“Yeah, you’re quite the stud. So, where is she now?” I demanded.
“And why should I tell you?” Randy pugnaciously retorted, thrusting out his chin.
“Because otherwise, I promise that your life will become a holy living hell,” Jake informed him.
With that, we proceeded to form a tight circle around Vampire Boy. Edgers looked at each of us, and must have realized that we weren’t kidding.
“All right, you win,” he crumbled. “It’s not as if I give a shit, anyway. We broke up nearly a month ago. Last I heard, she’d moved in with some dude down around Santa Cruz.”
“What’s this guy’s name?” Santou skeptically questioned.
“How the hell should I know? It’s not like she sent me a housewarming invitation,” Edgers snapped. His eyes darted around, as if searching for an escape route. “Believe me, if I knew, I’d tell you. I don’t need this kind of trouble.”
“That better be true,” Eric seethed. “Otherwise, you’ll be seeing a lot more of me, and the next visit won’t be so pleasant.”
“Ooh. I’m really scared of some candy-ass queer who can’t even face me without bringing all of his friends,” Randy sneered.
“You little bastard,” Eric swore, and took a jab at him.
Randy doubled over, clutching his stomach, only to butt Eric with his head and send him crashing to the floor.
“That’s enough already,” Santou said, placing himself between the two. “I’ll check out the information and be back in touch with you.”
“Yeah, you do that,” Randy scoffed, and began to walk away. “Meanwhile, you’ll be hearing from my lawyer.”
“Are you all right?” Terri asked, helping Eric to his feet.
“I’m fine. I just want to find Lily and be done with this.”
“Well, you’re one step closer than you were before,” Santou consoled. “But right now, I think we should all head home. We’re not going to learn anything more tonight.”
“That’s fine with me. I can’t stand being in the same room with that creep,” Eric muttered.
“You three go ahead. I’m going to stay and hang out for awhile,” Terri informed us.
I shot him a questioning glance.
“I fit in better than the rest of you, which makes it easier to shmooze. Maybe I can pick up some additional information,” he explained.
“Thanks, Terri. I appreciate that,” Eric said and gave him a hug. “I’ll wait up for you.”
“Don’t be silly. Go to bed. You never know. I might get lucky.”
I noticed that Eric looked slightly crestfallen, and wondered if Terri had any idea that his friend was beginning to fall for him.
Eric went straight upstairs once we got home, and Santou and I prepared for bed. It was as I walked out of the bathroom that I caught Jake reaching for his vials of painkillers.
“I don’t think that’s a wise idea. You’ve already had a couple of drinks tonight.”
“You know, chère. I’m really getting tired of your mother act. Why don’t you give it a rest?” Santou snidely retorted.
The words hit their mark as intended.
“And here I thought I was simply acting like someone who cared,” I snapped back.
“Well maybe that’s not what I need right now. Did you ever stop to think that you have absolutely no idea of what I’m dealing with?”
“Yes, I do,” I automatically responded.
“No, you sure as hell don’t!” Santou lashed out in frustration. “You have no goddamn concept at all. You’ve never been stuck behind a desk, unable to go out in the field and do what it is you love. But that’s exactly what I’m facing for the rest of my career. You want to know how that makes me feel? Completely impotent, angry, and useless!”
That’s when I knew what the pills and booze were really about—Santou was attempting to put a lid on his fear.
“You’ll be back in the field again. You just need time to heal, is all. You push yourself too hard, Jake,” I gently told him.
“And how much time do I give it?” he demanded, his pent-up rage turning to bitter tears. “What if things never get any better? What if this is as good as it gets?”
I threw my arms around Santou, wanting more than anything to protect him. For the first time, I began to understand what Jake was really going through. I knew, because a brand-new pain now lodged itself in the pit of my stomach, where it settled in like a clenched fist.
“I swear things will get better. I know they will,” I pledged, my own eyes starting to well up.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, chère.”
