"Then where did he go?"
"I don't know." That at least was true. I didn't know where he was now. "He didn't tell me."
"Can I believe you?"
"Yes."
"Why did you leave town?"
"I had to. It wasn't safe for me to stay, after what I did."
"You were afraid of ending up like that body outside your apartment."
"Yes."
She sighed. "You might be interested to know, the powers that be are actually listening to me."
"You mean you say 'werewolf' and they believe you?"
"Yeah. The alternative is the theory that some ritual slaying specialist came up with about a cult of cannibals to explain why they found shredded bodies with pieces missing. The idea is the cult imploded when it turned on itself and the members started eating each other. Werewolves sound downright rational compared to that."
Except there was a hint of truth to the cannibal theory as well.
She said, "If I think of anything else, I'll call you."
"Yeah. Sure."
We parted civilly.
Hardin was a good person. I felt grateful for her open-mindedness and her professionalism through all this. I just wished I hadn't been the focus of her efforts.
I didn't even have a picture of T.J.
I was closing in on Austin when NPR aired a report. I cranked up the volume when I heard a key phrase.
The reporter said, "… Paranatural Biology, releasing findings to Congress in response to questions that have been raised regarding unusual appropriation requests. Doctor Paul Flemming, an assistant director of the National Institutes of Health overseeing the Center for the Study of Paranatural Biology, offered this statement at a press conference held earlier today."
Then Doctor Flemming spoke:
"I am authorized at this time to announce the formation of the Center for the Study of Paranatural Biology within the National Institutes of Health. In conjunction with the British Alternative Biologies Laboratory, we are prepared to release findings recognizing the existence of alternate races of Homo sapiens, races that were once considered only legend…" Blood rushed in my ears. This was the government, a spokesperson for the government. They were blowing my world wide open.
More than that, I recognized the voice. Deep Throat. My secret government spook. I stifled a laugh as he went on to explain the report in terms of taxonomy and science.
"These conditions are mutations brought on by as yet unidentified infectious agents. The following conditions have been identified… Homo sapiens sanguinis… commonly known as vampire. Homo sapiens lupus… commonly known as werewolf. Homo sapiens pinnipedia…"
I had his name. As soon as I stopped for the afternoon, I was going to find his phone number and give him a call.
At a gas station somewhere in West Texas, I went into the store to stock up on road trip munchies. On my way to the cash register, I passed a rack of newspapers and stopped cold. I stared. I smiled. I bought a paper, the latest issue of Wide World of News.
I would frame it, and as soon as I had a wall, it would go up. The headline read:
"Bat Boy to Appear as Guest on The Midnight Hour."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CARRIE VAUGHN survived the nomadic childhood of the typical Air Force brat, with stops in California, Florida, North Dakota, Maryland, and Colorado. She holds a master's in English literature and collects hobbies—fencing and sewing are currently high on the list. She lives in Boulder, Colorado, and can be found on the Web at www.carrievaughn.com .