Angels of Darkness

a soft warning. “I’ll cover your eyes.”
    She drew her foot back. Reluctantly, he let it slip from his grip—realizing that his eyes had begun to glow, too, but that she’d cast an illusion to conceal the green light.
    Jackson set two frothy cappuccinos in front of them, swiveled a chair around, and straddled it. “So, agents. It’s my turn, huh?”
    Word had obviously been getting around. Marc wasn’t surprised. But he did wonder what had been spreading. “So you know what we’re here for?”
    â€œSomebody died, and you think it’s connected to Jason Ward. So you’re here hoping that someone remembers some little detail, like a stranger hanging around.” He rested his crossed forearms on the table, leaned in. “So, fire away. I can tell you now, I barely knew the guy.”
    â€œBut you met him a couple of times?”
    â€œNot officially met, but I saw him. He never came in here, at least not while I was working, but he was in the bleachers at a few games. I was benched, so I had time to look at the crowd.”
    â€œWas he at the homecoming game?”
    Jackson’s eyes narrowed, as if looking backward. Slowly, he nodded. “Yeah. I remember him there. But I didn’t see him the rest of the night.”
    â€œYou knew Jason was Miklia’s brother?”
    â€œNah. Not then.”
    â€œYou knew him from the video store?”
    Jackson shook his head. “That was closed by the time we moved here.”
    Strange. Why recall one stranger in a crowd? “Why did you notice him, then? And remember him?”
    As if uncertain, Jackson looked from Radha to Marc, before sighing. “All right. It’s not like this is a secret anyway, right? Everyone knows that Ward had those fangs made. Cosmetic dentistry or what-ever.”
    That had been the explanation the coroner had given. “Yes.”
    â€œWell, I saw him up in the stands once, cheering. I saw those teeth”—he glanced toward the counter where his mother stood, then leaned in and lowered his voice—“and it creeped me the fuck out. You know what I’m saying? The next game, he wasn’t there at first. Then, in the fourth quarter, he suddenly shows up and I thought he was the devil or something. Stupid shit my mom would slap me up the back of the head for. So when I heard about those teeth, that there was a real reason behind them, it was kind of a relief.” He sat back again. “I felt sorry for Miklia, though. That was rough for her. A stake through the heart—what is that?”
    Probably the least efficient way to kill a vampire, so it was all about setting the scene, and the impact it would have on the family who found him. “That’s what we’re trying to find out. Did you see Miklia the night of the dance?”
    â€œFor homecoming? Yeah. They came in once, wearing those dresses. I think before they went to the dance, because they asked if I’d be there.”
    â€œDid you go?”
    â€œNah. Dances aren’t my thing. I worked that night, just so that I had an excuse to get out of it.”
    So far, then, Sam had been the last to see them. “You were friends with her then?”
    â€œNot really.” The kid shrugged, but his emotions skittered about—a little uneasy.
    â€œBut you know her well now.”
    â€œNah, I wouldn’t say that. I see her a lot—she comes in here practically every night—but we don’t talk much.”
    That uneasiness was still there, but Marc didn’t think the boy was lying to him. He glanced at Radha, saw the confusion creasing her brow.
    Delicately, she said, “We were told that you were bumping uglies.”
    â€œTruth?” Surprise and amusement sent Jackson rocking back with a laugh. “No, nothing like that. I don’t have time for that. Moving here, the injury—it set me back. But I’ve already got a postgraduate year at a prep school lined up back East, so I’ll have a chance to get in front of the recruiters again. I don’t have time for girls, especially not ones into the crazy shit they are. Who said that we hooked up?”
    Crazy shit? Marc met Radha’s eyes. “We can’t divulge—”
    Jackson waved it off. “Ah, it doesn’t matter. Maybe someone saw us together in the gym last fall, back when she was looking for advice about getting into fighting shape, building up her