“Please, just make an appointment to see a physical therapist. You’ve got nothing to lose, and it might actually help. One more thing. Let’s go for a consultation with another doctor and talk about the drugs that you’re on.”
Santou simply looked at me, breaking my heart.
“I’ll abide by whatever the consensus turns out to be,” I promised.
He wordlessly nodded in agreement. For better or worse, our fates were entwined. That much I knew for certain. We’d become each other’s soldier and all the king’s men. Except that, unlike Humpty Dumpty, we were putting each other back together again.
I held Jake tight throughout the night and listened as he slept, determined to do whatever I could to help him.
Eleven
I awoke to the scent of eggs and bacon floating in the air. It was a relief after the dream I’d just been having. No, it wasn’t my usual nightmare of the controlled delivery gone awry. This one was even more disturbing.
I’d dreamt that needles were slowly being thrust into my body, one at a time. But truly terrifying was the chorus of screams all around me. I’d turned my head to discover that I wasn’t alone, but one in a group of women with long, dagger-thin needles inserted in their arms, legs, and abdomens; even their eyes. That’s when I realized that we’d all been pinned alive.
Their anguished shrieks continued to echo in my ears even now. I ran my hands along my body to make absolutely certain that I’d actually been dreaming. At this rate, maybe I was the one who needed to be taking tranquilizers.
I took another deep whiff of the scent wafting in from the kitchen. Terri must already be up cooking breakfast. That is, if he ever bothered to go to sleep last night.
I rolled over to give Santou a good-morning kiss, but he wasn’t there. I quickly got up and threw on a robe. A shower could wait. I followed my nose.
The figure in the kitchen wasn’t that of Mei Rose. And if it was Terri, he was looking mighty good these days. A tall, lanky man stood facing the stove, dressed in nothing but a pair of briefs and a shirt. Though I tried to sneak up behind, the sound of my bare feet padding on the floor gave me away.
Santou turned around and my heart began to flutter. His tousled hair hung low over his eyes and he flashed a lopsided smile, as his arm reached out and grabbed me around the waist.
“Come here, woman.”
His mouth tasted of bacon as it explored mine, leaving me slightly breathless. If he hadn’t had a hot frying pan in his other hand, I would have been tempted to whip up something even more tantalizing in the kitchen.
“You do know this is exactly what every woman dreams of, don’t you?”
“What’s that?” Jake asked.
“A man with a tight ass who not only can cook but also knows how to kiss like that,” I said with a grin.
“In that case, I guess it’s good a thing I’m already spoken for.”
“You’ve got that right,” I agreed, conveying that I didn’t like to share.
I set the table and we sat down to eat breakfast.
“You do know that kid was lying through his fangs last night, don’t you?” Santou remarked between bites of toast.
“You mean about Lily being in Santa Cruz? I suspected as much. Only Eric was so desperate for the least little clue that I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.”
“Good thinking, chère.
I’m sure he’s gonna want to hot-foot it down there and begin searching for her right away. Don’t say anything to discourage him. Eric’s too emotionally involved to be of any help here. Meanwhile, I’ll see what I can dig up, and share whatever I learn with you.”
I didn’t say a word, too astounded to speak. I was hoping that Santou wouldn’t change his mind and rescind the offer. This was the first time he’d ever included me in on a potential case, and it felt as if our relationship had just taken a giant leap forward. As a reward, I let Jake have the last slice of bacon.
We both dressed and Santou left for work, after which I threw the dishes in the sink and went upstairs to check in with Eric and Terri.
The door swung open before I’d even finished knocking. Eric stood there, fully dressed and wide awake.
“I can’t believe Lily’s been in Santa Cruz this entire time. For God’s sake, it’s just an hour south of where I live and work. She must know that. I pulled out a map last night and marked some areas where we can begin our search. In fact, I’m good to go whenever you’re ready.”
“I’m sorry Eric, but my boss called this morning. I’m afraid I have to go back to work today,” I lied.
