“Have I ever said I wouldn’t meet you during the day?”
Hempel thought a moment. “Very well, then. I’ll see you here at the library on Friday. At noon.”
James laughed. “Very well, Mr. Hempel. Friday at noon. But on one condition: after you see me during the day you’ll stop this nonsense.”
“Yes,” said Hempel, extending his hand, “I’ll agree to that.” James hesitated, but he stretched out his hand. Hempel studied the sallow, blue-toned flesh. “You’re still cold, Professor. Did you know vampires are cold?”
Hempel walked away, though he turned back as if he had an afterthought. “By the way, I recently reread Dracula and I realized I made a mistake when I referenced Van Helsing on Halloween. You’re aware of the mistake, I assume.”
James nodded. It didn’t pay to deny what he knew about the s
