West Coast Witch by Justen Hunter Read Free Book Online Page B

here, and I may not just call the
     police. Or worse.”
    I figured that, with what this woman was putting off, honesty would probably be the
     best policy here. “The first part was true. I’m Eric Carpenter. I want to help.”
    She laughed at me. “Help? That’s not a word I hear often. And just who are you, that
     you think you can help?”
    “I used to be involved with Sam. I just want to help, honestly. She's a good person,
     and I want to see her safe.”
    She sniffed the air for a moment. “You don’t smell like a were, but you’re not human.
     Not completely. And you’ve been bit by a vampire.”
    “Not by any desire of mine,” I replied.
    She paused a moment before speaking. “Come inside, Eric.” She smiled lightly, and
     opened the screen door. “We’ll talk.”
    I followed her into the house. Again, the sense of home and hearth hit me, but I didn’t
     even need to reach out with my senses for it. It was more powerful here, so much that
     I could feel it without focus. I told myself that I’d think on it later. Something
     to ask Amy about.
    “So, Eric.” She started. “You’re looking into Sam’s disappearance. How did you get
     pulled into this?”
    “We dated for a while, Miss, uh..?” I asked her, realizing I hadn’t asked for her
     name
    “It’s Diana. This must have been before she moved in. I don't recognize your scent.”
    “My scent?” I furrowed my brow. “But that would make you a…”
    “A were, yea.” Diana nodded. “I’m a werefox, Eric, like Sam.”
    “Wait, Sam Coolidge was a were?”
    She laughed, and raised her arm with tattoos on it. “You didn’t recognize these?”
     Diana shook her head. “Wow. Did you, like, live under a rock while you were dating?
     You didn't know she was a were?”
    Was I really that clueless? “Before yesterday, I’d never met a vampire. Hell, I hadn’t
     really had much experience with Arcanes in general, before.” I thought back to the
     office. Had those two men we’d run into been weres of some sort as well? They had
     matching tattoos, and one had sniffed the air like Diana had. It seemed like a good
     bet.
    “And you think you’re going to be able to navigate the supernatural community of San
     Francisco, find Sam, and bring her back?” She sighed. “God is quite a comedian.”
    “Playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.” I finished. “Mencken.”
    She gave me a glance that made me feel like I was being judged in that instant. “You
     don’t strike me as the type to quote philosophy.”
    I shrugged. “Hey, I’ve got a master’s in Literature. I’m smarter than the average
     bear.”
    Diana laughed. “All right, Eric. You’ve convinced me not to call the cops. How can
     I help?”
    “Well, I was hoping I could ask a few questions, first.” I said. I really wished I’d
     had the forethought to bring a note pad or something.
    “Shoot, Eric.” She said. “Can I get you anything to drink?” She asked as she stood..
    “Uh, yea. A glass of water would be great. The heat’s killer.” She smiled, and disappeared
     to the kitchen. I followed her into it. “So, the first thing I wanted to know was…well,
     had anything strange popped up recently in her life, or anything?”
    She nodded. “Yea, she said she’d found a new bar she liked to go to. It was an all-nighter
     club, a vamp one. She said she’d found someone there, but…well, it was weird. I didn’t
     find any new smells on her, but she was telling the truth.”
    “Do you remember the name of the club?”
    “The Last Drop. It’s over in the Castro.” Diana answered. She handed me the water.
     “I never went. Was a bit too wild for my tastes.”
    “And Sam?” I asked. Our relationship hadn't been much of the go out and party type,
     though to be fair, it had been a weird one.
    She laughed. “She liked to work hard, party harder. Sam fit in just perfect there,”
     she explained. “Eric, I…well, I don’t know what could have