hand into her jacket pocket. Then, with quicksilver speed, she whipped out the crucifix.

Everything flew into fast-forward motion.

All of the Goths reacted, jerking backward. A change licked over them, like pale flame rus.h.i.+ng up a curtain. Sharpened nails, metallic eyes, white fangs, and skin with such a moon-glow that Dawn choked in a breath.

Before her gaze could take in their strange beauty, they all raised their hands at once, because Breisi and Kiko had followed Dawn's lead, brandis.h.i.+ng their crucifixes, too.

But while the others hid their faces, the braided woman reacted by glaring at Dawn, her eyes folding into red slits of fire, just like the vampire from last night.

Mental fury scorched into Dawn, a flash of hopelessness, a reminder of failure. Her body weakened, crumbling to ash...