Eric’s expression went from hopeful to despondent in less than a second.
“But I’ll break away as soon as I can and join you. Just keep in touch. Will Terri be going along?”
“No. Something came up for him as well,” Eric replied, gloomily.
I felt so guilty that I nearly broke down and told him the truth. Fortunately, a shred of common sense prevailed.
“It might be better if you’re down there on your own, anyway. At least for a while. Then Lily won’t think that some sort of posse is after her. But don’t worry, Eric. I promise that I’ll continue to help.”
“Okay. So then, I’ll see you in a few days. Right?”
His chin quivered and I gave him a reassuring hug.
“In a few days,” I repeated, all the while knowing it was a big, fat lie.
“In that case, I won’t hang around, but will just take off. Would you let Terri know, when he wakes up, that I’ll give him a call?”
“Will do.”
I watched as he walked downstairs, all the while wondering why Terri was suddenly so busy. I was about to leave, myself, when he called out to me from behind the bedroom door.
“Rach, are you still here?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Don’t go yet. I need your feedback on something. I just didn’t want Eric to see. I wasn’t sure how he’d feel about it.”
I did a double-take as a vamp walked out. Terri was dolled up in a skintight black gown with a plunging neckline, stiletto heels, and a long black wig. The cherry on his sundae was that he also wore full vampire makeup, turning him into the undead, spitting image of Elvira, “Mistress of the Dark.”
For chrissakes, Ter, what’s going on?” I asked, beginning to wonder just what had taken place at the club last night after I’d left.
Chalk it up to having seen one too many vampire films, but I walked over and began to inspect his neck.
“What are you doing?” Terri asked, fidgeting under my touch.
“Checking for fang marks. I can’t imagine any other reason why you’d be dressed like this.”
“Why else do you think? I got a job, of course. Okay, so it’s not quite what I was looking for, but I hear the tips are good. And I might be able to help find Lily. The only problem are these miserable fangs.” Terri opened his mouth and bared his teeth.
Holy canines, Batman! They certainly looked sharp.
“The damn things are killing me. Not only that, but I’ve got to lose a few pounds, or this dress is going to rip straight across my butt the first time I bend down.”
“Are you really sure you want to hang out with a crowd that dresses up as vampires every night?”
“Look, Rach. My only other option is to ask people whether they want paper or plastic as I’m bagging their groceries. It’s not like there’s a large pool of employment out there for me. To tell you the truth, my main concern is all this heavy white makeup. It’s going to play havoc with my pores. Besides, as I said before, I really want to help Eric. I like the guy a lot.”
“I believe the feeling is mutual.”
“You do?” He blinked in surprise.
“Absolutely.”
“Who knows? Maybe I won’t die alone, after all.” Terri smiled and began to blush beneath his makeup. “Now let me wash this stuff off my face before it adheres to my skin permanently.”
I left Terri to his cleanse, rinse, and moisturizing routine. While I wasn’t about to rush into work, neither did I want to waste any time. With that in mind, I trotted back downstairs and placed a call to my new ace informant.
“Yeah?” Aikens barked into the phone.
“Have you got any news for me yet?” I queried, skipping all pleasantries.
“Oh, it’s you. I don’t have time for this right now,” Mitch growled, sounding harried. “A new batch of larvae just hatched, and thanks to you, I’ve got my hands full.”
“Make time,” I told him. “What have you found out?”
“Whadda ya kidding me? For chrissakes, it’s only been a coupla days. I haven’t come up with anything yet.”
“Don’t screw with me, Mitch,” I warned. “Or I’ll pull your stay-out-of-jail card. Remember, I still have that tape recording, and there’s no telling what I might find the next time I drop by your house. Come to think of it, I really didn’t take all that good a look around.”
“All right, already. I get the message. There’s a guy that used to be a top gun in the butterfly trade at one time. I’m trying to track him down. He should be able to help you out.”
“Where is he?” I asked, eager to get things rolling.
“That’s the problem. I don’t know.”
