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would like the pirate just fine, and Sam’s revenue would jump in consequence.
    “Here are the terms,” Eric said, fixing me with his gaze. “Sam supplies unlimited blood for Charles and a secure place to stay. You might want to keep him in your house, as you did me.”
    “And I might not,” I said indignantly. “I’m not running any hostel for traveling vampires.” Frank Sinatra began to croon “Strangers in the Night” in the background.
    “Oh, of course, I forgot. But you were generously paid for my board.”
    He’d touched on a sore spot. In fact, he’d poked it with a sharp stick. I flinched. “That was my brother’s idea,” I said. I saw Eric’s eyes flash, and I flushed all over. I’d just confirmed a suspicion he’d had. “But he was absolutely right,” I said with conviction. “Why should I have put a vampire up in my house without getting paid? After all, I needed the money.”
    “Is the fifty thousand already gone?” Eric said very quietly. “Did Jason ask for a share of it?”
    “None of your business,” I said, my voice exactly as sharp and indignant as I’d intended it to be. I’d given Jason only a fifth of it. He hadn’t exactly asked, either, though I had to admit to myself he’d clearly expected me to give him some. Since I needed it a lot worse, I’d kept more of it than I’d initially planned.
    I had no health insurance. Jason, of course, was covered through the parish plan. I’d begun thinking, What if I was disabled? What if I broke my arm or had to have my appendix out? Not only would I not put in my hours at work, but I’dhave hospital bills. And any stay in a hospital, in this day and age, is an expensive one. I’d incurred a few medical bills during the past year, and it had taken me a long, painful time to pay them off.
    Now I was profoundly glad I’d had that twinge of caution. In the normal course of things, I don’t look real far ahead, because I’m used to living day to day. But Sam’s injury had opened my eyes. I’d been thinking of how badly I needed a new car—well, a newer secondhand one. I’d been thinking of how dingy the living room drapes were, how pleasant it would be to order new ones from JCPenney. It had even crossed my mind that it would be a lot of fun to buy a dress that wasn’t on sale. But I’d been shocked out of such frivolity when Sam had his leg broken.
    As Connie the Corpse introduced the next song (“One of These Nights”), Eric examined my face. “I wish that I could read your mind as you can read the minds of others,” he said. “I wish very much that I could know what was going on in your head. I wish I knew why I cared what’s going on in that head.”
    I gave him a lopsided smile. “I agree to the terms: free blood and lodging, though the lodging won’t necessarily be with me. What about the money?”
    Eric smiled. “I’ll take my payment in kind. I like Sam owing me a favor.”
    I called Sam with the cell phone he’d lent me. I explained.
    Sam sounded resigned. “There’s a place in the bar the vamp can sleep. All right. Room and board, and a favor. When can he come?”
    I relayed the question to Eric.
    “Right now.” Eric beckoned to a human waitress, who was wearing the low-cut long black dress all the female human employees wore. (I’ll tell you something about vampires: They don’t like to wait tables. And they’re pretty poorat it, too. You won’t catch a vamp bussing tables, either. The vamps almost always hire humans to do the grubbier work at their establishments.) Eric told her to fetch Charles from behind the bar. She bowed, fist to her opposite shoulder, and said, “Yes, Master.”
    Honestly, it just about made you sick.
    Anyway, Charles leapt over the bar theatrically, and while patrons applauded, he made his way to Eric’s booth.
    Bowing to me, he turned to Eric with an air of attentiveness that should have seemed subservient but instead seemed simply matter-of-fact.
    “This woman will