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him.
    “Indeed.” Remo smiled at Fi. “You must be Fiona. If I can call you that?” He stuck his hand out. “Call me Remo, please.”
    She didn’t want to shake his hand any more than she wanted him to call her Fiona, but what choice did she have? “Nice to meet you,” she lied.
Sorry your sister’s heart gave out
. “How do you like New Florida so far?”
    He leaned in, still holding her hand. “I like it very well.” His eyes gleamed. “Very well.”
    He was too close, too strange, too… everything. She backed up, pulling her hand out of his. “Glad to hear it. I’m sure you and Doc have a lot to talk about. Council stuff and… okay, I have to go say hi to someone.” She broke away and headed for Barasa.
    “Hi,” she breathed, aware she was interrupting, but not caring.
    “Hello, Fiona.” Barasa bent his head. “Have you met Chief Vernadetto?”
    “No.” She smiled, this time genuinely. Anyone was better than Remo. “Nice to meet you, Chief. Can I call you chief? Is that allowed?”
    The stocky man laughed. “Peter is my first name, but you can call me Pete if you like, ma’am. That’s what my friends call me.”
    “Whoa. No ‘ma’am’ here. Fiona is just fine, Pete.” Calling the police chief by his first name was kind of strange, but she liked him a little more for it. He seemed like a genuinely nice man.
    He nodded. “Fiona it is. Truth is, you remind me of my niece so calling you ‘ma’am’ does feel a little odd.” His smile disappeared and a sudden seriousness took over his face. “Thank you for not holding what happened with your husband or the vampire against me. I was opposed to the curfew and was only following orders.”
    She reached out and rested her hand on Pete’s arm. His suit wasn’t expensive, but it fit him well enough. Something about that made her want to be kind to him. “I know that. But I appreciate you saying it all the same.”
    Barasa clapped the chief on the back. “Can I leave Fiona in your capable hands? I see someone I need to speak with.”
    “Absolutely.” Vernadetto beamed like he’d just been given a prize. He leaned in. “They usually make me watch the dangerous ugly ones. Not often I get the young and pretty.”
    Fi’s insides stopped churning and Remo was completely forgotten. “I like you.”
    Pete laughed. “I like you too. I hate coming to these things because I always feel so out of place. You don’t make me feel that way, though.” He dug a card out of his jacket and handed it to her. His big fingers swamped the small rectangle. “You ever need anything, you call me, okay?”
    She studied the Paradise City seal embossed on the crisp white stock. “Thanks. I will. Having the chief of police on speed dial isn’t such a bad thing.” She tucked it into her evening bag. “So what kind of varcolai are you?”
    The color drained from his face. “W-why would you ask that?”
    She shrugged. “Most of the people here are, but you, Ican’t tell.” She’d made him uncomfortable for some reason and that made her feel bad. “I’m a ghost, you know.”
    “I’ve heard.” He swallowed and cleared his throat. “I’m not a, well, that is, I’m…” He sighed. “To be honest, I don’t know what I am. Probably just a few stray bloodlines that got mixed in generations back. Nothing to even talk about.” He smiled, but it was weak and forced. “I’d actually prefer it if that didn’t get around. Being police chief is tough enough without people questioning where my loyalties lie, you know.”
    She nodded. “I won’t say anything to anybody. I’m really good at keeping secrets.” Poor guy. It was clear he was either afraid of what he was or ashamed of it. She wanted to do something to put him at ease. “Look, if you ever want to talk, just call me up. I’m a great listener.”
    “Yes, you are.” He nodded hard, like he was thrilled to change the subject. “And you know, if there’s anything I can do for you, just name