The secret

"When I looked again, it was gone,” Ian said

“Gone?” The detective asked.

“No longer there, vanished, vamoosed, gone...”

“Things don’t just vanish, let alone people."

“Ordinarily I’d agree with you,” Ian agreed, not for the first time wishing he’d taken the long way home. “However, that is what happened. I took my eyes away for a second; to call you, when I turned back there was the body but the, whatever it was had disappeared.”

“Were you perhaps….”

“If you finish that with taking drugs, you’ll need to arrest me for assault,” Ian said, “I’m growing weary of being asked that.”

“We need to cover that, Mr. Martins,” the detective said, leading Ian away from the main crowds, “what else do you remember? Did the killer say or do something, no matter how slight we need to know.”

“He spoke to me, I didn’t hear what he said, I wish I did.”

“Be glad you don’t,” the detective mumbled, looking directly into Ian’s eyes. “You saw only the body, nothing else.”

“Trust me, I know what I saw,” Ian said.

“I’m sure you do,” the detective said, smiling. His eyes caught hold of Ian's and held them, “you saw nothing,” he said again.

“I saw nothing,” Ian agreed.

“I know you are just playing along, you’re a resister. Eyes other than mine watch, eyes that will kill you to protect our secret.”

“You take a great risk exposing yourself,”

“I’m a vampire, not a devil,” The detective said, “most of us have assimilated.”

“Some better than others, it would seem. You would protect a renegade?” Ian asked.

“I protect only my kind, I leave the judgement to others,” The officer said, realising this had been his test.

“You have another year amongst humans, congratulations , I suppose.” Ian said.

(word count 300)