The Falstaff Vampire Files Read Online Free

weathered, plain wood fence separated the yard from the open space of the park next to it and ran just a few feet from the back of the shed. More bushes and wild geraniums grew up to cover the half-tumbled down section of fence that faced the ocean. One night I saw a man in a huge overcoat crawling like a giant spider out of those bushes.
    After we get married, I plan to seriously ask Hal to get the fence fixed. I feel nervous enough spending the night in the house. If Hal was moving his vampire out of there, I hoped he did it as soon as possible.

Chapter 8
    Kristin Marlowe’s typed notes
    August 4th continued
     
    Luther finished his hour of whining and left. I had no more clients scheduled for the day, and I desperately needed to talk to someone or at the least walk off some of my anger. My friend Larry Segovia lived about 10 blocks away on Lake Street. As a therapist, and an unattached gay man in his 40s, he understood about boyfriend troubles. Larry didn’t work Mondays, and he never minded company. If he wasn’t home, the walk out in the fresh air wouldn’t hurt me.
    Larry’s door was opened by a cheerful-looking man about my own age and Larry’s. I was surprised because so many of Larry’s friends were younger. This man was not handsome, but commanding, with unruly gray streaked dark hair cut short but starting to curl already. Startlingly black eyebrows framed penetrating green eyes with sparks of hazel. What really caught my attention was the mischievous quirk of his mouth, as if he were just about to tell a great secret. I liked and trusted him instinctively without knowing why.
    Of course, I’d been wrong before. Witness my reaction to Hal. But something about this man drew a pang of attraction from me that was welcome in that it dulled the pain of Hal’s betrayal. Larry’s friend was most likely gay, but I felt better just knowing there were still attractive men in the world. Oops, I was staring.
    “Oh, sorry, I was looking for Larry,” I blurted out.
    “He’s just gone out to run an errand.” He moved aside. “Want to come in and wait? I’m house sitting when Larry goes to Edinburgh next week.”
    Suddenly I felt like an idiot. “I’m not a client, I’m a therapist too. I should have called, but—”
    Some of my inner turmoil must have crossed my face, because the stranger leaned forward. “Seriously, why not come in and wait? Larry should be back any minute. Something about picking up his dry cleaning.”
    I followed him in, introducing myself.
    “I’m Abraham Van Helsing,” he said over his shoulder, leading the way down the hall. “But please call me Bram. Abe just doesn’t suit me. Honest Abe Van Helsing sounds like an accordion-playing used car salesman.”
    I laughed and felt a little better.
    We went into the little front parlor of Larry’s Victorian flat. “I’ll be house sitting when he takes off tomorrow for that conference in Edinburgh. Did Larry warn you about me?”
    “No, this is kind of a spur-of-the-moment visit. He didn’t mention you.”
    “I don’t know if I should be reassured or insulted.”
    “Um, are you the new boyfriend?”
    “Nope. The old friend from college.” He settled on the sofa. “Still, you’d think he’d say something about me. He can’t have that that many friends who’re researching vampire cults.”
    I stopped halfway in the middle of sitting in Larry’s burgundy-colored wing chair. “Did you say vampire cults?”
    Bram smiled with a bit of mischief in his eyes. “I didn’t mean to shock you.”
    “No, it’s just that I have a young client who’s fixated on vampires, and she said something that bothered me today.”
    “If you ever need to talk about it I’m always glad to discuss vampires.”
    “Wait a minute.” I suddenly put the name and the subject together. “Wasn’t there a Professor Van Helsing in Dracula ?”
    “There was. That was fiction, but my grandpa from Hungary didn’t find it amusing. He was a trade