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“Sure, it was the hair.”

The uniforms went off, leaving us at Dallas’ doorstep in the morning light with her curious neighbors coming out in dribs and drabs to see what was happening at an hour past dawn on the quiet street.

“Would you like to come inside? I already started coffee.”

“Sure.”

Bernardo looked at me, but followed me in.

The kitchen was small, square, and neat like one that wasn’t used much. But it was cheerful in a blaze of morning sunlight. “What’s really going on, Anita?”

I sat down at her table and opened the envelope with my name on it. It was written in block letters.

ANITA,

I KNEW THAT MOMENT IN THE CAVE THAT YOU WOULD THINK AS I DID. I FELT THAT YOU WOULD KNOW WHERE I WOULD GO TO HUNT. NOW HERE YOU ARE. I AM NEARBY.

That made me look up. “He says he’s nearby.”

Bernardo drew his gun. He stood and began to watch the windows.

I went back to the note.

I HAVE WATCHED YOU COME TO THE GOOD PROFESSOR’S RESCUE. I WATCHED YOU TAKE THE ENVELOPE, AND I KNOW YOU ARE READING IT NOW. I BELITTLED EDWARD WHEN HE SPOKE OF SOUL MATES. I OWE HIM AN APOLOGY. WHEN I SAW YOU TAKE THE HEART, SO PRACTICED, I KNEW THAT YOU WERE AS I AM. HOW MANY HAVE YOU KILLED? HOW MANY HEARTS HAVE YOU RIPPED OUT? HOW MANY HEADS HAVE YOU TAKEN? YOU’LL ARGUE WITH YOURSELF THAT YOU ARE NOT AS I AM. MAYBE YOU DON’T TAKE TROPHIES, BUT YOU STILL LIVE FOR THE KILL, ANITA. YOU WOULD WITHER AND DIE WITHOUT THE VIOLENCE. WHAT TRICK OF FATE HAS MADE YOU PHYSICALLY THE WOMAN I KILL OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND YET PUT INSIDE THAT TINY BODY THE OTHER HALF OF MY SOUL? ARE MOST OF THE VAMPIRES YOU KILL MEN? DO YOU HAVE YOUR VICTIM PREFERENCE, ANITA?

I WOULD LOVE TO HUNT WITH YOU AT MY SIDE. I WOULD HUNT YOUR VICTIMS BECAUSE I KNOW YOU WILL NOT HUNT MINE. BUT WE WOULD STILL KILL TOGETHER AND CUT THE BODIES UP, AND THAT WOULD BE MORE THAN I EVER DREAMED OF SHARING WITH A WOMAN.

The note wasn’t signed. Big surprise there, since I might have given it to the police.

“You look pale,” Dallas said.

“What does the note say?” Bernardo asked.

I handed it to him. “I don’t think he’s out there to kill us or even her.”

“Who are you talking about?” she asked.

I told her, and she laughed at me. “You know I’m a vampire executioner.”

“Yes.”

“I killed another vamp last night. One I think that Itzpapalotl wanted me to kill. She helped me do it. That’s the heart that I took.”

Bernardo read faster than I would have thought. “Jesus, Anita, Olaf has a crush on you.”

“A crush,” I said, “a crush. God, there’s got to be another word for it.”

Dallas asked, “Can I read it?”

“I think you should because he didn’t wait just to catch a glimpse of me. He waited because if I hadn’t shown up, he’d have come in here and butchered you.”

She tried to laugh it off, but there must have been something in my face that choked the laughter and made her reach a shaking hand out for the letter. She read it and said, “Who is this?”

“Olaf,” I said.

“But he was so nice.”

Bernardo made a harsh sound.

“Trust me on this, Dallas. Olaf is not nice.”

She looked from one to the other of us. “You’re not kidding, are you?”

“He’s a serial killer. I just don’t think he’s ever killed in this country.”

“You should turn him in to the police,” she said.

“I don’t have any proof of what he’s done.”

“Besides,” Bernardo said, “what if he was one of the vamps?”

“What do you mean?” Dallas asked.

“He means, wouldn’t you protect one of the vamps from the police because you’d know that the vamps would take care of it,” I said.

“Well, yes, I guess.”

“And we’ll take care of this,” Bernardo said.

She looked from one to the other of us, and for the first time she looked afraid.

“Will he be back?”

“For you, I don’t think so,” Bernardo said. He looked at me. “But I bet he’ll find a reason to come to St. Louis.”

I’d have liked to say he was wrong, but the cold tight feeling in my stomach agreed with Bernardo. I’d be seeing Olaf again. I just had to decide what I’d do when I met him. He hadn’t done anything wrong on this trip. Not only couldn’t I prove he was a serial killer, he hadn