Blood Lines

wasn't usually inclined to dwell on the past, the afternoon spent waiting for him to wake had made an impression that showed no signs of fading. He seemed to show no desire to immolate himself this morning, but she recognized-last night's little adventure had forced her to recognize-that his nerves were stretched to the breaking point.
    'Vampires shouldn't have nerves," she muttered, stepping into the living room and lifting her face to the dawn. It infuriated her that she could do nothing for him but watch and wait.
    Yawning, she pulled off her glasses and rubbed at her eyes. Getting out of the museum had been a lot less complicated than getting in; Henry had simply caught the guard's eye, then the two of them had walked right on by. Vicki hadn't been able to stop herself from muttering, " These are not the droids you're looking for ." Unfortunately, she hadn't managed much sleep after they got back to Henry's condo. Dreams of ancient Egyptian gods and human sacrifice kept jerking her awake. Promising herself a good long nap later in the day, she collapsed into a red velvet armchair and reached for the phone. If Celluci wasn't awake by now, he should be.

    He answered on the second ring.
    'Celluci."
    'Morning, Detective. You awake enough to hear some news?"
    She heard him swallow and in her mind's eye could see him standing rumpled and unshaven in the tiny kitchen of his house in Downsview. "Good news or bad?"
    'I got both. Which do you want first?"
    'Give me the good news, I could use some."
    'You aren't crazy. There was a mummy in that coffin and it now seems to be roaming around Toronto."
    'Great." He swallowed again. "And the bad news?"
    'There was a mummy in that coffin and it now seems to be roaming around Toronto."
    'Very funny. When I want to know who's on first, I'll ask. How are you going to find it?"
    Vicki sighed. "I don't know," she admitted. "But I'll think of something. Maybe I should find a reason for Trembley and her partner being killed when the staff at the ROM were only… uh, mind-wiped."
    'Maybe I should have another talk with Dr. Shane."
    'Well, why not. She already seems to be mistakenly impressed." Idiot! I don't believe I said that . Vicki smacked herself in the head with her free hand. Brain first, mouth second !
    She could hear his eyebrows rise. "When did you meet Dr. Shane?"
    'Yesterday at the museum." Not telling him would only cause him to jump to the asinine conclusion she'd been checking up on him. "During my investigation of your mummy."
    'Right."
    The smile in his voice set her teeth on edge. "Fuck off, Celluci. It's too early in the morning for that shit. Call me if she has anything useful to say." She hung up before he could answer.
    'He thinks I'm jealous," she told her reflection in the glossy black side of Henry's stereo cabinet. "Why should I be jealous of Rachel Shane when I haven't been jealous of any of the busty bimbets he's bounced over the years?"
    ' Because Dr. Shane is a lot like you ?" her reflection suggested.
    She flipped it the finger and dragged herself up out of the chair. "It is really too early in the morning for this."
    It had stopped raining, but the sky looked low enough to touch and a cold west wind had chased Vicki all the way down College Street to Police Headquarters. After a long nap and a leisurely breakfast of canned ravioli, she'd realized that Inspector Can tree's speaking to the Chief about a routine departmental matter still bothered her.
    'And it's not like I have any other leads," she reminded herself, waiting for the light at Bay. Across the street, Headquarters loomed like an art deco Lego set. A number of people hated it, but Vicki thought it looked cheerful and had always appreciated the image,'reality contrast.
    She paused for a moment on the steps. Although she'd been back a couple of times in the fourteen months since she'd left the force, it had always been to one of the safe areas, like the morgue or forensics, never to homicide. To get to Inspector Cantree's office, she'd have to run the gauntlet through the entire homicide department. Where someone else would be using her desk. Where old friends and colleagues would still be fighting to keep the city from going down the sewer.
    Where none of them can do the job you're doing now against a threat just as real . That helped. She glanced at her watch-twelve twenty-seven. "Oh, hell." She squared her shoulders and reached for the door. "Maybe they'll all be out for lunch."
    They weren't,