Vampire (part II)

Sarah left, and after a while so did us. We didn't have much to do there anymore. On the way I met Ewalyn and Joey, who were coming from the direction of the medical block. I figured they should have finished investigating Cooper and had gone to check on Crane after hearing the news.

"Hi you two!"

"Sup, Lt?"

"Hey Henry!"

"I see you learned the news." Shall we get some coffee?"

"Theoretically we're still on duty, Lieutenant," Joey said, "only you are on your day off today."

"The office room is not a comfortable environment today, everything is in a chaos state. Screw it... I'll let you off for the rest of the day. How about Marina's?"

Joey glanced at me and Ewalyn.

"Well ... since you insist..." She answered.

"I ... I'm going back upstairs. I'm going to finish the report." Joey answered.

Ewalyn was going to say something, but Joey left too quickly. Then it was only us left.

Marina's wasn't much to brag about, but it was the only reasonable option in SAD's central area. It was small and cozy. The whole place was made of noble wood and adorned with 60's themed images. Despite the nice ambience the menu was a bit limited, but they had a good coffee. Not Ivory Beans good, but good.

On Monday afternoon there was not much movement so there was basically no one around.

"Poor thing... She was so beat," Ewalyn was talking about Crane, "she thinks it's her fault."

"She was all alone. There was no way to predict the situation."

"That's what I told her."

I reached for a cigarette in my pocket.

"Mind if I smoke here?"

Ewalyn gave a friendly laugh.

"You don't drop these straws huh? Are they really that good?"

"Good? I don't know if they are good or bad ... I stopped long ago thinking about it."

"But they do have taste, don't they?"

"These are Deck Techs, worse than the red Tar Lights, but... Wait, why are we talking about this?"

"Can I have one?"

"Do you smoke?"

"No. But give me one."

I handed her one of my Deck Techs. I would rather have a better brand to offer, but it was what I had available. She took my lighter and lit it in the first time. I was expecting her to gasp as a good beginner, but she managed to perform the task elegantly.

The waiter brought our orders and left it on the table.

"Sarah... She said she was going to travel. It looks like the case is in Silverbay's hands."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes beacuse Arthur Cooper is from there."

"Makes sense."

"She also called it a big coincidence that this all happened just today."

"She said that, uh?"

"How are they? The cigs?"

She exhaled. She was sitting sideways in the chair.

"Oh, I don't know... Good, I guess? I like the smell..."

"Really? No one in his right mind likes it."

"I have a developed sense of smell. I can distinguish between the smoke. But the smell of those you were smoking yesterday was better: what flavor were they? Cinnamon with something?"

"Woah, you can tell?"

"Well it's sort of a finesse, y'know...?"

"And is it okay to tell me that so suddenly?"

Ewalyn shrugged, inhaling once more.

"We are a team, aren't we?"

"Anyway... If you wanna know my sincere opinion... I advise not to start smoking."

Ewalyn laughed.

"That girl... Captain Harmon... does she live by herself too like you? I worked with her on the governor's son's case, but she never talked much about her own private life..."

"I don't live by myself. I live with my wife."

"Oh! You're married!?"

"Yeah."

"Oh..."

The green of Ewalyn's eyes drew mine for a moment. She had the same look as Betty. Pure and cunning. The color was exactly the same as Jane's. But she had a sharp, penetrating look. It was exactly the same and different. She reminded me more of Betty than Jane.

I failed to realize the moment we were facing each other had gone on too for long. Ewalyn broke it with a question:

"Sorry I didn't know. But why don't you wear your wedding ring?"

"Ah, that?" I looked at my left hand "it's a long story... To tell the short version... I just lost it in an accident."

Ewalyn had bent slightly toward me, staring at me. For a moment I thought I was going to insist on hearing that story, but she changed the subject:

"You said Captain Harmon had commented on that coincidence..."

