Chapter 6
It was two O'clock in the morning. Berta could feel herself aging again. The brief joy she felt earlier that night lasted her a lifetime. Her next kill had to be younger. The energy she would absorb from a younger body would last much longer.
The hours drifted like the faint memories of her youth. A moving truck jarred her back to the present. She checked her trusty Omega. It was twenty minutes past six.
On the sofa, she lay down to catch up with her sleep. When the sun rose higher and the shadows lengthened, she got ready for an exciting day.
A fresh batch of cookie dough was whipped up. She added her secret ingredient and started making balls. She filled two trays and placed them in the oven. When the timer pinged, Berta turned the oven off. The cookies were cooling on a rack by the time her new neighbours had settled down.
The Potters had sat down for lunch when three knocks brought their attention to the door. Stella Potter returned her fork and knife to their resting place before going to get the door.
Berta straightened her back and smiled.
"Hello there! Don't mind me disturbing your lunch. I'm dropping off some freshly backed cookies I made earlier to welcome you to the street."
A black car screeched to a halt. DI Shard fell out of it in his rush to get out. Straightening his legs, he placed himself between her and Stella.
