Baited Blood

by Sue Ann Jaffarian

  Madison considered the timing and the distance she had to cover. “I think it will be plenty.” She glanced at her watch. “Besides, Hyun will be here in about four hours, so I’ll have to be back.” She paused. She had grown to love the gruff Pauline, who stood before her squat and thick and full of street smarts, as much as she had the Dedhams. “Are you sure you’ll be okay here alone?”

  Instead of answering, Pauline walked over to the kitchen counter. Opening a drawer, she pulled something out and turned to Madison. In her dark hands was a large handgun.

  Even though the gun wasn’t directed at her, Madison jumped back. “Where did you get that?”

  “It’s mine,” the housekeeper said casually. “Had it for years. I brought it from home as soon as all this nonsense started.” She put the gun on the kitchen counter. “You run along and try to get to the bottom of this. The sooner someone does, the sooner things will return to normal around here.” Pauline closed one brown eye and fixed the other on Madison to give her next words extra meaning. “I happen to be a big fan of normal.”

  Madison was going to make a crack about there being nothing normal about working for vampires, but one glance at the gun and she changed her mind.

  SEVENTEEN

  Fortunately, all three of the homes were on the west side of Los Angeles. Not having to drive through the sprawling city would save time. The first was the closest to the Dedhams. Madison had wanted to take the Range Rover over her own car for a few reasons, the most important being it had a GPS. The other reason was the areas these homes were located in no doubt had high security and private patrol vehicles. If spotted, the Range Rover would give her a much better image than her old, beat-up car. It also might not look so out of place. More and more, she was thinking Samuel was right about her getting a new car.

  She drove first to the property in Calabasas. It took her close to thirty minutes to get there. Following the GPS instructions, she wound through a neighborhood lousy with huge mansions until it alerted her she was at her location. The house was situated to her left. Madison pulled over and stared up at a ten-foot wall and an equally high iron gate. To the left of the drive was a call box. Security cameras were posted at the top of the wall on each side of the drive.

  Getting out of her vehicle, she approached the gate and peered through the bars. At the end of the long drive sat the house listed in the property description. It was solid and stately—a mini Buckingham Palace, even though there was nothing mini about it. All it lacked were palace guards in red uniforms and tall, funny hats.

  Madison had studied the photos of each property posted at the links Nina Weinberg had provided her. She remembered reading that this house had five fireplaces, custom chandeliers, and both indoor and outdoor pools. She couldn’t imagine the elegant house beyond the gate serving as a frat house for newbie vampires, with the mysterious Lady as house mother, mistress, and pimp to them all. But, as Madison reminded herself, vampires were unpredictable and seemingly with endless funds.

  “May I help you?” asked a male voice without a body.

  It took Madison a moment to realize the sound was coming from the box at the gate.

  “What do you want?” The disembodied voice was more stern the second time around.

  “I … I …,” Madison moved closer to the intercom, which was extended toward the driveway on an angled pole so that people driving up would not have to get out of their cars to speak with the guard. “I received this address from a realtor. She said it was on the market.”

  “You’re intending to buy this house?” Now the voice was smug. Madison looked up at the surveillance camera closest to her, glad she’d foregone her usual casual attire. Her first inclination was to show it her middle finger, but she restrained herself.

  “I am scouting it for my employer,” she explained in an authoritative voice laced with forced superiority. “He is the one who may very well buy this house.”

  “Sorry, miss.” The voice ratcheted its attitude down a notch or two but still wasn’t chummy. “Your realtor will have to make an appointment to show it to you. Them’s the rules. No exceptions.”

  “I understand. I just wanted to see it myself before we went to all that trouble—to make sure, at least from the outside, it’s what he’s looking for.”

  “Well, you’ve seen it, so please move along.”

  She drove next to a property located in Topanga. The final property was in Encino, as far away from the Dedhams’ as the house in Calabasas but in a different direction. This time, the GPS directions took her deep into a wooded area. Even with the satellite help, she missed her turn and had to find a spot to make a U-turn and try again. Finally, she spotted the road. She had seen it as she’d passed. It was a decent size and paved, but she hadn’t seen the street sign so hadn’t trusted the GPS when it directed her to turn right. Coming back from the other direction, she spotted the street sign, along with a larger sign marked Private. Seeing no gate or wall shutting folks out, Madison turned down the road and slowly followed it deeper into the woods. Every now and then she spotted a paved drive shooting off the main road and the occasional huge house peeking through the trees off in the distance. Some of the drives were walled and gated, some were not. The GPS told her to keep moving, so she did.

  “Arriving at your destination on the right,” the voice from the GPS cheerily informed her just as she reached the end of the private road.

  Before Madison was another gated drive. There was no wall. The density of the bushes and trees formed a natural barrier hindering unwanted vehicles from passing. At the gate was a speaker with a buzzer similar to that at the first house. Madison looked around and spotted a security camera mounted in a nearby tree and pointed at the gate. Two other security cameras kept lookout from different angles.

