Heartless

Heartless - Chapter Thirteen

Before I start I have got to say that I am a terrible, terrible person for not updating.

HEARTLESS

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“Sorry I’m late,” I said in a rush as I slid into the seat across from Joseph at our small café table. “Luna insisted on walking me over here and you know how awful she is when it comes to punctuality. I’m lucky that I got here at all with the speed she was going at.”

“It’s fine,” Joseph replied. “I’m pleased you got here okay.” He paused, taking a sip of his coffee.

I glanced down at my watch; a battered little thing that I’d picked up at a charity shop a few days before with an overstretched leather band and glass cracked in every possible direction. “I’m only a few minutes late,” I said, letting out a sigh of relief. “It could’ve been worse.”

He lowered his coffee cup slightly, peering over it with a grave expression on his face. “I’m glad Luna did walk with you, to be honest. The streets aren’t too safe these days – did you hear about those murders in the city?”

I already knew that Joseph was glad. In fact, he’d been the one to order Luna to walk me to the café where we were having breakfast – though I wasn’t supposed to know that, of course. He’d made it clear, as Luna had explained to me on the way, that I was to know nothing of this and that she was to make up an excuse for accompanying me. She’d failed on both accounts. I’d also heard about the murders, and as a matter of fact I had been the one to commit the one that Joseph was most worried about on top of the one I was supposed to have no idea about. I thought back to a few days ago, when Hunter and I had cornered Zane Richards, one of the most influential vampires in the city and consequently one of Joseph’s most important contacts, and stuck a stake straight through his heart.

“I saw something in the paper,” I said nonchalantly. I’d had my practice in looking unfazed in cases such as this. “It’s awful, isn’t it?”

“Well I hope they catch the bastards soon,” Joseph murmured. He looked down at the cup of coffee in his hands, pausing for a second before he seemed to snap out of his trance and said, “Anyway, we shouldn’t be talking about this. It’s not the best conversation for a breakfast with your girlfriend. What would you like to drink?”

I’d actually have been glad to keep on going with the conversation, eager to know what Joseph was thinking – but with me feigning obliviousness to the supernatural world it was hardly like I was going to get anything of importance off him.

Instead I smiled. “You already know that I’ll have a tea.”

He shook his head, smiling back. “I don’t understand the English.”

“We’re easier to understand than your obsession with coffee. How do you even bring yourself to drink that stuff?”

Joseph chose to ignore me, looking around before gesturing to a passing waitress. “Could I have a cup of tea, please?”

She nodded, scribbling the order down on her pad before continuing on her way.

“So how was your Christmas?”

Well I murdered one of your vampire co-workers when I was on a day out with that mysterious guy you don’t approve of who happens to hunt down the supernatural just like me, hope you don’t mind too much…

“Uninteresting,” I said instead. “I spent most of the day with Luna watching bad television – we didn’t want to make that big a thing out of it.”

He met my eyes. “Did you do anything else?” he asked softly.

I knew what this was about immediately. He’d somehow found out about me meeting up with Hunter that day, and he wasn’t going to rest until he’d got the details.