Dhampir Love by Shirlee Lewis Read Free Book Online Page B

protector and as long as we lived I had nothing to worry about.
         Tony and I worked all day getting the equipment set up.  I ordered a pizza to be delivered for my supper.  The lounge for employees wasn’t set up and boxes were on the table.  Tony was bringing an icebox in on a dolly.  The pizza hadn’t come, so I emptied the boxes of their contents putting everything away.  Victor had a box with my name on it sitting on the counter.  Looking in the box, I smiled.  Victor remembered I was a coffee drinker.  He specially ordered me a coffee pot.  “Next time you talk to your father, tell him thank you for the coffee pot,” I said, getting it out of the box. 
         “Hello, I have a delivery for Ms. Pearl,” a voice called from the hall.
         “Be right there,” I said.
         I dug in my pocket for the money as I was walking down the hall.  I paid the delivery man and went back to the lounge. 
         Tony was stocking the icebox with bags of blood.  On the front he had placed a sign.  ‘ Private, keep out’ .   I knew that was Tony’s personal inventory.
         After eating, Tony and I finished emptying the boxes and taking them to the dumpster.  The rain had let up before we headed back to Mayville.
         “We’ve accomplished more today than I thought we would,” Tony said.
         “Are there any more deliveries?” I asked.
         “I’ll call father when we get home and see.  I have to let him know how much we’ve accomplished and inform him we talked about my trip to Italy.”
         “I think I will stay with Jennifer.”  I didn’t mention to Tony I’d already talked with Jennifer about the meeting.  He had no clue I knew what the devastating mess was about.  I just smiled at him.
          Tony smiled his half smile and intertwined our hands.
         Pulling into the driveway, we noticed the living room light on.  “Did you leave a light on?” I asked Tony.
         “No I didn’t.  We never leave lights on when we go anywhere.”
         “This is odd,” I mumbled under my breath.
         “Wait here in the car.  I’ll see if anyone’s in the house,” Tony said, and then got out of the car.
         I watched Tony go into the house, and then looked toward Mildred’s.  She was nowhere to be seen.  I turned back toward my house.  Looking at the clock on my dash, I decided Tony had been in the house longer than he should.  Getting worried, I opened the car door.  Walking up to the front steps slowly, I heard shuffling behind me.  Freezing in place, I slowly turned to see Mildred coming up the sidewalk behind me. 
         “Hi Jessica, how are you tonight?” she asked.
         “I’m fine.  What brings you here?” I slightly snapped at her.  Tony still hadn’t come out of the house.
         “I thought I’d visit my neighbor tonight.”
         “Could we visit tomorrow?”
          “Anything wrong, Jessica?” Mildred asked. The left side of her lip raised and her eyes darted from me to the house.
          “Nothing’s wrong.  Why do you ask?”
         “No reason.  I’ll talk to you tomorrow then,” she said, and headed back to her house.
         Tony was coming out of the house when I turned around.  “What did Mildred want?”
         “She wanted to visit.  Is everything okay in the house?” I asked.
         “The house is a mess.  Someone was looking for something.  My safe is pried open.  Detective Sean should be here soon.  Let’s sit on the porch and wait for him.”
         “I’d like to see inside the house, Tony.”
         “I don’t want you too,” he said, guiding me to the chair.
         Detective Sean pulled up just as I sat down.  Tony went out to the patrol car.  I tried to hear what he was saying, but Tony was talking low.  Detective Sean and Tony came up on the porch.  “Hello Jess,” Detective Sean said.
        “Hello