Dead Is Not an Option Read Online Free PDF Page B

important."
    "Okay," I agreed, "but it'll have to wait until my break."

    I had fully expected him to eat and run—after paying the check, of course—but when I finally caught my breath, Wolfgang was still sitting at the table, alone, patiently waiting.
    The diner had almost emptied out, and Flo had already plopped down on her favorite stool at the counter. I made myself an iced coffee and offered money to Flo, which she waved away.
    "Is it okay if I take my break now?" I asked her.
    "Fine with me," she said.
    I went to talk to Wolfgang, who was gnawing on a few remaining fries on his plate.
    "What do you want, Wolfie?" I asked. I was being kind of rude, I knew, but he was kind of a jerk.
    "It's not anything bad," he replied. "I wanted to say thank you for helping Elise."
    I couldn't have been more floored if he'd wanted to elope.
    After I recovered from my surprise, I asked, "How is she? I'd like to stop by and see her after my shift."
    "She's still not conscious," he said grimly. "Bane won't leave her bedside, not even to sleep, but he wanted me to tell you he's very grateful. They said she might not have made it if you hadn't come along when you did."
    I didn't know what to say. Whoever had done that to Elise was a truly evil person, but after a lot of thought, I wasn't sure that it really was a vampire. First of all, what vampire was foolhardy enough to take on the entire Wilder clan? Not to mention the Paxtons, who were another very powerful Were family. Plus, it was barely past dusk when I found her, and vampires don't like daylight. But I was positive Elise had communicated the word vamp to me. What else could she have meant?
    Wolfgang's lower lip quivered, but with effort he controlled his emotions. "I want you to tell me everything you know about what happened."
    "I heard moaning and saw the blood. I went to help her. You know the rest."
    "Did she say anything when you found her?" he persisted.
    "She was in a lot of pain," I replied.
    "Please, Daisy," he said. "Bane's going crazy, wondering why anyone would do that to Elise."
    I hesitated. "Chief Mendez asked me not to discuss the particulars of the case." And to stay out of the investigation, but I had no intention of doing that.
    "It was a vampire. That's what everyone's saying," Wolfgang said. The anger in his voice was so intense that I shivered. He was out for payback.
    "Maybe there's another explanation," I said. I was already breaking my promise not to talk.
    "Please, Daisy," he said in a gentler tone. "We want to know who's behind this, and we know the city council isn't exactly impartial when it comes to crimes committed by paranormals. You've got to help us." The distress on Wolfie's face convinced me.
    "I'll look into it," I said. "But I'm not making any promises."
    He nodded. "That's good enough for me."
    He got up to leave, but I thought of something else. "Do you know of any reason a vampire would be angry at Elise? Or Bane?"
    "No clue," he replied, but he said it to his shoes. I did a little mental probe and caught the words my fault before he left. Wolfie was guilt ridden about something. He irritated everyone—maybe this time he'd ticked off the wrong person and Elise had paid the price.
    When I got home from work, there was a pink '57 T-bird in our driveway. It was a dead ringer for Miss Foster's car, but my former gym teacher wouldn't be driving anymore. I'd turned her into an oily splotch on the gymnasium floor, hadn't I?
    "What's that thing doing in our driveway?" I demanded as soon as I got into the house.
    "Isn't she great?" Dad replied. "I've always wanted one, you know. I bought it with some of my book advance."
    I wanted to be happy for him, but my stomach lurched at the thought of seeing it every day. "Where did you find it?"
    "Spenser gave me the lead," he said. "It used to belong to an old friend of his."
    My unease grew. "Who?"
    "Spenser," Dad said. "Spenser Devereaux, Samantha's dad, my colleague." His twinkling eyes gave away that he