by J. P. Rice
Chapter 11
My damaged car (luckily just some body damage) coasted to a stop at the entrance of the Purple House and the valet greeted me at his stand. “Are you Mike Merlino?”
“Yes.”
His hand dove into his front pants pocket, sending a ripple of shock down my spine. If I saw silver or black, I may have to fuck this valet up. The guy pulled out a purple cell phone, pressed a few buttons on the screen and put it against his ear. “Send them out.”
Uh, send whom out? That didn’t sound like the welcoming party that I wanted to see. The valet walked over to my side of the car. “Jonathan said you would need help carrying something in.”
I exhaled. A vampire and a gentleman. I was really starting to like Jonathan. I should temper that considering if he knew a certain secret, he would kill me without issue.
Three vampires came out the front door and walked toward my car. It all made sense now after a slight heart attack. I opened the trunk, handed the boxes to the three men, and grabbed the last one. I closed the trunk and tossed the keys to the valet. The three carriers followed me inside the front door.
I went to the reception desk and the same woman as the previous time was sitting in a black leather chair with her long legs on the desk.
“I’m here to see Jonathan again. He’s expecting me.”
She licked her lips. “Name please.”
Come on Ms. Lady Bitch, I was basically here yesterday. “Mike Merlino.”
She picked up the receiver and punched a few numbers into the phone. She twirled the cord and smiled with her eyes at me. “Hello, Mr. Rickleshaw. I have a Mike Merlino here to see you.” She hung up the phone and looked up at me. “He’ll be right out to greet you.”
“Thank you,” I said, and wandered around the lobby area trying to get this box out of my hands. I could feel the dark energy pulses of heat coming from it, almost like a beating heart. The three vampire carriers stood against the wall as Jonathan came out, zipping up his black pants.
Strange. I said, “Jonathan, great to see you again.” I heightened my mental faculties for this meeting. Jonathan was one of the most powerful vampires in Pittsburgh so I can’t let my guard down.
He didn’t glance at me because he was fixated on the boxes. “Where did you say you got these?”
Hmm. How much can I tell him? “Unfortunately, that gets filed under client detective privilege. No offense to you, but I won’t be getting many clients if I disclosed their personal information to vampires. No offense, again.” I tried to be delicate.
He brushed some dirt off one of the boxes, and studied the object diligently. “When you are as old as I, one doesn’t get offended easily. Most times, that is. When it becomes personal, then we have a problem. Let’s get these into my office.”
We carried them down the hall and set the boxes next to Jonathan’s desk. One of the vamps said, “Will there be anything else required, master?”
“My friend here will take a glass of Jameson neat.” He turned to me for confirmation, and I nodded. He held the door. “And I’ll have my usual. Thank you.”
The men gave a slight bow and vanished from the room. Jonathan closed the door and turned to me with a glow of excitement in his dark eyes. “Do you know what you have here?”
I took an educated guess. “I’m pretty sure they are Dybbuk Boxes.”
He chuckled, which triggered a short bout of coughing, then he gathered himself. “You’re damn right they’re Dybbuk Boxes. Some of the nicest ones I’ve ever seen. They appear to be eastern European. Polish if I’m not mistaken. These have a crossover appeal for people into the occult and collectors of finely crafted cases, cabinets and furniture in general. They are worth some real money. I have to admit, I expected you to bring by the usual run of the mill shit boxes, but these—these are impressive.” He spoke with passion and excitement.
“When do you think they were made?”
He debated the question for a moment as he wrestled with his pony tail. “These are nice and old. Late seventeenth, early eighteenth century. Top of the line craftsmanship too. I can have my crew clean all the dirt from these and they will look amazing. Two questions. Was this all of them, and were the doors open when you found them?” He finally pulled the ponytail holder out of his hair, unleashing wild Jonathan. He took on a creepier, more sinister look, and I thought it was aimed purposefully at intimidation.
“They were all open. This is four out of a dozen. The family said they were going to burn the rest of them.”
He immediately questioned me, “Did they burn them yet?”
“I don’t know.” A rush of air came from behind me and I peered over my shoulder at the same drink girl with rich, dark skin and barely a shirt and skirt to cover her appealing package. She shook her hips past me and served the elder first. Probably smart on her part.
She dropped Jonathan’s thick, red “drink” off and curtsied. Her wide welcoming eyes almost sucked me in as she extended her arm. I grabbed the drink. “Thank you.”
She turned around and shoved her ass out. “Will you require anything else, master?”
“That’ll be all,” the elder vamp responded, and she shook her way through the door.
“Like her? Join us and she’s yours whenever you desire. Most of the others are even better than her, by the way,” he tempted me.
I’m not going to lie, I could understand why people would want to become a vampire. Jonathan put an attractive offer on the table full of fringe benefits.
Jonathan took a big gulp of his beverage and smiled at me. “Back to the boxes. You should check. You could earn a lot more money from more boxes. Also, we can re-trap the spirits that have escaped. The only way to get them back inside is to keep the boxes intact.”
That wasn’t good. “I could make a phone call.”
