Free Sweet Scent of Blood by Suzanne McLeod

put you down as his first choice on his nightly menu card?’
    Before I could even think of an answer, the door swung open and the curly-haired constable came into the room. She smiled at Hugh, looked at me like I was a toad, and headed towards us.
    Hugh smiled back at her, the anger clearing from his face like the sun banishing the shadows.
    Shit. Why would a vampire I’d never met think I was going to put out for a free meal? There had to be some mistake. Gritting my teeth, I read down the page again, checking out the various clauses.
    ‘Shall I take Ms Taylor down to the cells, Sergeant?’ Constable Curly-hair stopped by the desk and leant her ample hip against it, very obviously giving me the cold shoulder.
    ‘What?’ His distracted tone made me look up.
    As she patted her hair I caught a flash of pink at the cuff of her uniform. ‘Has she signed the form, Sir? The sucker’s getting a bit restless.’ She threw me a scornful glance. ‘Think he might be hungry.’
    I narrowed my eyes. Was this why she was so down on me?
    Hugh slowly turned back to me. ‘Give us a couple of minutes, please, Constable.’
    ‘Sure thing, Sarge,’ she said, patting his bare arm as she walked past him. ‘I’ll get some water. You just shout when you’re ready.’
    Hugh twisted round to watch her go.
    An idea slid into my mind and I bent my head again, skimming down the form until I found the clause I was looking for. Damn. Ignoring the anxious leap in my pulse, I read it again. So that’s what this was all about.
    I leaned forward, tapped Hugh’s hand. ‘Something going on between you two?’ I nodded at Constable Curly-hair, busying herself at the water dispenser.
    He shifted his attention back to me.
    ‘You can’t keep your eyes off her.’
    ‘Can’t I?’ Bewilderment fractured his face. ‘But Janet’s human - a nice human,’ he added quickly, ‘and I’m a troll.’
    I shrugged. ‘So? It’s not like it doesn’t happen.’
    Another large puff of dust glinted above his head ridge. ‘Human females are very nice, but they’re—’ Hugh’s skin flushed an even darker red than normal. ‘They’re too slim for me,’ he finished diplomatically.
    ‘Shit, Hugh.’ I snorted, throwing an unbelieving glance at the overweight constable. ‘If you think she’s slim, what do you think I am?’
    ‘Oh, you’re just skin and bones, Genny,’ he blurted out. ‘Not as bad as you used to be, maybe, but you still look like a good gust would blow you away.’
    And there was I thinking I’d actually filled out, that my curvy bits had finally got enough curves on them to justify the description.
    Hugh’s face screwed up in dismay. ‘I’m sure you look very pretty to another fae, Genny - or even a human.’ He was getting flustered. ‘Look, I can’t let you see the victim, not with this injunction, but let me ask the DI if you can at least see the initial report.’ He pushed himself up out of his chair and hurried out of the office.
    Suppressing the twinge of guilt because I’d deliberately embarrassed him, I picked up one of Hugh’s overlarge pens. Pulling the Waiver of Responsibility towards me, I did my own few seconds of wavering, then signed on the dotted line. Taking a deep breath, I picked up the piece of paper and flapped it at Constable Curly-hair.
    She ambled over, a sneer playing round her mouth. Plucking the Waiver form from my hand, she looked down at me. ‘What made Hugh dash off like that?’
    I looked innocent.
    ‘Never mind, it doesn’t matter.’ She slipped the form into the folder with a satisfied air. ‘Suckers are kept in the basement. You’d better follow me.’
    ‘No problem.’
    Time to go have dinner with a vampire.

Chapter Seven
     
     
    T he cell had a dead, airless feel to it, a wrongness that made my chest ache. The white-painted walls and floor should have felt cold, but the temperature in the small box-like room made London’s current heat-wave feel like a cool winter’s day.