Kristi’s heart thudded uncomfortably as she made the connection to the vampire cult. But that wasn’t certain…no, the woman on the bus who had died hadn’t been in Grotto’s class. “It’s just a strange thing that I see.”

“Strange like a psycho, so stop it, okay? And leave me the hell alone. Face it, Kristi, you’re odd. Maybe it’s because of everything you’ve been through, but you’re definitely out of step.”

“You asked me to look into this,” Kristi reminded her, her voice and temper rising. The older couple at a nearby table glared at them.

“You’re causing a scene,” Lucretia hissed. “God, I’m sorry I dragged you into this.”

“Into what?”

“Nothing!”

Lucretia rolled her eyes and reached up to push her hair from her face. As she did, her sleeve slid and Kristi got a glimpse of gauze taped over Lucretia’s left wrist.

“What happened?” Kristi asked, indicating the bandage.

Lucretia turned chalk white. Her hand fell to her side. “I had a little accident. No big deal. I…oh, hell, I’m kind of a klutz in the kitchen,” she said, and it was obviously a lie. “But I’m okay. Really. And that’s not the point. What I’m asking, no, telling you to do, is forget we ever talked before about…you know.”

“The cult—”

“I was wrong, damn it!” Lucretia blurted out. “And now I want you to back off.”

“You said that already, but…” Kristi trailed off. She was talking to dead air as Lucretia had already swung around and was hastening to the booth with Trudie and Zena. Trudie made a big deal of sliding over as Lucretia talked with them for a minute or two, before taking her place in line again.

Kristi wasn’t sure what to think. She knew Lucretia had been ducking her. That much had been obvious, but to pretend that their conversation basically hadn’t happened? After talking about missing, possibly abducted, coeds and vampires and cults? What was that all about? And the bandage. Kristi would have thought it was no big deal, but Lucretia’s reaction said otherwise.

Had someone warned Lucretia off?

The hairs on the back of Kristi’s arms raised.

Someone found out she talked to you and they’re threatening her. And someone’s following her, scaring her spitless. Even hurting her. That’s why she’s hiding a bandage.

Kristi glanced at the table where Lucretia now sat with the other girls and caught her ex-roommate staring at her. Lucretia’s face was drawn and white, her lips pursed, and she looked worried as hell. She met Kristi’s eyes for the briefest of seconds, then looked away. As she did, her face turned the color of cold ashes.

Kristi’s heart nearly stopped. What the hell was that all about?