“By all means, please do.” Jonathan pressed a button on his desk and a flat screen computer monitor rose slowly from the desk. He put in a pair of earbuds as I searched for the number.
I called the couple and found out they had already burned all the remaining boxes. Judging by the grimacing looks on Jonathan’s face, he was eavesdropping on my call. The vampire had a passion for antiques.
I made it official. “No luck. They’re gone.”
He nodded with a clenched jaw. “Too bad. If any spirits escaped those boxes, they are free to play now. I’ll find out some information on these and then we can take them to market. What do you think?”
“Sounds good to me.” My new vampire friends were much cooler than Felix.
“Great. I’ve helped you with a problem. Are you helping me with my problem?” He leaned his head forward, hair covering one side of his face.
I convinced myself of the lie. Believe it. Believe it. “No word yet. Can you give me any more clues as to where she might be?”
“I cannot, but she is still around.” He used his middle finger to sweep his hair behind his ear. The elder stared at me with his menacing eyes probing me.
My heart pounded as he stared at me. I swallowed a mouthful of Jameson but my throat was still dry. I didn’t like lying to an elder vamp. It felt like someone had sprinkled itching powder over my entire body. He’s lived about five-hundred and eighty years longer than I have and I’m a bad liar.
“So she’s been spotted?” I looked down at my drink as I waited for him to answer.
He knocked on his desk four times. “Somewhat. A few of our clan left today to track her down and never returned. I can only suspect they ran into her.”
I needed to throw him off the scent. “Pardon my ignorance, but I thought vampires couldn’t function during the day.”
He slid back into his enormous chair that rivaled a throne. “It’s a myth. We are creatures of the night, but functioning during daylight is necessary at times. The advantage is flipped. If you and I were to battle during the day, it would be to your advantage. However, if we dueled during the dark hours, I would hope your life insurance was in order.�
�� He didn’t laugh, chuckle or giggle as I hoped. He said it in a matter-of-fact way, implying that he could squash me like a bug.
I tried not to let it rattle me. “If they are all vamps...”
He cut me off, leaning forward in his chair and raising his voice, “Vamp. Pires. Not vamps. Never vamps.”
That made my hands sweat some more. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that was a pejorative term.”
He asked, “Would you like to be called a hum?”
“What?”
“I get sick of saying the full word human so I will just call you a hum. That is the equivalent. Doesn’t it sound stupid?” He set his elbows on the gold armrests.
Even with the question being rhetorical in nature, I figured I should give him confirmation. “You do have a point. If they were all vampires, nobody should have an advantage.”
“Yes, I know. I fear somebody is accompanying her. A creature of the day,” he said, grabbed his glass from the desk, and took a big swig of his mysterious red drink that I’d never asked about. I had a pretty good idea it was blood and didn’t want him to confirm it. He stared at me through his narrow, probing eyes and I shifted around in my comfortable chair.
Believe the lie. Believe the lie. Believe the lie. “Now there is an area I might be able to help you out in. Do you have any idea who she might be with?” I thought about throwing Felix under the bus so Jonathan could shred him and my girlfriend problems would be over.
The elder thought about it for a few moments, likely debating how much information he should share with me. “Considering I am only speculating that she is with someone, I couldn’t possibly know who it is. I’m using common sense. She couldn’t defeat a tandem of older vampires without help.”
I wanted to end this part of the conversation immediately if not sooner. “At least that gives me something to go on. I’ll start asking around to see if we can figure out who this day creature is.”
He set his drink back on the table, nodding. “I do appreciate the effort. I have to admit though, I did expect a little more effort on your part for the huge payday.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “The payday is great, but I have to think about wasted resources. I could run all over the city and commonwealth looking for someone who doesn’t want to be found but it wouldn’t do any good. I’ve put some feelers out just yesterday, so the seeds need time to germinate. Have you entertained the possibility that the two vampires might be in cahoots with Carolyn?”
He licked his lips. “You are a sharp young man. Did you entertain my idea of joining our clan? Remember the perks I mentioned?”
“I do. It’s a generous offer, but I’m happy where I am at for now.” I didn’t press him with my cahoots question a second time. I assumed he didn’t want to believe that they would betray an elder vamp.
“Think about it. We can offer you perks the Celtic Gods can’t even give you.” He smiled, exposing his fangs as an advertisement. “We might seem dark, but we don’t use dark magic. The Red Cavern has tried to recruit some of our clan before and been roundly rejected. You and I. We are together on our mission of life. We just take different paths. Different rules.”
And yet you are asking me to bring you a girl so that you can murder her.
Jonathan screamed, spittle shooting out both corners of his mouth, “She’s a murderer in the first place. We will have our justice, yes justice, before the authorities. With or without your help.” He crushed the thick glass in his right hand and swept the mess off his desk with his left.
Holy shit. He can read minds when he wants to. I need to be ultra-careful. “Looks like it’s time for me to hit the old dusty trail.” I slammed the rest of my drink. “Thanks again for the hospitality and I trust you will give me a call about the boxes.”