"She did. And you know... When she referred to it, she did it quite reticently, something like, "Yeah ... Looks like we have a hell of a coincidence here... Yes... A hell of a coincidence". "

"And when Captain Harmon does that, does she mean she doesn't believe her own words and wants to hint that at you?"

"I wouldn't say it's exactly that but..."

"Is it a sort of code between you two?"

"Code? Between us? Definitely not! I think it's just an impression I had."

"Well... And your impression was spot on. At this point I think we all already realized..."

"Yeah... There's an informant... No... A traitor among us."

That was a heavy word. But it was a fact. How would they know we were keeping the invitation on the third floor of the building, and how would they know Crane would be alone there just when Joey and Ewalyn left to investigate Cooper?

"I bet it's that boyfriend of hers."

"Joey told me you are very suspicious of Agent Chapman. Crane's boyfriend: Galloway, was introduced to her by him, no?"

"Yeah, he was."

"Why are you so suspicious of him, Henry?"

"Everything about him is weird. He appeared from nowhere. Never gets a job. You know... Chapman always walks among social tribes of dubious reputation because of his line of work. Anyone he happens to meet will belong from such people."

Ewalyn let her cigarette down on the table. Must not have liked it much.

"I meant to say... Why are you so suspicious of Chapman? Would he introduce someone of dubious reputation to Crane?"

I stood silent for a moment.

"I just... I don't trust him. I think it's his character. Incisive. Often derogatory. I tell you, since he left the inside job to be a field agent something inside him changed."

"You mean... Nothing concrete really happened? Is it just your instinct?"

"Just my instinct."

Ewalyn laughed.

"What's funny?"

"Nothing. It's just that you look so... Rational. Judging someone based on instinct is so... Not you."

I got embarassed.

"Well ... I'd love to stay and accept your dismissal invitation for today, but I'll be feeling guilty if only Joey fills all that paperwork."

I smiled.

After we finished, we got up and went back to the head office. I walked Ewalyn to the entrance and then we parted ways. Although an accident had happened, Crane was fine and now we had more clues to a number of seemingly interrelated things: the identity of Arthur Cooper, the attack on the third floor, the unidentified guy at Margareth Johnson's house, Jeffrey's attempt to escape Sprohic. Crimes are always bad to deal with, but the more crimes happen for the same reason, the easier it is to analyze them all. Or at least they should become easier.

Once returning home, Jane was waiting for me at the door.

"Where were you?"

"I had an emergency at work."

"What do you mean? It's your day off!"

"But it was an emergency!"

She baffled her palm in the air.

"What emergency?"

I dodged her figure and walked into the house, leaving my coat on the couch.

"A coworker was shot."

"You're lying! I bet you're dating that friend of yours who came over the other day."

I wasn't aware she knew about Ewalyn. She had come during the broken door episode when Jane was out and hadn't even entered the house, as I while I waited for her I was ready to leave since I wasn't going to let her see the chaotic state of my living room after all. I turned curiously and slowly to Jane.

"You think I don't know? Do you know what I found the other day? That! She showed a long, straight strand of red hair. My hair is bent! What is going on, Henry? Will you tell me something? Who is this new bitch?"

My face twitched.

"If you're talking about Saturday, Jane... I had to go to a crime scene. And Ewalyn is not a bitch.She's a co-worker."

"There you are! Defending her! I bet she's the same one who was supposedly shot? Are you going to start making excuses now? Do you know what I'll do if you..."

"Yeah... Yeah... Whatever, Jane."

My week was already full of nasty news to waste my time on those frivolous threats so I left without saying anything else, went to the bathroom and turned the shower on.

The rest of that Monday passed normally. Although Crane had been ambushed, she was fine, and there were a few aliens out there. But we would catch them sooner or later. Although I started this whole thing explaining about them, amid the many problems at Sproustown, if there was one thing that wasn't one of them at that time; it was vampires.

After all, I don't even know if they still exist or if vampires are really extinct.

It's certainly nothing to worry about.

Not here in Sproustown.