Katie stood in the back garden. The wind was starting to pick up and she wrapped her sweater around her a little tighter to fend off the chill. She was upset, frightened, and angry all at once and on so many levels. She knew, deep down, that Walter wasn't a murderer. But everyone else in town seemed to think he was. It wasn't fair, but she didn't know what she could do about it.

That was the thing. She wanted to help. Ever since she had come to Willow Manor, she'd felt an instant connection to this family—they needed her. And she needed to help them.

"Miss Gallagher?" Adrian had entered the garden so quietly she hadn't heard the door open and shut behind her. She jumped a little. "Katie. I'm sorry. Did I startle you?"

"No, Mr. Chesterfield," She composed herself quickly. "I thought you'd gone."

"Adrian." He cut her off. "I think we know each other well enough to use first names."

Something about the way he said well enough instantly called to mind his hands on her body, his lips on her skin. She blushed without meaning to. Of course, he didn't know about her dreams, but that look in his eyes was the same look he gave her in her dreams. And her body responded to that look with immediate wanting. Luckily, her waking mind was strong enough to insist she act with sense and decency.

"Adrian." She herself in check, resisted the pull of his eyes. "I was lost in thought."

"I could tell." He came to stand next to her, his eyes locked on hers, his walk casual, but controlled. "You're worried about Walter?"

She sighed. "It seems our local officer on the case isn't quite impartial. I don't think he's looking for any other suspect."

"Yes. Marcus' previous engagement with Dierdre." He nodded. Then he glanced down at her, with her arms crossed and shivering. He took off his suit jacket. "Here, you're freezing to death."

"I'm fine." She shook her head, but he was already placing the coat around her shoulders. "I just wanted to come out and think for a while."

"Well, think while you're warmer." He laughed. He gave her shoulders a squeeze and then looked down at her. "I do believe you wear that better than I do, Katie."

"I don't know about that. But thank you." She laughed. "Are you sure you won't be cold?"

He shook his head. "The weather doesn't affect me much. Besides, how could I stand by while your teeth are chattering?"

She stared out into the dark for a moment, then turned to him. "Did you know her? Mrs. Barrington?"

"Unfortunately not." He sighed. "I've been in Walter's employ for almost two years. Just after... her passing. l hear she was a remarkable woman, however. A bright light in a dark world."

"Yes. I hear the same." She frowned. "It's so tragic that everyone seems to want to crucify Walter for something that he didn't do, as if he couldn't be suffering enough."

He turned to her and examined her face closely, seriously. "It's remarkable that you are such a steadfast champion for someone you've only known for a short time."

"Of course I stand by Walter. He's innocent." She insisted. "I don't have to know him forever to know that. I get a strong impression from some people."

"Oh, do you?" Adrian seemed amused. He tugged at the sleeve of the jacket playfully. "And what impression do you get from me, Katie?"

She turned away from him to hide her smile. "I get the strong sense that you are flirting with me, Mr. Chesterfield."

"Give me your phone." His smile was broad and dazzling. He held out his hand.

"Why?" She laughed, but she was already digging her phone out of her pocket and handing it to him. "What are you doing?"

"You're not wrong." He fiddled with her phone and then handed it back to her with a wink. Then, he started to leave.

"Wait." She called. "Don't you want your jacket?"

He didn't even turn. "It will give me an excuse to see you again."

Katie smiled and wrapped Adrian's jacket even tighter around herself. She was not imagining it. He was interested in her. And she was attracted to him. Her dreams were a subconscious reaction to his flirting, her deepest self, acting on her desires, without the inhibitions of her waking mind. She wasn't sure where all this flirting was leading, so for now she would play it safe and just enjoy her dreams for what they were.

And what they were was hot. Holy cow, she didn't even realize she was such a sensualist until she started having those dreams. Some of the things she found herself doing in her subconscious were downright shocking to her waking mind.

"Katie! There you are." Bill shut the door behind him and walked to the edge of the patio, where she was standing. "What are you doing out here?"

"Hi Bill. Were you looking for me?" She turned to him, the spell of Adrian's company broken. "I was just thinking."

Bill glanced at the suit jacket around her shoulders. "Where'd you get that?"

"It's Adrian's." She shrugged. "I was cold."

Bill frowned his disapproval. "You want to go inside?"

"It's fine." She said. "Why were you looking for me?"

"I just talked to Walter." Bill glanced back at the house. "He's in a bad way."

"I know. That poor woman." She shook her head sadly, knowing Carlee Farina's last moments were spent in terror and pain.

Bill frowned. "And of course, Marcus Jones was here, ready to crucify him. Did he question you again?"

She nodded. "You?"

"Yeah." Bill said. "Apparently, he has a problem with me going back to Za's to get my jacket."