“Indeed I will. That anger was not directed at you, by the way. This is a frustrating entanglement that needs straightened out.” He got up and followed me toward his door.
I hurried so that he wouldn’t touch me and try to sap away some of my magic. Crafty vampire. I tried to hatch an icy shell around my body to ward off any advances. I opened the door and his hand met the middle of my back with a firm slap.
He held his hand there and I rushed out the opening and speed-walked toward the front entrance. The valet acknowledged me with a nod, grabbed my keys from the box on the wall, and ran out the front door.
Jonathan called from in front of his office, “Don’t forget your pleasantries. Enjoy your night.”
I stopped and turned around. “Sorry. Good night, Jonathan.” I’d been in such a rush to get away from him that I had forgotten to say goodbye. I scurried out the front door, fished around in my back pockets for a tip, and found two dollars. Better than nothing.
I curled it up in my hand so the valet couldn’t see it and hoped the dark of night would provide enough of a cloak for me to escape before he found out how cheap I was. I shook his hand with the money in it and it fell straight to the ground. So much for that plan.
The valet crouched down, picked up the George Washington twins, searched around for more, stood up, gave me a dirty look, and took off for the front door. I rolled down the long driveway and headed out into the foggy Pittsburgh night.
I woke up to Colossus licking my face and my phone buzzing on the windowsill near my bed. I leaned over and grabbed the phone right before it slid off the edge. Incoming call from Gretchen. This couldn’t be good.
Chapter 12
“Hello.”
“Merlino. You ready for your early morning news feed?”
I yawned. “I guess. What’s going on?”
“More of the same and it’s getting worse. We had more uprisings today in several cemeteries around Pittsburgh. On top of that, the watchman from the first uprising was apparently murdered in his house last night.”
“Shit. I guess it is getting bad.” I petted my dog behind his ears, his favorite spot.
“Unfortunately, that’s nowhere near the worst news I have for you. Reports of citizens being attacked by men made out of stone are coming in.”
That caused me to sit up in bed and pay closer attention. She continued, “As of right now there have been ten reported deaths and they all have a similar calling card.”
“What’s that?”
Gretchen said, “All of the victims were young Japanese women. These stone men seem to be targeting them. A few officers tried to shoot them, and they said the bullets just ricocheted off the men and only made them angrier.”
“So they didn’t apprehend any of the stone men?”
She scoffed, “No. The police followed them until a red fog surrounded the stone men and lifted them off the ground, carrying them away and disappearing into the clouds. Does any of this make sense to you?”
It made a great deal of sense while terrifying me at the same time. “Vaguely. I understand the principles behind what you are describing, but I don’t know where to start.”
She growled, “Well, you better hurry up. My daughter is now in direct danger. And by the way, why did she text me last night talking about what a big jerk you are?”
She was talking to her mom about this stuff? That wasn’t cool. “It’s just a little misunderstanding. She wants me to be friends with Felix.”
“Isn’t he a great young man?”
Not my partner too. “I’m not sure we are talking about the same person. I’d rather keep our relationship private from you, no offense. Have you heard anything about my dad yet?”
Her tone softened, “We haven’t. They still haven’t found anything at the correctional institute to go on.”
My mind flashed to the Sendal Spirits picking up a stone man and carrying him away. What if they did that with my father? Wait, they couldn’t just squeeze him through the prison bars, could they?
I said, “Okay, thanks for checking.”
She paused for a few moments, and I thought the line was dead when she sighed, and said, “Listen Merlino, I know life isn’t all roses for y
ou right now, but the journey is full of peaks and valleys. I’ve been through many of them myself. I guess what I’m trying to say is keep your head up and try not to let everything get to you. Easier said than done, I know.”
We gave each other a hard time, but I really cared about her. “I do appreciate it, Gretchen. Send me all the new information when you get it and I will start to go through everything and try to make sense of this. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Good bye, Mike.”
Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, a new day arrived, full of surprises. I heightened my hearing and listened to a conversation downstairs. I got up and as I neared the door, the voices became clear. I grabbed the blue robe hanging on the back of the door and threw it on.
I went downstairs with Colossus nipping at my heels, cut through the living room, and joined my three friends at the breakfast table. I said a quick hello. Everyone was busy eating and just gave me quick nods.
A full plate of eggs, bacon and a buttered bagel sat in front of me. Alayna and Reg were about halfway finished with their meal as Carolyn devoured a red sausage link. No fork or knife necessary.
“What do you got there?” I asked.
She spoke with a full mouth as she chomped away, “Blood sausage. It’s good.”
Reg clarified, “Morcilla. It’s a Spanish flavored blood sausage I found down in the strip district. Don’t care for it myself, but this young lady seems to like it.”
The vampire crushed about six links in a few minutes, leaving pieces of meat and casing covering her shirt.
I put some of my bacon and eggs in Colossus’s bowl and he joined us at the head of the kitchen table. “So what’s the occasion? Why the early morning party? And I never would expect for you to be awake right now.” I directed the last comment to Carolyn.
Alayna said, “I came to visit and Reg was outside so we decided to make breakfast for everyone. What are you doing today, young man?”