“You’re not earning any Brownie points this way, Aikens. Stop jerking me around.”
“I’m not. I swear it! Look, this guy doesn’t exactly hang out a shingle to advertise where he lives. I mean, he used to be famous for sneaking into national parks. I’m talking about places like the Grand Canyon. That’s where he’d dig up rare indra larvae, raise ’em, and sell the specimens for big bucks. This man is my hero. He was so good at collecting that he almost became a butterfly himself while out in the field. We’re talking a real pro. He’d wear one set of clothes on the climb down into the Canyon, another while he was digging, and then change into a third set for the trip back up, just so he wouldn’t be recognized by anyone who’d seen him earlier. Now that’s keeping a low profile.”
“All right then. What’s his name?”
“Brother Tom, or Tim, or Charles, or something.”
“You’re telling me that this guy’s your idol, and you don’t even know who he is?” I scoffed. “What’s with the ‘brother’ stuff, anyway?”
“You know. Brother. Like a Franciscan friar.”
“Yeah, right. First there’s a guy called Horus, and now some sort of Franciscan friar that’s involved in the plot. What kind of idiot do you take me for, Aikens? I’m afraid you just blew it. You can plan on seeing me later today.”
“But, but…” Mitch sputtered into the phone, as I hung up.
Let him stew on that for a couple of hours. My guess was he’d know a whole lot more by the time this afternoon rolled around. Even so I was feeling antsy, wanting to do something right now, but not sure exactly what. The phone rang and I quickly picked it up, certain that Mitch must have already caved.
“Hey, chère. I’ve got some information for you.”
Wow, that was fast work. No doubt about it: Santou was good at his job.
“I managed to get Edgers’s home address. You might want to pay him an unannounced visit. Maybe you can ferret out what’s really going on.
“Thanks for the tip, Jake. There’s nothing I’d love to do more.”
“Now, how did I know that?” Santou replied, with a smile in hi
s voice. “You can thank me properly tonight.”
“That’s the second thing on my ‘to-do’ list,” I teased. “Take an extra vitamin for energy. I’ll see you later on.”
I grabbed my bag and rushed outside, only to be blindsided by a piercing ray of light. I felt as if I were a bug and a giant magnifying glass were being focused on me.
I used my hand to shield my eyes and looked around. Wouldn’t you know? Su Lin Fong had set up her own line of chi defense. An octagonal mirror had been hung in every window of her house, all aimed directly at Mei Rose’s residence.
Just great. The street had been turned into a spiritual battle zone, in what could very well be called the War of the Looking Glasses. Even Tony Baloney seemed to have become a victim. The pooch lay with his head buried in the sheepskin rug, where a low, continual growl could be heard. I almost felt bad when the mutt didn’t attempt to make a lunge for me.
I hopped in my Ford and beelined it down to SOMA. My sister kept popping into my mind, no matter where I went these days. Truth be told, she and Lily were beginning to blur more and more. Half the time I wondered if it was really Rebecca for whom I was searching.
The rest of the time I pondered if my sister had secretly hoped to be found. If so, why hadn’t the P.I. hired by my mother been able to uncover the least little clue as to her whereabouts? But then, with 451,000 runaways a year, how much of a chance had there actually ever been?
I used to run to the front door each time the bell rang, convinced the police would be standing there with my sister in tow. Looking back on it now, my hopes seemed incredibly naïve. Who’d I been kidding? Only myself.
I’d gone so far as to set up a makeshift memorial in our shared bedroom, complete with Rebecca’s photo, Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run album, and her favorite teddy bear. I’d light a cranberry-scented candle every night and make a wish with all my might that she’d come home soon. After all these years, I still found myself waiting.
SOMA looked completely different during the day. Gone were the limos and stylish models. They were replaced by beat-up vans and angst-riddled post-punkers doing their best to appear churlish while walking along the street. By daylight, the barren neighborhood existed mainly as an outlet for an off-ramp from the freeway.
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