"Evelyn," Jake said quietly. "I'm really sorry. I didn't think Adrian would go so far, and I did try to warn you... I'll leave if you really want."

With or without that idiot actor? wondered Gideon. Not that it mattered much; Adrian could look after himself. He was the surviving type -- had to be, or some infuriated victim would have staked him long since.

Gideon watched Evelyn, waiting to see how she handled this. None of this had been young Jacob's fault, it would be unfair to put the blame on him. And he was clearly too tired and had drunk too much beer to drive back to Toronto.

"No, no, Jake, of course you can stay," said Evelyn. She still wouldn't look up. "I'm sorry," she said after a minute, "that I snapped at you. It wasn't your fault." She looked out the window suddenly, although it was pitch black. Dawn was coming; Gideon could feel it too.

"Let me show you to your room, Gideon," she offered.

"So you do have a vampire guest room?" asked Jake.

Evelyn sighed. "I didn't really want Adrian to stay," she confessed. "I'm sure Joe thought he'd turn down the offer of a trunk in an abandonned house. Well, it's almost dawn."

"Then lead the way," Gideon smiled at her. He gave Jake a not unfriendly nod. "Good night, Jacob."

"Good morning, Baron. Nice to have finally really met you."

"And you as well," Gideon replied. "But perhaps next time, you will be with of a slightly better class of companion?" With this zinger, he turned on his heels and followed his hostess.

Evelyn led him up to the third floor. Servants' quarters, Gideon immediately recognized. She unlocked a solid wood, dead-bolted door. Inside the security was reinforced with two sliding bolts.

"The window is covered with a mirror, and caulked so no light comes in. My housekeeper thinks it's a storage room, that I keep furs and jewelry in here."

There was a bed, spread with a comforter decorated, Gideon noted with a twinge of a smile, with lilies on a black background. A slipper chair and a dresser completed the furniture. The only thing otherwise was a phone, perched on a phone book on the dresser.

"The closet is bolted from the inside," she said, "but the lights," she tapped the brass neck of a wall sconce, "are sturdy enough to hold your suit bag."

"You've used this room before," he guessed.

"I did. Simms too, which is why I've abandoned it. But I won't be far away."

Gideon looked at the closet rather dubiously. He wasn't sure he liked having her that close, just from the point of view of privacy.

"So if it's bolted from the inside...?"

Evelyn gave a little smile. "Don't you remember? You complained about Simms' ability to pop. I'm his... get," she said with evident distaste.

"Of course." The remembrance of Simms was enough to make him uncomfortable. Now he remembered why he hadn't wanted to make this trip. Well, one of the reasons. "You can pop... anywhere?"

"Anywhere I can visualize. It's not that I have to be invited in, just that once I have been, you can't get rid of me. Well, I'll bid you good night. Don't worry, I won't disturb you in here."

And she disappeared.

Gideon looked at his watch. Just enough time to call Josh and wish him a good morning.