Years later, he’d turned up,

“ Cured,” he told me.

The medicine hadn’t been invented to rewire his kind. They simply changed their act. The deadly impulse even more honed and ferocious than ever. He’d then vanished from my radar. I always knew he was out there and I was unfinished business. I said,

“I remember him; he told me he was a student.”

She gave me a look of pure defiance, said,

“He got his degree.”

I couldn’t resist, said,

“Long as it wasn’t as a vet.”

She pushed the Danish back, said,

“It’s stale.”

I said,

“So….?”

“He’s missing.”

I wanted to say,

“He was born missing,” but went with

“And I should care… why?”

“I want you to find him.”

I laughed, said,

“I’m the very last person he’d want on his case. You never gave me your name.”

Her whole body language was screaming that she had ammunition. She said,

“Bethany.”

I signaled to the waitress for the bill, said,

“Your family as I recall has lots of resources, and at last count, there are nine professional investigators in the city. They’d be glad to take your money. Me, I couldn’t give a rat’s arse what happens to your whacko brother.”

I paid the bill, stood up, and was turning to leave when she near whispered,

“I have something you want, Taylor.”

I shook my head, had already reached the door when she hissed,

“I know what happened to the priest,” pause,

“and the retard.”

Stopped me. But she was up and brushing past me, moving fast.

I went after her.