“She wasn’t dying yet,” Drina said coldly. “It was a benign tumor. They were trying to shrink it and then planned to remove it, but she thought it would be more fun to be a vampire. Young and pretty forever, banging any guy she wanted and then getting them to give her whatever she wanted by controlling them. Don’t bother denying it, I’m in your head. I can read your thoughts,” Drina added coldly.
“That was just wild thinking: She wouldn’t have done that,” Susan muttered.
“The Jenny I knew would have,” Teddy said dryly, making his presence known, and Harper glanced over to see him in the doorway, with Anders, Tiny, and Mirabeau crowded behind him. The police chief shrugged, and explained, “I’m an old man, don’t sleep well, and have to get up ten times a night to take a leak. I was in the bathroom when I saw Susan creeping around the backyard headed for the door. I woke Anders, and we came down to see what she was up to. Decided not to interfere, though, till we knew what was what.”
When Harper’s gaze slid to Tiny and Mirabeau, it was Mirabeau who spoke.
“We weren’t asleep yet,” she said with a shrug, but the color that crept up her cheeks gave him a good idea of what had been keeping them awake. That bedeviling new-life-mate horniness, he thought wryly, as she continued, “We heard someone going downstairs and thought Anders was trying to pull a fast one, so came to investigate.”
Anders rolled his eyes at the words but slipped past Teddy and into the room to take the gun from Susan’s hand, saying, “So, no Leonius this time.”
“Does that mean I don’t have to go to Toronto?” Stephanie asked quietly. She had apparently been awake to hear what was going on as well. Harper watched her sit up on the couch, and then turned to Anders, along with everyone else, waiting to hear what he had to say.
“Well, answer the girl. There’s nothing worse than not knowing,” Teddy said grimly when Anders didn’t respond right away. He then turned and marched out of the room.
“No,” Anders said simply.
Stephanie frowned, “No, I don’t have to go? Or no, it doesn’t mean I don’t have to go?”
“Lucian wants you in Toronto,” Anders answered.
“It’s all right, Stephanie,” Drina said quietly, and Harper noticed she’d relaxed now that Anders had Susan by the arm. She was no longer bothering to control the woman. “I’m sure it will just be temporary. Once Elvi’s place is fixed up, we’ll come back.”
Harper hoped she was right but knew they’d all do everything they could to ensure that was the case. Stephanie had gained herself four champions during her short stay in Port Henry. Five if you counted Teddy, he thought, as the mortal returned to the room with a cordless phone pressed to his ear.
“Yeah, I need you down here at my place. You need to take Susan Harper into custody,” he said into the phone as he handed Anders a pair of cuffs. “I’ll explain when you get here.” Teddy hit the button to end the call, and then raised an eyebrow at Anders. “What are you waiting for? Cuff her. She’s under arrest.”
“Teddy,” Susan said with dismay. “You can’t arrest me.”
Teddy arched his eyebrows as he peered at the girl. “Four counts of attempted murder is serious business, Susan. I certainly am arresting you.”
“But he killed Jenny,” she wailed. “And he’s a vampire. Not even human. He’s a monster.”
“Jenny’s death was an accident, one it’s sounding like she brought on herself,” he said, and then added sternly, “As for his being a monster, Harper never intended her to die, and it wasn’t his fault since she didn’t tell him about the tumor and chemo. You, on the other hand, have been deliberately cutting brakes and firebombing Elvi’s house and apparently the gas station. If I were you, I’d rethink who the monster is here.”
“You can’t arrest her,” Anders said quietly.
“What the hell do you mean?” Teddy asked with amazement. “Of course I can. The woman’s a menace. She needs to be locked up, probably in the hospital, but the courts will decide that.”
“You can’t charge her with trying to kill Harper,” Drina said quietly.
“They’re right,” Harper said, when Teddy opened his mouth to protest. “How are you going to explain that we didn’t die from any of the attacks? And what happens when she starts squawking about vampires and Jenny’s dying during the turn?”
Teddy’s troubled gaze slid to Susan. “Well, what the hell are we supposed to do with her then? We can’t just let her loose. She’ll just try again.”