  Her shoulders sagged. All of these properties would have heavy security. She’d be lucky if she got close enough to see the front door or an ornamental shrub. Madison kicked herself. What did she think she would accomplish by running around from property to property? There were hundreds of such places in this part of Southern California. Nina Weinberg’s handful of locations might have only scratched the surface. If the right property wasn’t for sale, it might go totally missed by the realtor. The tattoo parlors might be a better way to use her time. She dug around in her purse, then swore to herself. She’d left the list of her targeted tattoo shops on her desk. The only list she had with her was the one of the five properties she’d printed out.

  “In for a penny, in for a pound,” Madison said out loud. She closed her eyes in warm yet painful memory. It had been one of her great aunt Eleanor’s favorite sayings. The woman always had a bag full of folksy phrases—something to fit almost any occasion, like a box of generic greeting cards. Every now and then, one would pop into Madison’s mind or out of her mouth—souvenirs of the last time she’d been happy as a child.

  With the words hanging in the air like moisture on a humid day, Madison picked up the property descriptions and read further on the house behind the gate in front of her. Rather than one big house, this property was a compound containing several buildings—a large main house and two guesthouses for starters. The main house contained a media room, catering kitchen, solarium, six bedrooms, and eight bathrooms. There was also a garage for six vehicles, parking for at least a dozen more, a detached office or studio, staff housing, a greenhouse, and a stable for horses. She’d printed out the photos as well. Even in black and white, they were impressive.

  Madison glanced up from the property description and photos and studied the gate. It was difficult to believe everything listed on the paper in her hand lay just beyond the sturdy but unimposing gate.

  Getting out of her car, she approached the gate with caution, not really sure what she would or could do, half expecting a voice to snap at her from out of the blue. She pushed on the heavy metal gate. It didn’t budge. Looking up into the security camera, she hit the button below the speaker on the intercom. A few second
s later, a woman answered.

  “It’s about time you got here.” The voice sounded young and harried but not angry.

  A second later, Madison heard a thick metallic clink, and the gate began to slowly swing open. She scrambled back into the Range Rover, driving through the gate as soon as it was wide enough. Once beyond the gate, she still couldn’t see any buildings. She continued down the paved drive, framed on either side by more thick trees and bushes, thinking this would be a perfect place for Lady to stash her stable of male vampires and consorts. It occurred to Madison that it would also be a perfect place to ambush and trap ignorant spies.

  The road seemed to go on for a long time before finally opening up to a circular drive, beyond which was a gathering of buildings that looked like a Mediterranean village separated by stone pathways. The landscaping was abundant with flowers and blended in nicely with the natural wild vegetation on the outskirts. The main building had two large round turrets. The place reminded Madison of fancy vacation villas she’d seen in glossy brochures.

  Getting out of her vehicle, Madison approached the large carved wooden door of the main house and rang the front doorbell. From somewhere behind the buildings she could hear children squealing in play. It was a clear indication that she probably had the wrong place.

  A woman answered the door wearing worn jeans and an oversized tee shirt. In one hand was a stuffed toy. Her blond hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail with curly strands trespassing around her pretty face. Even without makeup, Madison instantly recognized Gwen Maddox, the lead actress on very popular TV medical show.

  “You’re supposed to deliver the cake to the kitchen entrance,” the woman told her, almost sounding out of breath. Before Madison could get a word out, Gwen’s eyes focused on the Range Rover and Madison’s empty hands. “Wait, you’re not from the bakery.” Her face turned from surprised to wary to angry. “You skanky paparazzi. How did you find this place?” She started to shut the door.

  “No, wait,” Madison quickly squeaked out. “I’m not with the press. Really.”

  The actress stopped the door from slamming, granting Madison a few seconds to explain herself.

  “Look,” Madison said in a rush, “I’m sorry for the intrusion, but I’m scouting property for my boss and was told this was on the market. You buzzed me in before I could say anything at the gate.”

  The door opened a few more inches while the woman studied Madison. For the second time in less than an hour, Madison was glad she’d worn some of her new clothes. She really did look like a professional assistant to an important tycoon.

  Gwen’s body relaxed as she made up her mind. “Forgive me. It’s been a hellish day,” she explained. “My husband’s entire family is arriving in a few hours for dinner. The cook’s in a snit, the nanny’s sick, and the kids are driving me insane. On top of that, my husband’s plane hasn’t even landed.”

  Madison would have liked to have gotten a photo and an autograph for Dodie, who was a huge fan of Gwen’s show, but she knew the timing wasn’t right.

  “It’s okay. I should have set up an appointment, but I didn’t want to bother the realtor unless the property was exactly what Mr. La Croix was looking for. Seeing this place,” Madison said, glancing around, “it’s lovely but not exactly what he wants.”

  Madison studied the famous face. “I’m sorry to have bothered you, Ms. Maddox. Good luck with your dinner.” She started for the Range Rover, then stopped. “And trust me, I’ll tell no one about this place or who owns it. My boss is very private, so I know how to be discreet.”

  “Wait,” the woman called to her. “This is definitely on the market, and it’s a real gem. We just need something a bit larger. What sort of place is your boss, Mr. …”

  “La Croix.” Madison filled in the blank. “Samuel La Croix.”

