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My cell buzzed and I didn’t recognize the number "Yellowrock Securities," I said

"Ms Yellowrock, this is the concierge at the Hilton on St Charles Avenue Ms Bedelia Everhart has trusted me with a missive for you Would you prefer to have me mail it to you or would you like to pick it up?"

It took a moment to put the name with Molly, and when I did I stepped away so no one could read the expression on my face "I can be there in a fewfor you at my desk, ma’alances As if covering for me, Eli said, "Windows for the back of the house come today We’ll have the cheer, "I’llnew has happened, and then I’ll be researching at NOPD" Mostly talking to Jodi at police depart about Molly or vaold earrings

"Woo-woo roonal If you need reen Lucchese boots and left my house, hopped on the back of Bitsa, and took off to research--the tedious part of being in the security business

• • •

When I got to Molly’s hotel, I stopped at the concierge desk "My nauy behind the desk "I understand that Molly--Bedelia Everhart left e"

"Ms Yellowrock, yes," he said, his sal envelope "She left it this "

My heart jumped into my throat I smiled back, took the envelope, and found a seat in the lobby Mostly because

I slid a nail under the flap and opened it, to see a piece of hotel paper and a roo was Molly’s She had written two very short lines

I’m safe

Tell Evan I’ll be in touch soon

Mol

"Holy crap," I whispered And then I closed my eyes Molly is safe Tears pooled under ht to keep the eht I could read without bursting into tears, I reread the letter

And then I sniffed it And I smelled blood Molly’s blood

It was faint and fresh And it made my heart stand still Blood is coes it breaks down Like with any other biological product, unless it’s preserved, it starts to stink Old blood has a sickly sweet smell This was fresh blood Maybe as little as four hours old And mixed with the faint trace of blood were pheromones, the kind humans exude when they are blood-drunk, when they’ve been bitten and drained and the va them to become happy and docile and addicted

I also snized I closed my eyes and sniffed Slow and steady, then in little bursts of breath that I pulled over ue with a small scree of sound Almost familiar But not quite As if maybe this vamp and some other va cousins Or had been o on The tears that had gathered when I first smelled Molly trickled down my cheeks I slashed the brutally on my flesh I would not cry I had too much to do I took three deep breaths and pulled outEvan Not with this But I had to I dialed his number "What?" he answered

"Molly’s alive," I said "Or she was a few hours ago So to be her dropped off a letter at the hotel If it really was her, then she’s in the city" I steadied myself, a hand on the chair where I sat "But you need to know that she’s been fed on by a va in the letter is necessarily real or true"