"But that's where you went, right?" Katie said. "You have witnesses, right?"

"Yeah, of course." Bill nodded. "They said they didn't find it, at first, until I made a big deal about it being the jacket my mom gave me. They'll remember me being there, if Marcus questions them."

Katie lowered her voice. "I didn't hear you come in. What time did you get home?"

Bill followed suit and spoke quieter, as well. "I came back right away. I talked to Walter so he'd be sure I was back. Then I went out the back and went straight to the family graveyard."

"Good." Katie nodded. "So Arabella is all taken care of?"

Bill looked at the ground. "Not quite. I didn't finish the digging."

"What do you mean?" Katie was suddenly very nervous. What if someone happened to see the grave, half dug? What if Bill wasn't able to slip out of the house again to finish? What if Arabella realized what they were doing and tried to stop them? She gripped his arm. "The plan was to make sure Arabella didn't have a chance to hurt Delia."

"I know. But I didn't have time to finish digging." Bill glanced up, contrite. Then he looked at her arm, in the sleeve of Adrian's jacket, and he frowned and shook her hand off. "It's an old grave. The ground is hard. Turns out it's not as easy as those brothers on tv make it look."

"But you're going to finish tonight, right?" She pressed.

"Yeah. Of course." He nodded his head back toward the house. "Just have to wait until everyone is down for the night. Walter is in his study, pacing a hole in the carpet."

"Can you blame him?" She shrugged. "Officer Jones is looking for ways to pin every murder on him. If the real killer isn't found right away, I'm afraid Walter will become the scapegoat."

"That's why I was looking for you. I have a plan. Can you talk to Clarissa? See if she remembers anything about where that vampire... uh... lived?" Bill said softly. "If she could remember anything... if we could find where he lived... I could go there and search for something that would tie him to any of the murders."

Katie nodded. "You're thinking, if there's another suspect, Officer Jones will have to investigate and consider Walter's innocence?"

Bill nodded. "And maybe he'll stop trying to pin everything on Walter."

"Yes. I suppose so." Katie thought for a second. "But this last murder—Mr. Barrington's hotel manager—that was after..."

Bill frowned. "After I killed the vampire. I know. But at least it will clear Walter for the other murders. Hm. Maybe Carlee too, now that I think about it. After all, Jones doesn't know Davicus is dead. And there's nothing real that points to Walter for Carlee's death."

"Yes, but we know Davicus couldn't have killed Carlee." Katie said pointedly. "Shouldn't we be more concerned with making sure the real killer is caught?"

Bill shrugged. "Sure, but let's not forget this is a vampire we're talking about."

"I get that." Katie frowned. "But the fact that someone was killed last night is proof that the killer is still out there."

Bill sighed. "One thing at a time. We need to find a way to help Walter. This will help him."

"But does that help the situation?" She insisted. "If Marcus Jones focuses all his energy on tracking down Davicus, and Davicus is dead, then the real killer gets away with it."

"But at least Walter is off the hook." Bill said. "And if Jones focused on the actual case, even his shoddy reasoning will put him on the trail of the real killer soon enough."

Katie frowned. "But how many others will die in the meantime?"

Bill looked at the ground, thinking. "You're right. But I still say we need me to go to Davicus' lair and see if I can find anything that clears Walter."

Katie wasn't sure that action would help in the long run, but she couldn't argue that it might take some of the pressure off Walter in the short run. She nodded. "Okay, but we also have to be trying to find the real killer."

Bill nodded. "Right. So see what you can learn from Clarissa."

"I'll try. She can't remember anything." Katie sighed. She looked at the resolve in Bill's face and became even more worried. "There's just one thing... What if you go there and there are more vampires? What if they attack you?"

Bill thought about it for only a second. "I don't think there's much they can do to me. What can they do? Turn me into a werevamp?"

"That's not funny." Katie frowned. "They could kill you, Bill. That's what they could do."

He half smiled. "They could try."

Katie shook her head without saying anything.

Bill gave in first. "Look, we learned with Davicus that a supernatural creature can kill a supernatural creature. But I'll go in the daylight, if it makes you feel better."

"Thanks." She sighed. "But even if you get some sort of lead, how will we convince Officer Jones?"

Bill shrugged. "I don't know. But he'll have to look at the evidence. We'll just have to trust that his integrity is stronger than his jealousy."

Katie nodded. "So we just get the evidence and turn it over to him?"

"Evidence of the murders." Bill clarified. "I don't think he's going to buy that there are vampires in Willow Grove."

Katie agreed. "But what if he wants to see for himself?"

"I'll take him there." Bill shrugged. "After I get rid of all the vampires, of course."

Katie raised her eyebrows. "But first we have to deal with Arabella."

"Yeah." Bill looked off into the dark. "We have to do that."