Adduné (The Vampire's Game)

by Wendy Potocki

  “I thought so. At least from what I heard.”

  “What did you hear?”

  “Nothing. Isn’t that why you left the room? So I wouldn’t hear?”

  “Exactly. No use dragging you into this mess.”

  “What mess is it, Reginald?”

  He leaned into her fingers that were unknotting a tender spot. He sighed indicating to his wife to linger.

  “I suppose you’ll find out soon enough. Miranda had taken up with a character in New York that thought it appropriate to put a video on the internet.”

  “What?”

  Reginald could hear the concern in her voice. Her hands were immediately lifted off his back. She rushed around and sat on the settee directly across from him, leaning her elbows on her knees towards him.

  “Are we talking about what I suppose we’re talking about?”

  “If you’re this upset, I would tend to think we are on the same page and that you’ve got it right.”

  “Then it’s a sex-u-al tape? Of Mir-an-da …” she queried stuttering and not quite wanting to say the descriptive words necessary to paint the full picture, “… and this person was … doing … things of a lascivious nature?”

  “Yes, that would be accurate if you mean she was naked as a jay bird and hoisted about like a little piece of baggage being man-handled at the airport.”

  “Oh, my!” she gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. “No wonder you’ve been so upset. Does Connie know? She didn’t mention anything when I spoke to her today.”

  “I don’t know. I certainly haven’t said anything. I’ve only been working to get the blasted thing taken off. This all only just happened.”

  “You mean today?”

  “Yes. She was with this scoundrel last night. The tape was stolen and placed on the internet early today – NY time. I don’t know what time you talked to Constance, but it might not have been up by then.”

  “I see. It was this morning. It’s lucky she didn’t know. It only would have added to what went on with poor Arthur.”

  “What do you mean? What went on with Arthur?”

  “His crypt was vandalized.”

  Reginald felt a dagger shoot through his stomach and out the top of his head. He lurched forward and stared into his wife’s eyes, no longer fatigued. His heart was racing.

  “A break-in? When?”

  “They don’t seem to know. They don’t check the vaults every day, but they do perform regular maintenance. As you know the Larchmont Cemetery is very well attended. Because they have an established routine they’ve narrowed down the time period of when it could have occurred. They’re certain it happened within the last two weeks.”

  “What did they want? Was anything taken?”

  “No, no, nothing was taken. And no damage to the … to the body.”

  “Thank goodness for that.”

  ‘Yes, they assured Connie that Arthur was still there and his remains undefiled.”

  “Then what did they do?”

  “Connie said that an individual – or group of individuals – broke in, unsealed the coffin, replaced the lid, and left.”

  “That makes no sense at all. Why go to all that trouble to view a corpse …” Reginald’s voice trailed off. He’d been wrong. Wrong in what he told Miranda. People viewed corpses to make sure they were there and if Larchmont told Constance that Arthur’s body was there, he couldn’t have been shipped to America. Figgs had been wrong – and he had been wrong to mention it. He was passing along the worst kind of gossip. He felt wretched – as if he’d been a part of some prank played at Miranda’s expense. Bonnie’s voice floated in over his troubling thoughts.

  “Who knows why people do what they do? You of all people know that people do insane things from time-to-time. There is no rhyme or reason. Whether they wanted to snap a picture, touch his remains, or pilfer any jewelry left on his body, it’s all conjecture since they don’t have a clue as to who the perpetrator was. And you know that people are just fascinated by death. It’s always been that way.”

  His wife was right. She always was, but this time she was saying so much more. She was hitting the nail on the head as to why Figgs had behaved the way he had. His actions had been the action of someone insane.

  “Has it?”

  “Yes, death occupies much of our time and attention. Not everyone is as logical and rational in their thinking as you or I.”

  “What do you think about death, Bonnie?”

  Bonnie was flustered by the question. Reginald searched her soft face for an answer. He’d never discussed this subject with her. Yes, they both had Wills prepared, and both had chosen burial plots, but she’d never been asked her opinion of death.

  “I think it’s something everyone fears – at least a little bit. I’m lucky that we have our religion. Our faith tells me that death is only a beginning and not an end.” She smiled and tilted her head. Her hair shifted to the side in an appealing way that reminded Reginald of why he’d married her. She had been a charming girl and was now a charming woman. There was no one in the world that would have engaged and held his interest this long except for Bonnie.

  Bonnie regarded her beloved, devoted husband.

  “I’ve spent this much time with you already and I do so look forward to continuing it in the afterlife,” she continued gazing at him with love and adoration.

  “Are you so sure there’s one?”

  “Reginald! I’m surprised at you questioning our faith after this long a time! Or is it that you don’t relish spending the next eternity with me?” she teased.

  Without hesitation he avowed, “Bonnie, my darling wife, there is no one on this earth that I would rather spend it with. On that I swear.”

