Vamp-Hire Read Online Free PDF Page A

“He’s Latino, about yay tall.” Nick held his hand up, palm
down, about level to his armpit. Since he was about six-two he
guessed that made Lucky about five-three. “He’s got a pencil-thin
mustache and van dyke.”
    “A wha?”
    “A goatee.”
    Tag nodded, his facial expression never
changing. In fact, Nick was pretty sure he wasn’t even
blinking.
    “Oh, yeah. I know him. I think he still works
here.” He paused for a long second, looking like he’d fallen asleep
with his eyes open. “He sells me cough medicine sometimes.”
Considering the Pig more than likely sold cough medicine, Nick
guessed that was code for something else.
    “Where can I find him?”
    “Well, I dunno. You might wanna try this
house over on Blanche. We hang there after work sometimes. I think
there’s a quiet party there tonight.”
    “What’s the address?”
    “I dunno.”
    This was getting frustrating. Nick imagined
squeezing the boy’s head like one of the many zits on his face
until all the information came out so he could pick through it and
find what he needed.
    “It’s a green house,” Tag said. “Take
Rochester south three blocks and head west for two. It’s the
seventh house in.”
    The boy being helpful surprised Nick. He
repeated the directions aloud a few times until he felt he had
them.
    “Thanks,” Nick said and left.
    Tag went on staring at the spot where Nick
had been, almost as if he’d fallen asleep again. Nick looked over
his shoulder, wondering what the boy was on.
    Nick wanted to get there as quickly as
possible. He was wide awake, an odd feeling considering how tired
he was. He’d walked home, walked to the Pig, and was now walking to
a house that may or may not have been where Lucky was. Nick didn’t
even know if he’d let him crash. Lucky would want to know how the
job went, though.
    Nancy.
    Nick’s mind wandered back to her. That last
scream when he was in the cemetery—had Fenton hurt her? The flash
of guilt stopped his feet. He briefly thought about going back then
thought better of it. Nancy’s problems were her own. Nick wanted no
part of the sick game those two had going. He hoped to hell she
hadn’t been hurt or worse, killed, but that wasn’t on him. He
wasn’t responsible for her being there or her psycho husband
looking to kill something.
    That ball of guilt rolled around in his belly
just the same.
    Maybe he’d check on her later today. Or
better yet, place an anonymous phone call, saying he’d heard
something.
    He couldn’t concentrate on her too long, his
feet hurt. In an instant, he felt as though he weighed a hundred
pounds lighter. His feet still ached, yet the amount of pressure he
was putting on them felt significantly less. He moved fast, faster
than he’d run, though he didn’t seem to be moving any quicker than
a brisk walk. In minutes he was on Blanche Street.
    He remembered Tag telling him the house was
the seventh one in and he wished he’d thought to ask which side.
Nick counted his way down and as his luck would have it, both
houses were a shade of green. At least that’s how they looked in
the dark.
    He had a fifty-fifty shot to pick out the
right house and even if he guessed right, Lucky may have had a gun.
Nick thought he might have been able to talk his way out of being
shot, however the noise might attract too much attention. He had to
figure out a way to attract Lucky’s attention quietly.
    Wait a second—didn’t Tag say there was a
quiet party going on tonight? Nick had never been to one, though he
knew what they were.
    The homeless problem hadn’t disappeared from
cities, it had gone underground. Once the shelters and other
official places there were for them to go were filled up, people
who didn’t have a place to stay could go to a quiet party. Sure,
abandoned houses were free and plenty to be found, but a quiet
party was a place where they could hang with friends and drink
before they laid their heads. If Nick guessed right it would be a
house