"Well, they have a cracking little golf course down there," he said, "and they've installed night lights for those of us who can't beat the little white ball through the grass during the day."
My eyebrows rose. Jack was a golfer. Who'd have thought? "I wouldn't think a vamp who resorts to stealing cars would be too interested in golf or clubs." Unless he intended to steal the golf clubs.
"Hey, everyone has to have a hobby. I'll send his address through to your onboard."
In other words, leave immediately. I blew out a frustrated breath, then said, "Heading out now."
"Report in if you find him," Jack said, then hung up.
I shoved the phone back into my pocket and wasted a few minutes watching the soap trail down the wet planes of Quinn's back.
"I have to go," I said, mentally shaking away the images of what I'd rather be doing. "I'm not sure when I'll be back."
I wanted to go in and kiss him good-bye, but I wasn't sure if I could handle that sort of closeness and still walk away.
"Call me when you finish," he said, turning around and blowing me a kiss. Obviously, he was still following my thoughts. "We'll grab either lunch or dinner, depending on the time."
"It's a deal."
And I walked out while I still had some resolve left.
* * *
I glanced into the rearview mirror as I pulled onto the Citylink tollway and my pulse leapt. Several cars behind me was a red car. Same make, same model as the one that had been following me only hours before.
I watched it for several minutes, wondering again if I was merely imagining it. I mean, everyone knew that red cars traveled in packs - see one, and you see at least three.
And red was an extremely popular color.
But the same red Mazda sitting three cars behind me twice in as many hours? That was a little bit too much of a coincidence.
I switched on the com-link and said, "Sal, I think I'm being followed by that little old lady again."
She laughed. "You've obviously pissed off said little old lady. Which wouldn't be hard, given you do the whole pissing-people-off thing so well."
"Except I haven't been near any little old ladies of late. You want to see whether this one is missing her car yet or not?"
"On it now." Silence fell, and I kept half an eye on the annoying red Mazda. It retained the distance between us, sitting right on the edge of keeping me in sight and losing me altogether.
"Okay," Sal said. "The little old lady has been contacted and is mighty annoyed that I woke her so early. She reckons her nephew has borrowed the car for the week."
"Have we got a license photo and address for the nephew?"
"Requesting that now, as well as doing a search through the data banks. I'll send anything I get through to your onboard."
"Send me the photo immediately. I'm going to try and corner my follower."
"Will do." She hesitated, and in the background I heard Jack muttering something. "The boss says be careful, and don't delay too long in getting out to our suspect's place."
I wanted to ask why the hell it mattered when the vamp had turned only fifty-five years ago and wouldn't be going anywhere until the sun went down. Vamps had to be at least several hundred years old before they could start tolerating the touch of the sun. Hell, Jack was over eight hundred years old, and even he could only go out in the early hours of the morning and the late evening.
But I knew why he wanted me there ASAP. Our suspect would be easier to catch, easier to handle, now. This was Jack's version of mollycoddling me.
So I simply said, "I'll be in touch."
Jack's voice rolled through the background again, then Sal said, "He says to keep the com-link open so we can hear what is going on, but we both know that won't happen."
I grinned but did as requested, although I did cut their ability to talk to me. I didn't need Jack or Sal buzzing in my ear if things got nasty.