  He spoke with a fervor and passion that was sincere. Bonnie could feel the wealth of emotion that was poured into that simple statement. She rose up and leaned in to give him a fresh kiss on his small, rosebud mouth. It was hiding under that moustache he was so proud of. When they first started dating he’d been so fond of saying, his mouth was small, but well worth finding.

  He was passionate about his love for Bonnie, but tonight there was more going on. Things that Bonnie wasn’t aware of. He felt so guilty and ashamed of telling false tales. He needed to apologize to Miranda – as soon as possible. He felt as if he’d betrayed her – and Arthur. How could he have been so stupid? He supposed it was because, as Bonnie said, everyone acts illogically about death. The subject so overwhelms the mind, that sometimes people – even educated ones – are open to believing lies.

  “Then our bargain is sealed. It’s strange that we stumbled on this subject because it does give us insight into what Connie is going through. We have this concept of an afterlife and when something disturbs its sanctity – like that break-in – the shadow side of it emerges. Hence her bad dream. She was quite shaken.”

  Reginald felt that dagger again. This time it was stabbing into him – making him bleed on the inside. He didn’t want to know, but had to. The madness was spreading.

  “She had a dream?”

  “Yes, about Arthur,” she answered quietly looking down at her hands.

  It didn’t mean anything. Nothing at all. No matter what she said it was a lie. Someone was playing games. Putting thoughts in people’s heads. He didn’t know how, but it was being done.

  Bonnie fiddled with her nightgown not wanting to look at her husband any longer. She didn’t want him to ask her any more questions about Connie’s nightmare. She didn’t want to reveal what it was about. It was personal and Connie had told her in confidence. She had the same sense of integrity that her husband did, and didn’t want to divulge a confidence to just anyone. Her husband was hardly just anyone, but it was one more person that would know. Bonnie wasn’t sure that Connie would want that, but Reginald said it for her ending her dilemma.

  “She dreamt he was a vampire. Is that what you don’t want to tell me? That Connie had a dream about Arthur being a vampire?”

  B
onnie looked up quickly. She was astonished that he had guessed. She knew he was intelligent, but had no idea he was such a student of the human condition.

  “Yes, and how on God’s green earth did you ever know that? I would have been less surprised had you pulled a rabbit out of your robe pocket. Wait a minute … you said that the tape involving Miranda only happened today and you’ve been bothered about something for what? The past few weeks, so it had to be something else and ..” Bonnie fidgeted as she talked.

  Reginald thought about the notes downstairs hidden in his desk drawer. There was no way he’d bring her into this. He’d prevent it with his very life if necessary – especially now that he knew it was all a lie.

  He remembered that ghastly creature – Peter Adduné – coming to his home on a pretext. Why couldn’t he have talked to Figgs? Or Pinckus? Or even Connie? As Reginald learned, all it takes is someone to put a bug in your ear for you to start imagining things all on your own. Miranda had been right about that one. It could easily have happened.

  He got up from the chair and sat next to his wife. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him. She rested her head on his broad shoulder and wrapped her arms around the waist that he tried so hard to keep from growing bigger. He kissed the top of her head.

  “Bonnie, you haven’t been having any bad dreams, have you?”

  “No, darling. Only good ones of you and me and how happy we are.”

  She turned her face up towards him. Her sparkling blue eyes danced with affection.

  “We are happy, aren’t we, Reginald?” she asked breathlessly.

  “Yes, Bonnie. Deliriously and deliciously,” he said before giving her a long, ardent kiss that lasted long into the night.

  CHAPTER 36

  After ending the call to Reginald, Miranda retreated to the balcony. She put off the inevitable – telling her mother. Instead, she sat like a coward with her head on her hands on the chaise lounge. She thought the fresh air would do her good, but it did nothing to clear her clouded thoughts. She tried to imagine her mother’s reaction to what she’d done. She couldn’t tell her. Her mother had been the epitome of decorum and comported herself with dignity at all times. Even in her raucous days of modeling in New York City. The times had been pretty swinging, but not her mother. She considered modeling a business and never deviated from approaching it from a professional standpoint. Her attitude made it possible for her to escape nefarious photographer’s clutches. She’d never gotten caught up in lover’s trysts and scandals. Luckily, she’d soon met her future husband who’d scooped her out of that scene fraught with pitfalls.

  Miranda caught herself. It wasn’t luck. Her mother had chosen her life. She had taken responsibility for her actions, and her actions directly played into the life that she alone should take complete credit for creating. Giving any credence to luck was ridiculous as was acting as if things fall out of the sky. They didn’t. We create our reality. We choose the life we want to lead.

  “There you are!” Tiffany yawned stepping into the bright sunlight.