  Larger. Madison scanned the front of the house and the other buildings within her vision and couldn’t imagine needing something bigger. She knew this wasn’t Lady’s castle but stepped back toward the door.

  “He’s looking for something that resembles a castle. I think the realtor recommended your home because of the turrets.”

  “A castle,” Gwen repeated.

  “Mommy,” called a reedy voice from somewhere in the house.

  “In a minute, Callie,” Gwen called back over her shoulder before returning her attention to Madison.

  “You know, there are a few properties like that around here. Several years ago, we went to a party at the home of one of my husband’s business associates. The main house looked like it’d been shipped over from England or Scotland, or someplace like that, stone by mossy stone. Our realtor brought it up to us when we started looking for a new place. We nixed it because it’s not really kid friendly, but it’s very impressive.”

  Madison’s interest sharpened. “So this place is for sale?”

  “Not officially, but it was our understanding that the owner was toying with the idea of unloading it. He lives in France most of the time. It’s been leased out for the past few years.”

  “Do you know the address?”

  “Not exactly, but it’s over in Calabasas off of Cold Canyon Road, right where Wonder View and Timpangos meet. Very nice area. You know it?”

  Madison nodded. Nice, indeed. “I was looking at a property earlier not far from there.”

  Madison stepped toward the front door and held out her hand. Gwen Maddox transferred the stuffed toy from her right hand to her left and shook Madison’s offered hand briefly but with warmth.

  “Thank you very much, Ms. Maddox, for both your time and information.”

  At that moment, the intercom by the front door buzzed. Gwen pushed a button.

  “Bakery,” a voice announced. “We have a cake you ordered.”

  Gwen pushed another button releasing the front gate, then turned to Madison, who was making her way back to her SUV. “Would you like to stay and help me with the kids?” she called. “I pay very well and will reimburse you for any dry cleaning.”

  From Gwen’s strained smile, Madison couldn’t tell if she was serious or joking—maybe a bit of both.

  EIGHTEEN

  As she drove away from the house, Madison passed the bakery van coming in. She smiled at the man driving. He was a young Latino with black slicked-back hair and sunglasses. He grinned back and blew her a kiss, probably thinking she was flirting with him. He had no idea that by being late, he’d done her a solid.

  Back at the main road, Madison checked her watch to see how she was doing on time. The other house on her list was in Encino, farther away. After a short debate, she decided to head back to Calabasas to see if she could find the castlelike mansion Gwen Maddox had mentioned.

  Retracing her earlier route, she took a right on Mulholland Highway. When she reached Cold Canyon Road, she veered left and continued on the twisty roadway as it wound through the hills. She’d remembered passing Wonder View earlier, both coming and going from the first mansion, but before leaving the private road in Topanga she’d keyed the intersection of Wonder View and Timpangos into the GPS just to make sure she didn’t miss it. Time was ticking away, and she didn’t want to take advantage of Pauline’s gracious offer to stay beyond her usual hours. She also had to get back home and change into something more comfortable for traveling.

  The intersection of Wonder View and Timpangos was less of an intersection and more of an elbow in the road where one road turned into the other. Just before the bend, set back from the road about a dozen yards on the Wonder View side, began a high wall made of pale gray stone with evenly spaced, groomed shrubbery running in front of it. It ran straight, then followed the curve in the road. The drive and gate were on Timpangos, and the wall continued well past the massive gate of intricate, open scrollwork.

  Unlike with the other houses, Madison didn’t pull up to the gate and try the buzzer. She didn’t want a repeat of being turned away and doubted she would luck out as she had at the Maddox home. Instead, she drove a bit pa
st the structure looking for a place to stash her vehicle. Along both sides of the road were stands of trees and thick natural vegetation. In spite of carving massive estates out of the countryside, the builders of the mansions in the area had managed to leave much of the original wild foliage along the road intact. In short order, Madison found a small turnout on the opposite side of the street. It was close to the main gate of the house but not so close as to appear obvious. After making a U-turn, she pulled into it as far as the Range Rover would go and climbed out, hoping a security patrol didn’t drive by before she got a peek through the gate.

  As she had slowly driven by in search of parking, Madison had noticed two security cameras mounted on either side of the gate. Both were trained on the driveway by the box, enabling them to see both the driver and any front passenger of an approaching vehicle. Her goal was to avoid those cameras so that she could get a longer look at the property before being noticed.

  After crossing the street, she tucked in close to the shrubbery hugging the wall, trying her best to keep flat without the bushes clinging to her tweed jacket. Slowly she approached the gate, keeping out of camera range. She didn’t know if this house had a full-time guard monitoring the cameras’ security screens, but she was going to assume it was the same as the first house.

  When she got close to the gate, Madison noticed that there was a gap of a few feet between where the cameras were trained on the security intercom and the gate itself. She sent up a soft prayer that if there was a guard on duty, he wasn’t rotating the camera lens like a gaming joy stick. Taking a deep breath, she inched forward. The shrubbery stopped where the wall met the wide pillar that held the gate. She moved away from the bushes. Putting her back against the left stone pillar, Madison peeked her head around the edge and peered through the ornate iron bars.