  Because she’d been sitting on the balcony, she didn’t know that Tiffany was up and about. Miranda picked her head up and saw her friend looking better than anyone had the right to look that early in the morning – especially after having had very little sleep.

  “Oy vey!” was the only thing Miranda could answer in response.

  Tiffany laughed. She walked over and leaned down over Miranda. She gave her a friendly hug and tickled her under her ribs. “Is that the best you can do?”

  Miranda tried to grab for Tiffany’s hands, but couldn’t find them nor prevent them finding all the susceptible spots for a sneak attack. Miranda laughed while crying inside. “You are in trouble now! Making me laugh when my life is collapsing around me.”

  Tiffany backed away and stretched out on an outdoor chair. She threw her head back and let the sun beat down on it. “Is that what’s happening?”

  “Worse. He was a cad and couldn’t wait to put me up for public viewing. You were so totally right about him. No more excuses.”

  Tiffany opened one eye and squinted through it at Miranda. “I know, chickie. I did a web search before I came out here. Next time you ask me before you sleep with someone.”

  “You think I’m ever going to have sex again? Not likely!” Miranda said putting her hands up and making a giant X with her forearms.

  The remark elicited a smile. Tiffany shielded her face with one hand. “You say that now, but you’ll be back for more with someone that is going to be a hell of a lot nicer than this jerkinheimer. May his dick fall off in the toilet and may it be flushed to kingdom come. Or at least into the sewers where a crocodile can eat it.”

  “Probably film that also. Provided it falls off when he’s spanking his next victim.”

  “You have breakfast?”

  “No, just coffee.”

  “Good. I think I’ll run out and get some of these little cheesy, chocolaty croissants at this place down the block.”

  “Great! Why not add gluttony to my wealth of sins? Shamed and soon-to-be fat. That Miranda Perry is going nowhere fast! Well, at least I’m eating the fattening stuff now – after my film debut. My brother says I have a lot of takers amongst his friends. Nice to know my dance card will be filled.”

  “Yeah, I’ve met some of Chase’s friends! The ones that are interested probably all have cameras hidden in their closets.”

  “I’ll do a surveillance sweep. I wonder if there’s such a thing as camera sniffing dogs?”

  “Well, if there isn’t, there should be. I take it that you’ve talked to your brother then? I hope he acted like the loving brother that he is and not a schmuck?”

  “Yes, on both counts. He was actually human for a change. He did manage to give me a rousing bad time about it though.”

  “Of course! That’s what brothers are for! All mine would do the same. I think they would beat up any of their friends that they knew watched though.”

  “Yes, unfortunately Chase is totally non-violent. Oh, except for the offer of putting a hit out on Peter.”

  “I hope you took him up on that!”

  “I’m considering it. Then there’s calling my mother. I have to tell her before anyone else does, but it is just so hard!”

  Tiffany pushed herself up to a seated position.

  “Miranda, that would be difficult for anyone so don’t be too hard on yourself. We all love you and sex is a normal thing. You didn’t know it was being filmed and can’t possibly be held responsible for making a bad choice in men. I think 99% of women have gotten involved with a loser at least once.”

  “All I know is that I will listen to you from now on. And no more blanking out when you’re talking to me either. If I hadn’t, I’d have heard about the surreptitious videotaping.”

  “Now that part you should be ashamed about. Everyone should stop doing everything when I speak!”

  They both laughed. Miranda suddenly stopped.

  “You know, I seem to recall there was another time, recently, that I did the same thing,” Miranda said suddenly thoughtful and trying to prod her memory.

  “When was that?”

  “After that dinner I had with Stroker. When we were at the table, but I just don’t remember. You were saying something and I cut you off. Probably by saying something completely idiotic when I should have been listening to you. What the devil was it?”

  “It wasn’t E = mc2?” Tiffany asked with a wry grin.

  “No! That one I know unless you’ve had time to revise it.”

  “Look, you keep thinking. Me? I’m going to throw something on. Can’t go out in this,” she said tugging at her cropped, semi-transparent top.

  “Aw, why not! Compared to what I was filmed in, you look positively overdressed.”

  Tiffany mussed up Miranda’s hair and kissed her on her forehead.

  “Be right back, chickie, with the goodies.”

  Miranda took a deep breath and hit spe
ed dial. Like it or not, she was facing up to her mistakes.

  “Miranda?”

  “Hi, mommy. Sorry to call you so late. Hope I didn’t wake you.”

  “No, not at all, dear. I was just doing some late night reading. How are you, Miranda? Having a good time in New York?”

  “I was.”

  “That sounds ominous. What happened? I hope not a fight with Tiffany.”

  “No, no! Tiffany and I are friends forever.”

  “Not problems with the exhibit?”

  “No, the exhibit came off without a hitch. Which reminds me, I have to check on Jake.”